India: 3 high-capacity Covid-19 test facilities to open

Opening happens as deaths fall in Delhi, but overall India's coronavirus case tally crosses 1.4m mark

NEW DELHI:

India on Monday will launch high-capacity coronavirus testing facilities in three major cities able to test over 10,000 samples a day.

The opening event with Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be organized via video link at the Indian Centre of Medical Research (ICMR).

The testing facilities have been “set up strategically” at ICMR facilities in Noida, Mumbai, and Kolkata,” said a government statement.

Meanwhile, the capital Delhi has seen a 44% fall in the number of Covid-19 deaths in early July compared to early June, said new data.

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According to figures, 1,089 deaths were seen on June 1-12, while 605 fatalities were recorded during the same period in July.

But India over the last 24 hours also crossed 1.4 million Covid-19 cases with a record spike of 49,931 new patients, said the Health Ministry on Monday.

The tally in India now stands at 1,435,453 coronavirus cases so far, including 32,771 deaths.

Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Delhi remain the worst-affected states in the country, but cases are rising rapidly in some other states also.