Our Correspondent :
The total fatalities from Covid-19 death in Khulna Division stood at 799 with 24 more passing away between Friday and Saturday mornings, forcing the district administration to announce a strict “lockdown” for seven days from Tuesday.
Meanwhile, during the same period, 1,812 samples were tested and 625 came back as Covid-19 positive with a 34.49% infection rate-raising the total number of cases to 44,269.
On Thursday, the division had recorded 18 deaths and eight on Friday.
The Directorate General of Health Services and Khulna Divisional Health Director Dr Rasheda Sultana both confirmed the latest data on Saturday.
So far, 34,126 people have also recovered while 5,566 patients are currently undergoing treatment at different designated hospitals across the division.
Under the circumstances, the district administration has decided to impose stricter restrictions on public movement and gathering in Khulna city and around the district for a week from Tuesday.
The decision was taken during a meeting of the District Committee on Coronavirus Prevention on Saturday, which also decided that the movement restrictions, which ended on Friday afternoon, will be in effect for the next couple of days till the stricter ones replace them.
Deputy Commissioner (DC) Md Helal Hossain said: “This time, no public transport will be able to enter or exit Khulna. Only vehicles carrying essential commodities will be allowed.
“Public transport in Khulna district and city will be completely suspended during these seven days. All shops and markets will remain closed. Only pharmacies and shops that sell essential and emergency commodities will be allowed to stay open.”
“The district administration, police, RAB, public representatives, and politicians will work together to properly implement the lockdown,” the DC said, adding that whoever violates the directives and Covid-19 safety rules will be punished as per the law.
UNB adds: the sudden surge in Covid-19 cases in Khulna has left many patients gasping for breath due to an apparent shortage of medical oxygen in some hospitals.
The demand for life-saving gas has, in fact, doubled in the district in the past one month.
At the Khulna Covid-19 Dedicated Hospital, for instance, the number of patients is rising by the day. But the hospital is being forced to turn many of them away due to a lack of oxygen and vacant ICU beds. The worst-hit are the elderly patients.
Contacted, Sajeeb Raihan, in-charge of Khulna Depot Spectra Oxygen Limited, said: “The demand for the live-saving gas has doubled as compared to May.”
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“Earlier the daily demand for small cylinders (1.36 cubic metres) was 200, but now it has surged to 400 a day.
“Similarly, the daily demand for large cylinders (6.8 cubic metres) has risen to 400 from last month’s figure of 200-259 daily,” he said.
Liquid oxygen tanks have already been installed at that Khulna Medical College Hospital, Gopalganj General Hospital, and the Sadar hospital, he added.
Sajeeb said that many private hospitals are also witnessing a surge in demand for medical oxygen. “Some hospitals have started sourcing oxygen from private firms directly,” he expressed concerns.
It was on March 19, 2020, when the bordering division had reported its first Covid-19 case in the Chuadanga district.
