New Delhi, Delhi, India

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday launched a "high-tech, state of the art" coronavirus facility for three states across the country in an attempt to increase testing.

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"The high-tech, state of the art coronavirus facility that is launched today will give more strength to West Bengal, Maharashtra, and Uttar Pradesh in the fight against coronavirus," the prime minister said.   

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Highlighting that Delhi NCR, Mumbai and Kolkata are big centres of economic activities too, PM Modi said now in these cities coronavirus tests will be faster. 

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He also said that these labs will also be used to test diseases like hepatitis-b/c, HIV, and dengue. 

The prime minister also said that India "took right steps at the right time" and that is why the nation is far better position against the deadly virus as compared to other big countries. 

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"During coronavirus pandemic, everybody in the nation has one resolution and that is to save each and every Indian. This resolution has given surprising results," PM Modi said.

"Especially what India achieved in things such as PPE, masks and testing kits a very big success story."

PM Modi also said the number of fatalities in India is far less than other big countries and recovery rate is better than those nations. 

Stressing that more than 500,000 tests are happening in the country daily, PM Modi said that they are aiming to test 1 million people every day. 

"During one time, PPE kits were not manufactured in India, now we have become the second-largest producer of PPE kits," the prime minister said. 

He said that there was a time when the country used to import ventilators, but now it has a capacity to produce 300,000 ventilators each year. 

PM Modi further said another challenge for the country was to prepare human resources and for that he praised ASHA, Anganwadi, paramedical staff and called their efforts "incredible".

"Today, if the world is surprised with India's response to the coronavirus, big doubts are getting wrong, then, one huge reason is our foot soldiers too," he said. 

He also warned the nation of the spread of virus during the upcoming festivals and urged countrymen to take precautions. 

"We have reached a positon, when awarenss is not limited, resources are increasing, now we have to ensure that at state, rural, and bloc level, demand and supply are strengthened", he added.

"We have to do this so that in villages, the fight against COVID-19 doesn't get weakened."