PM Modi to launch testing facilities in Noida, Mumbai, Kolkata today

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will today launch “high throughput” COVID 19 testing facilities in Noida, Mumbai and Kolkata, which will boost the testing capacity and strengthen early detection and treatment in the country, the Prime Minister’s Office said. Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan, along with the chief ministers of Maharashtra, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh — Uddhav Thackeray, Mamata Banerjee and Yogi Adityanath respectively, will be attending the virtual launch event.

These labs have the capacity to test over 10,000 samples per day, a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office said.These labs will also reduce turnaround time and exposure of lab personnel to infectious clinical materials.

The three high throughput testing facilities have been set up strategically at ICMR institutions — National Institute of Cancer Prevention and Research in Noida, National Institute for Research in Reproductive Health in Mumbai and National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases in Kolkata.

The labs are also enabled to test diseases other than COVID-19 as well, and post the pandemic, will be able to test for Hepatitis B and C, HIV, mycobacterium tuberculosis, cytomegalovirus, chlamydia, neisseria and dengue, the statement said.

With daily coronavirus cases (48,661) coming close to 50,000 for the third consecutive day, the total number of coronavirus infections in India rose to 13,85,522 on Sunday. The toll rose to 32,063 with 705 deaths in the last 24 hours. Currently, India has over 4.6 lakh active cases, while 8.8 lakh people have recovered. More high-risk areas were brought under lockdown on Saturday for varying periods, including weekends, by states in a bid to check the rapid rise in COVID-19 cases in India.