A total of 2,314 people are in home-quarantine countrywide as part of efforts to prevent the spread of coronavirus, said Prof Meerjady Sabrina Flora, director of the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), on Sunday.
Visiting different areas of Natore upazila headquarters, the UNB correspondent found some of the returnees are going to markets and roaming in the town as they are not serious about keeping themselves in isolation.
Local people said Abdul Awal, Chan Mia and Ershad of Sadar upazila returned home from Malaysia in between March 6 and 10 but went to a local market on Sunday before completion of their self-isolation period.
Asked about free movement of the returnees, Natore Civil Surgeon Dr Kazi Mizanur Rahman told UNB that the local health department will take help from the police to make sure all the returnees remain in self-isolation.
Deputy Commissioner of Natore Mohammad Shahriaz also said the local administration will take prompt action to stop the free movement of the returnees.
Two China-returnees have completed their 14-day quarantine period while others were advised not to come out of home before the end of their quarantine period, the Civil Surgeon said.
UNB Chandpur correspondent reports 648 Bangladeshi expatriates who retuned home recently have been asked to stay in home-quarantine in eight upazilas.
Locals alleged that no-one of the returnees are following government instruction to stay home.
Some of the returnees are coming out of houses and going to local shops and other places, they alleged.
Meanwhile, UNB Cumilla correspondent reports all of the 92 returnees remained in self-isolation in the district under the supervision of district health department.
Cumilla Civil Surgeon Dr Niatuzzaman said the overseas-returnees have been asked to stay at home for 14 days.
383 Bangladeshis returned home on Saturday and Sunday
Some 383 Bangladeshis returned home from Italy, the worst coronavirus-affected country in Europe, on Saturday and Sunday, according to government sources.
Among them, 142 returnees from the first batch were sent home while 241 taken to Ashkona Hajj Camp and a 20-bed hospital in Pubail in Gazipur for quarantine.
A flight of Emirates Airlines landed with 152 Bangladeshis from Italy on Sunday morning. They were sent to quarantine at Ashkona Hajj camp from the airport directly, said Doctor Shahriar Sajjad, in-charge of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport medical team.
On Saturday, 142 Bangladeshis returned from Italy, and all of them were sent home for self-quarantine, said Prof Flora, director, IEDCR.
In the second batch on Saturday, 58 Bangladeshis returned from Italy and were sent to quarantine at Ashkona Hajj Camp, said Shahriar Sajjad.
He said 31 Bangladeshis returned from Italy in the third batch on Saturday. Among them, 14 were sent to quarantine at Meghdubi 20-bed Hospital in Pubail in Gazipur and the rest were sent to Ashkona Hajj Camp.
Detection of new cases
Two new coronavirus-infected patients were detected in Bangladesh on Saturday while the country suspended on-arrival visas for all the countries and stopped allowing passengers from Europe until March 31 to keep Bangladesh safe.
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen and Health Minister Zahid Maleque disclosed the information at a joint press briefing at State guesthouse Padma on Saturday night.
Earlier, three coronavirus patients were detected in the country and two of them have recovered by the time.
Coronavirus casualties till Sunday
The death toll from coronavirus or COVID-19 reached 5,960 globally as of Sunday.
Besides, 159,660 new cases were reported from around the world, according to worldometer.