Dhaka to be isolate from rest of the country

The capital district Dhaka is going to be cut off from rest of the country as the government has imposed lockdowns in the seven surrounding districts to curb community transmission of the dreaded Covid-19.

The districts where lockdowns have newly been imposed are: Manikganj, Narayanganj, Gazipur, Munshiganj, Madaripur, Rajbari, and Gopalganj.

The government took the measure on Monday as the fear of a third Covid wave arises in the wake of a consistent surge in infection and deaths from the disease, especially in the bordering districts.

After a cabinet meeting on Monday, Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam announced that starting 6am Tuesday, the lockdown will continue till 30 June in the districts.

During the lockdown only emergency services, including agricultural goods and food transport, relief, vaccine, electricity, internet, water, gas, the fire service, port related activity, telephone, media, security services, postal service and the like will remain outside the purview of restrictions.

Positivity rates were 3.45 per cent in Dhaka city and 5.01pc in Dhaka district on 7 June, but that rose to 11.73pc and 14.14pc respectively in the last 24 hours, rising steadily over the past two weeks.

Covid-19 positivity rates were 43.93pc in Faridpur, 42.45pc in Gopalganj, 42.85pc in Tangail, 40.04pc in Khulna, 38.94pc in Rangpur, 30.43pc in Shariatpur, 24.14pc in Rajshahi, 19.90pc in Kishoreganj, 17.39pc in Munshiganj, 16.87pc in Chattogram, and 13.18pc in Sylhet, in the last 24 hours, according to latest data of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

As per the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), districts with an infection rate of 10pc and above are considered “high risk” zones, those with 5-9pc “medium risk” zones, and the risk is low when the infection rate is below 5pc.

Lockdowns are also underway in 10 more districts as the Covid-19 situation worsens in these districts.

When the coronavirus situation took a severe turn in Bangladesh at the beginning of April this year, the government declared a seven day lockdown across the country from 5 April, to control the surge of the viral disease.

After a two-day break, the country went into an eight-day strict lockdown from 14 April. Later, the lockdown was extended several times in phases.

Lastly, on 16 June, the government extended the ongoing countrywide lockdown until 15 July as the Covid-19 infection rate remains alarming in the country.  

The closure of the border with India has also been extended till 30 June with Covid-19 infections in bordering districts getting worse.