NEW DELHI: With the AAP-led Delhi government setting its eye on increaseing its testing target to 40,000 per day, State Health Minister Satyendar Jain said that the administration has got sufficient stock of diagnostic kits to last for 10-15 days.
However, Jain added that more units are being procured to meet the target of conducting 40,000 tests daily in the national capital. “Our team is ready, we are making all efforts and very soon, results will be seen on meeting the target. Centre has no objection to it, that itself is a big help,” the health minister said.
Last week, Jain in a letter to Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla had stated that the center was trying to interfere and prohibite state officials from increaseing the number of tests being carried out each day.
The Union Home Ministry though, promptly refuted the claims made by Jain branding them as “baseless”.
Last week Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal had said that keeping an eye on the increasing cases, the administration wanted to prioritise per day testing.
Jain also noted that the doubling rate of coronavirus cases in the national capital was 85 days and, therefore, it was at a “comfort level”.
“Our mantra is trace, test and isolate. Even if one person with Covid-19 infection is left untraced, he or she can spread it to many others. So, we want to continue to test aggressively in all areas, so that no such case is left behind,” the health minister said.
The state government has already increased the duration of testing hours at hospitals and dispensaries.
“We have 265 dispensaries and timing for getting tested at these facilities have been increased to five hours (9 AM-2 PM) from a duration of three to hours earlier.”
“Also, timings have been increased at our 35 hospitals for the same. We have about 300 such testing points in the national capital where tests are being conducted daily,” the health minister added.
On Sunday, the number of fresh Covid cases once again touched the 2K-mark after a span of almost 50 days.
HC calls for restrategising testing methods in city
The Delhi High Court expressed concern over the spike in cases of Covid-19 in the city by terming it as “worrisome” and directed the Delhi government to re-strategise testing so that cases which are turning out to be asymptomatic can undergo a test at private laboratories.
The HC also asked the government to set up within a week Covid-19 testing camps at Inter-state bus terminals like Anand Vihar, Kashmiri Gate and Sarai Kale khan for migrants who are returning to the capital.