Staff Reporter :
A day after the first cases of coronavirus were detected in the country on Sunday, Health Secretary Md Ashadul Islam on Monday said the situation is not bad enough to close schools and colleges of the country.
The Education Ministry has been given instructions to take proper steps in this regard, he said after a cabinet meeting held at the secretariat with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.
On the other hand, Director of the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) Professor Meerjady Sabrina Flora at a briefing yesterday said that no new case of coronavirus infection was reported in the country in the last 24 hours till Monday morning.
Asked about the Prime Minister’s instructions, Health Secretary Asadul Islam told reporters everything is going as per protocol under her guidance.
At that time, Cabinet Secretary Khondker Anwarul Islam also briefed the the media about the cabinet meeting.
The Health Secretary explained various steps of the government aimed at containing the spread of the coronavirus after detection in three individuals.
“We have identified 40 people after tracking the contacts of the infected persons like where did they go and who did they mix. We have kept them confined to quarantine according to the protocol of World Health Organization (WHO),” he said.
He said, “We’re now conducting medical tests of the people to know whether anyone of them has contracted with the deadly coronavirus or COVID-19.”
Cabinet Secretary Anwarul Islam said the government has suspended on-arrival visas for the citizens coming from worst infected countries. “We suggested the Foreign Affairs and Home Affairs Ministries in this regard because it is their responsibility,” he said.
Asked how the coronavirus infected individuals entered the country through the Dhaka airport, he said, “We need to know about the characteristics of the virus. This virus cannot always be detected by thermal scanner. Some 100 people have been examined, ” he said
Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) Director General Abul Kalam Azad said, “All three infected people are in good condition now and kept under observation.
“We had a meeting with officials and civil surgeons and have ordered them to open control rooms in every district. So, people can easily communicate with health services if they see symptoms of the disease,” he said.
He added, “Do not panic. We are well prepared if the number of cases increase. Not everyone needs to wear a mask, and using hand sanitizer is good but washing hands with soap is more preferable.”
Azad also said that the DGHS will provide masks to coronavirus infected patients and people who are to come in contacts for their treatment and look after.
He further said coronavirus situation has yet not worsened to use masks for all. Those are infected or about to be infected should use masks.
Prof Sabrina Flora urged the people not to be panicked over coronavirus, adding that no new case of coronavirus infection was reported in the country in the last 24 hours till Monday morning.
She came up with the information at a press briefing at the IEDCR in city’s Mohakhali area.
“We received 509 calls through IEDCR hotline numbers till 5:00 pm on Sunday after the announcement of first three cases of coronavirus infection in the country. Of those calls, 449 were related to coronavirus,” she said.
The first three coronavirus infected patients were detected in the country on Sunday. The infected patients include two men and one woman, and all of them were kept in quarantine.
World Health Organization (WHO) Representative to Bangladesh Dr Bardan Jung Rana said no one was surprised to detect coronavirus cases in Bangladesh.
“All government departments, ministries, private organizations and every individual should come together to fight against coronavirus, which is still confined,” he said.
A day after the first cases of coronavirus were detected in the country on Sunday, Health Secretary Md Ashadul Islam on Monday said the situation is not bad enough to close schools and colleges of the country.
The Education Ministry has been given instructions to take proper steps in this regard, he said after a cabinet meeting held at the secretariat with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.
On the other hand, Director of the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) Professor Meerjady Sabrina Flora at a briefing yesterday said that no new case of coronavirus infection was reported in the country in the last 24 hours till Monday morning.
Asked about the Prime Minister’s instructions, Health Secretary Asadul Islam told reporters everything is going as per protocol under her guidance.
At that time, Cabinet Secretary Khondker Anwarul Islam also briefed the the media about the cabinet meeting.
The Health Secretary explained various steps of the government aimed at containing the spread of the coronavirus after detection in three individuals.
“We have identified 40 people after tracking the contacts of the infected persons like where did they go and who did they mix. We have kept them confined to quarantine according to the protocol of World Health Organization (WHO),” he said.
He said, “We’re now conducting medical tests of the people to know whether anyone of them has contracted with the deadly coronavirus or COVID-19.”
Cabinet Secretary Anwarul Islam said the government has suspended on-arrival visas for the citizens coming from worst infected countries. “We suggested the Foreign Affairs and Home Affairs Ministries in this regard because it is their responsibility,” he said.
Asked how the coronavirus infected individuals entered the country through the Dhaka airport, he said, “We need to know about the characteristics of the virus. This virus cannot always be detected by thermal scanner. Some 100 people have been examined, ” he said
Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) Director General Abul Kalam Azad said, “All three infected people are in good condition now and kept under observation.
“We had a meeting with officials and civil surgeons and have ordered them to open control rooms in every district. So, people can easily communicate with health services if they see symptoms of the disease,” he said.
He added, “Do not panic. We are well prepared if the number of cases increase. Not everyone needs to wear a mask, and using hand sanitizer is good but washing hands with soap is more preferable.”
Azad also said that the DGHS will provide masks to coronavirus infected patients and people who are to come in contacts for their treatment and look after.
He further said coronavirus situation has yet not worsened to use masks for all. Those are infected or about to be infected should use masks.
Prof Sabrina Flora urged the people not to be panicked over coronavirus, adding that no new case of coronavirus infection was reported in the country in the last 24 hours till Monday morning.
She came up with the information at a press briefing at the IEDCR in city’s Mohakhali area.
“We received 509 calls through IEDCR hotline numbers till 5:00 pm on Sunday after the announcement of first three cases of coronavirus infection in the country. Of those calls, 449 were related to coronavirus,” she said.
The first three coronavirus infected patients were detected in the country on Sunday. The infected patients include two men and one woman, and all of them were kept in quarantine.
World Health Organization (WHO) Representative to Bangladesh Dr Bardan Jung Rana said no one was surprised to detect coronavirus cases in Bangladesh.
“All government departments, ministries, private organizations and every individual should come together to fight against coronavirus, which is still confined,” he said.
