Covid-19: Passengers leaving Bangladesh to give samples 72 hours before flight

Travellers have to provide samples for Covid-19 testing 72 hours before their flights, while the testing facilities will have to deliver the reports 24 hours before flight departures.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement in this regard on July 19.

Professor Dr Nasima Sultana, additional director general of DGHS, told Dhaka Tribune that samples were being collected from people living in Dhaka and its surrounding areas at a centre set up by the health authorities at DNCC market in Mohakhali.

This is one of the 14 centres that will operate to collect samples in 14 separate districts. The booths are to be established by the respective civil surgeons of the districts.

The other districts are Barisal, Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar, Comilla, Narayanganj, Khulna, Kushtia, Mymensingh, Bogra, Rajshahi, Dinajpur, Rangpur and Sylhet, the DGHS said in a press release two days ago.

Officials concerned said the decision to operate dedicated booths had been taken to prevent any scope for controversy to arise.

Brig Gen Zobaidur Rahman, the director of DNCC Corona Isolation Centre, said some 109 samples had been collected on Monday, the first day.

However, more and more people are coming to the centre as they are becoming aware of the facilities, and until 2pm on Tuesday, the previous sample collection number had almost quadrupled.

An official present at the centre said a person wanting to have his samples tested will have to fill in a form first where he has to provide detailed information about his address and identification. Then he has to pay for the test through the Nagad counters set up at the testing centre. 

Afterwards, the medical team will verify the information provided in the form and the individual will be sent to one of the booths to provide their samples.