The Calcutta Municipal Corporation will set up rapid antigen test centres in all its boroughs to carry out tests on specific days every week, a CMC official said.

The civic body started antigen tests in the city on Wednesday. Antigen test results can be obtained in 30-40 minutes and it will help in faster identification and isolation of Covid patients.

The civic body has so far organised camps only in places where its teams conduct tests. The CMC now feels every borough should have a sample collection centre.

Officials at the civic headquarters have asked borough officials to look for an AC room in a place that is well-connected with all areas in the borough. As a start, a room in the building where Roxy cinema used to run will be converted into a sample collection centre. This centre is likely to start functioning from next week, an official said. “We are trying to set up sample collection centres in at least one location in all the boroughs.”

Anyone who tests negative in antigen tests but has symptoms of Covid-19 must go for an RT-PCR test, a microbiologist with the Indian Council of Medical Research said.