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Providing the residents of Mumbai with slight relief, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has amended its COVID-19 testing guidelines and declared that “no prescription or self-declaration is required for COVID testing of symptomatic or asymptomatic individuals.” Starting today (8 July), all labs are allowed to conduct RT-PCR (Real Time Polymerase Chain Reaction) in accordance with the ICMR guidelines without a doctor’s prescription. This applies to home testing as well.
The Indian Express reports that this is the ninth change that the BMC has implemented. It came about after the suggestion of the Union Health Ministry for states to increase their testing capacity. As of now, the BMC conducts 4,500-5,000 tests per day which is not their full capacity. The ICMR has instructed states to carry out tests at full capacity.
Laboratories will be liable for strict action in case any backlog is created by them, reports The Times of India. The lab must now inform the BMC first of the positive test results of the patient, who will then inform the patient and their family members.
According to Mumbai Mirror, Mumbai reported 86,132 cases of coronavirus and 4,999 deaths as of Tuesday, 7 July 2020.
The official BMC Twitter account also tweeted the declaration:
Hopefully, with such a step to exponentially increase testing, the city of Mumbai and its residents will see some relief in the near future. Here’s hoping the ‘worst-hit city’ loses its title soon enough.
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