<span style="color: #222222;">Government today said that the total number of people being tested for COVID-19 in the country will soon touch one crore. Union Health Ministry said, this has been possible due to various steps taken by the Central Government, which paved way for enhanced testing for COVID-19.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">  </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">The Ministry said, as on date, more than 90 lakh tests have been conducted through diagnostic testing network which is fast expanding. There are now one thousand 65 testing labs in the country comprising 768 in the public sector and 297 private labs. The per day testing capacity is also fast growing and  yesterday, over two lakh 29 thousand people got tested for COVID-19.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">    </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Centre has urged States to ramp up testing in a big way by using Rapid Antigen Point-of-Care tests in addition to RT-PCR, which is the gold standard for diagnosis of COVlD-19. The Rapid Antigen test is quick, simple, safe and can be used in containment zones as well as hospitals. Centre has also asked States and Union Territories to facilitate testing in a big way by adoption of 'campaign mode' by organizing testing camps, using mobile vans.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">  </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">The Ministry said, through a significant step announced by the Centre, COVID-19 testing can now be done on the preion of any registered practitioner, and not exclusively a Government doctor. Health Ministry reiterated that 'Test-Track-Treat' is the key strategy for early detection and containment of the outbreak. ICMR has strongly recommended that laboratories should be free to test any individual in accordance to the ICMR Guidelines and State authorities must not restrict an individual from getting tested.</span><br />''