<span style="color: #222222;">Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has approved more than 200 laboratories for testing COVID-19 across the country currently. According to ICMR, in districts with no operational COVID-19 testing facility, setting up of a new centre will be considered if the number of suspected cases is more than 100 per day and the nearest testing laboratory is over 250 kms away in the plains and over 150 kms away in hilly regions.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Based on new requests from several districts for initiation of COVID-19 testing, the ICMR has come up with an advisory for setting up new laboratories. According to the advisory, a testing laboratory can be made operational in a district in case the nearest one is at the above-mentioned distance and the existing laboratories are testing at least 100 samples each per day.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">It also said that if the nearest testing laboratory is at the above-mentioned distance, not testing 100 samples per day and does not agree to test samples from the affected district, then it will be closed down and permission will be given to set up a new laboratory.</span><br />