Delhi caps RT-PCR COVID test rate at Rs 300 for pvt labs, Rs 500 for home samples

The Delhi government on Thursday capped the maximum price for the RT-PCR COVID-19 test at private laboratories at Rs 300 amid rise in virus cases leading to increased testing in the national capital. Along with that, it also fixed Rs 500 for RT-PCR samples collected from home. 

Moreover, the Rapid antigen test (RAT) for COVID-19 will now be done at Rs 100. 

"Private sector labs shall mandatorily collect the samples from the testing sites as requisitioned by Govt. team (District CDMO Office or Hospital). Further, all labs will ensure that samples are processed latest within 12 hours of being received in the lab with all positive results being updated on ICMR portal mandatorily within 30 minutes of samples being processed followed by updation of all negative results latest within 24 hours from the receipt of samples in the lab," the order further stated.

Meanwhile, Delhi reported12,306 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours in Delhi with a test positivity rate of 21.48 per cent. According to the health bulletin of the Delhi government, 57,290 tests were conducted in the last 24 hours. The active caseload in the national capital has reached 68,730. Of these active cases, 53,593 COVID-19 infected patients are under home isolation and 2,539 patients are admitted to hospitals.

Among the COVID-19 patients admitted to hospitals, 844 are admitted in ICU, 903 patients are on oxygen support including 152 on ventilators. More than 17 lakh (17,60,272) people have been infected with coronavirus infection in the national capital so far. A total of 43 persons succumbed to coronavirus infection in the past 24 hours. With this, the cumulative death toll stands at 25,503 in Delhi. The case fatality rate is 1.45 per cent.

Meanwhile, 18,815 people have also recovered from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. So far, the national capital has recorded 16,66,039 recoveries. More than 3 crores (3,42,71,893) tests have been conducted in Delhi so far to detect COVID-19 infection. The cumulative positivity rate stands at 5.14 per cent.

There are 40,756 containment zones in Delhi at present, as per state government data.