Mumbai to start random antigen tests as covid cases rise.
Mumbai will start random antigen test of people for coronavirus detection at all malls, railway station, bus stops from March 22 onwards, in a bid to follow covid appropriate behaviours as cases continue to rise, BMC commissioner has informed.
The notice has been sent to all 24 ward officers in Mumbai. A target of a minimum of 400 antigen tests at malls and 1,000 at railway stations have been set by the authorities. All big malls under BMC have been alerted and asked to start testing from Monday.
From Monday, people going to malls will have to undertake antigen test if they would not be carrying a corona negative report. The expenses of antigen tests will be bear by either mall authorities or people.
On Friday, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation decided to double the number of COVID-19 tests from 25,000 per day now to 50,000, the decision coming on a day when Mumbai reported a record 3,062 cases, officials said.
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The decision was taken after a virtual meeting chaired by Mumbai civic commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal, they added.
It was also decided to increase the daily COVID-19 vaccination target in the metropolis to one lakh, as the number of inoculation centres in the private sector had been increased from 59 to 80, the officials informed.
A BMC release said Chahal asked private hospitals providing COVID-19 treatment to take the consent of patient or kin before administering costly medicines and line of treatment so that disputes on bills could be avoided.
It added that the BMC would appoint two auditors at private hospitals for verification of bills and complaints centred around them.
(With inputs from PTI)
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