"No need for a RT-PCR test if…": Check ICMR's new Coronavirus testing guidelines

New Delhi : Amid rising cases of daily coronavirus cases and increasing pressure of testing labs, the Central government has issued new testing guidelines for the coronavirus. Healthy inter-state travellers and Covid patients can be discharged from the hospitals without a RT-PCR test.

The Centre explained that more than 2500 testing labs are working in the nation under extreme pressure because of mounting daily case load.

"The need for RT-PCR test in healthy individuals undertaking inter-state domestic travel may be completely removed to reduce the load on laboratories," the centre said in a circular to states.

"No testing is required for COVID-19-recovered individuals at the time of hospital discharge," it added. 

The Centre also mentioned that those people who have tested positive once either by a rapid test or RT-PCR test, must not be tested again.

It also mentioned that non-essential travel by people with COVID symptoms must be avoided to reduce the risk of infection.

All asymptomatic individuals undertaking essential travel must follow Covid-appropriate behaviour.

For more than a week, India has been registering more than 3 lakh new cases daily. On Tuesday, the country's single-day Covid numbers were 3.35 lakh cases and 3,449 deaths in 24 hours.

To make things worse, many states have continuously registered shortage of medical oxygen and facilities to treat infected people.

The decision to issue new guidelines has been taken after it was noted that RT-PCR reports were getting delayed by several days due to heavy case load. More and more people are now opting for expensive CT-scans that can detect signs of the infection in lungs.