The interim government has decided to resume limited testing at major hospitals amid a gradual rise in the number of COVID-19 cases across the country.
The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), through its Communicable Disease Control (CDC) wing, announced the decision on Wednesday.
Line Director of the CDC Dr Halimur Rashid informed journalists that, initially, COVID-19 testing will begin in medical colleges and district hospitals where RT-PCR labs are already available.
This move comes after the first reported COVID-19 death in recent months, recorded on June 5. While the situation is not yet considered alarming, the increasing number of cases has raised concern, particularly as neighbouring India also reports a rise in infections.
To curb the possible spread of the virus, public health experts have urged the government to expand testing capacity and restart vaccination programs.
Dr Rashid mentioned that testing facilities could be fully operational again within the next 10 days.
Initially, testing will resume at the following hospitals: Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Mugda General Hospital, Chattogram Medical College, Rajshahi, Khulna, Barishal, Sylhet, and Mymensingh divisional hospitals.
According to data from the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), only one COVID-19 case was detected in the last week of April. However, by the last week of May, that number had risen to 25. In the past 10 days alone, 40 people tested positive out of 304 samples tested.
Researchers at icddr,b have also identified a new COVID-19 variant named XFG, along with another subvariant called XFC. Both are sub-lineages of the highly transmissible Omicron JN-1 variant.
Public health experts have emphasized the need to stock adequate COVID-19 testing kits at hospitals and health centres. However, as of now, major hospitals in Dhaka — including Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Sir Salimullah Medical College Hospital, and Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital — reportedly do not have any testing kits available.
The renewed testing initiative is aimed at strengthening early detection and prevention as health authorities prepare for a potential new wave.