In the wake of looming of the second wave of Covid-19 attack in the country, government is going to make Covid test mandatory for all incoming passengers at the airport.
Even the passengers, having corona negative certificates, will have to undergo the PCR test, Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen told the reporters on Tuesday.
The minister said that the government is going to take strict screening measures in the airports and land ports to curb the spread of the second wave.
But he said that the government is yet to decide on banning international flights.
“We are observing the situation and we will take measures as per the situation,” he added.
In recent time, the health ministry has reviewed the quarantine process for the incoming passengers. Under the new arrangement, an incoming passenger who will not have corona negative certificate, will have to stay in the isolation facilities for two days instead of the present 14 days. If they will be found corona negative then they will be sent to their home and if the test result is corona positive, they will be sent to designated hospitals or isolation centres.
The measure was taken to reduce cost for the government and to minimise stress of the passengers. For keeping a passenger in the isolation centre the government has to spend Tk 1,000 daily, the health ministry said.
Meanwhile, responding to a question he said that trilateral talks on repatriation of Rohingya will start soon.
China is mediating the talks between Bangladesh and Myanmar. The last meeting of the trilateral arrangement was held in January this year but due to the spread of coronavirus and Myanmar general election, it was stalled.
“Recently, Chinese foreign minister told me that they had already requested Myanmar to resume the repatriation talks and in response Myanmar said that they will sit on the issue after the formation of the government,” Dr Momen said.
