COVID-19 tests in Mumbai to be doubled from 25,000 to 50,000 per day, says BMC

Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation on Friday decided to double the number of COVID-19 tests from 25,000 per day now to 50,000, the decision coming on a day when Mumbai reported a record 3,062 cases, officials said. The decision was taken after a virtual meeting chaired by Mumbai civic commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal, they added. It was also decided to increase the daily COVID-19 vaccination target in the metropolis to one lakh, as the number of inoculation centres in the private sector had been increased from 59 to 80, the officials informed. A BMC release said Chahal asked private hospitals providing COVID-19 treatment to take the consent of patient or kin before administering costly medicines and line of treatment so that disputes on bills could be avoided. It added that the BMC would appoint two auditors at private hospitals for verification of bills and complaints centred around them.