coronavirus BD
Lockdown Breaches: 568 arrested in Dhaka on 7th day
Police arrested 568 people in Dhaka for violating lockdown restrictions on the 7th day of the 14-day countrywide lockdown on Wednesday.
The arrestees failed to show any valid reason for coming out on the streets, said DMP Additional Deputy Commissioner (media) Iftekharul Islam.
Meanwhile, mobile courts collected Tk 3,40,100 as fines from 206 people.
During this time, the Traffic Division collected Tk 9,97,500 as penalties from 431 vehicles for failing to comply with coronavirus lockdown restrictions.
Read: People find 'easy excuses' to defy lockdown in Dhaka
However, any amount of fines or deaths recorded due to Covid-19 is apparently not enough to keep people at their home as traffic on the streets of capital Dhaka is increasing with every passing day amid the lockdown.
The number of vehicles and people increased substantially on Dhaka streets on Thursday.
Many people were seen coming out and wandering without any valid reason while health protocols are hardly maintained in most cases.
However, the movement of private vehicles has increased as many private offices have arranged vehicles for the movement of their own staff. But public transport stayed off the roads as per the directives of the government.
Read: Covid in Bangladesh: Daily toll remains above 200; 15,271 more infected
People were seen reaching their destinations by rickshaws as it is available during the lockdown.
Traffic inspector Asaduzzaman, said, “The number of vehicles is increasing day by day. We’re checking every vehicle. Those who failed to justify their outdoor movement are fined and cases lodged for violating lockdown rules.”
Covid in Bangladesh: Daily toll remains above 200; 15,271 more infected
As the Delta variant of Covid-19 engulfed the country, Bangladesh recorded 239 more deaths caused by the virus in 24 hours till Thursday morning.
Besides, 15,271 new people came out Covid positive during the period after the test of 52,282 samples, according to a handout issued by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
The fresh cases took the country’s Covid death tally to 20,255 today while the caseload to 1,226,253.
The country has been seeing nearly 200 deaths a day for the past two weeks, shattering the records of daily cases and deaths almost every other day.
Meanwhile, the daily test-positivity rate declined slightly to 29.21% from Wednesday's 30.12% while the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a 5% or below rate.
Read: Covid claims 41 more lives in Khulna division
However, the case fatality rate remained unchanged at 1.65 % during the period, said the DGHS.
The recovery rate too increased slightly to 85.64 % from Tuesday’s 85.54 % with the recovery of more 14,336 patients.
Govt deceiving people over Covid vaccines: BNP
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Wednesday alleged that the government is misleading people by talking about giving them the Covid vaccines at the union level though it could not yet collect adequate doses.
“They (govt) have put people’s lives and their livelihoods at stake with their indifference, incompetence, and failures. They’re now deceiving people with lies and hypocrisies. They could not yet fully collect the vaccines and bring three crore doses from India,” he said.
Speaking at a virtual discussion, the BNP leader said, “But they’re now saying that they'll provide the vaccines at the union level. These are nothing but confusing the nation. This government can spread lies very well.”
Read: Bangladesh to resume vaccination with Astrazeneca jabs soon
Jatiyatabadi Swechchasebak Dal arranged the programme marking the first death anniversary of its former president Shafiul Bari Babu who died of Coronavirus last year.
Fakhrul alleged that the Awami League government has long been plundering public money and resources in the name of tackling Covid pandemic.
"They’re looting the hard-earned money that people pay as tax and the remittances that our expatriates send from abroad and the money that our workers earn working in garment factories. The newspapers are depicting clearly how a reign of looting is going on in the country,” he said.
Read: Vaccination at union level to start on Aug 7: Home Minster
The BNP leader said though unfortunate, it is fact that Awami League characteristically represents a class of ‘looters’. “We saw them looting the same way in 1972-75. They’re continuing the reign of plundering for the last 12 years.”
He said the government has not only destroyed the economy but also the education sector. “A terrorist and partisan woman has been made the principal of an educational institution like Viqarunnisa Noon School and College. The corrupt people are appointed as the vice-chancellors of different universities who are indulging in corruption in the name of appointments.”
Fakhrul said the government has been destroying all the achievements of the country by ruining its business institutions, health and education sectors.He said there is no alternative to waging a strong movement to ‘restore’ democracy and people’s rights by defeating the current ‘monstrous regime’.
Lockdown Breaches: 562 arrested as movement of vehicles, people increase on 6th day
Police arrested 562 people for being out there on the streets violating restrictions even as the capital city saw an increased number of private cars and public movement on the 6th day of the 14-day lockdown on Wednesday.
The arrestees failed to show any valid reason for coming out on the streets, said DMP Additional Deputy Commissioner (media) Iftekharul Islam.
Meanwhile, mobile courts collected Tk 1,61,130 as fines from 208 people.
During this time, the Traffic Division collected Tk 1,13,0000 as penalties from 489 vehicles for failing to comply with coronavirus lockdown restrictions.
Despite the measures taken by the authorities, people continue to venture out with families and friends in the capital defying the lockdown rules even though the Covid outbreak has turned vicious in the country.
Read: People find 'easy excuses' to defy lockdown in Dhaka
There was nothing different on Wednesday as people were seen roaming without emergency reasons with private cars and rickshaws plying everywhere.
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.
Covid death toll in Bangladesh crosses 20,000 with 237 new fatalities
As the highly transmissible Delta variant keeps sweeping through the country, Bangladesh logged off 237 Coronavirus-related deaths in 24 hours till Wednesday morning, taking the death toll to 20,016.
The country has been seeing nearly 200 deaths a day for the past two weeks, and shattered the records of daily cases and deaths almost every other day.
Besides, 16,230 more people came out Covid positive after the test of 53,877 samples, according to a handout issued by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
This is the highest-ever single-day transmission after the country saw the largest-ever 15,192 Covid cases on Monday.
Also read: Covid claims 31 more lives in Khulna division
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.
Lockdown Day 3: Banks reopen, 587 arrested, Tk 12.7 lakh fined
The third day of the ongoing strict lockdown saw increased number of people and vehicles on the streets of capital city on Sunday as police made more arrests and collected bigger sum of fines.
The increased movement may partly be due to the reopening of banks and return of Eid holidaymakers to the city, police said.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) arrested 587 people and traffic police collected Tk 12,72,000 as fines from 521 vehicles for violating lockdown rules on Sunday.
Meanwhile, 233 people across the city were fined Tk 1,00,950 by mobile courts for not following the restrictions and health guidelines.
Read: Day 2 of reinforced lockdown: 383 arrested in capital
RAB and Army personnel patrolling the streets of the city alongside local police, were seen monitoring the movement of vehicles and people setting up strategic check-posts in different areas.
Though check-posts were set up from Gabtoli-Mirpur Road-New Market to Uattara-Airport-Mohakhali, to prevent unwanted movement, people on the streets showed different excuses when caught by law enforcers, Traffic officer Asaduzzaman of Mohakhai said.
“Many people were still returning to the city after the Eid holidays.”
Though some were seen carrying luggage on foot, a good number of people were halted at the entry points of the city including Abdullahpur, Uttara, Tongi, Amin Bazar bridge and Babu Bazar bridge, he said.
Read: 403 arrests on day 1 prove lockdown back in earnest
However, as per the government instructions, only ambulances and those in emergency services were allowed to enter the capital.
On Thursday, State Minister for Public Administration Farhad Hossain told UNB that this lockdown would be stricter than the one imposed last time. "Police, the paramilitary Bangladesh Border Guard and the Army will keep a strict vigil on the roads."
The second round of strict lockdown started on 8 am of July 23 that would continue till Aug. 5 unless further extended.
Age limit to be lowered to 18 for Covid vaccination: Health DG
The government is going to lower the minimum age limit for Covid vaccination to 18 from 30 years as per a directive of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in a bid to bring more people under the coverage of the mass vaccination programme.
“Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has given an instruction in this regard this (Friday) morning. We’ll implement it at the earliest possible time after discussions with the Health Minister,” said Abul Bashar Mohammad Khurshid Alam, director general of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
He made the remarks while talking to reporters after visiting Covid-dedicated Mugda General Hospital in the capital on Friday.
The DGHS DG said the government is also thinking of expanding the vaccination programme to the village level. “The government is planning whether the corona vaccines can be given to rural people in the same way they receive other vaccines.”
Read: Dhaka to receive 2.45 lakh AstraZeneca jabs from Tokyo Saturday
“If this decision is implemented, then people will be able to get the vaccine doses by showing the national identity cards and the vaccination cards, and then there’ll be no need for registration,” he added.
On July 18, the government decided to lower the age limit to 30 years from 35 for Covid vaccination.
Over four percent of the country's population has so far been vaccinated since the government launched the mass vaccination programme on February 7 last by administering Covishield.
On April 25, the government had to suspend the first dose of the vaccine campaign due to a shortage of jabs. However, the vaccination drive resumed this month with the arrival of Sinopharm, Moderna and Pfizer vaccines.
Replying to a question, Prof Khurshid said the government has preparations to deal with the pressure of the growing number of Covid patients.
Read: India working to resume vaccine export to Bangladesh, reiterates Doraiswami
He said field hospitals can be set up in different districts to ensure the treatment of virus-infected people.
The DG said the outcome of the 14-day strict lockdown enforced by the government today (Friday) will be visible a few days later.
He, however, said the virus infections have comparatively decreased now in the frontier areas.
Prof Khurshid said they are taking steps for exporting oxygen from India as the country’s current oxygen demand is 200 tonnes per day.
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.