Beijing lowers prices of nucleic acid testing

BEIJING - Beijing has lowered the prices for nucleic acid testing at public medical institutions, authorities said on Sunday.

Starting on June 25, the price for each test went down from 180 yuan ($25) to a ceiling of 120 yuan at all of the city's public medical institutions, Du Xin, deputy head of the Beijing Municipal Medical Insurance Bureau, said at a press conference on COVID-19 response.

These medical institutions are allowed to further lower their prices for testing, Du added.

Non-public medical institutions involved with public health insurance programs are required to lower the prices to the same level, too, for people who are covered by such programs.

Other non-public medical institutions are allowed to set their testing prices according to the market, but they must follow national and municipal regulations, Du said.

Beijing reported 14 new confirmed domestically transmitted COVID-19 cases and three asymptomatic cases on Saturday, the municipal health commission said on Sunday.