The government will enforce an all out  lockdown from July 1  as the country grapples with a surge in coronavirus cases and fatalities with the highly infectious Delta variant playing havoc.

Meanwhile, the country will go into the earlier announced strict lockdown ‘on a limited scale’ from Monday.

The decision was taken at a high-level meeting, chaired by Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal in the chair on Saturday evening.

State  Minister for Public Administration Farhad Hossain confirmed the development to UNB.

“Nationwide lockdown will begin on Monday. However, for zonal closing of bills of the banking sector and various government offices at the end of the month, the maximum restrictions will kick in from July 1," he said.

Details on the lockdown will be known after the government issues a notification on Sunday, the minister added.

However, public transport will be suspended from Monday according to sources attending the meeting.

Alsor read: COVID-19: Daily caseload drops on back of reduced tests, as positivity keeps rising

Export-oriented  factories are likely to be exempted from the restrictions, they said.

Earlier on Saturday, sources within Bangladesh Garment Exporters and Manufacturers Association (BGMEA) confirmed the news to UNB citing a circular issued by the organisation.

“Export-oriented factories will not remain under the purview of the lockdown. However, strict health protocols should be maintained in keeping the factories open.” the circular read.

On Friday, Press Information Department Principal Information Officer Surath Kumar Sarker disclosed to the media that the government is going to enforce a new nationwide "strict lockdown" from Monday.

The repeated lockdowns have become a threat to the livelihoods of many in Bangladesh while disrupting travel and social life.

However, experts hope that stricter rules will bring positivity rates and fatalities down as the country is battling to get a second coronavirus wave under control.

The National Technical Advisory Committee on Covid-19 pandemic on Thursday recommended imposing a "nationwide shutdown" for two weeks considering the worsening Covid-19 situation in the country.

Alsor read: Export oriented factories to remain open amid ‘strict lockdown’

Community transmission of the highly transmissible Delta variant of coronavirus might be the reason behind the current Covid-19 situation in the country, said the committee.

It used the example of India to emphasise that no step other than a "complete shutdown" might be enough to prevent the spread of the Delta variant.

The death toll from Covid-19 in Bangladesh crossed 14,000 on Saturday as health authorities reported 77 fresh deaths.

Besides,the daily caseload fell sharply, with 4,334 new cases pushing up the total caseload to 8,83,138. On Friday health authorities reported 5,869 new cases.

But the drop in cases was most likely a function of reduced testing, as the day's positivity rate rose to 22.50 % from 21.22% on Friday, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).