Shanxi adjusts test costs for COVID-19

(chinadaily.com.cn)

North China's Shanxi province recently adjusted the prices of its COVID-19 virus nucleic acid testing services, according to officials from the Shanxi Healthcare Security Bureau on June 19.

From June 15, the price of pathogen nucleic acid testing was reduced to 60 yuan ($8.47) per person per test from prices up to 270 yuan previously. The fee for detection of coronavirus antibody in severe acute respiratory syndrome was reduced to 25 yuan per person per test, down from prices ranging up to 90 yuan before. 

Officials said the charges were targeted at people requiring and receiving virus nucleic acid testing voluntarily in qualified medical institutions and third-party testing institutions.

According to the regulations, Shanxi must conduct free nucleic acid tests that target specific groups of people.

These include close contacts of confirmed infected cases, people entering Shanxi from overseas, patients at fever clinics, new inpatients and accompanying staff members, medical institution staff members, port quarantine and border inspection employees, prison staff members and social welfare agency staff members.