The Central Government has given the go-ahead to accredited private labs to check for coronavirus, the Times of India reported on Tuesday.
The report added that 50-60 private labs can do the test. Currently only government labs can conduct the test.
Recently, The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation announced that while government labs are authorized to conduct the test, private labs like Metropolis and SRL Diagnostics can provide kits to those who feel they have contracted coronavirus.
Currently, the coronavirus outbreak in India has resulted in both central and state governments calling for people to be cautions, and avoid stepping out. Several companies have even incorporated a work from home policy. To add to that, public places like malls, theatres, beaches, parks, gyms etc have been closed until further notice; school, college, and university-level examinations have been postponed.
Medical stores across the country are witnessing a spike in the purchase of face masks and hand sanitizers. The demand has become greater than the supply, prompting a price hike in the products, as well as the rise of a substandard product industry.