Consistent fall in cumulative COVID positivity rate as testing increases

New Delhi, Nov 25: With the total number of tests conducted for the detection of COVID-19 nearing 13.5 crore in the country, the health ministry on Wednesday said comprehensive and widespread testing on a sustained basis has resulted in bringing down the positivity rate.
The progressive decline in the national cumulative COVID-19 positivity rate has demonstrated that the rate of spread of the infection is being effectively contained in the country, the ministry underlined.
The cumulative positivity rate has been steadily falling and has touched 6.84 per cent as on date while the daily positivity rate stands at 3.83 per cent, it said.
The country has demonstrated a consistent strengthening of its COVID-19 testing infrastructure since January, resulting in an exponential increase in the testing numbers, the ministry said. With 11,59,032 tests conducted for the detection of the coronavirus infection in a span of 24 hours, the total number of such tests is nearing 13.5 crore (13,48,41,307).
“Comprehensive and widespread testing on a sustained basis has resulted in bringing down the positivity rate. The progressive decline in the national cumulative positivity rate has demonstrated that the rate of spread of the infection is being effectively contained,” the ministry said.
Sustained and progressive expansion of the testing infrastructure has played a crucial role in the steep rise in the testing numbers. With 2,138 testing laboratories in the country — 1,167 government-run, 971 private — the daily testing capacity has got a substantial boost, the ministry said.
As a result, the tests per million per day figure in India is five times more than the standard set by the World Health Organization, it highlighted. The present active caseload (4,44,746) in the country accounts for 4.82 per cent of the total cases and has been sustained at below five per cent. (PTI)