As the number of corona cases continues to rise in India, the central government on Monday gave its green signal to the Centre of Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) allowing the premier institute to conduct screening of suspected coronavirus cases at its facility in Hyderabad.

The central government’s nod to CCMB comes after Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhara Rao suggested to Prime Minister Narendra Modi that CCMB can be used for testing of samples for COVID-19 cases. He told the PM in a video-conference that CCMB has a capacity to test 1,000 blood samples at one go and that the center can be used not just for people of Telangana but for other states too.

Recently, the central government permitted Apollo Health and Lifestyle Limited in Secunderabad, Dr Remedies Labs Private Limited, Vimta Labs Ltd, Vijaya Diagnostic Centre and Laboratory Services of Apollo Hospitals to conduct corona tests. Any individual who suspects corona infection or has been screened with telling symptoms such as respiratory illness and dry cough with fever, can get tests done at any of these laboratories in the city.