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COVID-19-TESTS-KITS-KOREA
South Korea to provide eight lakh COVID-19 testing kits to Bangladesh
DHAKA, Aug 31, 2020 (BSS) – Health and Family Welfare Minister Zahid Maleque today said South Korea will provide eight lakh COVID-19 testing kits and two labs to Bangladesh to fight the deadly virus.
“The South Korean government will provide eight lakh COVID-19 testing kits and two labs to Bangladesh very soon to contain the spread of the lethal virus,” he told a press briefing after a meeting with South Korean Ambassador to Bangladesh Lee Jang Keun at the health ministry here, an official release said.
During the meeting, they discussed about coronavirus situation of the two countries. Secretary of Health Education Division Md Ali Nur, among others, was present at the meeting.
Maleque said the government is intensifying its efforts to collect COVID-19 vaccines from the countries, which are in final stage of vaccine development.
He said Bangladesh has approved final or phase-3 human trial of a prospective COVID-19 vaccine by China’s private Sinovac Biotech Ltd, which appeared to be a forerunner in a global race for developing inoculates against coronavirus.
Maleque said from the initial stage of vaccine development process, Sinovac has attached Bangladesh as a top priority country to conduct trial of coronavirus vaccine.
Bangladesh would be benefited immensely, if the Chinese company Sinovac develops COVID-19 vaccines successfully within the shortest possible time, he mentioned.
“We’ll get one lakh vaccines for free… and Bangladesh will get priority to purchase adequate number of vaccines from the Chinese company. We’ll also extend all necessary cooperation to Sinovac for finishing their trial to contain the deadly virus,” he added.
“The government is constantly overseeing global development of coronavirus vaccine… Some countries including the UK, China, Russia, the USA and India are in the advanced stage of COVID-19 vaccine development race,” he added.
Maleque said the government is discussing with these countries, particularly China, India and Russia to collect COVID-19 vaccines within a shortest possible time.
“We will examine the qualities of vaccines before applying to human bodies to get recovery from the deadly virus,” the minister added.
BSS/PR/MMR/ARS/2041 hrs