Coronavirus: Gujarat orders 40,000 rapid test kits

GANDHINAGAR:

Facing criticism over the meagre number of Covid-19 tests conducted so far, the Gujarat government has ordered 40,000 coronavirus test kits.

These kits are expected to be delivered to the state in the next few days.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a video conference with state CMs, had stressed on the need to make tracking and testing of potential carriers of Covid-19 more intensive, even as the country battles to check the spread of the pandemic.

While the entire country remains under lockdown, new cases of Covid-19 are being registered on a daily basis.

Top sources in the state government said that of the 40,000 rapid test kits which have been ordered, a sizeable amount will reach Gujarat in the next few days.

“On top of these, more kits are expected to be received from the government of India shortly. The state has ample stock at present to test persons for the next ten days,” sources said.

In the past 15 days, the government has conducted 2,714 tests for Covid-19, of which 146 have tested positive.