A day after India surpassed Russia to become the third worst-hit country by the coronavirus pandemic, the Union health ministry announced that the Centre has laid stress on increasing testing, immediate contact tracing and precise clinical management of the COVID-19 cases.

Coronavirus cases in India crept towards seven lakhs on Monday with 24,248 new infections being recorded in the last 24 hours. Meanwhile, the total taller of cases rose to 19,795 with 425 new deaths.

According to the health ministry, there are 2,53,287 active cases in the country while 4,24,432 patients have been cured or released.

"The national positivity rate stands at 6.73 percent. Many states report lower COVID-19 positivity rate than the national average of 6.73 percent. Their tests per million are also higher than the national average," the ministry said on Monday.

The total sum of tests for the detection of COVID-19 passed over the one-crore mark in India on Monday.

"A cumulative total of 1,00,04,101 samples have been tested till 11 am on Monday with 1,80,596 samples being tested on 5 July," Scientist and media coordinator at the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Dr Lokesh Sharma said.

As per the ICMR, a total of 99,69,662 samples were examined for the disease in the country till 5 July, with 1,80,596 alone on Sunday.

There are now 1,105 testing labs in the country constituting of 788 in the public sector and 317 private labs. The daily testing capability is also growing fast, Sharma said.

About 2,00,000 samples have been examined on an average per day for the past 14 days, he said. India had passed over the nine million-mark on 1 July.

"The per day testing capacity which was around 1.5 lakh on 25 May is more than three lakh per day now," Sharma said.

Beginning with one single laboratory at the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune and then extending to 100 laboratories in the onset of the lockdown, the ICMR on 23 June verified the 1000th testing laboratory.

On Monday the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) authorized universities and other academic institutions to conduct examinations amidst the ongoing 'Unlock 2' phase.

In an announcement, the MHA expressed that it has sent a letter to the Union Higher Education Secretary permitting universities and institutions to administer examinations.

"The final-term examinations are to be compulsorily conducted as per the UGC guidelines on examinations and academic calendars for the universities and as per the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) approved by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare," the statement said.

Numerous examinations performed by universities and higher education institutions in the country have been postponed since March during the coronavirus-induced lockdown which first began on 25 March.