Maharashtra govt reduces RT-PCR test rate to Rs 500 at collection centres, Rs 800 at home
This is the sixth time the government has reduced the rate of RT-PCR tests. In December, the price was capped at Rs 700 for tests conducted at private laboratories.
March 31, 2021 / 11:03 PM IST
Maharashtra has witnessed a resurgence in coronavirus crisis since February 2021 (Representative image)
The Maharashtra government on March 31 announced a reduction in RT-PCR test rates, with a cap of Rs 500 been imposed for the tests conducted at collection centres.
If a person undergoes the RT-PCR test at a COVID centre, quarantine centre or an isolation facility, then a maximum charge of Rs 600 would be levied.
If the test samples are collected from home, the cost of RT-PCR test would not exceed Rs 800, news agency ANI reported.
The rate of rapid-antigen tests has also been capped at Rs 150, Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope tweeted.
This is the sixth time the government has reduced the rate of RT-PCR tests. In December, the price was capped at Rs 700 for tests conducted at private laboratories.
The government aims at increasing the number of daily tests as part of the "trace, test and treat" strategy. The state is facing a second wave of the coronavirus crisis, with 30,000 to 40,000 cases being reported a day over the past week.
On March 31, Maharashtra reported as many as 39,544 new coronavirus cases, its second-highest single-day rise since the outbreak of pandemic in March last year. The state’s cumulative caseload has surged to 28,12,980.