Chapainawabganj
Nearly 160 test positive for Covid in Chapainawabganj
One person has died while 158 others have tested positive for Covid in the past 24 hours in Chapainawabganj district, officials said on Thursday morning.
Chapainawabganj Civil Surgeon Dr Zahid Nazrul Chowdhury said the samples of 823 people were tested for Covid. "Of them, the results of 158 people have emerged positive."
Read: 14-day lockdown ends in Chapainawabganj, new restrictions imposed
With this, a total of 2,976 people have been found infected with the virus in the district to date. Also, 62 people have so far died from Covid-19 in the district. So far, 1,464 people have recovered.
On Tuesday, after the end of a 14-day strict lockdown in Chapainawabganj district, the local administration imposed restrictions on public movement to break the chain of Covid-19 transmission.
Read: Five Covid patients die in Chapainawabganj, over 100 test positive
The new restrictions will remain in force till June 16.
14-day lockdown ends in Chapainawabganj, new restrictions imposed
After the end of a 14-day lockdown in Chapainawabganj district, the local administration has imposed some restrictions on public movement to break the chain of Covid-19 transmission.
Deputy Commissioner of Chapainawabganj Manjurul Hafiz came up with the announcement at a press briefing held at the conference room of the deputy commissioner’s office on Monday evening.
Read: Five Covid patients die in Chapainawabganj, over 100 test positive
The new restrictions will remain in force till June 16.
The local administration has taken the decision considering the overall situation of Covid-19, mango growers and traders’ interest and development works of the district.
The restrictions are- all shops, shopping malls will remain open from 9 am till 5 pm but the haat-bazaars will remain closed.
Inter-district transport services will also remain suspended but only vehicles carrying mangoes are allowed to move.
Read: Lockdown in Chapainawabganj extended for another week
However, public transport will be allowed to ply inside the district with half capacities following health guidelines.
All kinds of public gatherings, political, social and religious programmes will be suspended during this period.
Juma prayers can be offered at mosques with 20 devotees maintaining health safety protocols.
Read: Variation between PCR and antigen test positivity rates hides true situation of Covid-19 in Chapainawabganj
Civil Surgeon Dr. Zahid Nazrul Chowdhury, Superintendent of Chapainawabganj Police AHM Abdur Rakib, Additional deputy commissioner (Tax) Zakiul Islam were present at the meeting.
Following the surge in Covid-19 infections, the local administration imposed a lockdown in two phases from May 25 which ended on June 7 midnight.
7 more Covid-19 patients die at RMCH
Seven more Covid patients died in the past 24 hours until Monday morning at Rajshahi Medical College and Hospital (RMCH), health officials said on Monday.
Of the deceased, three were from Chapainawabganj district and one each from Rajshahi, Natore, Pabna and Naogaon district.
Read:16 more Covid patients die at Rajshahi hospital
With the fresh deaths, 60 people have died in the Rajshahi division since June 1.
Deputy Director of Rajshahi Medical College and Hospital, Saiful Ferdous, said, “232 patients are undergoing treatment at the hospital. Of them, 18 are in the ICU."
In the past 24 hours, some 20 people have been admitted to the hospital with Covid-19 symptoms.
Read: Covid-19: Strict restrictions imposed in Rajshahi, parts of Khulna, Naogaon
Of them, 16 are from Rajshahi district, three from Chapainawabganj and one from Naogaon district, said sources at the hospital.
Dr. Saiful said 241 people of the three districts came out positive in 605 tests in two labs on Sunday.
Of them, nine people tested positive after test of 44 samples from Chapainawabganj and 35 tested positive after testing 84 samples from Naogaon district.
Read: Nine more Covid patients die at Rajshahi hospital
In Rajshahi, 197 people came out positive after test of 477 samples in two labs in Rajshahi on Saturday night.
The positivity rate in the district declined to 41.29% on Sunday from Saturday’s 50.27% . On Friday, the positivity rate in this district was 49.43%.
Lightning strikes to kill 3 in Chapainawabganj
At least three people were killed Friday afternoon, including two of the same family, by lightning strikes in separate places in Chapainawabganj.
The incidents occurred in the afternoon during thunderstorms.
The deceased were identified as Annie Begum, 26, wife of Rana Ali of Panchrashia village of Sadar upazila’s Sundarpur union, her son Nur Mohammad, 6, and Yamin Arafat, 10, son of Abdul Matin of Bakhar Ali village of Charbagdanga union.
Also read: 6 killed by lightning strikes in Sirajganj, Cumilla
Sundarpur Union Parishad Chairman Habibur Rahman, said the mother and son went to collect mangoes near their house during the storm in the afternoon. They died on the spot when lightning struck.
Charbagdanga Union Parishad member Hossain Ali Jhatu said Yamin Arafat was struck by lightning while collecting mangoes in a garden during a storm.
Sadar Upazila Project Implementation Officer Moudud Alam Khan said he was informed of the deaths by local representatives.
Also read: Lightning strikes kill 10 across country, including 6 in Jamalpur
The families would get financial assistance from the government fund, he said.
Lightning strikes claim hundreds of lives in Bangladesh every year. The deaths mostly occur in the warmer period of the year from April to June, as hailstorms occur most frequently during this time.
The Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief in a guideline says lightning usually continues for 30-45 minutes and urged people to stay indoors or take cover during the period.
Nine more Covid patients die at Rajshahi hospital
As many as nine Covid-19 patients have died at Rajshahi Medical College and Hospital in the past 24 hours, health officials said on Thursday.
Deputy Director of Rajshahi Medical College and Hospital, Saiful Ferdous, said, “The nine patients were undergoing treatment at the hospital. They succumbed to coronavirus after their condition worsened."
Read:Thakurgaon seals border areas to contain Covid
“Of the deceased, five were from Chapainawabganj district, two from Rajshahi, and one each from Naogaon and Pabna districts,” he added.
With the fresh deaths, the district's fatality count has reached 77 people since May 24.
Meanwhile, the hospital authorities are also struggling to deal with the sudden surge in Covid cases in the district. As many as 224 Covid-19 patients are currently undergoing treatment at the hospital. Of the 224, some 101 are from Rajshahi district and 96 from Chapainawabganj district.
In the past 24 hours, some 29 people have been admitted to the hospital with Covid-19 symptoms. Of them, 14 are from Rajshahi district, 11 from Chapainawabganj, three from Naogaon and one from Pabna district, said sources at the hospital.
“Only critical Covid patients are being admitted to the hospital,” said Saiful.
Read: Bangladesh’s frontier districts brace for Covid ‘catastrophe’: Experts
It may be mentioned here that authorities in some border districts have already imposed strict restrictions for a week to contain the spread of coronavirus. This was after the government recently empowered the district authorities to take a call on lockdown restrictions in their respective areas.
Rajshahi Deputy Commissioner Abdul Jalil announced the restrictions on Wednesday afternoon. No one will be allowed to step out of the house from 7 pm to 8 am in Rajshahi until June 9 unless there's an emergency.
All business establishments will remain shut and no vehicles are allowed to ply on the roads except those providing emergency services. However, restaurants and traders can provide their services online.
Situation in Bangladesh
Bangladesh on Wednesday recorded 34 new coronavirus-related deaths and some 2,000 fresh cases in 24 hours.
Health authorities detected 1,988 new cases after testing 20,259 samples during the period. The number of tests has also increased over the past one week.
Read: Covid protocols go for a toss at Sonahat Land Port
With the new cases, the total caseload has risen to 8,04,293, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
The new deaths have pushed up the fatality count to 12,694.
Bangladesh reported its first coronavirus cases on March 8 last year and the first death on the 18th of that month.
Local admins can enforce lockdown, says Cabinet Secretary
District administrations have been given the authority to enforce lockdown in their areas if the Covid-19 situation deteriorates there, the cabinet secretary said on Monday.
The government has already given such an instruction to local administrations, said Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam at a press briefing after a virtual Cabinet meeting held with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.
“Deputy commissioners, civil surgeons, chairmen and mayors have already been told that if they think the situation would be harmful (deteriorate) in any place, they can close down that area,” said Anwarul Islam.
Read: Lockdown in Chapainawabganj extended for another week
The ongoing lockdown in Chapainawabganj was enforced as per the suggestion from the field administration, he said.
“We’ve told other district administrations that if they think it necessary, they can enforce a lockdown there. They also have authority to enforce lockdown only in bordering areas, not keeping the entire district under it (the restriction),” he said.
Anwarul Islam made the remarks in reply to a question over the suggestion of the Directorate General of Health Services to bring seven bordering districts under the lockdown.
Read:Variation between PCR and antigen test positivity rates hides true situation of Covid-19 in Chapainawabganj
The prime minister joined the meeting from her official residence Ganobhaban, while other Cabinet members from the Bangladesh Secretariat.
Lockdown in Chapainawabganj extended for another week
The local administration has extended the ongoing lockdown in Chapainawabganj for another weak due to the worsening Covid-19 situation.
The restriction will remain in force from June 1 to June 7, said Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Manjurul Hafiz at a press briefing at his office on Monday noon.
Read: Variation between PCR and antigen test positivity rates hides true situation of Covid-19 in Chapainawabganj
Superintendent of Chapainawabganj Police AHM Abdur Rakib, Civil Surgeon Dr Zahid Nazrul Chowdhury, Additional deputy commissioner Zakiul Islam were present there.
All kinds of vehicles will stay off the road during the lockdown while vehicles used for providing emergency services including ambulance, goods-laden vehicles, patient carrying vehicles will be allowed to move on roads.
No vehicles from Rajshahi-Naogaon will be allowed to enter or exit the district.
All shops and weekly haats to remain shut during the shutdown. Grocery shops, kitchen markets and pharmacies will remain open.
Read: Week-long lockdown to contain Covid in Chapainawabganj
People will not be allowed to come out of home except emergencies.
Besides, mangoes can be sold or purchased in different designated places. Mangoes can be carried by trucks and the transportation of mangoes can be operated through courier services. The upazila administration will take necessary steps in this regard.
Everyone should wear mask and the industries will operate their services following health protocols. However, the respective industries must take measures to carry their employees in their own vehicles.
The offices, staffers, including members of law enforcement agencies, agricultural products (fertilizer, seeds, pesticides, machinaris), crops, food laden vehicles, health services, health workers involved in mass inoculation, power, water, gas, fire services, port activities, media (print and electronic media), private security mangement, telephone, and postal services will remain out of the purview of the restriction.
Read:PM launches special mango train on Chapainawabganj-Dhaka route
Hotels and restaurants can operate with takeaway/online services and only 20 people will be allowed to offer prayer at mosques during Juma prayer and others prayer.
On May 24, the authorities in Chapainawabganj imposed a week-long lockdown to break the chain of Covid transmission.
Variation between PCR and antigen test positivity rates hides true situation of Covid-19 in Chapainawabganj
District Civil Surgeon Dr Zahid Nazrul Chowdhury informed on Sunday that the infection rate of coronavirus is decreasing in Chapainawabganj, but it cannot be said with confidence that the situation has improved.
According to results reported from the RT-PCR Lab in Rajshahi, 107 people came out positive in 188 tests carried out on Saturday night. That is an extremely high positivity rate of 59%.
Dr Zahid said the samples were sent to the Rajshahi lab last Wednesday and Thursday.
Additionally on Saturday, 453 people were tested using the rapid antigen test in the district, where 54 of them came out positive, for a positivity rate of 12%. The overall positivity rate (RT-PCR and antigen tests combined) stands at 25% (161/641).
The RT-PCR test is the most sensitive type of test for the virus (sometimes too sensitive, as they can detect viral loads that are not expected to be harmful). The test actually detects RNA (or genetic material) that is specific to the virus and can detect the virus within days of infection, even in those who have no symptoms. This makes it important in the pandemic to prevent asymptomatic spread.
However, the PCR test has a longer turnaround time, which is where the antigen test, frequently known as a rapid test, comes in. It is meant to detect protein fragments specific to the Coronavirus. While the rapid test can get you results very quickly, the results may not always be accurate.
The WHO recommends having a confirmation PCR test performed if you still have symptoms despite a negative antigen test. But whether that is at all happening in Chapainawabganj is not known.
Meanwhile, the district observed the sixth day of its 'strict' lockdown on Sunday. Police are working in the field to implement the lockdown.
Also read: Week-long lockdown to contain Covid in Chapainawabganj
The district civil surgeon further said a decision on whether to extend the ongoing one-week lockdown in the district would be taken at a meeting of the district coronavirus prevention committee.
Earlier on Tuesday, authorities in Chapainawabganj imposed a week-long lockdown to break the chain of Covid transmission.
All intra-district and long-distance buses as well as private vehicles would stay off the roads during the lockdown. However, no such restrictions apply on the movement of vehicles ferrying goods.
Train services to and from the district have also been suspended in the wake of the recent surge in Covid cases in Chapainawabganj.
Moreover, all shops, markets and restaurants would remain closed, except for grocery stores and pharmacies. This would allow people to buy their daily essentials and medicines from their local grocers and chemists.
Also read: 10 Covid patients die in one day at RMCH
Officials of the local administration and police personnel have been deployed on all the major roads of the district to ensure strict compliance.
Besides, as many as 27 checkpoints have been set up across the district to curb the movement of people, unless for specific reasons. "Cops will also patrol the streets of the district to make the lockdown a success," said an official.
Lightning strikes kill 10 across country, including 6 in Jamalpur
At least 10 people died after being struck by lightning in Jamalpur, Chapainawabganj and Sylhet on Thursday .
Six of the deaths were reported from Jamalpur, three from Chapainawabganj and one from Sylhet.
In Jamalpur, six people died and five others were injured in lightning strikes in different areas of the Islampur upazila after the storm hit around 5pm.
The deceased were identified as Enamul, 45, Kala Sheikh, 40, Shah Jamal, 45, Bilal, 36, Mofizul Haque, 50 and Jabed Ali, 60.
Islampur Upazila Nirbahi Officer SM Mazhar said all the victims were working in field during rain. The injured have been hospitalised.
Also read: Lightning strikes kill 16 people including 8 in Netrokona
The local administration will provide Tk 20,000 to each to the families of the dead, he said.
Meanwhile, three people, including a child, were killed in separate incidents of lightning strikes in Chapainawabganj.
The deceased were identified as Jalal Uddin, 40, from Uportola village in Mobarakpur union, Rahima Begum, 25, from Goabari Chandpur village and Mashrufa Khatun, 8, from Ajhor village in Kasba UP.
Tohrul Islam said his brother Jalal was struck by lightning while bringing paddy from field in Borogachi area of Bholahat union.
Rahima Begum was struck by lightning when she went out to call her children home during the storm.
Also read: Lightning strike kills 2 in Rajshahi
Nachol Police Station’s Officer-in-Charge Selim Reza Khan said Mashrufa died after being struck by lightning when she was collecting mangoes beside her house.
Shibganj upazila’s project implementation officer Ariful Islam said families of the deceased will get financial assistance from the government.
In Goainghat upazila of Sylhet, Babul Mia, 34, died due to lightning strike when he was working in his own field around 8am.
Lightning safety tips
Lightning strikes claim hundreds of lives in Bangladesh every year. The deaths mostly occur in the warmer period of the year from April to June, as hailstorms occur most frequently during this time.
The Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief in a guideline says lightning usually continues for 30-45 minutes and urged people to stay indoors or take cover during the period.
Also read: 6 killed by lightning strikes in Kushtia, Bogura
Installing lightning insulation bars in every building in lightning prone regions is an essential long term safety measure, according to the ministry.
Recommended safety tips while outdoors during lightning include finding shelter immediately, wearing shoes with rubber sole, sitting down on toes, shutting ears while in open field, staying away from each other, avoid using electric instruments, staying away from tall trees, electric poles and mobile towers.
Checking the weather forecast before participating in any outdoor activities is essential to be safe from lightning in the stormy season.