India crosses 10 cr-mark in conducting Covid-19 tests: ICMR

New Delhi, Oct 22: India has crossed the 10 crore-mark in conducting tests for the detection of COVID-19as on Thursday with an average testing of more than 10 lakh samples per day in the last 17 days, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said. Till now, 74,000 tests per million population have been conducted.

India has conducted last 5 crore sample testing in only 45 days, LokeshSharma, scientist and media coordinator at ICMR said. As on September 8, India had tested 5 crore COVID-19 samples, and in less than 50 days on October 22, it has reached the 10 crore-mark, Sharma said. “This has been enabled by rapidly increasing testing infrastructure and capacity across the country.

The ICMR has been enhancing COVID-19 testing capability across the country by expanding and diversifying testing capacity by leveraging technology and facilitating innovation in affordable diagnostic kits,” the ICMR said in a statement.