India on Friday crossed the 10-crore Covid-19 tests mark after testing a record nearly 14.50 lakh samples, the highest in a single day. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said 5 crore samples were tested in the last 45 days with an average testing of more than 10 lakh samples per day in the last 17 days.
Terming the record testing as “a positive indication that we are moving in the right direction”, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan, however, warned that the next three months are going to be decisive in determining the coronavirus situation in the country and urged people to follow Covid-appropriate behaviour in the coming festival season and winter months.
The Minister said that high level of comprehensive testing on a sustained basis has also resulted in bringing down the national positivity rate. In the last 24 hours, 14, 42,722 sample were tested taking the total tally to 10,01,13,085.
Vardhan, who reviewed the Covid-19 preparedness with the Health and Medical Education Ministers and other senior officials of Uttar Pradesh, also highlighted that the number of active coronavirus cases in the country are less than 7 lakh and the doubling rate has increased to 97.2 days.
He said in the last three months, the country has seen significant improvement in the Covid parameters but next three months are crucial.
“From recording over 95,000 Covid-19 cases in a day, they have been substantially reduced to less than 55,000 per day. The recovery rate of India is nearing 90 per cent. The Case Fatality Rate (CFR) is also declining. CFR stands at 1.51 per cent and is moving towards the target of being less than 1 per cent,” he said.
“For a big State like Uttar Pradesh, it becomes important that maximum thrust is given to simple precautionary measures which are effective in preventing the spread of the disease to a large extent like wearing masks/face cover, especially in public spaces, and following hand and respiratory etiquettes,” he added.
As many as 15 States and Union Territories, including Maharashtra, Kerala, Chandigarh, Goa, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal and Delhi, are exhibiting higher Covid-19 positivity rate compared to the national figure, indicating the need for higher levels of comprehensive testing in these regions.
Higher testing across wide regions has resulted in early identification of positive cases, prompt tracking through efficient surveillance and tracing, and timely and effective treatment in homes/facilities and in hospitals for the severe cases.
These measures in tandem eventually lead to lower mortality rate, said a senior official from the Ministry.
