‘Cautious’ of third wave, Health Ministry sought curb on testing equipment exports

The authorities’s transfer to limit exports of Covid-19 speedy antigen testing kits was a results of a request by the Health Ministry with a view of being “very cautious”, a senior authorities official instructed The Indian Express.
The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) had on Monday moved these kits to the restricted class of exports. “(It was done) because the Health Ministry wants to be very cautious,” mentioned a authorities official, who didn’t want to be quoted, indicating that the federal government needed to make sure sufficient provide of speedy testing kits within the occasion of one other spike or wave in Covid-19 infections.
The DGFT mounted the quota of such kits that may very well be exported in July, August and September at 11.76 crore, with exporters being required to file functions to export them between August 20 and August 30. The Centre, in April 2020, restricted export of all Covid diagnostic kits and reagents, equally requiring that exporters get hold of licenses for any exports of diagnostic kits as Covid-19.
Exports of Covid-19 RT-PCR testing kits, and their elements, RNA extraction kits and part components and viral transport media (VTM) kits are additionally restricted by DGFT, as a part of measures to make sure sufficient provides of important diagnostic and analysis instruments within the occasion of one other spike in infections. Experts have mentioned a 3rd wave could also be inevitable.

The Indian Medical Association had in July warned of a 3rd wave and referred to as for curbs on mass gatherings. Researchers have mentioned {that a} third wave could begin as quickly as this month and peak in October.