Dr Md Abul Hasan, director of BITID, said they collected samples in the afternoon.

The reports from the samples were sent to the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), he added.

“We’re collecting samples after being informed by physicians of different hospitals and sometimes patients are also coming to the hospital physically,” the institute director added.

Meanwhile, control rooms have been opened in all 11 districts of Chattogram division.

Earlier of the day, IEDCR Director Prof Meerjady Sabrina Flora informed that testing procedure to diagnose the disease has started in a few other hospitals across the country.

"Apart from the IEDCR, we've extended the PCR testing method to Dhaka Shishu Hospital, Public Health Institution and BITID in Chattogram. Gradually, this facility will be extended to divisional level," she said.

In the meantime, Rajshahi UNB correspondent reports that a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) testing machine which is used for detecting COVID-19 and other complicated diseases reached the laboratory of Rajshahi Medical College Hospital (RMCH) on Thursday evening.

Bangladesh on Friday reported four new coronavirus cases taking the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 48.

However, no patient died in the last 24 hours.

Bangladesh has so far reported five deaths from coronavrius. Besides, 11 other Covid-19 patients have already made recovery.

The global death toll from the coronavirus or COVID-19 has jumped to 24,087 as of Friday.