e-Agenda AajTak: Lockdown helped contain coronavirus; 75,000 tests done so far, says Rajasthan Health Minister

Rajasthan Health Minister Raghu Sharma on Saturday said that the state has focused on testing and has conducted 75,000 tests so far. He added that the state government is capable of testing 5,000 people every day and attempts are being made to increase this number to 10,000 per day.

"When the first case of Covid-19 emerged in Rajasthan on March 2, we had no way to test the samples. We had to send the samples to the NIV lab in Pune. But today we are capable of conducting 5,000 test per day and in the coming week can carry out 10,000 tests," Sharma said during E-Agenda AajTak.

Raising concerns over the accuracy of rapid testing kits he said, "We had to close down rapid testing kits because it was proving to be ineffective and unreliable. ICMR too has issued guidelines on this."

"The only option for us is to increase testing on a large scale. There are 1,137 active cases in the state as of now. Four patients are admitted to ICU, of which three are on a ventilator," he added.

Raghu Sharma showed full support to the nationwide lockdown and said that it has helped Rajasthan government help contain the coronavirus pandemic in the state and due to the absence of any vaccine or cure, lockdown is the only solution.

Also Read: Coronavirus India Live Updates: Local parlours, salons to open from Saturday, liquor shops shut; tally-24,506

Also Read: Coronavirus: Govt allows local shops to reopen; check out what opens, what remains closed