India scales up testing capacity from 1 in January to over 7.7 cr in October: MoHFW

The testing capacity in the country has been ramped up at a significant pace to reach over 7.7 crores in October from just one in January this year, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) on Sunday.

The MoHFW also said that the increased pace of testing has led to "early identification, prompt isolation, and effective treatment of COVID-19 cases. These have eventually resulted in a sustained low Fatality Rate."

"India has scaled up its testing capacity from one in January to more than 7.7 cr in October. With progressively falling positivity rate, testing has worked as an effective tool to limit the spread of COVID-19 infection," a tweet by the MoHFW read.

As per the MoHFW, 7,78,50,403 tests for COVID-19 were conducted in the country on October 3 which marks a new high.

Further the positivity rate in the country is at 8.32 per cent currently, as per the Health Ministry.

With an increase of 1,069 deaths reported on Saturday, the COVID-19 toll surpassed 1 lakh in India, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW).

With the latest increase, the COVID-19 toll in the country now stands at 1,00,842.

Meanwhile, the country reported 79,476 new cases, taking the tally of people infected with coronavirus to 64,73,545, the Ministry said.

The total COVID-19 count includes 9,44,996 active cases and 54,27,707 cured, discharged, or migrated cases.

Meanwhile, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said that India has maintained the top global ranking with maximum recoveries of COVID-19 patients and it has one of the lowest mortality rates in the world.

The recovery rate of COVID-19 patients now stands at 83.84 per cent and the total recoveries have surpassed the 54 lakh mark.