Indian Council of Medical Research has approved six private laboratories in three states for COVID 19 testing. Four of them are in Maharashtra and one each in Karnataka and Gujarat.
The laboratories that have been approved for COVID19 testing in Maharashtra are Thyrocare, Suburban Diagnostics, Metropolis Healthcare and H N Reliance Foundation Hospital and Research Centre. Newberg Anand Reference Laboratory in Karnataka and Unipath Speciality Laboratory, Ahmedabad, Gujarat are the other private labs.
The private laboratories will have to follow the guidelines prescribed by Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR), including the samples that are required to undergo tests, the protocols to be maintained and the information that needs to be shared with the health ministry.
The government had earlier instructed states to increase the production and supply of masks and sanitisers. Deodorant manufacturers were also asked to produce sanitisers to meet the increase in demand. Moreover, alcohol manufacturers were asked to supply raw material and also set up units on their own if possible.
To make sanitisers and masks easily available and at an affordable rate, the government has fixed the prices of masks and sanitisers under the Essential Commodities Act. While the 2 ply and 3 ply masks carry a maximum retail price of Rs 8 and Rs 10 per piece respectively, the price of a 200 ml sanitiser unit has been fixed at Rs 100.
India is currently trying to flatten the curve of the coronavirus spread. In order to do so, the government has announced lockdown across 75 districts where coronavirus patients have been detected. As of Monday morning, the total cases in India was at 396.
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