Lockdowns in Bangladesh widen amid growing virus cases

As the number of deaths from coronavirus as well as cases of infections continued to surge in the country for the last couple of days, the administration has widened lockdown in a number of places across the country, reports news agency UNB.

In Dhaka, some 200 houses were placed on lockdown in at least 52 different areas on Monday and Tuesday as a number of residents from those areas tested positive for coronavirus.

DMP deputy commissioner Masudur Rahman said they had been locking down areas wherever COVID-19 patients were being detected.

Police locked down Tolarbagh area in Mirpur after a patient had tested positive in one of the first cases of the virus in the country. Later they locked down around 200 buildings of Khawaza Dewan Lane in Old Dhaka, six areas of Mohammadpur and Adabor, area in front of Mohammadpur Krishi Market, Tajmahal Road Minar Masjid area, Razia Sultana road, a section of Babar Road, several roads and houses of Bosila and Adabor areas.

DMP sources said the areas locked down until yesterday are – a building in Arjat Para of Mohakhali, the area adjacent to Apollo Hospitals in Bashundhara Residential Area, an area of BUET, and sections of Dilu Road in Eskatan, sector No. 14 of Uttara, Kazipara, Central Road, Sowari Ghat, road No. 7 of Mirpur 10, sections of Ashkona, Nayatola, Senpara, Mir Hazirbagh, Nandipara Bridge, a road of Mirpur 11, Dhanmondi 6, Tolarbagh in Mirpur, DESCO Quarters in Mirpur 13, Kutubkhali in Dakkhin Jatrabari, Paschim Maniknagar, sections of Narinda, Green Life Hospital area and Islampur.

In Gazipur, all 57 wards of Gazipur City Corporation (GCC) have been put under lockdown in an effort to protect city dwellers from the contagious virus and prevent its spread.

GCC mayor M Jahangir Alam made the announcement on Tuesday in the wake of a rise in both deaths from the coronavirus and infections in the country.

Meanwhile, the entire district of Narayanganj is going to be put under complete lockdown from Wednesday, as the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) has identified it as the hotspot of coronavirus transmission.

“The district will remain under lockdown until further notice”, said an ISPR release on Tuesday night.

Besides, Lalmohan municipality in Bhola, Meherpur municipality and Jarmita union in Singair upazila of Manikganj districts were locked down by the local administration to prevent the spread of the virus.

Youths of Boalia and Nawapara villages blocked six entrances to their areas in Baghapara upazila of Jashore.

Police closed all three entrances from Chuadanga and Rajbari to the district to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

At least six people died with symptoms that match coronavirus in four districts on Monday night and Tuesday.

In Netrokona, a 40-year-old man, who had been suffering from fever and cold since Wednesday, died at Kismat Barega in Purbadhola upazila on Monday night.

In Chapainawabganj, a man suffering from fever and cold died at Purboshaheb village in Gomostapur upazila on Monday night.

Civil surgeon Zahid Nazrul Chowdhury said Mozammel, 45, of the village returned home from Singair upazila in Manikganj district on Monday morning.

In Sylhet, a 79-year-old woman died at the isolation unit of Shaheed Shamsuddin Ahmed Hospital around 9:30pm on Monday.

Sushanta Kumar Mohapatra, resident medical officer at the hospital, said she was undergoing treatment at the isolation unit with kidney problems, diabetes and breathing complications.

In Khulna, an elderly woman died early Tuesday while undergoing treatment at Khulna Medical College Hospital (KMCH) with fever, sneezing and cough.

In Lakshmipur, two sexagenarians died from fever, cough and respiratory problems in Ramgati and Ramganj upazilas on Tuesday noon.

Parijat Dutta, resident medical officer of Ramgati Upazila Health Complex, said Md Rafiq, 60, died at noon at his residence in Charsita of Ramgati while Sirazul Islam, 65, died at Darbeshpur village of Ramganj upazila.

Five more people died from coronavirus in Bangladesh, raising the death toll to 17, the IEDCR director Meerjady Sabrina said on Tuesday.

Besides, 41 other people tested positive for COVID-19, taking the number of such cases in the country to 164.