Delhi airport: 110 RT-PCR tests on day one; 500 tests daily expected at current 2% rate

NEW DELHI: With India resuming random testing for 2% international arrivals, the lab at India’s busiest airport — Delhi’s IGIA — says it will be conducting about 500 tests daily. These tests resumed on Saturday (Dec 24) at 10 am (after peak arrival time for international flights) and Day One saw 110 tests being conducted, Genestrings Diagnostic Centre's lab at the Delhi airport said in a statement.

“On an average about 25,000 travellers arrive at Delhi Airport (daily) out of which 500 random passengers are being tested. By the end of Day One, we had conducted nearly 110 tests,” the statement said. After submitting samples for random testing, travellers can leave the airport.

“The timely decision by the Union health and aviation ministries to start random testing is a much needed prevention measure that will curb the spread of infection in the country. We have increased manpower of lab technicians at the facility to ensure availability and timely reporting along with being fully prepared for Covid management" said Dr Gauri Agarwal, Founder, Genestrings Diagnostic Centre.

Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) has made all necessary arrangements for testing, similar to the ones seen during previous waves of the pandemic when testing on arrival (or pre-departure for some countries) was mandatory. “Genestrings was the first lab in India during the pandemic to establish a RT-PCR testing lab at any international airport delivering results in four hours, when even developed nations were taking 24-48 hours for results. Genestrings then went on to become one of the largest Covid-19 testing facilities conducting over 20,000 tests per day. The lab at DelhiAirport was also appointed by the Canadian government as the sole Covid-19 testing facility in India for Canada-bound passengers. Genestrings conducted over 2.5 million COVID tests in the past two years,” the statement said.