The test starts with taking a swab from the nose or the back of the throat, then mixing it with a chemical solution that breaks open the virus and releases its RNA. The mixture is inserted into an ID Now system, a small box weighing just under 7 pounds that has the technology to identify and amplify select sequences of the coronavirus genome and ignore contamination from other viruses.

But millions more are still stuck as all railway movement across the country has been halted. The government announced an US$22 billion (S$31 billion) relief package on Thursday, but the terror is palpable as families sit huddled under flyovers and near bus stops unsure of what happens next. Local media have reported thousands of people are simply walking hundreds of kilometres toward their villages, clutching their children and meagre belongings.