The State government has increased the sample testing capacity for COVID-19 at its seven Viral Research Diagnostics Laboratories (VRDL) in the State.

A Health Department release said the State has for the first time tested 2,010 samples in one day, on Monday. Earlier, the laboratories together could test only up to a thousand samples a day.

Each laboratory located in Vijayawada, Anantapur, Guntur, Visakhapatnam, Tirupati, Kakinada and Kadapa is now equipped to test 300 to 400 samples a day, said Arja Srikanth, State Nodal Officer, Command Control Centre.

The laboratories are now also using TruNat test kits meant for testing Tuberculosis following approval by the ICMR. Further, the government has brought in two types of rapid testing into use.