ICMR asks states not to use coronavirus kits from two China-based firms

The Uttar Pradesh government said today that the number of coronavirus cases rose to 1,955 on Monday in Uttar Pradesh out of which 1,589 cases were active.

Also Read: 1,396 new coronavirus cases in last 24 hrs in India

"31 patients have lost their lives due to the disease while 335 others have been cured," the state's principal health secretary Amit Mohan Prasad said.

Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath ordered training be imparted to teachers on COVID-19 in order to make them "corona warriors". Master trainers will be deployed in each district to train the teachers, the state government declared.

Chief minister Yogi Adityanath has ordered making necessary arrangements to send students preparing for competitive exams in Prayagraj to their homes in UPSRTC buses. 

Meanwhile, India's health ministry said that it has "sufficient amount of kits" for RT PCR tests. "Not only sufficient amount of kits are available but we have also parallelly ensured geographical adequacy," health official Luv Aggarwal said.

Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) advised states to stop using kits procured from the two China-based companies - Guangzhou Wondfo Biotech and Zhuhai Livzon Diagnostics kits - and return them to be sent back to the suppliers.

Several state government last week had stopped using the kits made in China as they were found to be faulty.

As the virus continued to spread, West Bengal reported  47 new cases with the total number of active cases rising to 504 in the state.

"We have taken a decision, if a person has tested positive for coroanvirus, he has provision to isolate himself at his residence," chief minister Mamata Banerjee said, adding,"the person can home quarantine himself. Lakhs and lakhs of people can't be quarantined, government has its own limit."