Plan to increase COVID-19 tests to 10 lakh per day in 1-2 months: Harsh Vardhan
New Delhi: India is currently conducting around five lakh COVID-19 tests every day and the plan is to double the number in next one-two months, Union Science and Technology Minister Harsh Vardhan said on Thursday.
During the launch of a compendium on 'Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Technologies for COVID-19 Mitigation', Vardhan, who is also the Union health minister, said the country's recovery rate of over 64 per cent is the best in the world while the fatality rate is nearly 2.2 per cent.
He also hailed the scientific community for fighting alongside the medical community in the battle against the virus.
The first COVID-19 case in India was detected on January 30 and it has been six months since then but the fight against the virus is still on. Despite the vastness of the country and its population, the war against the virus has been successfully taken up in every corner, Vardhan said.
About ramping up health infrastructure in the country, the minister said six months ago India was importing ventilators, but it has now developed a capacity to manufacture three lakh ventilators.
"Most of the ventilators are being made within the country now. India is supplying hydroxychloroquine drug to nearly 150 countries," he said.
"In April, we used to conduct 6,000 tests daily. Today, we are conducting over five lakh tests every day. Our plan is to take it to 10 lakh tests daily in 1-2 months and we are working towards it," Vardhan said.
There was a time when exports related to COVID-19 were stopped to meet the requirements within the country. However, on Friday, in the Group of Ministers, there will be a presentation on what can be again opened up for the exports, he said.
"This is possible because of the efforts undertaken by the country to ramp up production of critical equipment."
Vardhan asserted that while global efforts are on to find a vaccine against the novel coronavirus, India is not behind.
"We have been able to do detailed sequencing of over 1,000 coronavirus genomes," Vardhan said, adding that India was among the five nations who could isolate the virus.
Referring to human trials of vaccine candidates being conducted by Bharat Biotech and Zydus Cadila, he said India is among the very few countries to reach that stage.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
4 held for sexually assaulting woman, girl on moving bus after social media alert in UP's Agra
Agra (UP) (PTI): Four people were arrested, after a prompt response by police following a social media alert, for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman and a girl inside a moving bus here, officials said on Tuesday.
According to an official police statement, at 12:27 am on April 27, information was received on the social media platform X about an incident of sexual assault on a bus travelling from Kanpur to Ahmedabad, which was approaching Namner crossing in Agra.
Acting under the direction of Police Commissioner Deepak Kumar, the Agra Police social media team immediately alerted the Rakabganj police station within minutes and coordinated with the victims to confirm the incident and obtain the exact location, it stated.
Police teams launched intensive checking at Namner crossing and intercepted the bus as it reached the spot. The four accused involved in the incident were apprehended on the spot, and legal action was initiated against them, the statement said.
The police said the swift response and coordination between the social media team and field units ensured timely action, bringing relief to the victims and other passengers, who expressed gratitude towards the police, it added.
