Maharashtra caps cost of Covid-19 tests at Rs 980 in private laboratories

This is the fourth gradual decrease in Covid-19 testing rates by the government in eight months

The Uddhav Thackeray-government on Monday slashed the price of Covid-19 tests to just Rs 980 in private labs. Maharashtra's health minister Rajesh Tope made the formal announcement on Monday.

This is the fourth time in the past eight months that the state has cut the price of Covid-19 tests at private facilities, starting from the original rate of Rs 4,500 to now only Rs 980.

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“While Rs 980 will be the cost leviable by pathological laboratories, tests conducted through the labs at Covid-19 centres, hospitals and quarantine centres, where a large number of samples are collected and tested daily the effective rate will be Rs 1400. Similarly, for testing samples collected from the residences of suspected Corona patients a rate of Rs 1800 has been allowed,” Tope said.

However, he clarified that Covid-19 tests shall continue to be offered for free at all government hospitals, he reiterated.