The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Thursday updated its testing strategy for the Novel Coronavirus as the number of infected people continues to rise in the country. There has been widespread criticism of India over the number of tests conducted per million people, an abysmally low figure.
The revised strategy includes testing of all symptomatic individuals who have undertaken international travel in the last 14 days. It says that symptomatic contacts of laboratory-confirmed cases will also be tested. In its ambit, the ICMR has also included all symptomatic healthcare workers.
Here's the revised strategy of ICMR:
Source: ANI
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Meanwhile, at least 199 people have died due to the COVID-19 in India, according to the latest Thursday numbers on Worldometre, while the total number of cases has risen to 6,588.
However, news agency PTI reports 225 deaths and 6,624 cases of infection in India as it prepares for an extended nationwide lockdown to contain the spread of COVID-19.
In its most recent update, the union health ministry placed the total number of cases at 5865 and the death toll at 169. The ministry said that 478 people have so far recovered from the infection.
The Centre on Thursday announced Rs 15,000 crore for 'India COVID-19 Emergency Response and Health System Preparedness Package.' The funds sanctioned will be utilised for immediate COVID-19 Emergency Response - Rs 7,774 crore and rest for medium-term support (1-4 years) to be provided under mission mode approach.
