Covid-19 lockdown
People find 'easy excuses' to defy lockdown in Dhaka
People continue to venture out with families and friends in the capital defying the lockdown rules even though Bangladesh recorded the highest daily rise in its Covid-19 death toll on Tuesday.
There was nothing unique on day six (Wednesday) of the ongoing strict lockdown as people were seen in the capital moving without emergency reasons with private cars and rickshaws plying everywhere.
Read: Dhaka finds new normal amid lockdown, arrests
Dhaka wore almost a normal look with an increased number of vehicles and people on the streets. Only the movement of public transport remained suspended as per the government restrictions.
With the spike in Covid cases, hospitals in cities and districts are getting overwhelmed with Covid patients but the lockdown restrictions are largely ignored.
Visiting different areas, the UNB correspondent saw the increased movement of people in different areas of the city including Kakrail, Malibagh, Shegunbagicha, Dhamondi, Mohammadpur, Shahbagh, Kataban and Farmgate.
Even people were seen gossiping on roads and moving from one place to another without wearing masks.
Read: 403 arrests on day 1 prove lockdown back in earnest
Talking to UNB, traffic inspector of Mohakhali area Asaduzzamn said the pressure of vehicles increased today compared to the last few days.
“In some areas, traffic control is needed due to a rise in the number of vehicles,” he said.
When police stop vehicles at check-posts, passengers show various causes for coming out of home,including banking work, hospitalization of patients and vaccination, he said.
“We’re filing cases and realising fines from those who cannot show a valid reason for going outdoors but people are coming out despite all this,” he added.
Akhter Ahmed, a traffic sergeant of Uttara, said the number of vehicles is increasing every day.
As the country battles a brutal wave of pandemic, Bangladesh logged record-high 258 Coronavirus-related deaths in 24 hours till Tuesday morning, shattering the record of 247 single-day deaths a day before.
The country has been seeing nearly 200 deaths every day for the past two weeks and breaking records of daily cases and deaths almost every other day.
Besides, 14,925 more people came out Covid positive after the test of 52,478 samples, according to a handout issued by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
The country saw the highest-ever 15,192 Covid cases on Monday.
With the new numbers, the death tally from Covid-19 reached 19,779 today while the caseload mounted to 1,194,752.
Dhaka finds new normal amid lockdown, arrests
As the ‘strict’ lockdown rolled into its 5th straight day on Tuesday, the streets in capital Dhaka saw a higher number of private vehicles with people trying to pick up the social life amid the worsening Covid situation.
When the restrictions were reimposed just after Eid-ul-Azha, the roads in the capital had fallen silent in the first few days. Part of it was the fact that many had retreated to their home districts or villages for Eid holiday, and were yet to return.
But now things are changing fast with every passing day as the roads are becoming busier with the bustle of vehicles with many people returning to Dhaka defying the Covid restrictions and warnings by health authorities.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police on Tuesday arrested 555 people in the capital - maintaining the level from the previous two days and the traffic police department fined 497 vehicles a total of Tk 11,73,000 for violating lockdown rules.
Meanwhile, 236 people across the city were fined Tk 4,83,975 by mobile court for not following health guidelines and restrictions.
UNO breaks up picnic organised in brazen breach of lockdown
In the midst of the strictest phase of COVID-19 restrictions imposed in the country since the start of the pandemic, one group of 50-60 people somehow found it appropriate to organise a picnic - and not even be discreet about it.
The strictness of the restrictions of course reflect the severity of the outbreak and how that has shifted. It shouldn't take an epidemiologist to tell us that Bangladesh is currently experiencing the worst phase of its entire outbreak.
The daily numbers coming out of DGHS, and out of them three in particular, are stark enough to not require expert interpretation of what they mean from a public health perspective.
The fact is that the number of deaths due to COVID-19 being reported on each day, the number of new cases, and the latest positivity rate (the percentage of tests returning positive for the virus), are all pointing in the wrong direction, and they've done so for quite a prolonged period now.
Yet as if oblivious to it all, this group of people hired out a trawler for the day, and blaring loud, incongruous picnic music on the vessel's PA system, set sail on Sunday morning down a famous canal in Chandpur.
Read: Covid-19 in Bangladesh: 200+ deaths, 11,291 new cases recorded
That they would be so brazen about it would prove their undoing however, as word started going around almost immediately of this blatant breach of the emergency restrictions.
By mid-day, Matlab Dakkhin UNO Fahmida Haque, assuming her executive magistrate powers leading a mobile court, was able to reach the spot on the Boaljuri canal that they were in.
There she broke up the picnic with other officials and made five of the organizers pay a penalty of Tk 11,500 against five cases of violating lockdown rules by organising a public gathering and playing loud music on speakers.
During the raid, the UNO seized the food catered for the picnic party and later distributed it among some local orphanages and madrasahs - fashioning a good ending to a story that could so easily have been sordid.
Sylhet scenario as strict lockdown resumes
Mobile courts in Sylhet collected Tk 15,400 as fines from individuals and businesses that violated lockdown restrictions on Friday, the very first day of stringent restrictions resuming after Eid.
Besides, 46 vehicles were sued, while 92 were outright seized on the day.
Read: Lockdown: Mobile courts collect fines of Tk 76,300 in Sylhet, 1 held in Sylhet
Law enforcers were tough on those violating curbs during the previous segment of the stringent lockdown.
Five mobile courts were active in the city throughout Friday, demonstrating there would be no room for taking things easy even to start with.
Army personnel were seen patrolling Sylhet city alongside police, RAB and BGB.
Additional Deputy Commissioner(Media) of Sylhet Police BAM Ashraf Ullah Taher confirmed the day's numbers at the start to UNB.
The features that differentiate the July 2021 lockdown in Bangladesh from any previous lockdown or restrictive protocol during the pandemic can broadly be identified in three streams:
i) Law-enforcement agencies were given the authority to perform mass arrests of the public if need be, of citizens found in breach of lockdown rules. Agencies have in turn shown their willingness to use it. Even on resumption day (Friday), over 400 such arrests were reported.
ii) Larger deployments of the security and law enforcement agencies, including Army and BGB battalions.
iii) Mobile courts jointly operated between agencies and local administrations working far more proactively to nab and even track/hunt down offenders, coupled with more aggressive use of their fining authority.
The lockdown restrictions came into force at 8am today and will continue till August 5 midnight, unless extended again as announced by the government on Thursday, upping its guard against the devastating Delta variant of Covid-19.
403 arrests on day 1 prove lockdown back in earnest
On the very first day back of the strict Covid-19 lockdown, 403 people were put under arrest by police, and 441 vehicles were fined by LEAs, for violating various protocols put in place as part of the lockdown restrictions.
The arrestees were out on the streets violating restrictions, said DMP Additional Deputy Commissioner (media) Iftekharul Islam.
Meanwhile, mobile courts collected Tk 127,270 in fines from 203 people.
The Traffic Division collected Tk 10.6 lakh in penalties, from vehicles failing to comply with the extraordinary restrictions in place.
Dhaka fell quiet in one fell swoop Friday, after restrictions imposed as part of the nationwide lockdown that started July 1 - the 'all-out' or 'maximum' lockdown - kicked in again. The features that differentiate the July 2021 lockdown in Bangladesh from any previous lockdown or restrictive protocol during the pandemic can broadly be identified in three streams:
i) Law-enforcement agencies were given the authority to perform mass arrests of the public if need be, of citizens found in breach of lockdown rules. Agencies have in turn shown their willingness to use it. Even on resumption day, over 400 such arrests were reported.
ii) Larger deployments of the security and law enforcement agencies, including Army and BGB battalions.
iii) Mobile courts jointly operated between agencies and local administrations working far more proactively to nab and even track/hunt down offenders, coupled with more aggressive use of their fining authority.
Read: Lockdown Breaches: 462 arrested on day 14
The lockdown restrictions came into force at 8am today and will continue till August 5 midnight, unless extended again as announced by the government on Thursday, upping its guard against the devastating Delta variant of Covid-19.
Today (Friday), the first day of the resumed lockdown, the number of vehicles seen in the capital was much lower than any other day during the last week.
Even then, many were seen in the morning returning to Dhaka through different ways as public transports were taken off the roads following the fresh order.
The government’s order for everyone was to stay in their respective areas as offices, courts, garment factories and all other export-oriented industries will remain closed during the period.
Rab and army personnel, deployed to enforce the strict restrictions, were seen checking the movement of people and vehicles at different points of the capital in addition to the duties performed by the police.
Until 10am, some public transports, carrying passengers, were allowed to enter the capital.
Akhtar Hossain, a traffic police officer, said some of the long-haul buses and vehicles were allowed to enter the capital through Uttara and Abdullahpur as they were stuck on the roads before entering the capital. “After 10 am, no vehicle was allowed in without valid ground,” he said.
In response to a query, Akhter said, “The government order is to maintain the lockdown strictly and we’re doing that today. Only the vehicles used for emergency services are allowed to move.”
Meanwhile, those returning to Dhaka from southern districts were seen entering Dhaka on foot through different entry points of the city like Tongi Bridge, Aminbazar Bridge, Babubazar Bridge and Postogola Bridge.
Read: Lockdown Breaches: 708 arrested, Tk 5.5 lakh fined on day 11
Most of them were bus passengers who had to get off from the vehicles before entering the city due to the suspension of traffic movement.
Members of law enforcement agencies were seen making them wear masks and maintain health rules as per the order.
On Thursday, State Minister for Public Administration Farhad Hossain told UNB that this lockdown will be stricter than the one imposed last time. Police, paramilitary Bangladesh Border Guard and the Army will keep a strict vigil on the roads, he said.
Earlier, the government eased the lockdown restrictions in the country for eight days due to Eid-ul-Azha that was celebrated on Wednesday.
Covid fatalities, infections in Bangladesh drop for 3rd straight day; 166 more die
Although the Covid-related deaths dropped to 166 in Bangladesh on Friday from 231 on July 19, the country’s health system still remained overwhelmed.
The country saw the below 200 fatalities for the third straight day.
Also, Covid-19 infections are at 81% of the peak now, with 9,632 new cases reported on average each day. The highest daily average was recorded on July 15.
Bangladesh recorded 6,364 new infections in 24 hours till Friday morning after testing 20,493 samples.
With Covid's Delta variant spreading fast, the country's fatalities had been hovering at nearly 200 for the last two weeks. It reported the highest daily Covid-19 fatality number – 231 – on July 19 and 13,768 infections on the 12th of the month.
There have been 1,146,564 infections and 18,851 coronavirus-related deaths here since the pandemic began, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
Read: Dhaka to receive 2.45 lakh AstraZeneca jabs from Tokyo Saturday
Meanwhile, the daily test positivity rate fell to 31.05% from Thursday's 32.19% when the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a 5% or below rate.
Amid growing concerns about the highly infectious Delta variant, Dhaka division reported the highest 60 deaths, Khulna and Chattogram 33 each, Rangpur 12, Barishal 10, Sylhet eight, Rajshahi seven, and Mymensingh three.
However, the death rate stood at 1.64% and the recovery rate rose to 85.35%.
So far, Bangladesh has administered at least 11,565,087 doses of Covid vaccines – enough to have vaccinated around 3.1% of the country's population, assuming every person needs two doses.
The government on Friday reimposed the countrywide strict lockdown following an eight-day pause for Eid-ul-Azha. The new restrictions will continue till August 5, unless extended again.
The country imposed its toughest lockdown at the start of July. Under the lockdown, people were only allowed to leave home to buy essentials and for emergencies.
Read: India working to resume vaccine export to Bangladesh, reiterates Doraiswami
With the recent removal of the curbs ahead of Eid celebrations, people were seen breaking Covid-19 rules while they were on the streets and in markets and malls.
At least 82.67 lakh subscribers of the four telecom operators left Dhaka during July 15-20 to celebrate Eid, according to Post and Telecommunication Minister Mustafa Jabbar.
The WHO has reported that globally, Covid-19 cases and deaths had soared after periods of decline, with the reversal spurred in part by the delta variant.
Ferry-launch suspended from Friday morning
All water transports, including ferries, launches, speedboats and trawlers, will halt operation from 6 am Friday as the country begins another round of strict lockdown fearing a spread of the coronavirus infections following Eid celebration.
As per the July 13 cabinet decision, Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) ordered water transports services to remain closed from 6 am on July 23 to 12 am on August 5, said a media release on Thursday.
Also read: Strict lockdown from Friday, again
Meanwhile, no passenger vehicles and transports will be permitted on ferry from Friday (July 23) morning, as per another notification from Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) issued on July 9.
However, emergency vehicles and ambulances would be allowed to cross in compliance with strict health guidelines.
Also read: Bangladesh loses 187 more lives as Covid situation remains girm
Both the notifications said that action would be taken against those who disobey the orders.
Bangladesh still in life-and-death race with Covid; 226 more die
When the lockdown restrictions were eased on one hand ahead of Eid, Bangladesh recorded its second highest 226 Covid-19 deaths in 24 hours till Thursday morning on the other.
Besides, 12,236 fresh cases were detected during the period.
The new numbers took the country’s death tally to 17,278 and the caseload to 10,71,774, according to a handout issued by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
The fresh cases were detected after testing 46,604 samples during the period, bringing down the case positivity rate to 27. 23% from Wednesday’s 29.14%.
However, the case fatality rate remained unchanged at 1.61% during the 24-hour period.
Read: Covid shatters all records in Bangladesh with 230 single-day deaths
The country saw a record number of 13,768 Covid cases on Monday and the highest-ever 230 deaths on Sunday.
So far, 905,807 people have recovered from the disease, taking the country’s recovery rate to 84.51%.
Of the deceased, 72 died in Dhaka division, 52 in Khulna, 42 in Chattogram, 28 in Rajshahi, 13, Rangpur, 10 in Mymensingh, six in Barishal, and five died in Sylhet.
Among them, 140 were men and 86 women.
Age breakdown: One of the deceased was between 0-10, one was between 11-20, six were between 21-30, 12 between 31-40, 36 between 41-50, 49 between 51-60, 50 were between 61-70, 44 were between 71-80, 22 were between 81-90, three were between 91-100 and two were above 100 years of age.
Read: No respite from Covid deaths in Bangladesh; 220 more lose battle
Vaccination drive
According to the handout, 1,32,604 people received the first dose of Sinopharm vaccine, 6,267 from Pfizer and 39,325 from Moderna during the 24-hour period.
Expanding the vaccine eligibility target, Health Minister Zahid Maleque on Thursday said everyone above 18 years will gradually be vaccinated in Bangladesh.
“Arrangements are being made to gradually bring all citizens above 18 years under the Covid-19 vaccination programme in order to revive the country's education system,” he said.
Zahid Maleque came up with the remarks while speaking as the chief guest at a progamme on Covid-19 ICU Bed Expansion and inauguration of the Outpatient Department of Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH).
Read: Covid claims 210 more lives in Bangladesh, 12,383 more test positive
“At present, the government has 45 lakh doses of vaccines in stock. We’ll receive 29 lakh doses of AstraZeneca vaccine very soon. Besides, Pfizer vaccine doses will reach the country within the next month,” he added.
“Our health sector has the capacity to store 3 crore doses of vaccine. So, there’ll be no problem in storing and distributing vaccines,” the minister said.
Biman to operate domestic flights from July 15 to July 22
National flag carrier Biman Bangladesh Airlines will operate flights in all internal routes from July 15 to 22.
The national airlines service announced the decision through a media release Tuesday, followed by the cabinet division’s notification on lifting lockdown restrictions from July 14 midnight to the morning of July 23.
During the period, Biman’s three flights to Chattogram and Syedpur, two each to Cox’s Bazar, Jashore, Sylhet and one each to Rajshahi and Barishal will fly from Dhaka.
Also read: Bangladesh eases lockdown restrictions ahead of Eid
The passengers can buy tickets for the flights from any travel agency approved by Biman sales office or Biman’s website, mobile apps making payments through bkash, Rocket, Vissa, Mastercard or AMEX card.
However, strict restrictions will resume from July 23 and will continue until Aug. 5, as per the order.
Earlier on Monday, it was reported that Bangladesh Railway is going to restore its passenger train services for eight days from July 15-22 across the country, keeping 50% of the seats empty apparently to facilitate the movement of people during the upcoming Eid-ul-Azha.
Also read: Stringent lockdown: Biman's domestic flights suspended till July 7
Public transport services and business institutions will also be allowed to function.
Eid-ul-Azha will be celebrated on July 21 amid the Delta variant of Covid-19 wreaking havoc across the country, shattering records every day.
A record rise in the number of Covid cases and fatalities in recent days prompted the government to enforce a nationwide stringent lockdown suspending all outdoor activities unless there's an emergency.
Covid claims 203 more lives in Bangladesh, another 12,198 infected
Struggling with Covid-19’s grim second wave, Bangladesh lost 203 more lives to the deadly virus, while another 12,198 people contracted it in24 hours till Tuesday morning.
The new numbers took the country’s death tally to 16,842 and the caseload to 10,47,155, according to a handout issued by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
The fresh cases were detected after testing 41,755 samples during the period, pushing up the case positivity rate to 29.21%.
According to the DGHS, 2,339 people lost the battle to Covid-19 and 125,596 more got infected as of July13.
However, the case fatality rate remained unchanged at 1.61% during the 24-hour period.
The country saw a record number of 13,768 Covid cases on Monday and the highest-ever 230 deaths on Sunday.
Also read: Bangladesh eases lockdown restrictions ahead of Eid
So far, 889,167 people have recovered from the disease, taking the country’s recovery rate to 84.91%, which is on the decline compared to other indicators.
Of the latest deaths, 61 were reported in Dhaka, 53 in Khulna, and 30 in Chattogram divisions and 27 in Rajshahi. Besides, 15 people died in Rangpur, seven in Mymensingh and five each in Barishal and Sylhet divisions.
The country saw 2,404 Covid deaths in April, 1,169 in May and 1,884 in June, making those the most fatal months of this year. Also, July was the most fatal month in 2020, reporting 1,264 deaths followed by 1,197 deaths in June that year.
Lockdown eased
The government has decided to ease all lockdown restrictions in the country for eight days ahead of Eid ul Azha.
In a notification on Tuesday morning, the cabinet division said that the lockdown restrictions will be lifted from July 14 midnight to the morning of July 23.
However, strict restrictions will resume from July 23 and will continue till August 5, as per the order.
Also read: FM reassures on adequate vaccine supply from multiple sources
Earlier on Monday, it was reported that Bangladesh Railway is going to restore its passenger train services for eight days from July 15-22 across the country, keeping 50% of the seats empty apparently to facilitate the movement of people during the upcoming Eid-ul-Azha.
Public transport services and business institutions will also be allowed to function.
Eid-ul-Azha will be celebrated on July 21 amid the Delta variant of Covid-19 wreaking havoc across the country, shattering records every day.
A record rise in the number of Covid cases and fatalities in recent days prompted the government to enforce a nationwide stringent lockdown suspending all outdoor activities unless there is an emergency.