‘TARGETING 6 LAKH RAPID ANTIGEN TESTS IN CAPITAL’
ADDING 500 VENTILATORS, 650 AMBULANCES: G KISHAN REDDY
NEW DELHI: With the Delhi government and the Centre now deciding to fight the COVID-19 battle in the Capital together, the Central government has set an ambitious target of conducting at least 6
lakh rapid antigen tests here, according to Union Minister G Kishan Reddy, who added that the Centre would be putting at
least 500 ventilators and 650 ambulances at the disposal of the Delhi government.
“From today onwards, 169 testing centres will be operational in Delhi where rapid antigen methodology will be used. We have targeted to conduct six lakh tests. People living in containment zones and relatives of the positive cases can go for tests at any of these centres,” Reddy told reporters here, after visiting a few of these centres.
The Minister of State for Home also said that as of now 50,000 rapid antigen testing kits procured from South Korea have already been deployed at these 169 testing centres. He said Delhi currently has 431 ventilators and the central government will provide 500 more to hospitals in the city. Similarly, the Centre will provide 650 ambulances to add to the 350 that the city already has, he said.
However, Reddy did not specify a timeline for the tests nor did he specifically say when the ventilators and ambulances would be provided.
Reddy said that the Delhi government and the Centre had decided to take serious measures in the last few days to rein in the pandemic in the Capital, after being directed to work in collaboration by the Prime Minister’s Office, with the Home Ministry taking the lead in making this collaboration work.
Since an intensive review meeting between Home Minister Amit Shah and CM Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday along with LG Anil Baijal an other officials, both the state and central governments have made decisions that have added tens of thousands COVID19 beds, capped the price of private RT-PCR testing at Rs 2,400, surveyed over 77 per cent of Delhi’s population that lives in containment zones and made strides in regulating private treatment for COVID19 in Delhi.
In a tweet, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said, “7,040 people underwent rapid-antigen test at 193 centres across Delhi. Of this, 456 people have been found positive.”
He said those residing in containment zones are being tested in the initial phase.