According to the Cabinet of Ministers, prime minister Mikhail Mishustin instructed the Federal Antimonopoly Service to check the validity of the cost of PCR tests for coronavirus.
"The order concerns the validity of the cost of PCR tests for COVID-19. The Federal Antimonopoly Service has been instructed to carry out a price check. The deadline for the execution of the instruction is February 1st," the press release says.
The government is launching a plan of additional measures to combat the spread of the omicron strain and prepare the health care system to help those infected with the coronavirus.
According to the website, the document was discussed at an expanded meeting of the Coordinating Council to Combat the Spread of COVID-19, which took place on January 18th. Regional leaders were instructed to oversee the implementation of the measures.
The bill on the introduction of QR codes allows it to enter public places with a negative PCR test result. Rospotrebnadzor decided to reduce the validity of such a certificate from 72 to 48 hours, motivated by the spread of the omicron strain.
In the State Duma, the cost of such research is criticized. Deputy Oleg Nilov previously announced the presence of a "colossal surcharge": according to his data, the procurement cost of tests is 120-150 rubles, while the end user of the service will cost one and a half to two thousand rubles. Deputy Chairman of the Duma Committee on Health Protection, LDPR member Sergey Leonov, suggested that the government fix prices within a thousand rubles.
Sources: RIA, Government
