In response to the recent surge in Covid-19 cases across the country, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) has decided to resume Covid-19 testing at hospitals, initially on a limited scale.

According to a report by Prothom Alo, Professor Halimur Rashid, the line director of the Communicable Disease Control (CDC) unit at the DGHS, confirmed that testing will begin at medical colleges and district hospitals equipped with RT-PCR laboratories.

“Initially, tests will resume only at hospitals that already have RT-PCR labs,” said Professor Halimur Rashid, adding, “We hope to fully restart the testing programme within the next 10 days.”

Hospitals identified for the initial phase include Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Mugda General Hospital, Chattogram Medical College Hospital, and hospitals in the divisional cities of Rajshahi, Khulna, Barishal, Sylhet, and Mymensingh. Only those facilities with existing RT-PCR infrastructure will be able to offer testing at this stage.

While the overall situation is not considered alarming, the country reported a Covid-related death last Thursday (5 June), and public health experts have warned that the virus is showing signs of increased spread.

They have urged authorities to scale up testing resources and consider restarting vaccination efforts to curb potential transmission.

As of last Sunday (8 June), major hospitals in the capital, including Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Sir Salimullah Medical College Hospital, and Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital, reportedly had no available Covid-19 testing kits.

Data from the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b) reveals that just one Covid case was detected in the last week of April. However, the number stood at 25 in the final week of May.

Researchers at icddr,b have also identified a new Covid subvariant named XFG, alongside the XFC subvariant. Both are offshoots of the highly transmissible Omicron JN.1 lineage.

Health alert issued at Akhaura land port amid sudden Covid-19 spike

In response to a sudden rise in Covid-19 cases, health authorities have issued an alert at the Akhaura land port in Brahmanbaria. 

A health desk has already been set up in front of the immigration building, where a medical team operates daily from morning till evening, reports our Brahmanbaria correspondent.

Sources say that over a hundred travellers cross the Akhaura border to and from India each day. Given the recent surge in Covid-19 cases in India, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) has instructed heightened vigilance at the port. 

The health desk is responsible for conducting preliminary health checks and recording relevant information of passengers returning from India. Travellers are allowed to proceed with immigration only after confirming normal body temperature and the absence of Covid symptoms.

“If any passenger shows symptoms of Covid-19, they will be placed in quarantine,” said Himel Khan, Akhaura Upazila Health and Family Planning officer.

Additionally, passengers are being advised to wear masks and maintain social distancing as part of precautionary measures.