Shawdesh Desk:

The government issued a notification on Monday over enforcing a fresh strict lockdown from April 14 to 21 in an effort to stop the spread of the deadly Coronavirus.

The Cabinet division issued a notification in this regard. The lockdown will remain in force from 6:00 am Wednesday (April 14) till April 21 midnight.

All modes of public transports, including those of road, river, railway and air, will remain suspended during the lockdown. But the offices related to air, maritime and river and land ports will remain out of the preview of the lockdown.

However, the restriction will not be effective in the case of carrying goods, emergency services and production. But industries and factories will remain open on condition of maintaining health protocols. The respective factories or industries must take measures to carry their employees in their own vehicles.

The Bangladesh Supreme Court will issue separate notices on operating court activities.

The offices, staffers and vehicles of the organisations providing emergency services, including law enforcement, agricultural products (fertilizer, seeds, pesticides, machinaris), crops, food laden vehicles, relief distribution, health services, health workers involved in mass inoculation, power, water, gas, fire services, port activities, media (print and electronic media), private security management, telephone, and postal services will remain out of the purview of the restriction.

People’s movement will be restricted and no one will be allowed to go outside except for certain emergency needs (to purchase medicines, daily essentials, to take medical services and burial/ cremation of dead bodies, taking Covid-19 jabs etc).

Hotels and restaurants can operate from 12 pm to 7 pm and 12 am to 6 am with takeaway/online services only.

All the shopping malls and markets will remain closed during this period.

Daily essential items like kitchen items can be sold and purchased from open spaces from 9 am to 3 pm complying with health protocols. Local administrations and the authorities concerned will ensure it.

The local administration concerned will take steps in a coordinated way for carrying agricultural workers for harvesting Boro paddy.

District and field administrations will take measures to enforce the directives in a coordinated way. Law enforcement agencies will strengthen patrol and take legal action against those who will violate the directives.

The Director General of the Directorate General of Health Services will take necessary steps to engage law enforcers and local administration on behalf of him.

The Religious Affairs Ministry will issue separate notices on performing Jumma and Tarabih prayers in compliance with health guidelines.

The Ministry/Division concerned may issue supplementary directives for implementing the directives of the government.

Worsening Covid situation

Bangladesh has reported its highest single-day coronavirus fatalities on Sunday, surpassing Saturday’s figure.

Health authorities confirmed 78 deaths during the past 24 hours till morning. A day earlier, the country recorded 77 fatalities, the highest since coronavirus cases were first reported in March last year.

Fatalities from Covid-19 rose to 9,739 as the mortality rate remained static at 1.42 percent for the third consecutive day.

Bangladesh reported its first coronavirus death on March 18 last year. The virus claimed 568 lives in January this year, 281 in February and 638 in March.

Meanwhile, 5,819 new cases were reported, pushing the local tally to 684,756, according to a handout issued by the Directorate General of Health Services.

The government imposed an apparently nationwide loose lockdown for one week from April 5 as part of its tougher move to contain the spike in both coronavirus infections and fatalities.

But the government allowed the resumption of public transport in city corporation areas from April 7 as well as reopening shops and shopping malls for five days from April 9 in the face of protests against the lockdown.

The ongoing lockdown will remain in force until April 13 (Tuesday) to stem the spread of Coronavirus, said Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader on Sunday.