Delhi Disaster Management Authorities have issued a new directive that only ICMR accredited labs in the National Capital Region can collect COVID 19 testing samples. The DDMA order instructed District magistrates to conduct inspections to check the enforcement of the latest norms along with the instructions to ensure compliance with the above directives by all COVID 19 testing labs/hospitals in the jurisdiction. Also, appropriate penalization in case of violation should be ensured as per the directives described in Section 51-60 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005. 

According to the order, all eligible labs should ensure that their sample collectors or other volunteers should follow biosafety and biosecurity precautions, including the biomedical waste management protocols. Also, the lab staff should be qualified as per the qualification criteria standardized by ICMR/ NABL or any other authorized agency of GOI. The labs should ensure the samples are stored and processed as per the SOP/Guidelines described in ICMR/NABL directives.

(Source: https://health.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/diagnostics/covid-testing-delhi-disaster-management-authority-orders-crackdown-against-labs/91951723 )