<span style="color: #222222;">Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan today inaugurated the new COVID Diagnostic Centre in Agra city of Uttar Pradesh. It has the capacity to conduct 1,200 COVID tests per day. The Health Minister inaugurated the new research block of ICMR National Leprosy and Micro-bacterial Institute, Agra in presence of the Director of ICMR Dr Balram Bhargava. <br />''<br />''The new research block has COVID testing laboratory in which there are level-2 bio-safety cabinet, automatic RNA extractor and real-time PCR machines which can provide results of any COVID test in one day. This new block will also help in research related to whole genome sequencing of mycobacterium species and help in developing anti mycobacterium drug by extraction of phytochemicals from medicinal plants. On the occasion, he praised the role of Indian Council for Medical Research, ICMR in fight with COVID and its role in eradicating tuberculosis. He said that the institute is playing a pivotal role in fulfilling the Prime Minister's dream of TB Free India by 2025.</span><br />