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

Starting on Thursday, the price for each test dropped from 180 yuan ($25) to 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 news conference on COVID-19 response.

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

Private medical institutions that are involved with public health insurance programs are also required to lower the test prices to the same level for people covered by such programs.

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

Xinhua