Amid the Coronavirus outbreak, the Tamil Nadu government has, on Friday, received 24,000 Rapid Test Kits of what has become the first batch of shipment from China of the total 4,00,000 kits that have been ordered by the Tamil Nadu Medical Services Corporation (TNMSC). The state has been reeling to combat the spread of the virus by enhancing the testing capabilities. 

According to the reports, the rapid testing kits are equipped with the capacity of delivering results in thirty minutes and it would also aid the state's mechanisms to screen and test a large number of people towards ascertaining whether they have contracted to the virus. Upon the arrival of the first batch, the state medical corporation would be issuing the protocol to use the kits in the community.

The reports stated that the kits would start to play its role in one or two days and the government has aimed to test the people residing in the containment zones initially. The Health Department officials said that apart from the Chinese shipment, the Indian government would also give its share of testing kits to the state. The Central government has so far received five lakh rapid testing kits from China, which originated the virus late last year.

Earlier this month, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami has said that the kits would arrive in the state on April 9th following which it would be diverted to the districts. However, the kits from China were diverted to the United States birthing the criticism from the opposition in the state as the shipment of the kits had been delayed.

The reports further stated that the Chinese authorities in Guangzhou have cleared the dispatch following which the kits arrived in Delhi on Thursday and it has reached Chennai on Friday. The state would be receiving 3.75 lakh more kits over the next two weeks and the medical corporation has also instructed the local manufacturers to produce these kits with the view of increasing the testing. 

Currently, the state is testing the patients through PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test which would take more than five hours to deliver the results as it would consume more process. All the kits used by the state have been approved by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). Earlier, Health Secretary Beela Rajesh said that the government aims to expand the testing to all the close contacts of the virus-hit patients and the people who develop symptoms.

Tamil Nadu has currently been housing dozens of testing facilities including government and private ones. As of Thursday, Tamil Nadu has reported 1,267 positive cases for the virus of which 1,072 are active patients 180 patients have been recovered and discharged and 15 have succumbed to the virus.