New Delhi, May 25 -- Major diagnostic firms Aglius (formerly SRL), Lal Path Labs, Dr Dangs and Metropolis Healthcare Ltd have seen a significant increase in covid-19 tests since the beginning of May, senior executives said.

Some states such as Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Karnataka, which have stepped up testing are reporting more cases.

Four deaths have been reported in Maharashtra and with one single death in Karnataka due to covid-19. However, all the deaths were linked to underlying morbidities.

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This increased testing follows a sudden spurt of cases in Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand and other Asian countries, due to two new variants ...