From just 4k COVID-19 tests a day in April, India now has hit the 2 lakh mark

New Delhi, June 24: India's testing amidst the COVID-19 pandemic has hit 2 lakh daily.

This is a major improvement as in April, India was conducting just 4,000 tests a day.

India has conducted over 2 lakh tests on June 23 and this is a milestone.

India has on date tested 7.3 lakh samples against which 4.6 lakh have tested positive. Of the 2.08 lakh samples tasted on June 23, over 17,000 have been found positive.

The aim of the country has been to ensure that no part gets overwhelmed in tackling the virus. The testing apparatus is being ramped up in a strategic manner to stay ahead of the virus. The aim is also to deploy resources as the pandemic continues to spread.

In the first week of February, India had just 13 labs and by March 24, 123 were in place. As on date India has 743 government labs apart from another 268 which are testing.

Meanwhile the government has relaxed norms of having in-house testing for three kinds of Personal Protective Equipments (PPEs) to promote the supply of quality gears during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, according to an official order.

The norms have been relaxed for filter half masks, surgical face masks and eye protectors by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).
Earlier, license to manufacture these products was given to those having in-house testing facilities.

This norm has been relaxed and manufacturers are now required to test the samples for specified requirements in labs of BIS licensees who have in-house testing facilities, or in BIS recognised or empanelled private or government labs, it added.

"This has been done to enable more manufacturers to be brought in the ambit of BIS product certification scheme, which will in turn result in greater quantity of BIS certified PPEs being made available to the users," the BIS said.

BIS is a national standards body that functions under the Consumer Affairs Ministry. It has framed more than 25,000 quality standards for different products/services.

Based on the data obtained from 81 mask manufacturers, BIS said it has been found that their current installed annual 2ply/3 ply surgical masks production capacities are 295 crore.