According to the Union health ministry, Odisha is conducting 1,265 tests per million per day. Goa tops the government’s chart with 1,825 tests per million per day.
Mohammad Suffian, Bhubaneswar: Odisha is far ahead of the National Average that stands at 580.
Achieving another significant milestone, Odisha has become the second state in the country to conduct the maximum number of Covid tests per day per million population.
According to the Union health ministry, Odisha is conducting 1,265 tests per million per day. Goa tops the government’s chart with 1,825 tests per million per day.
Odisha is far ahead of the National Average that stands at 580, leaving behind many larger states in the country.
The Odisha government has significantly ramped up testing to collect 50,000 samples in a day, thus decreasing the positivity rate to 5.5 per cent from 9.2 per cent. The drop in the number of cases might point at a downward trend in Odisha.
Chart released by the Union health ministry on Friday.
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik tweeted: “Odisha has emerged second leading state in the country by conducting 1,265 tests per million per day, compared to the national average of 580 as per the MoHFA. Odisha has been consistently ramping up tests for the identification and treatment of Covid-19 positive cases.”
Thursday saw a record 56,479 samples being tested for Covid-19 in Odisha, while 53,478 tests were carried out on Wednesday.
“Odisha is a role model for the nation and globally in handling of the Covid battle and the recent information on Covid testing by Union Government, placing Odisha in 2nd position in India is just another initiative of the Odisha Government to win the war against Covid,” a press released by the state government said.
While the national average is at 542, large states like Madhya Pradesh notched 244 (daily tests per million population), Rajasthan at 309, West Bengal at 365, Bihar at 408 tests, Kerala at 534, Punjab at 546 and Maharashtra at 579 tests.
Even large developed states like Delhi, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat are also behind Odisha.
Odisha has so far reported 72,718 novel coronavirus positive cases and 390 deaths due to the infection. A total of 48,577 patients have already been cured.
