Govt issues 11 directives for week-long lockdown

The directives will be effective from 6am of April 5 to 12pm of April 11

The government has announced the directives for the week-long lockdown, which starts on Monday across the country.

A circular, signed by Cabinet Division Deputy Secretary Md Shafayat Mahbub Chowdhury, in this regard was issued on Sunday.

According to the circular, the government has announced 11 directives that will be implemented during the period.

The directives, effective from 6am of April 5 to 12pm of April 11, include:

•  Nobody will be allowed to go out of home except the emergency workers between 6pm to 6am, during this week.
• During this time, all types of public transport will remain closed, except for emergency transport services  like cargo goods and emergency supplies. 
• Emergency workers like law enforcement agencies, fire stations, electricity supplies department’s vehicle will be kept out of the purview of the directives. 
•  All government, and non-government office can continue their work during this time with a limited scale of workers. 
• All types of restaurants will remain closed, but home delivery or takeaway facilities will continue. 
• Shopping Malls and markets will remain closed but online shopping and retail shopping can operate by maintaining proper health guidelines.
• People can buy groceries and essentials from the kitchen markets from 8am to 4pm.
• Banking will resume on a limited scale under the instructions of the Bangladesh Bank.
• The Armed forces divisions will take necessary steps to build field hospitals across Dhaka.
• To ensure these directives, field-level administration will patrolling across the country and take legal action where necessary. 

The circular also instructed prompt action against anyone following these orders.

Earlier on Saturday, the government declared countrywide lockdown as part of its effort to curb the new wave of the pandemic.

Following a high-level meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office on March 29, the government the government issued an 18-point directive, imposing fresh restrictions to tackle the spike in Covid-19 cases and deaths. It said then the new curbs will remain in force initially for two weeks. 

In a gazette notification, it banned public gatherings in areas with a high rate of infection and restricted gatherings in all types of public events, including social, political and religious. It also said that public transport will carry passengers half of their seating capacity and must maintain the health safety guidelines.

The directives were then followed by the closure of all entertainment centres and tourists spots across the country.

And now, the lockdown announcement has come after the country saw record 6,830 infections on Friday. 

Lastly on Saturday, the country registered 5,683 new Covid-19 cases, taking the tally so far to 630,277.

The death toll climbed to 9,213 after 58 fatalities were recorded in a 24-hour time frame until Saturday morning.

According to official data, the country on Saturday recorded its highest ever seven-day moving average of daily Covid deaths – 49.14 – since the pandemic broke out in March, 2020. It was 46.43 on Friday.

Meanwhile, another 2,364 patients recovered from Covid-19 through treatment at home and in hospital care, bringing the total recovery count to 549,775 (87.23%).

The government is increasing the number of Covid-designated hospitals and ICU beds to deal with the rising number of patients.