New Delhi: Days after clearing the path for private labs to test Covid-19 samples, the Indian Council of Medical Research on Monday expedited approvals for manufacturing of domestic commercial testing kits.

“We are fast tracking approval for kit manufacturers. We want to clarify that those kits that are not approved by USFDA or European CE will be approved by ICMR-National Institute of Virology,” said Dr.Balram Bhargava, Director-General, ICMR. The government had on Saturday said that only kits approved by USFDA or European CE by labs.

A note by ICMR said that probes, one of the components required for testing of Covid-19, are being procured from the USA by ICMR-NIV and they are being distributed to testing labs across the country.

ICMR has evaluated nine Indian kits and two kits, made by Altona Diagnostics and My Lab, have been validated for use.

“For private labs, we have issued detailed guidelines. Twelve lab chains have been registered and they have begun work. They have 15,000 collection centres and these labs will increase as and when they register,” Dr.Bhargava said. A full list of all

Under ICMR's network, 111 labs are functional and government's testing capacity is over 10,000 samples per day, ICMR has said.