DJ Warras reacts to R1,200 coronavirus testing fee: This should be free

DJ Warras has expressed his disappointment at the amount of money South Africans must fork out when in need of a private laboratory test for coronavirus, in the wake of news that private labs in Mzansi will now offer the service for R1,200.

As of 10 March, seven cases of patients with the coronavirus had been confirmed in South Africa. TimesLIVE reported that South Africans could now walk into private laboratories for a coronavirus test without it being done via the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) and doctors. The cost of the test would be R1,200.

"Wow. This should really be free. So if I don’t have R1,200, and decide to skip the test, I should just spread it to family, friends, colleagues, and whoever I meet up with in my daily commute?  Wow," the DJ tweeted.

As more coronavirus patients are announced, South Africans find themselves holding on to the hope the government is prepared to deal with the pandemic, but Warras isn't sold on the price tags attached to the "solutions" presented so far.

Fellow entertainer Sizwe Dhlomo replied to Warras' shock, asking if he truly expected the service to be free.

"How is it going to be free when labs are private? Lol! Also, R 1,200x57 million?" Sizwe asked.

Warras said the government needed to at least "subsidise the private labs" because of the nature of the pandemic.

"Nah, they’d never test all 57 million. The government should at least subsidise the private laboratories cos it’s important now in this period to get anyone showing symptoms tested ASAP.

"If this thing hits the people who don’t have R1,200 and they go to the clinic, anywhere, to get tested, I doubt the proper quarantine measures have even been discussed at that level. And if they have, I doubt they’re ready. One cough - self-explanatory" DJ Warras expressed his concerns.