Odisha crosses 50,000 COVID-19 tests, set to increase capacity

Bhubaneswar, May 7 () Odisha has crossed 50,000coronavirus tests and the laboratories are being augmented toconduct up to 15,000 per day, officials said on Thursday.

The state has conducted 50,514 samples till Wednesdaymid-night, National Health Mission (NHM) director ShaliniPandit said.

"Odisha has surpassed the national average ofconducting COVID-19 tests of 983 persons per 10 lakhpopulation by performing 1,155 tests per 10 lakh population,"Pandit said.

The state presently conducts corona tests in eightlaboratories and plans are afoot to set up 11 more, she said.

The state government has decided to increase thecorona test capacity to 15,000 a day as a large number ofpeople are set to return to Odisha from outside the state,officials said.

So far 39,765 people have returned to Odisha fromother states. AAMNN NN