The Karnataka Health and Family Welfare Department revised the rates for coronavirus testing in the state on Friday.
The price of the Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) test was capped at Rs 2,000 while the rapid antigen test was capped at Rs 700. Earlier, the cost of an RT-PCR test was Rs 2,250.
The new cost also includes the price of Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) kits.
"Rate of RT-PCR testing for the samples sent by Government in private laboratories including screening test and confirmatory test - Rs.2,000/- per test inclusive of the cost of PPE kit," a notification issued by Jawaid Akhtar, Additional Chief Secretary, Health and Family Welfare Department, stated.
"Ceiling rate for private samples in private laboratories including screening test and confirmatory test - Rs.3,000/- per test inclusive of the cost of PPE kit. Rate of Rapid Antigen Test for private samples in private laboratories - Rs.700/- per sample inclusive of PPE kit," the notification added.
Testing can be done in laboratories approved by the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR), Jawaid said. Reports have emerged of private laboratories charging as much as Rs 6,000 for a coronavirus test in Bengaluru.
Karnataka reported 5,007 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, including 2,267 cases in Bengaluru. This means that there are 52,791 active cases in the state, including 30,561 active cases in Bengaluru. The total number of cases in Karnataka is now 85,870.
It has been over four months since the first COVID-19 case was reported in the state in early March. The number of cases in the state began shooting up from the end of June, prompting the state government to impose a lockdown in Bengaluru from July 14 to 22.
There are as many as 10,978 containment zones in Bengaluru currently, with the highest number being in the city's south zone.