KCR appeals PM Modi to utlise Centre's CCMB facilities for COVID-19 screening

Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], Mar 20 (ANI): Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao on Friday appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to utilise lab facilities at the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) here to test the coronavirus presence in patients.
Speaking at the videoconference conducted by the Prime Minister on the measures taken to prevent the spread of coronavirus, the Chief Minister said that the CCMB was under the Centre's control and it conducts the life sciences research. "If an opportunity is given to conduct tests for the coronavirus, a thousand samples can be tested at one go at the CCMB," he said.
He explained measures taken by the Telangana government and also offered some suggestions to the Prime Minister on the measures to be taken.
The Chief Minister said that more focus should be made on metropolitan cities and appropriate measures should be taken in this regard. "Since the chances of virus spreading are more with these passengers from abroad, international flights should be cancelled for some time in the country. High sanitation should be maintained in the railway coaches and at the railway stations," he said.
Rao further informed that all measures were taken in Telangana to prevent people from gathering in large numbers and festivals like Sri Ram Navami, Jagne Ki Raat and celebrations connected to them were cancelled.
He assured the Prime Minister that the state government would work with the Centre to stop the spread of the coronavirus in the country.
The total number of COVID-19 cases in India has now climbed up to 223, including 32 foreigners, the Union Health Ministry said on Friday. As many as 23 people have been cured of the infection in India.

The disease has claimed over 10,000 lives globally. (ANI)