General public holiday declared in red zones of 4 districts

Considering the severity of novel coronavirus transmission, the government has marked red zone areas in four more districts and declared general public holiday there.

The public administration ministry on Tuesday issued a gazette notification announcing general holiday in the red zones marked by the government. The general holiday will be effective in those areas from 24 June.

The districts are Cox’s Bazar, Magura, Khulna and Habiganj.

The general holiday will be applicable to the officials and employees working at all the government, semi-government, autonomous, semi-autonomous, statutory and non-government offices as well as organisations in the areas.

The emergency utility services will remain out of the purview of the holiday, the gazette said.

In Cox’s Bazar, Cox’s Bazar municipality, Teknaf municipality and ward no. 2, 5, 6 and 9 of Rajapalong union, Kotbari Bazar of Ratnapalong union, Balukhali and Thaingkhali Bazar of Palongkhali union in Ukhiya upazila have been declared red zone on 20 June.

It will remain effective from 12.01am on 21 June to 11.59pm on 11 July. The general holiday will remain in the areas from 24 June to 11 July.

In Magura, Ekota Kancha Bazar of Magura municipality adjacent to Dhaka-Jhenaidah-Meherpur highway and Khanpara and PTI Para areas of no. 4 ward (south) from the Bhayana intersection have been declared red zone on 21 June.

It will remain effective from 21 June to 11 July. The general holiday will remain in the areas from 24 June to 11 July.

In Khulna, ward no. 17 and 24 of Khulna City Corporation and Aichgati union of Rupsha upazila came under the red zone announced on 22 June. It will remain effective from 11.59pm on 25 June to 11.59pm on 16 July. The general holiday will remain in the areas from 26 June to 16 July.

In Habiganj, Bahubal union of Bahubal upazila came under red zone on 18 June. It will remain effective for the next 21 days. The general holiday will remain in the area from 24 June to 9 July.

Earlier, the public administration ministry issued a gazette notification announcing general holiday in the red zones in 10 districts on Sunday and red zones of five districts on Monday.

According to guidelines of Directorate General of Health Services of Bangladesh, an area could be identified as ‘red zone’ if 10 or more COVID-19 patients are found in every 100,000 people of any area except Dhaka metropolitan area within 14 consecutive days. The guidelines also said an area could be identified as ‘yellow zone’ if three to nine COVID-19 patients are found in every 100,000 people of any area except the Dhaka metro within previous 14 days.

In case of Dhaka metro, an area could be identified as red zone if 60 or more in every 100,000 people are tested positive for the novel virus in 14 consecutive days while ‘yellow zones’ are where the patient number within that time will be three to 59, the guidelines say.