Health Minister urges Bangladeshi expatriates not to return home right now
Published : 12 Mar 2020, 15:13
Health Minister Zahid Maleque on Thursday urged the Bangladeshi expatriates living in different countries across the world not to return home right now to curb the spread of coronavirus in the country.
“If anyone returns home, he/she must be quarantined,” he said while briefing on the latest situation at his secretariat office in Dhaka this afternoon He came up with the call while briefing on the latest situation at his secretariat office in Dhaka this noon.
The minister also urged expatriates, who have already returned to the country, to stay in self-quarantine as a part of safety measures.
Those who have returned home from abroad have been identified and have been kept in quarantine at their respective homes, said the minister adding, “No new coronavirus patient has been diagnosed as of today.”
“Now, we have 10 scanners. Five scanners have already been installed at Chattogram Airport, Chattogram Seaport, Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, Sylhet Osmani International Airport and Benapole land port. The rest will be installed within 2-1 days as per the necessity,” the minister added.
He said the scanner is used to measure temperature and if anyone is found with high temperature s/he will be kept in quarantine.
Two people, who were diagnosed with Coronavirus, are now doing well while the condition of another is stable, said Zahid Maleque adding they will be released anytime soon.
He sought the cooperation of all in tackling the coronavirus.
The death toll from coronavirus or Covid-19 has reached 4,633 globally as of Thursday.
Besides, it has infected 126,367 people around the world, according to worldometer.
Of them, 53,430 are currently infected while 68,304 patients (94 percent of total infected) recovered. It said.
Expressing alarm both about mounting infections and inadequate government responses, the World Health Organization on Wednesday declared that the global coronavirus crisis is now a pandemic but added that it’s not too late for countries to act, reported world media.