Staff Reporter :
The government is going to enforce a nationwide strict lockdown for another week from April 14 in a bid to curb the alarming rise of Covid-19 cases.
Authorities will enforce tougher restriction to compel the people to follow the health safety measures properly during the upcoming lockdown, sources said.
The government has taken the decision as per the recommendations of the National Technical Advisory Committee on Covid-19 as the existing lockdown has proven to be ineffective in ensuring full implementation of health safety measures.
Besides, all officials working as front liners against the ongoing pandemic also requested to enforce proper restriction during the lockdown.
“All government and private offices, factories and industries including the ready-made garment (RMG) ones and public transport services will remain fully closed during the upcoming lockdown,” State Minister for Public Administration Farhad Hossain told a private TV channel on Friday.
“Only the emergency services will remain open in the strict lockdown,” the State Minister said.
A gazette notification in this regard will be issued on Sunday, Farhad Hossain added.
“The strict lockdown will be enforced as per the instruction of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. There is no alternative to impose such a hard measure to curb the devastating rise of the deadly virus,” the State Minister said.
“Only emergency services will be allowed to operate d
uring the lockdown,” Farhad Hossain said.
Earlier on the day, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader said the government was considering tougher restrictions for another week from April 14 to safeguard people from the pandemic.
Meanwhile, the country is already under a week-long lockdown since Monday, to curb the alarming rise of Covid-19 deaths and infections as the country is going throught the second wave of the fatal virus.
The government outlined 11-point directives for the lockdown, effective from April 5 to 11.
As per the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) data, a total of 7,462 people tested positive on Friday which has taken the total number of infections to 673,594.
The country also witnessed 63 deaths in the past 24 hours. The total number of Covid-19 fatalities now reached to 9,584 in the country.
The DGHS on Wednesday recorded 7,626 covid cases which was the highest number of infection in a single day since the pandemic made landfall in the country on March 8 last year.
