India tests over 8 lakh samples for COVID-19 on second consecutive day

New Delhi, Aug 19 (PTI) Focusing on the "test, track and treat" strategy, India has tested more than 8 lakh samples for COVID-19 for the second consecutive day in a row, taking the cumulative tests to 3,17,42,782 so far, the Union Health Ministry said on Wednesday.

New Delhi, Aug 19 (PTI) Focusing on the "test, track and treat" strategy, India has tested more than 8 lakh samples for COVID-19 for the second consecutive day in a row, taking the cumulative tests to 3,17,42,782 so far, the Union Health Ministry said on Wednesday.  With a strong resolve to rapidly increase the number of tests done per day to touch 10 lakh per day testing capacity, 8,01,518 samples were tested in a span of 24 hours on Tuesday. The total recoveries from COVID-19 have surged to 20,37,870 in the country, pushing the recovery rate to 73.64 per cent, according to the Health Ministry data updated at 8 am.

"The cumulative testing as on date has reached 3,17,42,782. The Tests Per Million too have seen a sharp rise to 23,002," the ministry said. "It is only by aggressive testing that positive cases can be identified, their contacts tracked and isolated as well as prompt treatment can be ensured through timely medical care.  "The sustained level of high testing has played a key role in India's increasing rate of recovery, widening gap between the recovered and active cases, and also progressively declining fatality rate," the ministry said.

India followed the track of a graded and evolving strategy, steadily strengthening its nationwide network of labs in the public and private sectors. Starting from one lab in January 2020, presently there are 1,486 labs in the country, with 975 labs in the government sector and 511 in the private sector.   With 64,531 people testing positive in a day, India's COVID-19 tally increased to 27,67,273, while the death-toll climbed to 52,889 with 1,092 people succumbing to the disease in a span of 24 hours, the data updated at 8 am showed. PTI PLB AAR AAR.