Fresh lockdown from Apr 22: State Minister

The government has decided to enforce a fresh countrywide lockdown for a week from April 22 as coronavirus cases keep rising in the country.

“The lockdown will remain in force from April 22 to 28 with the same restrictions imposed in the previous week. It’ll be a tougher one,” said State Minister for Public Administration Farhad Hossian. 

The summary of today’s decision has been sent to the Prime Minister and a gazette will be issued once it gets her approval, he said.  The ongoing lockdown will end on April 21.

As coronavirus cases continue to rise alarmingly from late March, the government imposed an apparently loose nationwide lockdown for one week from April 5 as part of its move to contain its spread.

But the government allowed the resumption of public transport in city corporation areas from April 7 as well as reopening shops and shopping malls for five days from April 9 in the face of protests against the lockdown.

A stricter lockdown was declared from April 14 to 21 and the Cabinet division issued a notification in this regard.

Restrictions as per previous notification

All modes of public transports, including those of roads, riverways, railways and air, will remain suspended during the lockdown.But the offices related to air, maritime and river and land ports will remain out of the preview of the lockdown.However, the restriction will not be effective in the case of carrying goods, emergency services and production.

The offices, staffers and vehicles of the organisations providing emergency services, including law enforcement, agricultural products (fertilizer, seeds, pesticides, machinaris), crops, food-laden vehicles, relief distribution, health services, health workers involved in mass inoculation, power, water, gas, fire services, port activities, media (print and electronic media), private security management, telephone, and postal services will remain out of the purview of the restriction.

Industries and factories

Industries and factories will remain open on condition of maintaining health protocols. The respective factories or industries must take measures to carry their employees in their own vehicles.

Public movement

Public movement will be restricted and no one will be allowed to go outside except for certain emergency needs (to purchase medicines, daily essentials, to take medical services and burial/ cremation of dead bodies, taking Covid-19 jabs etc).

Hotels and restaurants

Hotels and restaurants can operate from 12 pm to 7 pm and 12 am to 6 am with takeaway/online services only.

Markets and shops

All the shopping malls and markets will remain closed during this period.Daily essential items like kitchen items can be sold and purchased from open spaces from 9 am to 3 pm complying with health protocols. Local administrations and the authorities concerned will ensure it.The local administration concerned will take steps in a coordinated way for carrying agricultural workers for harvesting Boro paddy.

District and field administrations will take measures to enforce the directives in a coordinated way. Law enforcement agencies will strengthen patrol and take legal action against those who will violate the directives.

The Director General of the Directorate General of Health Services will take necessary steps to engage law enforcers and local administration on behalf of him.

Worsening Covid situation

Bangladesh saw its daily deaths from coronavirus shatter the local record yet again with 102 fatalities between Saturday and Sunday morning.It was the third consecutive day that the country registered more than 100 deaths in 24 hours.

The latest fatalities pushed up the death tally to 10,385 with a mortality rate of 1.44 percent, according to a handout from the Directorate General of Health Services.

Data released by the government show a downward trend in tests and new cases as the number of deaths and recoveries rise steadily.

Bangladesh reported its first coronavirus cases on March 8, 2020, and the first death on March 18 that year.  The country has so far confirmed 718,950 cases. But 614,936 people – 85.53 percent of all patients – have recovered so far.

Bangladesh inked an agreement with the Serum Institute of India Pvt Ltd for 30 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

A countrywide inoculation drive was launched on Feb 7. Until Sunday morning, 7,116,946 have registered for the vaccine.So far, 57,14,090 people have received the first dose and 13,66,609 have got their second jab, according to official figures.