As India Crosses 5,200 Cases With Rise in Death Toll, SC Issues New Orders on COVID-19 Tests!  

With the rise in confirmed cases and deaths in the country, the Supreme Court directed the Central government to make Covid-19 tests free of costs. 

The Apex Court also stated the tests for coronavirus, whether conducted in approved government laboratories or private labs, shall be done free of cost. Soon after the announcement, the court asked the Centre to make necessary directions in this regard. 

As per a NDTV report, coronavirus tests are charge up to Rs 4,500, which is a big amount in the middle of the ongoing crisis. Meanwhile, Justices Ashok Bhushan and S Ravindra Bhat said via video conferencing, "We find prima facie substance in the submission of petitioner that at this time of national calamity permitting private Labs to charge Rs 4,500 for screening and confirmation test of COVID-19 may not be within means of a large part of population of this country and no person be deprived to undergo the COVID-19 test due to non- payment of capped amount of Rs 4,500."

"The private hospitals including laboratories have an important role to play in containing the scale of pandemic by extending philanthropic services in the hour of national crisis. We thus are satisfied that the petitioner has made out a case for issuing a direction to the respondents to issue necessary direction to accredited private labs to conduct free of cost COVID-19 test," the Supreme Court added. 

Looking at the recent numbers, India has crossed 5,200 while the death toll has climbed to 149. As per, the Union Health Ministry, there were 773 fresh cases of Covid-19 and 32 new deaths that has been recorded in the last 24 hours. 

Highlighting on the state wise update, Maharashtra has reported the highest number of confirmed cases i.e 1,018, followed by Tamil Nadu at 690 and Delhi with 576 cases.