Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Sunday sought to allay concerns over "fewer" Covid tests being conducted in the national capital, saying the city is conducting three times more diagnostic tests than the number recommended by the ICMR.
All those who need to undergo testing are being tested, he said. According to the Centre's new guidelines, asymptomatic patients do not need to undergo a test. Also, contacts of laboratory confirmed Covid-19 patients need not get tested unless they have comorbidities or are aged above 60.
Jain said these new guidelines on testing have come after thoughtful consideration.
"Delhi has been conducting 60,000 to 1 lakh tests every day," he said. The city is conducting three times more Covid tests than the number recommended by the Indian Council of Medical Research, he added.
Delhi conducted 67,624 tests on Friday and 79,578 on Thursday. On Thursday, the national capital reported 28,867 Covid-19 cases, the sharpest single-day spike since the beginning of the pandemic, after 98,832 tests were conducted the day before.