Staff Reporter :
The National Technical Advisory Committee on Covid-19 has made four points recommendations for saving the country’s people from contamination of the new Omicron variant of Covid-19.
The NTAC has emphasised on travel ban on countries that have confirmed the presence of the omicron variant.
Dr ASM Alamgir, spokesperson of the NTAC and Principal Scientific Officer of the Institute of Epidemiology Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) said it to the journalists.
He said that the committee submitted its recommendations to the government after a two-hour meeting on Sunday afternoon.
The committeee also asked for 14-day compulsory quarantine for travelers with a history of visiting the Omicron-confirmed countries recently.
It asked also for strict screening procedures at all ports of the the country to prevent entry of the new variant.
It also suggested for free Covid-19 tests for encouraging the people for testing Covid-19.
Meanwhile, Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) spokesperson Dr Nazmul Islam said that they have asked the port authorities to screen travelers more strictly.
“WHO has termed the Omicron as a variant of concern and so we are on alert right now. We have asked the port authorities to maintain screening procedures more strictly,” he said it during the regular bulletin on the Covid situation on Sunday.
On the other hand, Health Minister Zahid Maleque came back from his journey to Geneva on Saturday due to the severity of the Omicron situation.
He has supposed to attend a World Health Organisations’ meeting in Geneva.
The Minister is scheduled to sit with NTCA on Monday to make plans of fighting against the new variant.
As per reports of global medias that the Omicron variant had been identified in South Africa, Botswana, Swaziland, Belgium, Hong Kong, Israel, Germany, Italy, and Australia so far.
