Normalcy returns amid fear of Covid surge

Dhaka became a busy city yesterday (Wednesday) after the ease of a 19-day strict lockdown imposed on July 23 soon after the Eid-ul-Azha to prevent the ongoing deadly Covid-19 from spreading further.

Life returned to normal  not only in the capital but also elsewhere in the country amid fear of surge in Covid fatalities and infections. The country witnessed 237 deaths and 10, 420 new cases on Wednesday across the country on the first day of the free movement. A day earlier, the number of Covid related fatalities was 264 while the caseload was 11,164.  

All the government and private offices along with transport services resumed with health guidelines more or less followed throughout the Dhaka city. This normal life returned after the Cabinet Division issued a notification on August 8,  easing the strict restriction with a view to considering the overall condition of the country.

As per the notification, all the government, semi-government and non-government offices, autonomous bodies, banks and financial institutions reopen from August 11, following health safety guidelines and other rules issued by the government.

Public transports carried passengers at full capacities in cities, highways, rail routes and waterways. Regarding the transport movement on highways, local administrations (divisional commissioners in city corporation areas and deputy commissioners at district level) were instructed to allow half of their total public transport to operate.

Shopping malls, markets and other shops opened from 10 am to 8 pm. All the industries and factories operated their normal activities.

As public transport services resumed operations in the morning,  several city buses were seen plying on a number of busy stretches and ferrying passengers with 50% of their seating capacity.

There was huge rush that several areas of the city witnessed traffic snarls in the morning, giving commuters a harrowing time on the roads. However, the inter-district buses entering or exiting the city were fewer than pre-Covid days.

Abu Raihan Mohammad Saleh, joint commissioner (traffic north) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, said, “Traffic jams in some areas were due to the rise in the number of vehicles on the roads."

Commuters experienced snarls between 8 am and 10.30 am in different areas of the city -- Technical point, Mirpur, Shyamoli, Asadgate, Banani, Amtoli and Mohakhali intersection to name a few, Abu added.

Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader on Monday said the strict lockdown restrictions were relaxed for the sake of people's lives and livelihoods, but could be reimposed if the Covid situation worsens.

Many who left Dhaka to celebrate Eid-ul-Azha at their village homes and could not return due to the "strict lockdown", started returning to the capital yesterday through buses, trains and launches.

Mosharref Hossain, general manager of Hanif Paribahan, said: "We have resumed our services from the morning but number of passengers is few at this moment."

Asked about the government's directive to operate half of the total fleet, he said, "Number of passengers is so few that we are running only one-fourth of our buses."

 Meanwhile, 10 trains left Kamalapur Railway Station till 11:30am yesterday. Rafiqul Islam, Kamalapur Station Master, said that they were not selling any tickets beyond available seats and most of the tickets were sold out.

Launch service also resumed in the morning and around 15 launches left Sadarghat Launch Terminal so far, Zainal Abedin, joint director of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA), said. Although there is a pressure of Dhaka-bound passengers, the number of people leaving Dhaka was low, he added

He said BIWTA held meetings with launch owners and asked them to ensure health safety guidelines and also announce the health rules through loud speakers. He said launches were allowed to carry passengers at full capacity and previous fare was reinstated.

Several experts emphasised enforcement of health rules and vaccination to save lives.

“It’s not possible for the government to keep the country locked down forever,” said Professor Dr Mohammad Shahidullah, president of the National Technical Advisory Committee on COVID-19.

Public health expert Dr Mushtuq Husain said the government had to allow the reopening because Bangladesh, not being a welfare state, does not have the economic structure to support people sufficiently in a crisis such as this.    

“It’s impossible for (the poor) to comply with the lockdown. They don’t have enough food for a week, although our country is self-sufficient in food,” Mushtuq, who is also a leftist leader, said, pointing out the inequality in the country.

“The health rules were followed to some extent in the lockdown. But we all will go out of home now. So we must emphasise wearing masks and keeping physical distancing,” said Dr Shahidullah.

He believes the authorities should now focus on making people follow the health rules, be it at shops, on the streets or in transports. The authorities can do it because they do not need to concentrate on the lockdown now, according to him.

Raising awareness, making tests easier to access, and speeding up the vaccination drive are the key to reducing the risks of infections, he said.