Karnataka to have 60 labs for COVID-19 by end of May

Bengaluru, May 1 () Seeking to ramp up its testingcapacity for COVID-19, the Karnataka government propose toincrease the number of labs in the state to 60 by this monthend as against existing 26, Medical Education Minister KSudhakar said on Friday.

The existing labs have a capacity to test about 5,000samples a day, he said. "We have boosted our COVID10 testing capabilities. Gadag,Vijayapura & Tumakuru get their own COVID-19 testing labs.From just 2 in Feb, we now have 26 labs & capable of testing5,000 per day. We will have 60 labs by end of May," Sudhakartweeted. As per health department data as of Thursday evening, atotal of 60,156 samples have been tested in the state so farand 57,548 of them reported negative. On Thursday alone, 4,752 samples were tested and 4,307 ofthem turned negative.

The state's tally of COVID-19 cases stood at 576,including 22 deaths and 235 discharges. KSUVS VS