“The government is increasing the number of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test and expanding the service across the country,” the Directorate General of Health Services said in a press release.

The hospitals where people can get their samples tested are - Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR); National Polio, Measles and Rubella Laboratory in Institute of Public Health (NPML-IPH); Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU); Child Health Research Foundation (Dhaka Shishu Hospital); Dhaka Medical College Hospital; Bangladesh Institute of Tropical and Infectious Diseases (BITID), Chattogram; The Institute for Developing Science and Health Initiatives (ideSHi); Khulna Medical College Hospital; Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital; Mymensingh Medical College Hospital; Rajshahi Medical College Hospital; Sher-e-Bangla Medical College, Barishal; Cox's Bazar Medical College Hospital; National Institute of Laboratory Medicine and Referral Center; Armed Forces Institute of Pathology; and International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research (ICDDR,B).

The government is set to launch the testing facilities at 11 more hospitals soon.

The hospitals are - Kurmitola General Hospital, Sir Salimullah Medical College Hospital, Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital, Mugda Medical College Hospital, Sheikh Russel Gastro Liver Institute & Hospital, Chittagong Medical College Hospital, Cumilla Medical College Hospital, Faridpur Medical College Hospital, Kushtia Medical College Hospital, M Abdur Rahim Medical College Hospital and Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Medical College.

Besides, laboratories at different universities and ministries of livestock and agriculture will be used for the expansion of PCR testing, added the press release.

Bangladesh recorded seven deaths from coronavirus in the last 24 hours till Tuesday, taking the death toll to 46. 

Besides, 209 more people tested positive during this period, raising the total number of confirmed cases to 1,012.