PATNA: Bihar set the record of becoming the first state in India to conduct highest number of COVID-19 tests in single-day on Sunday.
In the last 24-hours, the state health department conducted more than 1,76,511 tests for COVID-19.
Sharing this information, state health minister Mangal Pandey said that a total of 5,70,03,36 COVID-19 tests have been done so far, of which 1,68,542 persons were tested positive for the coronavirus.
The testing in Bihar got pace with the appointment of IAS officer Pratyay Amrit as principal health secretary, replacing Uday Singh Kumawat, amid mounting pressure from public to increase testing.
Pratyay started reviewing testing arrangements in Bihar and toured across state medical colleges and hospitals to check the testing arrangements.
Sharing details with The New Indian Express, Pratyay Amrit said that only 864 persons had succumbed to the COVId-19 in Bihar so far.
"Bihar's recovery rate has gone upto 91.63 per cent as on Sunday with only 13,234 active COVID-19 patients under treatment and isolation at hospitals and their homes. So far,1,54,443 patients have recovered that is also a record in itself", Pratyay Amrit said.
He said that the infection rate has also dropped significantly in the state with just 1,555 new positive cases tested in the last 24-hours.
Official sources meanwhile said that efforts were underway to make Bihar 'corona-free' before elections.
''The entire state health force is working to make this happen and the level of awareness among people has also increased.'' he said.
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