Mobile labs for Covid testing to soon be available in Maharashtra: CM Thackeray

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday said mobile laboratories for Covid-19 testing will soon be made available across the state.

Speaking at the launch of three laboratory vans for Covid-19 testing, Thackeray said these mobile laboratories can carry out 3,000 tests per day and reports would be available in 24 hours.

Tests will be conducted at the mobile labs for ₹499, said Mumbai municipal commissioner I S Chahal who was present on the occasion.

The mobile labs by Spice Heath, which are accredited by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) and Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), have been set up at Bandra Kurla Complex, National Sports Club of India in Worli and NESCO in Goregaon.

Until last year, Covid-19 testing was done only in two laboratories in Mumbai and Pune, but now there are more than 500 laboratories, the chief minister said.

Mobile laboratories for Covid-19 testing will soon be made available across the state, he said.

In the wake of the new strain of coronavirus found in different countries, the state government will continue to prioritise tracing and treatment of infected patients, Thackeray said.

"Even though the number of Covid-19 cases has declined, tracing of patients and their contacts is important. Companies like Spice Health have come forward as part of their social responsibility to provide testing facilities," he said.