The number of people being tested for coronavirus in Bangladesh has fallen by almost half, officials said, in the wake of a huge screening scandal, according to AFP.

The number of tests carried out daily has fallen from about 18,000 in late June to just over 10,000 in the past two weeks, the health department said.

The huge drop followed the arrest of more than a dozen people, including a Dhaka hospital owner, on charges they issued fake certificates to thousands of patients saying they were virus-free without testing them.

Leading public health expert Muzaherul Huq said there was increasing public distrust of testing following the alleged fake screenings. “It naturally raises questions about the credibility of the (test) centres. It has strongly discouraged them to go for a check,” Huq said.