Lower Covid test rates, high court directs Chandigarh admn

The court asked UT and Haryana to reduce the rates to Punjab level, where RAT costs ₹350 and RT-PCR ₹450, so that rates were uniform across the tricity

The Punjab and Haryana high court on Thursday directed the UT administration to lower the RT-PCR and rapid antigen test (RAT) rates charged by private labs.

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The direction came during the hearing of a plea in which the court is monitoring the Covid-19 situation in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh.

UT had previously told the court that the rates for RT-PCR and RAT at private labs were fixed at ₹900 and ₹500, respectively.

The court asked UT and Haryana to reduce the rates to Punjab level, where RAT costs ₹350 and RT-PCR ₹450, so that rates were uniform across the tricity.