Hong Kong will test its entire population of 7.5 million people for COVID-19 in March, the city’s leader said Tuesday, as it grapples with its worst outbreak driven by the omicron variant. The population will be tested three times in March, Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said. She said testing capacity will be boosted to 1 million a day or more. “Since we have a population of some 7 million people, testing will take about seven days,” she said. Hong Kong has reported about 5,000 new daily infections since Feb. 15, with the number threatening to overwhelm its healthcare system. Since the current surge began at the beginning of the year, the city has recorded nearly 54,000 cases and 145 deaths. The order for citywide testing comes after mainland Chinese authorities dispatched health workers and medical resources last week to help contain the outbreak in the semi-autonomous Chinese city. Lam also said that the city’s isolation facilities are “severely inadequate” and that it is “working very hard with the full support of the central authorities” to build more facilities. Current social-distancing measures, such as a ban on dining at restaurants after 6 p.m., will be extended until April 20. “This is not good news to the sectors affected, but really at this stage of the pandemic we have no choice but to take these measures,” Lam said. She said the city hopes to boost its vaccination rate to 90% by early March.

The operation of a RT-PCR lab to conduct Covid-19 tests for departing passengers started at Shah Amanat International Airport in Chattogram on Monday, three months after launching its operation at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. Prof Dr Ahmedul Kabir, Additional Director General (Administration) of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) inaugurated the RT-PCR lab at the Chattogram Airport. Earlier, the trial operation of the RT-PCR lab to test Covid-19 started on December 29 at the airport. Also read: Ministry to bear Covid test expenses of UAE-bound passengers With the opening of the RT-PCR lab, people can now go to the UAE from Chattogram airport, too. The UAE made it mandatory for returning migrant workers to get a rapid PCR test six hours before flying from a Bangladesh airport. Dr Kabir said those who are scheduled to go to the UAE can undergo Covid-19 tests at the airport and they have to reach the airport six hours before their departure to provide their samples. Besides, they have to come with their passports, tickets, Covid-19 vaccine certificates and the photocopies of their visas. “This lab offers free tests. A seven-member committee has been formed to ensure smooth operation of the lab in a coordinated way and the test reports will be available within three hours of collecting samples,” he said. Also read: Covid testing at Dhaka airport awaits UAE’s approval: State Minister Five booths have already been set up outside the airport to facilitate registration. Once the registration is done, the passengers will go to their respective booths for providing samples, said Dr Kabir. On September 6, Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam said PCR booths will be set up at three international airports of Bangladesh to facilitate passengers to take Covid-19 tests four to six hours before boarding their flights.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on Thursday filed a case against a lab technologist of Khulna General Hospital for embezzling Tk 2.58 crore collected from Covid-19 tests. Khandaker Kamruzzaman, deputy assistant director of  Khulna district office of ACC, filed the case, said its Deputy Director (Public Relations) Muhammad Arif Sadeq. Read: Khulna Hospital technologist decamps with Tk 2.5 crore Covid test fees According to the case, Prakash was in charge of collecting the fees for Covid-19 tests from the people going abroad. From July, 2020 to July, 2021, he collected a total of Tk 4.24 crore Of this, he deposited Tk 1.66 crore to the government treasury and embezzled the remaining Tk 2.57 crore . He had been manipulating a number of people taking the tests since July 2 in 2020 to gain illegal financial benefits, according to the allegation. Later a five-member inquiry committee was formed headed by Khulna General Hospital Civil Surgeon and Supervisor Dr Niaz Mohammad. Read:Man to die for killing wife in Khulna According to the inquiry report, the amount deposited was over Tk 2.57 crore  less than the amount that was supposed to be received. Later, an explanation was sought from him on 22nd  September and he promised to provide it the following day. Since then he has been missing. Immediately after this, a general diary (GD) was filed from Khulna Civil Surgeon's Office at Khulna Police Station on September 28. Preliminary evidence of embezzlement against Prakash Kumar Das was found.

The ministry of expatriates welfare will bear the expenses (TK 1,600) of UAE bound workers undergoing Covid-19 tests at the RT-PCR laboratories of Dhaka Airport. Imran Ahmed, the minister of the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment made the remarks at an exchange meeting with Bangladeshi expatriates at the Bangladesh Embassy in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Saturday afternoon. “Expatriate workers are remittance fighters of our country. Their contribution to the country's economy is undeniable. Read: Covid testing at Dhaka airport awaits UAE’s approval: State Minister “The government is working to ensure their welfare. As part of this, the ministry will pay Tk 1,600 for the Covid-19 test at the airport for workers going to the UAE,” the minister noted.Earlier this week, Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (Caab) received the notificarion of arrival approval from the United Arab Emirates regarding operations of RT-PCR laboratories at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport for Covid testing of passengers bound for the country.

The much-awaited RT-PCR labs to conduct Covid-19 tests for the departing passengers will go into full-scale operation at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport  on Tuesday. Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) Chairman Air Vice Marshal M Mafidur Rahman announced this after launching the RT-PCR labs on experimental basis at the airport on Saturday. Read: Covid testing at Dhaka airport to begin on Saturday, says health minister State Minster for Civil Aviation and Tourism M Mahbub Ali, Secretary Mokammel Hossain and Chairman of Bangladesh Tourism Corporation Hannan Mia were, among others, present. The United Arab Emirates has imposed a condition that the passengers travelling to the UAE will have to conduct Covid-19 test at the airport 48 hours or 6-hours before departing the country, said the CAAB Chairman. “We have taken an initiative to launch the RT-PCR lab inside the airport with coordination of the Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment, Health and Foreign Ministries and the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) conducted a test operation today,” he said.   “If the test-run goes successfully, then we will inform the airlines authorities and for this we need 48 hours and we hope those will start full-scale operation from September 28,” he added. There will be 12 machines installed at the 6 labs at the airport. At least 3-4.5 thousand people will be able to test at these labs every day. Read: Covid in Bangladesh: 24 die in 24 hours, lowest since May 15

The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has donated a PCR lab, set up in Gazipur to conduct Covid-19 tests of garment workers, to the Diabetic Association of Bangladesh (BADAS). The BGMEA handed over the PCR lab to the BADAS at a programme held in the capital Saturday. Dr AK Azad Khan, president of the BADAS and national professor, was present at the ceremony as the chief guest; BGMEA senior vice-president SM Mannan chaired it. Mannan and Azad signed an agreement for the handover of the PCR lab. Expressing thanks to BGMEA for setting up the PCR lab, the BADAS president hoped that the Diabetic Association and the BGMEA would take more joint initiatives for providing health services to garment workers. READ: BGMEA wants to increase RMG exports to Canada, promote positive image The BGMEA Senior Vice-President said it had been possible for the BGMEA to give services to apparel workers by setting up the PCR lab with the support of a renowned health service provider like the BADAS.

Health authorities have detected the cases of Indian variant of coronavirus in seven workers of Ashrayan Project in Nawabganj upazila, Keraniganj. Upazila health officer Dr Mohammad Shahidul Islam said on Saturday night that 10 workers who came from Chapainawabganj district were tested for coronavirus and seven of them detected with the Indian variant. Read: IEDCR study of 50 samples finds 40 are Delta On May 18, the 10 workers came to join Matabpur Ashrayan Project at Nawabganj Keilile union. They all came in a truck along 63 other fellowmen. As some of them had been suffering from cough, cold and fever, the authorities asked them on May 23 to provide their samples for Covid-19 tests but they refused to do so. On May 25, a separate medical team was formed and it collected samples from some of the workers. After laboratory tests, the results of 10 workers came out Covid positive. Apprehending the existence of Indian variant, the medical team sent the samples of the Covid-19 patients to the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), Dhaka where doctors detected seven, out of the 10, infected with Indian variant on June 3. Read: 8 Indian variant cases identified in Jashore Now all the infected patients are undergoing treatment at the National Institute of Diseases of the Chest and Hospital (NIDCH), Dhaka. “It’s a dangerous sign and all of them have been asked to follow the government's health safety protocols,” said Dr Shahidul. The highly contagious Indian variant of the coronavirus was detected in Bangladesh for the first time on May 8. Read: Covid patient infected with Indian variant held in Chandpur Experts fear that Bangladesh may face the worst outbreak of the deadly virus by the end of June. Bangladesh closed its border with India for any kind of movement except that of cargo on April 26 which was later extended till June 14 to control the spread of Coronavirus as the situation in the neighbouring country deteriorated.  

India's COVID-19 tally reached 19,557,457 on Sunday, with a single day spike of 392,488 cases, said the federal health ministry. As many as 3,689 deaths were recorded since Saturday morning, taking the total death toll to 215,542. Read Also: India launches effort to inoculate all adults against COVID There are a total of 3,349,644 active cases in the country, with an increase of 80,934 through Saturday, while 15,992,271 people have been cured and discharged from hospitals so far across the country. The COVID-19 figures continue to peak in the country, but the federal government has ruled out imposing a complete lockdown. The capital Delhi has been put under a second successive week-long lockdown till May 3. Read Also: India's COVID-19 tally crosses 19 mln with over 400000 daily cases Delhi, one of the most COVID-19 affected places in the country, witnessed over 25,219 new cases and 412 deaths through Saturday. As many as 16,559 people have died in the national capital due to COVID-19, confirmed Delhi's health department. Meanwhile, a total 290,142,339 COVID-19 tests have been conducted in India till Saturday, out of which 1,804,954 tests were conducted on Saturday alone, according to the latest data issued by the Indian Council of Medical Research on Sunday. The third phase of vaccination for people aged above 18 in India began on Saturday. So far over 156 million vaccination doses have been administered in India since the country kicked off its nationwide inoculation drive in January. Read Also: First batch of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine delivered to India Two types of vaccines are being administered to the people in India, including the Covishield vaccine made by the Serum Institute of India and the Covaxin vaccine made by Bharat Biotech International Limited. India received the first batch of the Russian-made Sputnik-V vaccine on Saturday.

World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Friday urge all countries to strengthen testing services and use the essential diagnostics list to drive better care and better health.

India's federal health ministry Wednesday said there has been an unprecedented upsurge in COVID-19 testing and the number of tests has crossed the 90 million mark, reports Xinhua.