A doctor’s prescription for COVID-19 testing would not be required in the national capital from now with the Delhi government issuing an order on Wednesday in this regard. “In continuation of various measures undertaken by the Delhi government to augment COVID-19 testing and to ensure that it is more accessible than ever, it has been decided that henceforth there will be no requirement of a prescription from a qualified medical practitioner for COVID-19 testing in Delhi,” the order read. However, testing will be conducted in accordance with the strategy/advisory issued by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and as per the orders issued by the Delhi government from time to time, it said. Concerned over the spurt in new cases, the Delhi High Court on Tuesday ordered that doctor’s prescription will not be mandatory from now for those going voluntarily for RT/PCR test to detect COVID-19 infection in the national capital.
The High Court said people need to carry Aadhaar card for Delhi address proof and fill up a form as prescribed by the ICMR for COVID-19 testing. “We encourage more and more people to get tested if they feel they have corona so that we can effectively control the spread of the virus in the national capital,” Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s office said in a statement. On Tuesday, Kejriwal had said he has directed Health Minister Satyendar Jain that doctor’s prescription should not be asked for COVID-19 testing in Delhi.
On Tuesday, authorities conducted a record of 45,797 tests. The city recorded 3,609 new cases — the highest single-day spike in 76 days, according to the government’s health bulletin. Health Minister Satyendra Jain had told PTI that the number of fresh cases has increased because of aggressive testing and it will stabilize in the next 10-15 days.
