Arvind Kejriwal lowers the cost of Covid Test to Rs800 from Rs 2400

The Chief Minister has declared the new price of RT-PCR test especially for private laboratories

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has decreased the price for more reliable RT-PCR tests for covid-19 .Covid tests are being conducted free of cost in government hospitals which is applicable for all whereas in private laboratories it costs up to Rs. 2,400.

Delhi chief Minister announced through the tweeter on Monday, "I have directed that the rates of RT-PCR tests be reduced in Delhi. Whereas tests are being conducted free of cost in government establishments, this (price cut) will help those who get their tests done in private labs," Mr Kejriwal tweeted. Satyendra Jain the Delhi Health Minister responded to his post "Will issue order immediately”.

After being pulled by the High Court and the Supreme Court because of the pandemic, the Delhi government has shown efforts to tackle the pandemic. Many states, including Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu, have capped the cost of RT-PCR tests after India's top medical research body ICMR said in May it would no longer fluctuate in price, and now have to be done by each state individually. The cost of an RT-PCR test has come under the scrutiny of the Supreme Court, which is hearing a plea, seeking directions to round off the cost at Rs. 400 across the country.

The appeal claims that different costs are being charged across the country because it depends from state to state whereas the cost of the test is just Rs.  200. It said the cost of RT-PCR test was fixed between Rs. 900 to Rs. 2,800 by various state governments and Union Territories. Recently, both the Delhi and as well as central governments launched mobile testing vans offering free coronavirus tests which is convenient for the public. Delhi has recorded more than 5.6 lakh COVID-19 cases with death 9,066 people due to covid. The city's daily coronavirus infections remained below the 5,000-mark for the second day on Sunday with 4,906 fresh cases with 68 deaths due to suffering from the virus. Delhi recorded almost 100 Covid-related deaths a day in the week ending Sunday.