Samples for COVID-19 testing transported to Pune by Naval aircraft

Sixty samples for COVID-19 testing were ferried by an Indian Navy Dornier aircraft which took off from INS Hansa to Pune.

The samples were carried by a technician from Goa state health department, Defence Wing officials said.

The Goan medical team had earlier been airlifted to Pune on March 25 for COVID-19 test facility setup training at National Institute of Virology (NIV) and was brought back by another naval aircraft the following day.

The total number of COVID-19 cases in the country has climbed to 873, including 19 deaths, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said on Saturday.