Delhi sees surge in COVID-19 testing, confusion prevails over number of samples
The state government did not clarify if the tests mentioned in the bulletin were only RT-PCR tests or included rapid antigen method as well.
Published: 20th June 2020 08:56 AM | Last Updated: 20th June 2020 08:56 AM | A+A A-
The MHA on Friday claimed that sample testing has doubled this week after Amit Shah’s meeting with the AAP government. (Photo | Shekhar Yadav, EPS)
NEW DELHI: The COVID-19 testing rate in Delhi has increased with as many as 13,074 samples being tested on Thursday, as per the government bulletin released on Friday evening. Correspondingly, the national capital also saw the highest number of new cases with 3,137 positive cases being reported.
However, some confusion prevailed over the exact number and type of tests conducted.
The state government did not clarify if the tests mentioned in the bulletin were only RT-PCR tests or included rapid antigen method as well. The state government also did not clarify whether the claim on Friday morning to have registered as many as 20,000 tests on Thursday was correct.
The Aam Aadmi government had claimed that the figure declared in the morning was the highest number of tests conducted in any other state in a day.
Reacting to the figure tweeted by a news agency, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had assured that the residents of the city won’t face any difficulty in testing going further.
“People in Delhi won’t face any problem in getting themselves tested now. The number of testing will be increased further in the coming days,” the Chief Minister tweeted.
The MHA on Friday claimed that sample testing has doubled this week after Amit Shah’s meeting with the AAP government. In the meeting, it was decided to increase the testing capacity in Delhi by 20,000 samples per day from June 20.
While the testing via rapid antigen kits was scheduled to begin from June 20, it has already been introduced from Thursday as per MHA’s instruction. There has been 12,680 samples collected using the antigen rapid technique. Out of these samples collected, 951 have been tested positive. There have been 19,720 tests with antigen technique in the last two days.
Centre, Delhi government’s figures don’t match
According to the MHA, a total of testing samples of 27,263 have been collected in Delhi from June 15 to 17 against the daily collection which varied from 4,000 to 4,500 earlier. The Delhi government, however, reports the total number of tests done in these three days at 24,605
