Camps to be held outside central govt offices as Delhi ramps up testing

In an effort to increase COVID-19 tests to 40,000 per day as directed by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, camps will be held outside central government offices in Lutyens' Delhi from next week, officials said on Friday.

Kejriwal's announcement on increasing COVID-19 tests came against a backdrop of rising number of cases in the national capital.

Sources said a camp would also be set up outside Parliament, where MPs from all over the country will gather for the Monsoon Session, which is set to begin from September 14.

"COVID-19 tests are being undertaken currently at Delhi government facilities, including 207 dispensaries and 38 hospitals. As the government has decided to raise testing to 40,000 per day, camps will be set up outside central government offices," a Delhi government officer said.

Testing has been ramped up at transit points where people from other states arrive, court complexes, weekly markets, and other crowded places, he said.

At a Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) meeting on Wednesday, Lt Governor Anil Baijal directed that testing facilities should be set up at transit points like inter state bus terminals (ISBTs) and construction sites.

As per the daily health bulletin of the Delhi government, the number of tests, including Rapid Antigen and RT-PCR, rose from 24,198 on September 1 to 28,935 on September 2, 32,834 on September 3 and 36,319 on September 4.