Maha conducted over 1 lakh coronavirus tests in three months

Mumbai, Apr 25 () Maharashtra has conducted overone lakh COVID-19 tests, the highest in the country, across 40laboratories in the state since January, Public HealthMinister Rajesh Tope said on Saturday.

Samples of 1,08,972 individuals had been sent to thelaboratories till Saturday, of which 94,485 persons testednegative.

The state has reported 6,817 positive cases so farwhile some reports are awaited.

Tests are being conducted at 20 government and as manyprivate laboratories at the rate of 5,000 to 7,000 per day,a health department statement said.

The state government started screening passengers forpossible exposure to the novel coronavirus at ChhatrapatiShivaji Maharaj International Airport here in January.

In the last week of January, samples of five personswere sent to Pune's National Institute of Virology (NIV),which was then the only institute where tests were conducted.

Since then, number of laboratories where tests can beconducted was ramped up and over one lakh tests wereconducted, the statement said. ENMKRK KRK