NEW DELHI: The number of tests for detection of Covid-19 crossed the 40 lakh-mark on Wednesday morning, the Union health ministry said as the coronavirus cases shot up to over 2 lakh in the country. A total of 41,03,233 samples have been tested as of 9am on June 3, with 1,37,158 tests being conducted in the last 24 hours since 9am on Tuesday, officials of the Indian Council of Medical Research said.
India registered a record jump of 8,909 novel coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, taking the tally to 2,07,615 on Wednesday, while the toll rose to 5,815 with 217 more deaths, the health ministry said.
Here are the top developments:
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India
- The testing capacity has been increased to 1.4 lakh per day through 480 government and 208 private laboratories (total 688 laboratories). The capacity is being further raised to two lakh samples per day, sources said.
- With respect to the health infrastructure in the country for management of the disease, 952 dedicated Covid hospitals with 1,66,332 isolation beds, 21,393 ICU beds and 72,762 oxygen-supported beds are available as of now, the government said.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Mozambique President Filipe Nyusi on the Covid-19 pandemic and assured him of India’s continued support, including medical assistance, to combat the health crisis.
- For the first time since the nation-wide lockdown was announced in March, the government has allowed foreign businessmen, healthcare professionals and engineers to visit India but they will have to obtain fresh visas. In an order, the MHA said the foreign nationals, holding a valid long-term multiple-entry business visa, would also have to get their travel documents re-validated from the Indian missions.
- Protest by the AIIMS Nurses’ Union over their working condition entered the third day as the number of workers infected