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Maharashtra Government yet to announce new testing rates for COVID-19

The state government is yet to officially announce the new rates for the testing of coronavirus.

Maharashtra Government yet to announce new testing rates for COVID-19
SHARES

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) removed the Rs. 4,500 cap on coronavirus testing and gave states a free hand to negotiate in order to determine the cost of the test. However, the state government is yet to officially announce the new rates. Competitive bidding might even bring down the rates to around 2,000 which is less than half of what people are paying right now.

The BMC had earlier issued revised guidelines for the testing of coronavirus in Mumbai in the midst of the increasing number of COVID-19 cases. The order stated that the BMC would increase the testing of symptomatic cases to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus. It specified that a prescription of a registered medical practitioner is mandatory for the testing for COVID-19. Moreover, the testing of mild, very mild, pre-symptomatic positive patients shall not be required before discharge if no symptoms are seen on the 7th, 8th, and 9th days consecutively. While moderate symptomatic patients need not be tested before discharge if they have recovered clinically, testing is required once in the case of discharge when it comes to critical patients to ensure safety.

The testing categories for the citizens are, all symptomatic persons within 14 days of international travel, individuals who have contacted confirmed cases of coronavirus, symptomatic healthcare workers, hospitalized patients with Severe Acute Respiratory Illness, pregnant women residing in the containment areas, evacuees centre from hotspot districts in labour or likely to deliver in the next 5 days (even if asymptomatic) shall be tested. Moreover, all symptomatic patients in SARI clinics, quarantined asymptomatic, direct and high-risk contacts of a confirmed case will be tested once between day 5 and day 14 of coming in contact. The doctor can also ask for a COVID-19 test to be conducted for persons requiring elective surgery. A medical practitioner can also prescribe tests for dialysis patients if there is a strong suspicion of having caught the coronavirus. 


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