Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina called upon all to wear face masks and wash hands even after taking the Covid-19 vaccine.
“All will have to continue wearing masks and washing hands. Even the vaccinated people have to follow the same. Do not think you are safe as you have already taken a vaccine. We have to be careful,” she added.
Presiding over the weekly cabinet meeting virtually from her official Ganabhaban residence in Dhaka, the premier said that she has already given an instruction to pursue the health guidelines properly.
She further said that the second dose of the Covid-19 vaccine is being administered within eight to 12 weeks in London after taking the first dose.
“Second dose of the vaccine can be taken within three months. But, we want to give the second dose a bit earlier. We want to administer the second dose by one and a half months,” she said on Monday.
In this connection, she said they have to look into the matter that the date of the Covid-19 vaccine does not expire.
She asked authorities concerned to reduce the age limit of commoners to 40 years from 55 to get their names registered to take the Covid-19 vaccine aimed at expanding the vaccination program. She also instructed to introduce a system where a registered person can come to the immunization centres along with his or her father, mother or any elderly person to take a vaccine.
The prime minister said there are some confusions among the people in villages about the vaccine which she hoped will go away soon. Hasina asked all concerned to take measures to bring the frontliners such as physicians, people involved with extending healthcare services, law enforcement personnel, and members of other forces who are working actively under the coronavirus vaccination.
All the cleaners across the country would have to be vaccinated as they are very important for the societies, she continued.
She said an instruction to this end should be given to the concerned authorities including the deputy commissioners (DCs) and upazila nirbahi officers (UNOs).
The premier said a card like an identity card should be issued against the names of vaccine takers as they can show it at foreign countries and other places where it may be required.
They who received the first dose of vaccine can take the second dose after showing the cards, she said.
Talking about vaccinating the leaders and workers of Awami League, Jubo League, Chhatra League and other political bodies, she said if they could get registered themselves then they would get it.
She said the leaders and workers of Awami League, Jubo League, Chhatra League and other associate bodies of the ruling party formed committees in their respective areas during the pandemic to provide service to people.
They were very active in transporting patients and performing funeral rituals for the dead bodies, Sheikh Hasina said, adding: “As a result, many of the leaders and workers got infected and a good number of them died.”
