A day after hitting 1 million mark, 800k tests on Saturday

The overall tally stood at 3,52,92,220. On Friday, 10, 23, 836 tests were conducted.

Updated on: Aug 24, 2020, 03:12:57 IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | By Rhythma Kaul

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The number of daily Covid-19 tests slumped by about 200,000 on Saturday after crossing the record one million mark a day before. The data released by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) showed that the country performed 8,01,147 Covid-19 tests in the past 24 hours.

Health workers brief people who tested positive after a Covid-19 test in Prayagraj, India. (AP)

The overall tally stood at 3,52,92,220. On Friday, 10, 23, 836 tests were conducted.

“At times, this (low-test count) happens on weekends. However, it doesn’t mean that there is a decline in our testing capacity,” said Dr Rajnikant Srivastava, spokesperson, ICMR.

“It is only by aggressive testing that the positive cases can be identified, their contacts tracked in a timely manner and critical patients provided the needed clinical treatment…,” said Union ministry of health and family welfare (MOH&FW) in its statement released on Sunday.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rhythma Kaul
Rhythma Kaul is the national health editor of the Hindustan Times. She has been reporting on public health, medicine, and medical research, with a particular focus on how government decisions and health system reforms shape people’s lives. Rhythma has over 25 years of journalistic experience. She joined Hindustan Times in 2008, and has since covered everything from pandemics and infectious diseases to cutting‑edge medical research and climate‑related health challenges. Her stories routinely track the work of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, department of pharmaceuticals, and key national health programmes, making complex medical science and policy accessible to a wide audience. One of her prominent news breaks has been the 2012 Baby Falak case: A two-year-old brutally battered baby girl was admitted to AIIMS-Delhi with severe head injuries, multiple fractures, human bite marks, and burns. The police investigation revealed this to be a case of multi-state human-trafficking racket. She was profiled by The Wall Street Journal for breaking this story. Rhythma holds a Master’s degree from Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi. Prior to Hindustan Times, she worked with the India Today Group. Rhythma can be contacted at rhythma.kaul@hindustantimes.com. Her X handle is @RamblingBrook.Read More