NEW DELHI: A ministerial meeting chaired by Union Defense Minister Rajnath Singh suggested COVID-19 tests for all people who visit hospitals with symptoms of fever. This includes patients that don't have a foreign travel history or contact with a coronavirus infected person.

These rapid tests would be done at hotspots and in places where there are a high number of reported COVID-19 positive cases.

In India, with a population of 136 crore citizens, only 3 lakh COVID-19 tests have been carried out. So the centre has also directed for pool testing.

A person from a group of people would be selected for testing, and if the result turns out to be positive, the entire group will be tested. Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal have already started pool testing.

The Union Health Ministry said that 6.5 lakh kits from China for antibody detection testing have been given to states. The kits from South Korea have also been distributed. One lakh rapid antibody detection test kits have been made available for Kerala.