The Bangladesh government has decided to make all Covid-19 tests free of charge in all government-run laboratories this month.
Health Service Division under the Health and family welfare ministry on Thursday issued a circular in this regard, in which it asked the authorities concerned to take necessary measures.
The circular signed by Deputy Secretary of Health Service Division Bilquis Begum said the low-income families face huge financial burdens amid the pandemic.
As a result, many fail to go for the test.
That is why the government took this initiative to make the medical test free for the poor in July.
The government hospitals and clinics usually charge Tk 200 for the Covid-19 test per person.
As the Covid-19 situation continues to escalate, the country reported over 100 deaths from the virus for the sixth day in a row with 132 more fatalities reported in the last 24 hours ending at 8 am Friday.
Besides, the number of daily infections also remained high as 8,483 more people contracted the virus during the same period.
The country is reporting over 8,000 daily cases since 28 June with the highest single-day tally, 8,822, were recorded on Wednesday. The highest single-day death toll, 143, was reported on Thursday.
Also, the positivity rate peaked at 28.27 percent, the highest in the last several months, according to the Covid-19 bulletin issued by the Directorate General of Health Services.
With today’s additions, the death toll reached 14,778 and the case tally increased to 9,30,042 in the country. Meanwhile, the death rate was recorded at 1.59 percent.
Khulna division registered the country’s highest deaths from Covid-19 with 35 people succumbing to the virus in the last 24 hours.
Besides, 30 deaths were reported in the capital followed by the Rajshahi and Chattogram divisions reporting 24 single-day deaths each.
Moreover, nine of the deceased hailed from the Rangpur division, six from Mymensingh, and two each from Barishal and Sylhet divisions. ♦
