UNB, Chattogram :
Although 10 areas were identified as ‘Red Zones’ in the port city of Chattogram, the local administration put Uttar Kattali in Ward-10 under complete lockdown for the next 21 days early Tuesday.
Mohammad Samsuddoha, chief executive officer, Chattogram City Corporation (CCC), said, “The other red zones will be brought under lockdown gradually.” CCC Coronavirus prevention committee members said the committee took the decision after consulting with the government officials concerned.
All the red zones will be brought under lockdown, they said adding that the decision was taken on June 14.
The government on Sunday announced 11 areas as red zones in Chattogram-Chittagong port, (Ward-38), Patenga (Ward-39), Chittagong Port (Ward-39), Pahartali (ward-10), Kotwali (ward 16), Khulshi (Ward 14), Kotwali (Ward 20), Kotwali (Ward-21), Halishohor (Ward-26), Chittagong Port (Ward -37) and Kotwali (Ward -22). CCC Executive Officer Mohammad Samsuddoha said the exit and entry from and to the lockdown areas will be restricted strictly. The necessary goods, medicines will be reached to people at home during the lockdown, he said adding that the central control room on behalf of City Corporation will supervise the activities. There will be no bus stoppages in the area while no public transport will run there, he said.
There are about 150 factories, City Gate, Koiballodham Temple, Jahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium and two railway stations in Uttar Kattali and all of these will remain shut. Grocery shops, pharmacies, and shops of necessary goods will be shut in the lockdown area but e-commerce organizations will provide home delivery services. Food for slum people in the lockdown area will also be ensured. “Uttar Kattali has been chosen for experimental management,” said CCC Chief Health Officer and committee secretary Dr Selim Akhter Chowdhury. Two city corporations in Dhaka, Chattogram, Narayanganj, Narshingdi and Gazipur district have been marked as ‘Red zones’. Seventeen areas under Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC), 28 areas under Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC), 11 areas in Chattogram, Sadar, Rupganj and Araihazar upazilas of Narayanganj, Narsingdi Model and Madhabdi thanas, Palash upazila in Narsingdi district and all upazilas of Gazipur district will be declared as Red zones. The areas were identified at a meeting of the Central Technical Committee at the Directorate General of Health Services on Saturday. Those areas are being considered as Red Zones in Dhaka and Chattogram city corporations where 60 cases in last 14 days or among 100,000 population were detected, according to a source of DGHS. The health authorities of the country have so far reported 90,619 coronavirus cases and 1,209 deaths in the country.
