Bangladesh Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader has said the government is all set to announce a countrywide week-long lockdown, starting from Monday (Apr 5), in a bid to curb the new wave of Covid-19 infections in the country.
Quader, who is also the road transport and bridges minister, made the announcement a regular briefing from his official residence on Saturday (Apr 3) morning, local media reported.
Besides, in a video message, State Minister for Public Administration Farhad Hossain said, “The government is going to enforce a lockdown within the next two to three days for a week across the country as the spread of coronavirus increases.”
Emergency services will remain out of the purview of the lockdown, he said.
Farhad Hossain said industries will remain open and employees will have to work in shifts, following health guidelines.
During the briefing, Quader urged all to wear facemasks and maintain health guidelines properly as the infection and death rates have increased alarmingly.
The government has already taken necessary preparations to face the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic but many people are not following health guidelines and not wearing facemasks which could worsen the situation.
“Now it is our key task to maintain the highest caution for our own safety,” he said.
According to the latest figures released by the authorities on Friday, the country reported 50 Covid-19 deaths in the 24 hours to Friday morning, taking the tally of fatalities to 9,155.
