As countries globally began enforcing strict lockdowns to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, India followed suit.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced a 21-day lockdown to contain the virus spread. The virus has now killed 17 Indians and infected more than 700 others. Then, Modi took a regulation to prevent the spread of the virus.
The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), 27,688 coronavirus tests had been carried out by 9am on Friday.
Government Defends Lockdown
A leader of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Sundhansu Mittal gave a response. India was one of few countries to have acted swiftly and decisively to contain the outbreak.
Academics from three American universities and the Delhi School of Economics in a report. It based on current trends and demographics have claimed that India could experience as many as 1.3 million coronavirus infections by mid-May.
Scaling Up Testing Facilities
Experts also say India’s capacity to test is poor and more robust testing would reveal the true extent of the pandemic.
According to Aljazeera, the national convener of the People’s Health Movement, Dr T Sundaraman, told about the test.
“We don’t know much because the rate of testing is still modest and very limited. If the testing expands we may find the real numbers which we don’t have,” he told Al Jazeera.
Facing its biggest health emergency since the country gained independence from Britain in 1947, the Indian government announced a series of steps starting with a 14-hour public curfew on Sunday.
The government has also scaled up testing facilities and engaged private contractors to help it conduct tests.
From 72 testing centers initially, India now has 104, with a capacity to test 8,000 samples daily. Another two rapid testing laboratories that can conduct more than 1,400 tests per day are going to operate soon.
