New Delhi: The number of rapid RT-PCR machines at the Delhi airport will be increased from 120 to 200 within the next few days, said the company tasked with conducting the compulsory COVID-19 test of passengers arriving from "at-risk" countries.
In a statement on Wednesday, Founder and Director of Genestrings Diagnostics Gauri Agarwal said the number of employees deployed at the Delhi airport's laboratory will also be increased from 600 to 750.
Under the new norms that came into force from December 1 following the emergence of the Omicron variant
of the coronavirus, RT-PCR tests are mandatory for passengers arriving from "at-risk" countries, and they will be allowed to leave the airport only after the results come.
At the Delhi airport, rapid RT-PCR test costs a passenger Rs 3,500 but the results come in 60-90 minutes. RT-PCR costs a passenger Rs 500 and the results come in around six hours.
A passenger coming from an "at-risk" country to the Delhi airport has to compulsorily pre-book either of the tests.
According to the Union Health Ministry, countries in Europe including the United Kingdom, South Africa, Brazil, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Hong Kong, China, Ghana, Mauritius, New Zealand and Israel are "at-risk" countries.
The national Capital recorded 57 fresh coronavirus cases at a positivity rate of 0.10 per cent while no fresh deaths were reported due to the infection. There are 428 active cases, up from 407 a day ago.