Maharashtra Revises RT-PCR Test Rates at Private Labs, Check New Charges Here

A charge of Rs 700 will be applicable if a sample is collected from home, State Health Minister Rajesh Tope said.

Mumbai: The Maharashtra government has revised rates for RT-PCR tests conducted at private laboratories to detect COVID-19 infection, Health Minister Rajesh Tope said on Monday amid growing concerns over Omicron variant of the virus. Only Rs 350 will be charged for samples taken from collection centres, he said.

For tests conducted at laboratories in hospitals, COVID care centres and quarantine centres, Rs 500 will be charged, Tope said on Twitter. A charge of Rs 700 will be applicable if a sample is collected from home, he added. No private laboratory can seek more charges than these, the minister clarified.

So far, 10 people have tested positive for the Omicron variant of coronavirus in Maharashtra. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has classified Omicron, detected in South Africa and some other countries recently, as a ‘Variant of Concern’. Health experts have expressed possibilities that owing to the genetic modification in the virus, it may possess some specific characteristics.

(With PTI inputs)