The price of nucleic acid tests (NAT) for those who need to cross the border was reduced from 50 to 45 patacas yesterday.
The measure was announced by health authorities, who said the reduction in price was the result of constant negotiation with the private entities who perform the tests to attempt to gradually reduce the price for local consumers.
Questioned during the Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Center press briefing yesterday on the possibility of reducing the price even further as well as the individual NAT performed at quarantine hotels, the acting division head for health promotion at the Health Bureau (SSM), Valerie Wong, said that regarding the cross-border NAT, the government will continue to negotiate with companies that conduct the sampling and analysis of the samples to see if the price can be further reduced.
As for the NAT in the quarantine hotel, and as other officials have previously mentioned, there is no margin to reduce the prices, as it is an individualized job that requires a lot of equipment, staff, and transportation, among others.
Early last month the same type of NAT had already seen a reduction from 55 to 50 patacas, following another reduction from 70 patacas that took place in early June. RM
