Reza Mahmud :
When the government hinted to relax the ongoing shutdown by reopening some industries and businesses, the experts have warned that, the coronavirus outbreak may end in holocaust.
“If the government lifts or loosen the ongoing restrictions without adhering the World Health Organisation’s six point criteria the consequences will be intolerable,” said Professor Dr. M. Muzaherul Huq, the former Regional Advisor of World Health Organisation (WHO) while speaking with The New Nation.
He said the government so far has not made any exit plan as to how to withdraw the ongoing lockdown.
So, the government should chalk out a exit plan so that the situation may not go out of totally control.
Health Minister Zahid Malik on Wednesday said Bangladesh can loosen the lockdown since it has been going on for more than a month. He says factories can resume production on a limited scale by ‘fully adhering’ to physical distancing and other health safety rules to save the economy.
The minister was speaking about the situation while inspecting the temporary hospital for COVID-19 patients at the International Convention City Bashundhara in Dhaka.
He said, “The US, Italy, France and many other European countries have relaxed lockdowns. New Zealand has already returned to ‘normal life’. We will also get back our normal life if everything goes a right.”
In the meantime, after getting government’s signal the garments factories in the country reopened partially.
According to the Industrial Police, 2,916 apparel factories out of 7,602 resumed operation after remaining closed for around two weeks till April 26.
Besides, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police have permitted to reopen restaurants to sell ifter items from Tuesday to protect Dhaka’s long tradition and the bachelors’ necessity.
“It may be a very early decision to ease the restrictions as well to reopen restaurants to sell ifter items. Though the customers have been asked to maintain social distance during buying, but it may not be maintained,” Professor Nazrul Islam of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, also member of the ‘National Technical Advisory Committee’ told The New Nation.
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Director General of World Health Organization (WHO), gave a six-point criteria to lift the lockdown from countries, during a media briefing on COVID-19 April 13.
He said the pandemic with decelerate much more slowly than it accelerated.
He laid out six criteria to guide countries for lifting restrictions.
Tedros also discussed with poor countries that are beginning to consider implementing control measures.
As some countries experienced declines in COVID-19 cases and deaths, their leaders and citizens are eager to get back to work, school, and play.
But restrictions need to be lifted slowly and strategically in order to successfully re-enter a new normal rather than lead to waves of lockdowns in the future, WHO Director General said.
Tedros laid out six criteria that will help countries “chart the way forward” as they consider lifting restrictions:
1. Transmission is controlled;
2. Health system capacities are to test, isolate, and treat every case and trace every contact;
3. Outbreak risks are minimized in special settings like health facilities and nursing at homes;
4. Preventive measures in workplaces, schools, and other essential places;
5. Importation risks to be managed; and
6. Communities are fully educated, engaged and empowered to adjust with the new norms.
The WHO leader said, “Every country should be implementing a comprehensive set of measures to slow down transmission and save lives with the aim of reaching a steady state of low level or no transmission.”
Tedros said, “Countries must keep balance between measures that address the mortality caused by COVID-19 and from other diseases due to other health systems as well as the social economic impacts.” While some countries are considering lifting control measures, others are considering implementing them.
Tedros also discussed low-income countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America that are looking at whether to implement restrictions.
“In poor countries with large populations, the stay-at-home orders and other restrictions applied in some rich countries may not be practical,” he said, because residents may be living in crowded quarters, need to work to survive, may need to go to school to receive meals and, in some cases, escape abuse.
“Physical distancing restrictions are only part of the equation, and there are many other basic public health measures that need to be put in place,” he said. “When stay-at-home measures are used, it must not be at the expense of human rights.”
“Each government must assess their situation,” he added, “while protecting all their citizens and especially the most vulnerable.”
