Fear grows as two test COVID-19 positive in Gaibandha’s Sadullapur

The Gaibandha’s Sadullapur upazila has apparently been deserted as two returnees from the United States were recently tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

Witnesses said a handful number of people were seen in the market places while the number of officer goers and court attendees dropped drastically following the confirmation of the two coronavirus patients.

Those who were out for essential errands wore protective gear and rushed back home once they finished their work.

“Every day I struggle to serve a huge number of customers, but today only two or three people have turned up so far,” said Jahangir Alam, a vegetable trader in the upazila kitchen market.

“Morning is the peak hour at my shop. I needed two or three assistants to serve the customers. But, until noon, only one customer appeared to buy rice,” said a rice seller in the market.

Rickshaw puller Babul Mia said, “I’ve been pulling my rickshaw for six years in this town. I didn’t see this kind of situation in the past. I’ve just got one passenger since the morning,”

Speaking to this reporter, college teacher Tajul Islam said two US returnees came to a village in Sadullahpur to attend a wedding invitation. They stayed for two or three days at the wedding house. The members of the family voted in the upazila polls on 21 March as well.

Considering the overall situation, people are worried. He thought Sadullahpur should be locked down.

Farukh Mia, an employee in the upazila town, said, “We’re careful. But, many people are unaware of the matter. People of the wedding family are moving freely in the area.”

Upazila health and family planning officer Shahinur Islam said two people attended a marriage ceremony on 11 March. They stayed at the house on 11 and 12 March. They returned home on 13 March.

Once the matter was noticed, they were home-quarantined and samples from their bodies were sent to the Institute of Epidemiology Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) for tests. Later IEDCR confirmed that they have been tested COVID-19 positive.

Local people said more than 500 people attended the marriage programme. Most of them voted in the upazila elections on 21 March as well.

Thus, the locals feared rapid transmission of the virus in the upazila.

Following the incident, upazila corona prevention and control unit held an emergency meeting and they decided to lock down the Sadullahpur upazila.

Upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) Md Nobinewaz said the recommendations of the upazila unit were sent to the district committee for approval.

Gaibandha district corona prevention committee secretary SM Abu Hanif said Sadullahpur is under watch. Those who visited the house were quarantined at their houses.

The two infected people are also in home-quarantine. A team from Dhaka will come soon, he added.

Asked about the lockdown, he said this is not right time for a lockdown.