B'desh enters week-long strict Covid lockdown

Dhaka, July 1 Starting Thursday, Bangladesh entered a strict week-long nationwide lockdown in another effort to curb the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Before the new lockdown came into force, more than 160 million Bangladesh people were banned from using public transportation services, reports Xinhua news agency.

The authorities said they needed to take stricter measures as more infections were recorded since last week, with exposure sites continuing to increase.

Asking people not to venture out unless they have an emergency business, the Bangladeshi government issued a fresh set of directives for the new nationwide lockdown.

Bangladesh's Cabinet Division on Wednesday issued a circular with the directives to be effective from 6 a.m. on Thursday to July 7.

In line with the directives, all government, semi-government, autonomous and private offices will be closed.

However, the ban will not be applicable to airports, land and sea ports, and their offices.

The new lockdown imposed with stricter rules demands the closure of markets and shopping malls while allowing restaurants and hotels to open from morning to evening for takeaway or online services only.

No one will be allowed to go outside expect for trips for the absolute necessity such as medicine and daily life necessities, medical treatment, and burials or funerals.

Legal action will be taken against violators of the lockdown, it said.

According to the directives, all public transport services will be suspended, but goods-laden vehicles, production system and emergency services will not come under the purview of the lockdown.

In addition, offices, employees and transports involved in law and order enforcement and emergency services, relief distribution, health service, electricity, water, gas/fuel and fire services, activities at ports, telephone and Internet, telecommunication and other services will remain out of the purview of the restrictions.

Factories and industries will remain open under the authorities' arrangement, following health safety guidelines.

The latest development comes after health authorities reported the highest daily deaths of 119 from Covid-19 in the Asian country on Sunday.

Bangladesh has so far reported 913,258 confirmed coronavirus cases, with 14,503 deaths.

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