Delhi has also begun testing through Rapid Antigen method in containment zones.
The Delhi government has decided to cap the rate of COVID-19 test at Rs 2,400. The new price cap for the tests -- which till now was Rs 4,500 -- was announced following directives by Home Minister Amit Shah to "provide relief to the common man".
It also introduced testing through Rapid Antigen method in containment zones and hospitals for faster diagnosis and effective prevention.
Terming the decision as "ïmportant", Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that the new measures will ramp up testing for the coronavirus infection in the city-state, which is among the worst-affected in the country.
"Carona Testing in Delhi - two important events took place in Delhi
1. Testing rate reduced to Rs. 2400 in Delhi
2. Rapid antigen testing started in Delhi from today, results are available in 15 minutes.
I hope that now people of Delhi will not have any problem of testing," Mr Kejriwal tweeted in Hindi.
Delhi was earlier following the Rs 4,500 per test cap ordered by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the government's nodal body in this health crisis.
The national capital has also begun testing through Rapid Antigen method in containment zones and hospitals for faster diagnosis and effective prevention. The centre plans to conduct six lakh rapid antigen tests in Delhi at 169 new facilities, Union Minister G Kishan Reddy was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
"From today onwards, 169 testing centres will be operational in Delhi where rapid antigen methodology will be used. We have targeted to conduct six lakh tests. People living in containment zones and relatives of the positive cases can go for test at any of these centres," Mr Reddy said.
The results of these tests is available between 15-30 minutes.
"We collect sample through nostril. We then insert the sample in a tube and rotate it so that the material comes into the liquid. Three drops from the tube are then put on the plate. Within 15 minutes we get to an idea whether the person has the virus," Chief Medical Officer Anjana Kaushal said, detailing the process involved in Rapid Antigen method.
The ramp up testing comes at a time when the daily growth in cases detected has averaged 1,490 between June 1 and June 16.
The move to make coronavirus tests cheaper and, thereby more accessible, comes as part of a concerted push by the centre and Delhi government to increase testing to quickly identify and isolate COVID-19 cases and contain the worrying spike in infections.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi made that point yesterday before his video conference with chief ministers from some of the states worst affected by the novel coronavirus.
Delhi recorded 2,414 fresh coronavirus cases, the highest single-day spike here, taking the tally in the city over the 47,000-mark, while the number of deaths from the disease climbed to 1,904, according to a health bulletin released on Wednesday night.
Last week the Delhi government, which is scrambling to find beds for coronavirus patients, warned that there could be 5.5 lakh cases by the end of July - something it is not prepared to deal with. Hospitals will need at least 80,000 more beds, the government cautioned.
With inputs from PTI