Kabul, Apr 11 (IANS): At least 20 employees of the Afghan Presidential Palace have tested positive for the novel coronavirus out of 517 samples examined, a media report said.

Sources said that 10 groups of medics from the Public Health Ministry have begun taking samples from other officials and staff members of the Presidential Palace after the cases were identified, according to the TOLO News report on Friday.

Doctors said that there a need for more test kits, as testing will slow the spread of the virus in the country.

"We will get the best results if we have enough kits," said Assadullah Esmat, head of the Infectious Diseases Hospital in Kabul.

"By testing more people, we can find patients who have the virus while it is in its incubation period."

"Our teams have increased in Kabul and they collect samples from anywhere they get a report, (of a suspected case)," said Nizamuddin Jalil, head of Kabul hospitals, a department of the Ministry of Public Health.

The Public Health Ministry on Friday reported 37 new cases of the coronavirus, bringing the overall tally of infections to 521, with 15 deaths.