Maharashtra govt planning to set up sample testing laboratories in all districts: CM Uddhav Thackeray

As part of its effort to ramp up testing facilities in the wake of sharp rise in Covid cases, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has inaugurated a COVID RT-PCR laboratory in Jalna city in Marathwada via video conferencing from Mumbai. He said that the state government has augmented various health facilities for people, and also ramped up tracing and testing.

Expressing concern over the rising number of COVID-19 cases, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said that the government is planning to set up sample testing laboratories in all districts. While inaugurating a COVID RT-PCR laboratory in Jalna he said that some places in the state have



temporary facilities but the government is planning to make them permanent. Public Health minister Rajesh Tope said that the results of samples will now be available quickly through the BSL-3 type new laboratory. He added that the laboratory can also test HIV samples. 

The Health Minister assured that plasma and antibody testing machines will also be made available soon. Union Minister and local MP Raosaheb Danve also assured that the state and Central governments are taking steps to curb the pandemic. Meanwhile, Latur district will be under lockdown from 15 to 30th July in the wake of rising covid cases.