HC directs Centre, Delhi, ICMR to respond to petition against advisory banning repeat RT-PCR tests

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday directed the Centre, the Aam Aadmi Party government and the Indian Council of Medical Research to respond to a petition challenging a clause in the top medical body’s advisory that says an RT-PCR test must not be repeated on anyone who has tested positive for Covid-19, PTI reported.

On May 4, ICMR had issued an advisory for testing during the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic in India. “At present, the laboratories are facing challenges to meet the expected testing target due to extraordinary case load and staff getting infected with COVID-19,” it had said. “In view of this situation, it is imperative to optimize the RT-PCR testing and simultaneously increase the access and availability of testing to all citizens of the country.”

The petitioner, advocate Karan Ahuja, told the bench of Chief Justice DN Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh that he and his family tested positive for the coronavirus disease on April 28 and completed their 17-day isolation period.

The petitioner claimed that the guards posted outside his house refused to let his family step out to get essentials without producing a negative test report, ANI reported.

Ahuja said that his parents went to a dispensary the very next day, but…

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