Coronavirus outbreak: Rahul Gandhi unhappy over Centre's stand on testing COVID-19 cases

New Delhi, Apr 16: Congress leader and Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi on Thursday held a briefing via video-conferencing where he claimed that the central government's testing level for the novel coronavirus pandemic is not up to the mark. He further said that it also does not have a strategy.

In an open remark, the Congress leader said, "We are in a very serious situation. People of India and parties need to work together."

"I have been speaking to large number of experts, both in India and abroad, as well as outside the government who have a better understanding of what is going on. We need to understand that lockdown is a pause button, it's not a solution to coronavirus," Gandhi further said.

Speaking on coronavirus testing in India, Rahul Gandhi said that there is a need to ramp up testing facility to prepare hospitals. "The biggest weapon in fight against COVID-19 is testing. It will tell us where the virus is moving, so you can understand where it is going to can isolate it," he added.

As the coronavirus began to impact India, Rahul Gandhi was seen critical of the Centre's handling of coronavirus outbreak.

Earlier, he demanded that emergency ration cards should be issued to those facing a shortage of food grains during the lockdown.

As India witnessed more than 900 COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, the coronavirus tally has crossed the 12,000 mark with the tally reading at 12,380 cases.