India's health ministry urges states with increasing COVID-19 cases to ramp up testing

NEW DELHI, Nov. 24 (Xinhua) -- India's federal health ministry, citing a decline in weekly COVID-19 testing rates, directed around a dozen states to increase COVID-19 testing, officials said Wednesday.

"While there has been a significant decline in the new cases with 10,195, average daily cases reported in the week ending 22nd November, it has been observed that there has also been a decline in weekly testing rates," reads a letter from Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan to the states.

The letter said in the absence of sustained levels of sufficient testing, it was difficult to determine the true level of the infection spread.

The federal government has asked states to maintain high testing considering the increase in travelling for weddings, festivals and vacations.

The ministry has also directed the states to keep a watch on the clustering of cases for early identification and containment.