Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday said he has issued directives to reduce the price of the RT-PCR test in the national capital,saying it will help those going to private labs for COVID-19 tests. Currently, people have to spend Rs 2,400 for the RT-PCR test at private labs.”I have directed that the rates of RT PCR tests be reduced in Delhi. Whereas tests are being conducted free of cost in govt establishments, however this will help those who get their tests done in pvt labs,” Kejriwal tweeted.Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain in reply to the chief minister’s tweet said orders for this will be issued immediately. Meanwhile, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has increased the number of ICU beds to 500 in Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Covid Hospital at Delhi Cantonment, an official statement said on Sunday.The hospital was made operational on July 5 by the DRDO to treat COVID-19 patients from Delhi and other states. It has a total of 1,000 beds.The statement said 3,271 patients were admitted to the hospital so far, out of which 2,796 have been cured/discharged. At present, 434 patients are undergoing treatment in the hospital out of which 356 are civilians and 78 are service personnel, it said.On Monday, the number of COVID-19 cases reported in India in a span of 24 hours dropped below 40,000 for the seventh time this month, taking the infection tally to 94.31 lakh. The recoveries surged to 88,47,600, according to the Union Health Ministry’s data.The total coronavirus cases mounted to 94,31,691 with 38,772 new infections, while the death toll climbed to 1,37,139 after 443 more fatalities were reported, the data updated at 8 am showed.The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 88,47,600, pushing the national recovery rate to 93.81 per cent. The COVID-19 case fatality rate declined further to 1.45 per cent
