The price of COVID-19 self-testing kits for general consumers has been set at six-thousand won each, according to the drug ministry. 

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety on Monday announced a tentative pricing policy for the antigen test amid a spike in demand, following the nation’s transition into an omicron-tailored testing and treatment scheme. It is set to run through March 5 for now. 

The pricing plan will apply to those purchased in bulk of 20 or more by pharmacies or convenient stores and to those sold via retail channels to the public. It will not apply to initially distributed packages of one, two and five test kits. 

The ministry signed agreements with seven major convenience store brands to comply with the measures meant to stabilize the distribution and prices of self-testing kits, and requested similar cooperation from the Korean Pharmaceutical Association. 

Such kits are set to be delivered to some 30-thousand CU and GS25s on Wednesday, and all other convenient store brands later in the week.