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Goa Decides To Charge For COVID Tests Due To Sudden Spike in Demand

A sudden spike in the demand for Covid tests due to the travel purpose has prompted the Goa Government to start charging for the RT-PCR tests conducted at Goa Medical

Goa Decides To Charge For COVID Tests
Medical Office Collecting Swab For COVID Test
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A sudden spike in the demand for Covid tests due to the travel purpose has prompted the Goa Government to start charging for the RT-PCR tests conducted at Goa Medical College and Directorate of Health Centre.  

According to the reports, the recent travel restrictions applied at Maharashtra on several states including Goa due to a sudden spike in covid cases have led to a spike in demand for the Covid test for the travel purpose. 

The RT-PCR tests are already done at GMC and DHS as per the SOPs laid down by the Government of Goa. But the tests done by the people for travel purposes have prompted the state government to start charging. 

The decision of the Maharashtra Government to produce the Covid-19 negative certificate to enter the state has put the tourism business in Goa into trouble. Due to that more people are feeling reluctant to travel. 

Meanwhile, the people who have already entered Goa from Maharashtra now wanted to go back to their native places and they need the Covid-19 negative certificate for the same. 

As Goa was earlier doing the tests for free but now due to a sudden spike in demand from the residents of Maharashtra have forced the State Government to take this drastic step. 

Goa will not be conducting any coronavirus test for travel purposes and those willing to get tested can get it done by paying the charges at district hospitals. 

The decision was taken after a surge in test requests by people from Maharashtra, who have been staying or holidaying here, since their state has made RT-PCR negative report mandatory for people coming in from Goa.

The health department instructed the Goa Medical College and Directorate of Health Services to not to carry out corona tests, pertaining to travel purposes.  

“GMC and DHS are already doing RT-PCR tests as per the SOPs laid down by the Government of Goa,” said the state Health Minister Vishwajit Rane. 

According to the state government, people can get their COVID-19 test done for travel purposes, on a chargeable basis from North Goa or South Goa District Hospitals.

Goa has 47,193 confirmed cases of the Coronavirus with 125 new cases reported and Goa is getting geared up to handle the second wave of the virus which might come at any time if the social distancing and wearing of the masks is not followed by the people. 

The Government has also increased the penalty from 100 to 200 rupees for the people not wearing the masks in public places. A sudden influx of tourists is one of the major challenges in front of the state government.   

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