COVID-19
Covid: Cumilla sees 5 deaths, 92 new cases in 24 hours
At least five people have died from complications of Covid-19 in Cumilla in the past 24 hours, pushing the death toll in the district to 296, health officials said Saturday.
The district has also recorded as many as 92 new cases in the past 24 hours, taking the tally to 10,002. Among them, 78 are from the city corporation area.
District Civil Surgeon Dr Mir Mobarak Hossain said the five died during treatment at Cumilla Medical College and Hospital. "Of them, two were men and three women. All of them were aged between 55 and 70 years," he said.
Bangladesh has of late seen a sudden surge in both the number of cases and fatalities. Experts attribute the spike in Covid cases to violation of health guidelines.
Situation in Bangladesh
Bangladesh Friday recorded more than 6,000 new coronavirus cases for the second day in the row, as the government ramps up efforts to contain the transmission of the virus.
It was the fourth time in five days that Bangladesh reported its highest daily coronavirus cases, when the health authorities confirmed 6,830 new infections on Friday afternoon.
Also read: Covid-19: Bangladesh records 6,000+ cases for 2nd straight day
On Wednesday, the number of new cases was 5,358. It was 5,042 on Tuesday and 5,181 on Monday.
There is hardly any bed available at hospitals treating coronavirus patients. The government is increasing the number of beds and Covid-designated hospitals to deal with the situation.
Bangladesh has so far recorded 624,594 coronavirus cases, according to a handout issued by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
During the 24-hour period until Friday morning, 2,473 patients recovered, taking the number of recoveries to 547,411.
Bangladesh reported its first cases on March 8 last year and confirmed the first death from the virus 10 days later.
Also read; Global Covid cases top 130 million
Meanwhile, the fatalities reached 9,155 Friday, with 50 new deaths. The mortality rate now stands at 1.47 percent.
Coronavirus claimed 568 lives in January this year, 281 in February and 638 in March.
Govt strengthens protective steps
The daily surge prompted the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) to issue an 18-point directive on March 29 to prevent the transmission of the virus.
Also read; Global Covid-19 death toll hits 2.7 million
On the same day, the Health Ministry proposed strict measures like partial lockdowns for some places with higher Covid-19 transmission rates.
Other recommendations made by the ministry include closure of amusement centres and picnic spots, ban on religious gatherings, limiting wedding ceremonies, strengthening quarantine systems, limiting passengers in public transport, and limiting attendance in offices.
It also suggested strong enforcement of the ‘no mask, no service’ policy, increasing the number of mobile courts and slapping fines on health guideline violators.
Authorities in various districts have shut down amusement centres and are urging people to wear masks. But a large number of people are still reluctant to follow Covid protocols, putting themselves as well as others around them at risk.
Dutch temporarily halt AstraZeneca shots for under-60s
The Dutch government said Friday it is temporarily halting AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccinations for people under 60 following reports of very small number of people suffering unusual blood clots after receiving the shot.
The Dutch decision comes three days after authorities in Germany also stopped using the AstraZeneca’s vaccine in the under-60s, citing fresh concerns over unusual blood clots reported in a tiny number of those who received the shots.
Earlier Friday, a Dutch organization that monitors vaccine side effects said it had received five reports of blood clots with low blood plate counts following vaccinations. All the cases occurred between seven and 10 days after the vaccinations and all the people affected were women aged between 25 and 65 years.
The organization said in the period when the five cases were reported, some 400,000 people were vaccinated in the Netherlands with the AstraZeneca shot.
Health Minister Hugo de Jonge says the temporary halt is a precautionary measure.
“I think it is very important that the Dutch reports are also properly investigated,” De Jonge said. “We must err on the side of caution.”
Also read: What we know about AstraZeneca blood clot reports
The news is another setback for the AstraZeneca vaccine, which is critical to Europe’s immunization campaign and a linchpin in the global strategy to get shots to poorer countries, for it is cheaper and easier to use than rival vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna. It comes two weeks after the EU drug regulator said the vaccine does not increase the overall incidence of blood clots following a similar scare.
The European Medicines Agency said at the time that the benefits of vaccination outweigh the risks, but it could not rule out a link between the shot and some unusual kinds of clots, and recommended adding a warning about possible rare side effects.
Also read: German cities suspend AstraZeneca vaccine use for under-60s
Most European Union countries, including Germany, resumed using the AstraZeneca vaccine on March 19.
De Jonge said the Dutch pause comes ahead of an update next week from the EU medicines agency on the AstraZeneca vaccine.
Govt to enforce 7-day lockdown from Monday: Quader
The government is set to announce a seven-day lockdown from Monday to stem the spread of coronavirus, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader said Saturday.
In a media briefing at his residence, the Awami League general secretary urged the people to properly follow health guidelines to protect themselves from Covid-19.
“People must wear face masks and follow health guidelines amid a surge in coronavirus cases and deaths,” he said.
Bangladesh recorded over 6,000 new coronavirus cases for the second consecutive day on Friday (6,830). It was the fourth time in five days that the country reported its highest daily cases as the infection rate rose to 23.28 percent.
Quader said the government has already taken necessary preparation to tackle the second wave of Covid-19. “But many people are showing reluctance to maintain health rules, which may worsen the Covid-19 situation,” he warned.
Also read: Bangladesh records 6,000+ cases for 2nd straight day
Global Covid cases top 130 million
The world hit another grim Covid-19 milestone on Saturday, as the total caseload surpassed 130 million.
According to Johns Hopkins University (JHU), the total case count reached 130,126,796 while the death toll from the deadly virus climbed to 2,836,682 on Saturday morning.
The US has so far logged 30,606,648 cases, with 554,069 fatalities.
The North American country has been sowing the world's highest number of cases and deaths since the beginning of the pandemic.
In Brazil, a total of 12,910,082 people have so far been found infected with the virus. The death toll in the country stood at 328,206 as Saturday morning, as per the university data.
In March alone, as many as 66,868 people died of Covid-19 in the Latin America's largest and most populous country.
Also read; Global Covid-19 death toll hits 2.7 million
Mexico is the third worst-hit country in the world in terms of deaths, as it has recorded 203,664 deaths as of Saturday morning.
India’s total caseload and fatalities currently stand at 12,303,131 and 163,396, respectively, as per official figures.
Coronavirus cases were first reported in China in December 2019. To date, countries around the world have reported 130 million cases and 2.8 million deaths, according to Johns Hopkins data.
Several vaccines have been developed to fight the virus. Those developed by Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and Oxford-AstraZeneca are among them.
Situation in Bangladesh
Bangladesh Friday recorded more than 6,000 new coronavirus cases for the second day in the row, as the government ramps up efforts to contain the transmission of the virus.
Also read: Covid-19: Bangladesh reports highest daily cases in 9 months
It was the fourth time in five days that Bangladesh reported its highest daily coronavirus cases, when the health authorities confirmed 6,830 new infections on Friday afternoon.
On Wednesday, the number of new cases was 5,358. It was 5,042 on Tuesday and 5,181 on Monday.
There is hardly any bed available at hospitals treating coronavirus patients. The government is increasing the number of beds and Covid-designated hospitals to deal with the situation.
Bangladesh has so far recorded 624,594 coronavirus cases, according to a handout issued by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
During the 24-hour period until Friday morning, 2,473 patients recovered, taking the number of recoveries to 547,411.
Bangladesh reported its first cases on March 8 last year and confirmed the first death from the virus 10 days later.
Meanwhile, the fatalities reached 9,155 Friday, with 50 new deaths. The mortality rate now stands at 1.47 percent.
Also read: Covid-19: Bangladesh records 6,000+ cases for 2nd straight day
Coronavirus claimed 568 lives in January this year, 281 in February and 638 in March.
Govt strengthens protective steps
The daily surge prompted the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) to issue an 18-point directive on March 29 to prevent the transmission of the virus.
On the same day, the Health Ministry proposed strict measures like partial lockdowns for some places with higher Covid-19 transmission rates.
Other recommendations made by the ministry include closure of amusement centres and picnic spots, ban on religious gatherings, limiting wedding ceremonies, strengthening quarantine systems, limiting passengers in public transport, and limiting attendance in offices.
It also suggested strong enforcement of the ‘no mask, no service’ policy, increasing the number of mobile courts and slapping fines on health guideline violators.
Authorities in various districts have shut down amusement centres and are urging people to wear masks. But a large number of people are still reluctant to follow Covid protocols, putting themselves as well as others around them at risk.
Vaccination drive
The government launched a countrywide vaccination campaign on February 7 with doses received from the Serum Institute of India.
Bangladesh inked an agreement with Serum in December last year for acquiring 30 million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine. Serum is supposed to supply the doses between January and June this year – 5 million each month.
Fully vaccinated people can travel safely again, CDC says
Add travel to the activities vaccinated Americans can safely enjoy again, according to new U.S. guidance issued Friday.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its guidance to say fully vaccinated people can travel within the U.S. without getting tested for the coronavirus or going into quarantine afterward.
Still, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky urged caution and said she would “advocate against general travel overall" given the rising number of infections.
“If you are vaccinated, it is lower risk,” she said.
According to the CDC, nearly 100 million people in the U.S. — or about 30% of the population — have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. A person is considered fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving the last required dose.
Also read: Fully-vaccinated people can gather without masks: CDC
The agency had said it would update its guidance as more people got vaccinated and evidence mounted about the protection the shots provide.
“Every day you get more data, and you change your guidance," said Dr. Ali Khan, dean of the University of Nebraska's College of Public Health.
The CDC is sticking to its guidance for unvaccinated people to avoid unnecessary travel. If they do travel, the agency says to get tested one to three days before the trip, and three to five days after. People should also stay home and quarantine for seven days after travel, even if their COVID-19 test is negative, the agency says.
The new guidance says:
— Fully vaccinated people can travel within the U.S., without getting tested for the coronavirus or quarantining. People should still wear a mask, socially distance and avoid crowds, the agency says.
— For international travel, the agency says vaccinated people do not need to get a COVID-19 test before leaving, unless the destination country requires it.
— For travelers coming into the U.S., vaccinated people should still get a negative COVID-19 test before boarding a flight, and be tested three to five days after arrival. They do not need to quarantine. The agency noted the potential introduction of virus variants and differences in vaccine coverage around the world for the cautious guidance on overseas travel.
Also read: CDC: Strong evidence in-person schooling can be done safely
Already, air travel in the United States has been picking back up. Although traffic remains down by nearly half from a year ago, more than 1 million travelers daily have been going through U.S. airports in recent weeks.
Airlines do not require COVID-19 tests or proof of vaccination for travel in the U.S.
The CDC cited recent research on the real-world effects of the vaccines for its updated guidance. Last month, the agency said fully vaccinated people could visit with each other indoors without wearing masks or social distancing. It also said vaccinated people could visit with unvaccinated people from a single household under similar conditions, as long as the unvaccinated individuals were at low risk for severe illness if infected.
The U.S. began its vaccine rollout in mid-December. Vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna require two doses given a few weeks apart. A one-shot vaccine by Johnson & Johnson was given the green light by regulators at the end of February.
Cox's Bazar falls silent as restrictions on tourists kick in
Tourist spots and recreational centres at Cox's Bazar including the beach, have fallen silent as a result of the closure of all tourist attractions in the face of the second wave of the Covid-19 outbreak.
No tourists who are already there are allowed to enter the beach. The beach shops were also closed due to lack of tourists.
However, hotels, motels, guest houses, restaurants and shopping malls have been kept open on the condition of complying with hygiene rules. Tourists staying in Cox's Bazar have also started returning.
Cox's Bazar Deputy Commissioner and President of the District Corona Infection Prevention Committee Md. Mamunur Rashid said a directive from the tourism ministry reached the district administration on Thursday (April 1st) regarding closure of tourist spots.
Also read: Tourism suspended in Sundarbans till Apr 15
According to the directive, all tourist spots and entertainment centers including Cox's Bazar beach would be closed till April 14.
The district administration, tourist police and other concerned people would take actions as per the instructions of the government.
Tourists were not allowed to enter the beach after receiving instructions from the ministry, said Mamunur.
Besides, all kinds of tourism related businesses including beach recreation umbrellas (kitkats), beach-bikes and jetskis had been shut down. The patrol of the tourist police had been intensified to keep a watch on the tourist centers including the beaches, concluded the Deputy Commissioner.
Nur Mohammad Rabbi, manager of Seagull Hotel said that advance room bookings at hotel, motels were being canceled due to the ban imposed on tourism.
Also read: Covid 19: Movement of tourist ships on Teknaf-St Martin's route suspended
Assistant Superintendent of Tourist Police Cox's Bazar Zone Chowdhury Mizanuzzaman said no one was allowed to enter the beach. Besides, all the shops near the beach had been closed.
Cox's Bazar Additional Deputy Commissioner Md Amin Al Parvez said, "A temporary shutdown has been declared to prevent public gatherings. Tourist spots, including the beach, will be reopened if the Corona situation returns to normal."
Earlier on April 1, the Cox's Bazar district administration had announced closure of all recreational centres in the district including the sea beach until April 14.
Moreover, the movement of tourist ships from Cox's Bazar to St.Martin's Island would also remain suspended during this period.
March Madness
Amid all the celebrations surrounding the Golden Jubilee of Independence and the Mujib Centennial in March, there is one undeniable that fact that we can no longer run away from: it was the month we allowed the Second Wave of COVID-19 get out of hand and out of control.
The hospitals are filling up as the country records a rising number of new coronavirus cases but the battle for survival is somewhat uncertain for the more serious patients who require intensive care.
As of March 30, hospitals dedicated for treating coronavirus patients in Dhaka have 108 ICU beds but at the moment, only four are available, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
The situation at private hospitals is no different. There are 188 ICU beds but 144 of them are occupied. People with low or fixed income prefer government hospitals where the treatment is cheap. The cost at private hospitals is much higher.
The acute shortage of much-needed ICU beds means that only a fraction of the serious and critical patients will get life-saving treatment. Bangladesh health authorities reported a record number of cases on three out of the four days till April 1, when it shattered the previous day’s record of 5300-odd cases by reporting a whopping 6,469.
Additionally it reported 59 new deaths, the second-highest toll in the entire outbreak since March 2020. The highest remains 62 last June 30 – but the way things are going, it only seems a matter of time before that is eclipsed. The second wave is well and truly here with a vengeance, and it seems set to be much worse than the first.
“It’ll be very difficult to manage the situation,” said Prof Dr Mohammad Robed Amin, DGHS Director of Non-Communicable Diseases and media cell representative.
Also read: Covid-19: Bangladesh records 6,000+ cases for 2nd straight day
ICU beds running short
Among the 10 dedicated hospitals, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University and Kuwait Maitree Hospital have 16 beds, Kurmitola General Hospital has 10, Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) has 10, Sheikh Russel Gastro Liver Institute & Hospital has 16, Sarkari Karmachari Hospital in Fulbaria has six, Central Police Hospital at Rajarbagh has 15.
Two beds each are available at Sheikh Russel Gastro Liver Institute and Hospital and the Central Police Hospital in Rajarbagh.
Meanwhile, the hospitals are running out of general beds as the number of patients increases. Of the 2,461 beds, 2,127 are currently occupied.
Among the private hospitals, Bangladesh Specialized Hospital has nine ICU beds, Anwer Khan Modern Medical College Hospital has 30, Square Hospital has 19, United Hospital has 22, Evercare Hospital has 40, Asgar Ali Hospital has 32, Ibn Sina Hospital has five, and Impulse Hospital has 35, and AMZ Hospital has 10.
Also read: Covid-19 surge lays bare another crisis: Scant ICU beds and specialists
Anwer Khan Modern Medical College Hospital has eight beds available, Square Hospital has five, United Hospital has eight, Evercare Hospital has six, Asgar Ali Hospital has 12, Ibn Sina Hospital has one, Impulse Hospital has three and AMZ Hospital has two.
Among the 925 general beds, 528 are occupied.
Health Minister Zahid Maleque warned that the rise in coronavirus cases at the current rate would overwhelm the healthcare system.
DGHS Secretary Abdul Mannan told our sister newsagency UNB that people must follow the health protocols and directives issued by the government to bring down the cases.
Dr Amin said they are emphasising setting up ICUs at hospitals which have additional space to meet the increasing demand. He noted that the number of ICU specialists must be increased along with ICU beds. “We don’t have enough ICU specialists,” he said.
Prof Amin said the government is planning to install new ICUs at the district hospitals. “The pressure on [hospitals in] Dhaka will lessen if we set up ICUs at district level.”
The recent spurt in cases prompted the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) to issue an 18-point directive this week for the next two weeks to contain the spread. Health Minister Maleque said they proposed partial lockdowns for some places with higher Covid-19 transmission rates.
The government launched a countrywide vaccination campaign on February 7. Those who are 40 years or above and the frontline workers are being prioritised. Till March 29, 5,139,679 people received the first dose, according to government data.
What can be done?
As Bangladesh is experiencing record-breaking Covid cases, experts think ‘health emergency’, ‘nighttime curfew’ and area-based lockdown can be the right measures to slow down the virus transmission.
They think the 18-point directive issued by the government on Monday is not enough as the coronavirus situation is going from bad to worse with both high infection and mortality rates in the country.
Also read: Fighting the Second Wave: Govt seeks stricter implementation of PMO directives
The experts warned that Bangladesh may experience an ‘explosive’ Covid situation in the coming months, breaking down the already overwhelmed medical system, if unnecessary public movements and mass gatherings cannot be controlled with the strict enforcement of laws.
They also suggested ramping up contact tracing, mass testing, expanding ICU capacity and ensuring necessary treatment facilities and equipment in every hospital, including upazila health complexes, since the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) has identified 31 districts as risky for the virus outbreak with a high infection rate.
According to public health expert Dr MH Chowdhury (Lenin), chairman of the medicine department at Health and Hope Hospital, the government’s directives are inconsistent with the coronavirus transmission pace.
“When it’s necessary to stop all the social and political gatherings right now, it was said to be discouraged in the directives. When a nighttime curfew should be enforced from 6pm, people are only asked not to come out of their homes unnecessarily. The shopping malls should be allowed to remain open for at best six hours on a limited scale, but the government said both sellers and buyers in shopping malls must follow the health rules,” he said.
Dr Lenin said all types of mass gatherings should be controlled strictly, but the government asked to hold public exams maintaining health hygiene rules, which is not possible.
“People are discouraged to go to tourist and recreation spots, movie houses and theatres, and all kinds of fairs. But the Ekushey Book Fair is going on in full swing,” he pointed out.
Dr Lenin said the government has instructed all to maintain health safety rules in public transport, but people do not do that for lack of monitoring. “Strong enforcement of law is necessary to force people to abide by those rules.”
Dr Be-Nazir Ahmed, former director (disease control) of the DGHS, said, “The directives are not time-befitting and consistent with the current pandemic situation. These instructions should have been given at least one month back when the virus cases started surging.”
Dr Be-Nazir said when elections can be held amid such a situation, how can the government ask people not to arrange social programmes and mass gatherings?
The health expert said the government has given a directive to shift kitchen markets to open places, but the shopping malls will remain open. “When people can go to shopping malls in enclosed areas, where’s the problem if they visit the kitchen markets?” he asked.
“I think the directives have not been formulated considering the severity of the current Covid situation. So, these directives may not help contain the virus outbreak. We should take the corona situation seriously and come up with serious actions. Or else, we’ll have to pay a heavy price in the days to come.”
Dr Be-Nazir said all-types of mass gatherings and unnecessary public movement must be stopped to overcome the situation.
Also read: Avoid public gatherings, wear masks to fight Covid surge, PM urges all
“We should announce a health emergency by forming a high-powered committee to enforce it by taking necessary decisions to tackle the situation. The committee should be given the power to issue orders to curtail different services and close shops, offices and restaurants, to involve any organisation in healthcare management. “Adequate funds should be allocated so that the committee can take necessary preventive and curative measures.”
He said the committee should also be empowered to convert any community centre, convention centre, hotel or other institutions into temporary hospitals, quarantine or isolation centres.
The expert said the government should engage police, Rab, Ansar, BGB and even the army to enforce the health emergency. “A situation should be created so that people don’t venture out of home without masks and any valid reason.”
‘Suspend the Book Fair’
Dr Lenin said the Ekushey Book Fair should be suspended for at least two weeks while the tourist and recreation spots, movie houses and theatres should be closed right now as part of a move to control mass gatherings and mass movement.
He said people have long been asked to wear masks, but they are not paying heed to it. “So, a heavy fine should be realised from those who don’t wear masks.”
Also read: Nat’l committee for stopping Ekushey Book Fair as Covid cases surge
Dr Lenin said putting the entire country under lockdown is the last weapon to control the mass gatherings, but it will harm the economy badly. “So, we should use other preventative measures like a curfew from 6pm to 6am to control the situation.”
Besides, he said, the government should identify the areas where the infection rate is very high and declare those as ‘red zones’.
“We need to now enforce area-based lockdown in the red zones. The situation has reached such a level that we won’t be able to control the infection rate without controlling the movement of people in corona hotspots.”
Dr Lenin said the offices that can be run online should take immediate steps to keep their employees at home. “Other offices that can’t be run through online should follow skeleton duty schedules to lessen the presence of their staff.”
“The main thing is that we must control the mass movement and mass gathering as much as possible. We should take all possible steps in this regard. Or else, the pandemic will take a tsunami turn in Bangladesh.”
Prof Muzaherul Huq, a former adviser to WHO South-East Asia region, said the government should take all-out steps to tackle the situation in the days to come by ensuring proper treatment facilities in all the district and upazila hospitals since the virus case has been gradually growing across the country.
“If the virus continues to spread for two more weeks, it’ll put a serious pressure on the healthcare system. The Prime Minister has issued an instruction to ensure ventilators and ICU beds in every district hospital. The government should implement this instruction immediately. There should be sufficient oxygen supply and other necessary equipment in all the upazila health complexes to deal with the Covid patients,” he said.
Prof Huq said the Covid patients must be identified quickly and kept in isolation centres. “We also need to locate people who come in contact with the Covid patients and quarantine them.”
Too little, too late?
In the wake of the alarming spike in Coronavirus cases, the government towards the end of the week decided to take a tougher position to implement the 18-point directive issued by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) in an effort to contain the spread.
The move came after the country recorded its highest-ever daily coronavirus cases (6,469) and registered more than 5,000 cases for the fourth straight day on Thursday (Apr 1).
Also read: Restriction on gatherings, quarantine rule among PMO’s 18-point directive to contain Covid surge
Following the health protocols, all ministries and organisations have been instructed to use only 50 percent of their manpower in office for two straight weeks by State Minister of Public Administration Farhad Hossain.
Strict instructions have been issued to all the ministries and associated organisations asking them to follow the directives, he said.
“We already started following the instruction from Wednesday and the rest of the ministries started implementing the directive from Thursday. All ministries and departments will form a duty roster for all their staffs,” he said.
One half of the staff will attend office three days and two days from home in the first week and the second half will work the same way in the second week, Hossain said, adding that pregnant and officials above 55 years old will work online from home.
Besides, all of the private and non-government organisations and offices were also directed to employ 50 percent workers in office and rest through online from home, the State Minister said. Pregnant employees and officials above 55 years old will work online from home.
“We will ensure that no one go outside after 10 pm unnecessarily and also launched monitoring programme on the grass root level. Law enforcers will work in this regard,” Farhad Hossain said.
The government will decide the next course of action after maintaining all the directives for two weeks and review the decision after April 12, he said.
The Home Ministry said as the 18-point directive landed on Monday, police already prepared a work plan to implement the instructions across the country including the capital.
Police check-posts have been installed at different places including Dhaka and a massive campaign is operated by cops and local administration to raise awareness among people, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan told UNB.
Moreover Health Minister Zahid Maleque said the administration will do everything to constant monitor the implementation of the health directives “The way number of patients is rising if the scenario continues, no hospitals will have seats to admit patients. All must act immediately to curb the massive transmission. The pandemic might take a devastating form if we fail to follow the 18-directives issued by the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina,” the minister said.
Secretary of Health Services Division Abdul Mannan said they have already started following the health directive strictly.
Transport restrictions
Bangladesh Railway is operating keeping 50 percent of its seats vacant to curb the transmission of Covid-19 since Wednesday, said Railway Minister Nurul Islam Sujan.
Half of the 50 percent railway tickets will be available online and rest will be sold at the stations, the minister said adding that “We won’t carry any passenger without following the health guideline and take all necessary measures to ensure hygiene in trains and stations.”
Bangladesh Road Transport Owners Association Secretary General Khandakar Enayetullah said all buses are carrying 50 percent of passengers with the direction of the government.
BRTA Chairman Nur Mohammad Majumdar told UNB that they have taken overall measures in this regard and mobile courts will be operated to prevent transport workers from violating the instructions.
State Minister for Shipping Ministry Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury said they are also maintaining the 18-point directive by taking only 50 percent of passengers.
Passengers will have to step into launch after following all health guidelines otherwise legal action will be taken, he warned.
Meanwhile incoming flights from all countries of Europe except the United Kingdom have been prohibited to prevent coronavirus transmission, said Civil Aviation Authority Chairman Air Vice Marshal M Mofidur Rahman. The decision to exempt the UK has baffled observers.
Twelve other countries that have been placed on the list alongside Europe are Argentina, Bahrain, Brazil, Chile, Jordan, Lebanon, Peru, Qatar, South Africa, Turkey and Uruguay.
The prohibition will remain in action from April 3 to April 18, Rahman said, adding that the airlines can only carry transit passengers from these nations during this time and they will have to remain inside the Airport terminal during the transit period.
The returnees from foreign countries who are allowed in will have to remain in institutional quarantine for 14 days at a quarantine centre or specific hotel, he said.
Besides, all travellers must have Covid-19 negative certificates (Sample collected within 72 hours) for leaving or entering the country, he added. Passengers will have to wear face shields along with masks.
All the directives came into effect since March 30 and will remain in force until further notice, he said.
Besides, the Election Commission (EC) late in the week postponed all elections scheduled for April 11. The National Cricket League has also been postponed midway.
Movement of all tourist ships on Teknaf-Saint Martin's Island route have been suspended, and all tourist spots in places like Cox’s Bazar and Sylhet have been instructed to close.
However, movement of vessels carrying regular passengers and daily essentials will remain normal, subjected to maintaining health guidelines.
Additional Reporting by AR Jahangir and Masudul Hoque
(This article was first published on dhakacourier.com.bd)
Govt-backed syndicate behind price hike of essentials: Fakhrul
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Friday voiced deep worries over the growing price hike of essentials and alleged that a government-backed syndicate is behind it.
"We’re very worried that the prices of essential commodities, including rice, pulses and salt, have already gone up ahead of the Ramadan,” he said at a virtual press conference.
The BNP leader said, “The government has failed to control the market as it’s involved with the syndicate that raises prices. The government-backed people have made the syndicate for increasing the prices.”
Also read: Prices in kitchen markets on the up ahead of Ramadan
Fakhrul alleged that BNP leaders and activists are being arrested and implicated in cases as part of a ruling party plot to eliminate the party and thwart its ongoing movement.
He also presented statistics on the filing of cases in different places against BNP leaders and activists over the last few days.
The BNP leader criticised the government for arresting their party executive committee member advocate Nipun Roy charge of involvement in the recent violence.
“Nipun Roy is a working lawyer, an active human rights activist and a conscious politician. She can’t have any involvement in any terrorist activities. It's a completely conspiratorial and fabricated and false charge,” Fakhrul said.
Also read: BNP leader Nipun Roy arrested in city
He demanded the withdrawal of the case filed against opposition leaders and activists and the release of those arrested.
He alleged that the government has failed to raise awareness among people to encourage them to maintain health safety rules to contain the surge in coronavirus infection.
The BNP leader said though the ruling party leaders are keeping themselves protected from the deadly virus staying at their homes, they are pushing the common people to get out of their houses.
Tourism suspended in Sundarbans till Apr 15
The Forest Department has banned tourists from entering the Sundarbans till April 15 to tackle the second wave of Covid-19.
However, beekeepers and fishermen will be exempt from the ban.
Forest Conservator of Khulna Zone Moinuddin Khan confirmed this news to UNB.
He said that there are seven tourist spots in eastern and western zones of Sundarban. All of these will be closed effective immediately.
Also read: Covid 19: Movement of tourist ships on Teknaf-St Martin's route suspended
According to him, around 2 lakh domestic and foreign tourists visit the Sundarbans every year.
Although, tourists were suspended for the majority of 2020, records show around 1 lac 72 thousand tourists came to Sundarbans last year despite it.
Moinuddin stated that the reason behind not losing tourists despite suspension was that the main season to visit the Sundarbans is from Nov-Jan, it was when the Covid situation was comparatively back to normal.
Also read: Damage to int'l tourism in 2020 estimated at $1.3 trillion amid pandemic
Earlier on March 19 last year, the Sundarbans was declared closed to tourists.
Later, after almost seven months of suspension, instructions were given to conduct tourism in compliance with the hygiene rules in October.
Health secretary Mannan tests positive for Covid-19
Health Secretary Abdul Mannan has tested positive for Covid-19.
His PS Mohammad Rashed Hossain Chowdhury told UNB, one or two days ago the secretary tested positive. Today he has been sent to Sheikh Russell Gastroliver Institute and Hospital for health checkup.
Also read: Covid-19: Bangladesh records 6,000+ cases for 2nd straight day
"I was coronavirus infected too, after 12 days in hospital I returned home today. 2-3 more members of my family have been infected as well," he further said.
Abdul Mannan's wife Kamrun Nahar died on June 14 while undergoing covid treatment at the Combined Military Hospital.