Maharashtra: 3 state labs testing coronavirus samples from other states

"Several samples of Indians stranded in Iran were flown back to India and taken to the NIV for confirmation. Once the reports were out, medication was administered to them," he said, adding that samples from Maldives were also tested.

Testing period for coronavirus detection is six hours, he said.

When asked about the Nagpur-based lab and the areas it covers, he said, "Samples from Vidarbha region as well as samples from Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh are sent to this facility."

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Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope had said on Wednesday in Pune that around 10 new labs would be set up in the state in the coming days for testing samples of suspected coronavirus patients.

"Sample testing kits will be made available. The central government has approved 10 lakh new kits for all the labs in the country," he said.

Talking about the possibiliy of private labs being used for sample testing, the minister had said, "As per the new advisory, private labs have been allowed, but the government will not bear any of their expenses."

The proposed laboratories in Maharashtra will include two each in B J Medical College in Pune and Mumbai''s Haffkine Institute, and one each in Mumbai''s J J Hospital, in Aurangabad, Dhule, Miraj and Solapur, he had said.

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