COVID19: Cyprus puts cap on PCR, rapid test fees

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The molecular PCR testing and the antigen rapid tests for coronavirus at private labs will be charged at €65.45 and €29.75, respectively, as of Saturday, the Health Ministry announced after it posted the relevant decree in the Cyprus Government Gazette on Friday.

A ministry spokesperson said that the free rapid test programme for the general public “will continue” at the designated testing centres around the country.

To date, the government purchased 200,000 rapid test kits for the general public and targeted testing of health professionals and old peoples’ homes, and ordered a further 400,000 last month. Up until Thursday, it had conducted just over 90,000 rapid tests.

Responding to concerns, the health ministry said in its announcement that the antigen rapid tests are conducted “only by health professional and not members of the public”.

“The sampling procedure carries a high risk and the rapid-tests are not destined for self-testing,” it said, adding that in accordance with the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) regulations, the positive results from the rapid tests are verified by the molecular [PCR] method before being included in the confirmed list of COVID-19 cases.”

The ministry said that apart from the Institute of Genetics (NIPD) in Nicosia and the labs at the state hospitals, the private labs that complete the procedure of verifying the diagnostic method that traces the genetic material of the virus (RT-RCR) are as follows:

  1. ACT-BIO Labs Partnership (Biomedical Laboratories Charis Charilaou, Andreas Adamou Lab and BIOCHECK-Tingirides clinical labs)
  2. MEDIFOS Centre for Medical and Molecular Diagnosis
  3. Theocharides Clinical Labs
  4. MyGene Molecular Diagnostics
  5. Diogenous Lab (C.D. DNA Biomedica Science Lab)
  6. BioIatriki Group (Yiannoukas Labs)
  7. Cooperative Bioanalysis Clinical Labs (Limassol), Tymvios Clinical Labs (Nicosia) and PZ Agapiou Diagnostics Labs
  8. NIPD Genetics
  9. Molecular Lab Unit American Medical Center
  10. Iasis Private Hospital Clinical Lab
  11. Evangelismos Private Hospital Clinical Lab
  12. “Ygeia” Polyclinic Private Hospital Clinical Lab
  13. Mediterranean Hospital of Cyprus Clinical Lab
  14. A. Evangelou Lab
  15. Synlab
  16. Aretaion Private Hospital Clinical Lab