Restrictions to be relaxed from 11 August: Minister

The ongoing restrictions will be relaxed to a great extent as transport, shopping malls, government and private offices will be reopened in a limited scale from 11 August.

Liberation affairs minister Mozammel Haque made this announcement on Tuesday after a high-level meeting which was held on the overall situation of coronavirus.

However, the educational institutions will remain closed till 31 August.

Meanwhile, the government has decided to extend the ongoing Covid restrictions from 5 to 10 August.

Mass vaccination will be started at a ward and union level at 14,000 centres from 7 August. The government has planned to inoculate 10 million people in seven days. Elderly citizens will get priority in vaccinations. Workers, shopkeepers and transport workers have to get their vaccinations at their respective wards.

Mozammel Haque said no one without vaccination will be allowed to open their shops. The movement of those above 18 years of old without being vaccinated will be considered an offence, he added.

Health minister Zahid Maleque said the government has 125 million doses of vaccines.