Jaipur: Rajasthan on Saturday slashed the price of the RT-PCR test – to detect coronavirus infection – in private labs to Rs 350 in an attempt to increase COVID-19 testing in the state. Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot claimed this to be the lowest test rate in the country. The decision was taken in a review meeting chaired by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot. He also urged officials to prepare a route chart and map for increasing oxygen supply in all the state districts.
Rajasthan recorded its biggest single-day spike of 9,046 fresh COVID-19 cases on Saturday, pushing the tally to 4,04,355, while the death toll mounted to 3,109 with 37 more fatalities.
“The way the number of patients and dead is increasing in the country and the state, the situation is worrisome. Even today, 9046 Covid cases have been reported in the state and 37 people have died,” Gehlot said in a tweet.
The state government had announced the weekend curfew after a high-level review meeting conducted on Thursday night. The curfew remained effective on Saturday as shops and offices except essential services remained closed. It will continue in the state till 5 am on Monday.
However, polling and election-related activities in Sahara (Bhilwara), Sujangarh (Churu) and Rajsamand (Rajsamand) constituencies were exempted. Rajasthan now has 59,999 active novel coronavirus cases, the report said.
A maximum of 1,484 new cases were reported in Jaipur, followed by 1,265 in Jodhpur, 1,049 in Kota, 783 in Udaipur, 591 in Alwar, 407 in Bhilwara.