PCR testing booths will be set up at Bangladesh’s three international airports to facilitate passengers to take Covid-19 test four to six hours before boarding their flights, said Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam. The directive came from a virtual cabinet meeting held on Monday with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair who joined it from her official residence Ganobhaban, Anwarul Islam said.  Read: RU student volunteers to engage Gram Bangla on Covid-19 Other cabinet members were connected with the meeting from the Bangladesh Secretariat. “A good number of countries imposed a condition for travellers to take PCR test 4, 6 or 8 hours ahead of flying, the authorities were asked to install PCR machines within the next two or three days,” said Anwar while briefing reporters after the meeting.

Although the government is trying to gradually ramp up the country’s testing capacity to contain the coronavirus outbreak, health experts said the shortage of medical technologists and logistics are hampering efforts leading to testing backlog.

A Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) testing machine which is used for detecting coronavirus or COVID-19 and other complicated diseases reached the Khulna Medical College Hospital (KMCH) on Monday morning.