A mobile testing drive has been launched in Ludhiana city for which exclusive vans, with special teams, have been arranged which will test the people at their doorstep in different areas of the city.

With the introduction of these mobile teams, people can get themselves tested right at their doorstep, said the state Health and Family Welfare Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu.

“As the cases of COVID-19 are increasing in Ludhiana, aggressive testing is the best strategy to detect the hidden cases. It is these hidden cases who are currently the reason behind rapid spread of COVID-19,” he said.

“Besides Ludhiana, mobile testing drive is also being conducted in Amritsar and soon it would also be initiated in Patiala to scale up the testing facility,” he added.

The Minister said that although asymptomatic people are also being detected positive, there is dire need to expedite the sampling to differentiate COVID positive and negative people, thus, it becomes more important to test them so that any COVID positive person doesn't spread the virus to other people.

“However, Punjab Government has amended the guidelines regarding home isolation according to the need and comfort of citizens. Moreover, as per new Government guidelines, if anyone is tested positive and is asymptomatic or mild symptomatic, such persons need not go to hospital and they can stay in home isolation as per guidelines,” he added.

The Minister said that testing on rapid kits takes less than 30 minutes from taking the sample to giving a final report and sampling is free of cost. He appealed to the people to come forward for testing and they should shed all their fears and myths regarding testing. Sampling is very important to break the chain of coronavirus.