With more than 11.70 lakh samples tested for COVID-19 for two successive days (Wednesday and Thursday), the total number of such tests conducted in the country has surged to 4,66,79,145, while the daily positivity rate is still below 7.5 per cent, the health ministry said on Friday. “Even with this very high daily testing, the daily COVID-19 positivity rate is still below 7.5 per cent while the cumulative positivity rate is less than 8.5 per cent,” it underlined. With 30,37,151 people having recovered from COVID-19, the national recovery rate has risen to 77.15 per cent, while the case fatality rate has further declined to 1.74 per cent, according to the ministry’s data updated at 8 am. “These results reflect the successful Centre-led strategy of ”test, track and treat” being effectively implemented by most of the states and Union territories. “No other country has achieved these levels of very high daily testing,” the ministry stressed. The sustained higher testing on a wide scale enables an early diagnosis, prompt isolation and a timely hospitalisation. Effective treatment, based on the Standard Treatment Protocol both in supervised home isolation and in hospitals, also results in a lower mortality rate. “With the aim to reduce the fatality rate below 1 per cent, India’s case fatality rate (CFR) has touched 1.74 per cent following a gradient of steady and sustained decline,” the ministry underscored. The daily testing capacity has been enhanced to more than 10 lakh tests. A total of 11,69,765 samples were tested for COVID-19 on Thursday. “With this steep exponential rise in daily testing, the cumulative tests are nearing 4.7 crore. The cumulative tests as on date have reached 4,66,79,145,” the ministry said. The substantial increase in the testing levels is anchored in the daily expansion of the network of diagnostic laboratories across the country. As on date, there are 1,631 such laboratories in India — 1,025 in the government sector and 606 private ones.
