UNB :
Authorities have decided to enforce a week-long lockdown in Natore and Singra municipality areas starting Wednesday to contain the spread of Covid-19.
Natore Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Shahriaz took the decision at a virtual meeting on Monday night.State Minister for ICT Division Zunaid Ahmed Palak attended the meeting.
The lockdown will continue till June 15, officials said. During the week-long lockdown, all modes of public transport will stay off the roads. However, the movement restrictions won’t apply on vehicles providing emergency services.
Moreover, all shops, markets and restaurants will remain closed, except for grocery stores and pharmacies. This is to allow people to buy their daily essentials and medicines from their local grocers and chemists, respectively.
According to the health authorities, the infection rate in the district is 62 percent and the number of Covid-19 cases is on the rise in the municipality areas.
On Monday, the local administration launched a mobile antigen test drive to detect the community-based infection. The health authorities have also set up Covid test booths, said Civil Surgeon Kazi Mizanur Rahman.
Amid the rising infections in frontier districts, Bangladesh on Monday reported 1,970 new Covid-19 cases in 24 hours.
The deadly virus also claimed 30 more lives during the period, pushing up the death toll to 12,869. The total number of coronavirus cases climbed to 8,12,960 with the fresh ones.
The positivity rate also increased to 11.47% on Monday from Sunday’s 10.73%, while the mortality rate remained static at 1.58%, according to the Directorate General of Health Services. Meanwhile, after the end of a 14-day lockdown in Chapainawabganj district, the local administration has imposed some restrictions on public movement to break the chain of Covid-19 transmission.
Deputy Commissioner of Chapainawabganj Manjurul Hafiz came up with the announcement at a press briefing held at the conference room of the deputy commissioner’s office on Monday evening.
The newrestrictions will remain in force till June 16.
The local administration has taken the decision considering the overall situation of Covid-19, mango growers and traders’ interest and development works of the district.
The restrictions are- all shops, shopping malls will remain open from 9 am till 5 pm but the haat-bazaars will remain closed.
Inter-district transport services will also remain suspended but only vehicles carrying mangoes are allowed to move.
However, public transport will be allowed to ply inside the district with half capacities following health guidelines.
All kinds of public gatherings, political, social and religious programmes will be suspended during this period.
Juma prayers can be offered at mosques with 20 devotees maintaining health safety protocols.
Civil Surgeon Dr. Zahid Nazrul Chowdhury, Superintendent of Chapainawabganj Police AHM Abdur Rakib, Additional deputy commissioner (Tax) Zakiul Islam were present at the meeting.
Following the surge in Covid-19 infections, the local administration imposed a lockdown in two phases from May 25 which ended on June 7 midnight.
