News Desk :
Health Minister Zahid Maleque says that travellers from countries where the omicron variant of COVID-19 has been detected must undergo a 14-day institutional quarantine upon arrival in Bangladesh.
The army will oversee this quarantine, the health minister said on Tuesday after an inter-ministry meeting.
“First, travellers will be tested,” he said. “If their results come back positive, they will have to stay in isolation.”
“The traveller will have to bear the cost of the quarantine. If they are unable to do so, we will take that matter into consideration.”
It was also at the meeting recommended that travel to Bangladesh from South Africa, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Botswana, and Swaziland be banned, the minister noted, reports bdnews24.com
Bangladesh is also discussing COVID vaccine booster doses for people above the age of 60, he said.
“India and some neighbouring countries are giving booster doses,” Maleque said. “We are also working on the issue and will make a decision soon.” It was also decided that a ‘no vaccine, no service’ measure would be taken, he said.
“Our old slogan was ‘no mask, no service’. Now we are changing it to ‘no vaccine, no service’. The decision was taken at the meeting and we will send letters to the different agencies to implement it.”
Meanwhile, amid a global alarm over the new Omicron variant of Covid, authorities in Brahmanbaria have decided to hang red flags outside the houses of seven South Africa returnees.
The decision was taken at an emergency meeting of the Corona Prevention Committee on Monday evening, chaired by district commissioner Hayat-Ud-Doula-Khan, reports UNB.
