A group of Israeli scientists arrived in New Delhi on Monday via a special plane to conduct a series of final stage tests for a rapid COVID-19 test kit, jointly being developed with scientists from the Indian Defence labs.
Israeli Ambassador to India Ron Malka, who accompanied the scientists said, the rapid test for COVID-19 would give the results within seconds.
"It will be a great game changer the way tests are being done for COVID-19", said Malka.
He said the special plane also carried several new machines used in the treatment of COVID-19, and Israel would share the technology with India.
A message to the people of India from the plane I headed from Israel which landed in New Delhi this morning. #GrowingPartnership pic.twitter.com/98UI1BdV1I
— Ron Malka 🇮🇱 (@DrRonMalka) July 27, 2020
"New tech is developed rigorously, tested rigorously, and the bar is high", said Professor K. Vijaya Raghavan, Principal Scientific Adviser to India's federal government.
Start of a @DRDO_India @CSIR_IND collaboration with Israel Defence R&D on tests to rapidly detect SARS-CoV-2. New tech is developed rigorously, tested rigorously, and the bar is high. Kudos on coming this far and all the best to the teams on the next steps. https://t.co/ttqYZd1viz
— Principal Scientific Adviser, Govt. of India (@PrinSciAdvGoI) July 27, 2020
The Israeli Embassy in New Delhi tweeted last week that both countries would engage in unprecedented anti-COVID-19 cooperation in the coming weeks to "merge Israeli technology with Indian development and production capabilities to allow a swift resumption of normal life alongside the virus".
"In the first outbreak of COVID-19 in Israel, India gave Israel special authorisation to acquire medicine, masks, and protective gear. Now, Israel is proud to reciprocate this significant gesture & grant authorisation for purchasing of respirators to its great friend in the East", said the mission in New Delhi in another tweet.
Israel's Directorate of Defence Research Development has tested a dozen diagnostic technologies since the outbreak of the pandemic. Some of them have matured and passed initial trials in Israel. These will now be used on a wide range of patients to prove their effectiveness, said the Israeli Ministry of Defence in a statement.
Scientists from both countries will jointly test four technologies in India: a voice test, breathalyzer test based on terra-hertz waves, an isothermal test, and a polyamino acids test.
India's total COVID-19 caseload is 1,435,453. The number of active cases stands at 485,114, while some 32,771 people have succumbed to the viral infection so far.
