Covid tests at 11 more laboratories in State

BHUBANESWAR: The State Government has decided to set up 11 more laboratories to expedite Covid-19 testing. Beginning with only 58 tests per week initially, State has conducted more than 50,000 sample tests in the last two months. 

NHM Director Shalini Pandit said the State has been able to test 50,514 samples till Wednesday midnight. It is a milestone for the State which started with one laboratory, she said adding the tests are now being conducted in eight labs.

“On an average we have been conducting over 3,000 tests per day. While highest 3,535 tests were carried out on May 4, as many as 3,060 samples tested on Wednesday. The per-day testing capacity will increase further in the coming days,” she said.

Highlighting the strategies to ramp up testing capacity in the State, Pandit said 11 new laboratories will be set up at different locations in the State. While one more RTPCR machine will be installed at Berhampur, the Government medical colleges at Balangir, Koraput, Baripada and Balasore will have one each besides such facilities at Rayagada and Kalahandi. The testing capacity, she said, will be further augmented up to 15,000 per day in coming days as per the target set by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.