WHEN the novel coronavirus cases are spiralling Dhaka and elsewhere in the country, the law enforcers are apparently feeling helpless due to presence of excess number of city dwellers on the streets defying shutdown and social distancing rules. The movement of vehicles has been increasing day by day, people in many areas kept ignoring the announcements made by the army, police and local volunteers. On the other hand, it was also observed that many check-points on the main streets and entry points to the capital had no police presence during the afternoon. People do not hesitate to come out of their houses even for trifling matters. Some of them come to the streets only to see how shutdown period was going on. Gatherings at kitchen markets and subsidised essential commodity selling points continued and remained a big challenge for the authorities concerned trying to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus as they never follow social distancing guidelines.
As the number of affected persons was rising alarmingly, more districts enforced full lockdowns in the last two days as over 30 districts are now totally shutdown and more than 20 others have been placed under a partial shutdown. As the infection becomes viral even in the police in some districts, the deployment of police is seen thinner in different points of the city. Media reported that patrolling duty appeared to have thinned in comparison to the last few days. Apart from the main streets, the by-lanes and alleyways remain crowded as usual. The government, NGOs, news media and law enforcers need to work co-coordinately so that the shutdown and lockdown are maintained properly to contain the contagion.
As strict lockdown is the proved path to control the virus, people must aware of staying at home, but those who have no home to stay, and social distancing is not an option like in slums, refugee camp, and old city — what the act should be there?
