Bangladesh extends lockdown till April 28 as Covid deaths keep rising

The government has extended the ongoing nationwide lockdown by another week -- until  April 28 -- to bring down the current surge in Covid-19 cases and deaths.

The strict restrictions on public movement and gathering imposed last week will remain in force during the extended period, said a gazette notification issued on Tuesday.

The move to extend the ongoing lockdown comes a day after an inter-ministerial meeting on the issue.

On Sunday, the National Technical Advisory Committee (NTAC) on Covid-19 had recommended extending the lockdown for at least two weeks in light of the resurgence in infections and deaths since March.

The gazette notification issued on Tuesday, April 20, 2020 | CollectedStarting from April 7, the country has gone through a soft lockdown and a strict lockdown for the past two weeks.

The second phase of lockdown, which started on April 14, is scheduled to end at 12 midnight on Wednesday.

The next seven-day lockdown will start at 6am on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh on Monday recorded its highest ever Covid-19 deaths -- 112 -- over the span of 24 hours, taking the death toll to 10,497.

At the same time, another 4,271 people tested positive, which took the total number of cases to 723,221 since March last year.

Since Friday, the single-day death toll has remained above the 100-mark and, over the last week, Bangladesh recorded on average 96 deaths per day.

The restrictions

All kinds of public transports – roads, riverways, railways, and air – are scheduled to remain suspended during the lockdown.

However, offices related to air, maritime, and river and land ports are to remain out of the purview of the lockdown.

Restrictions are not imposed on the carrying of goods, emergency services and production.

Offices, staff and vehicles of organizations providing emergency services, including law enforcement, agricultural products (fertilizer, seeds, pesticides, and machineries), crops, food-laden vehicles, relief distribution, health services, health workers involved in mass vaccination, power, water, gas, fire services, port activities, media (print and electronic), private security management, telephone, and postal services are expected to remain out of the purview of the restrictions.

Industries and factories

Industries and factories are set to remain open on condition that they maintain health protocols.

The respective factories or industries must take measures to ferry their employees in their own vehicles.

Public movement

Public movement will be restricted and no one will be allowed to go out except for certain emergency needs – such as to purchase medicines, daily essentials, avail medical services, take Covid-19 jabs, and burial or cremation of dead bodies.

Hotels and restaurants will be allowed to operate from 12 noon to 7pm and 12 midnight to 6am on takeaway/online services only.

Markets and shops

All shopping malls and markets are to remain closed during this period.

Daily essential items, notably kitchen items, can be sold and purchased from open spaces between 9am and 3pm.

Local administrations and the authorities concerned are to ensure that health guidelines are maintained when such activities are undertaken.

Boro paddy harvest

The local administrations concerned are supposed to take steps in a coordinated way for ferrying agricultural workers for Boro paddy harvest.

District and field administrations will take necessary measures to enforce the directives in a coordinated fashion.

The law enforcement agencies are set to strengthen patrol and take legal action against those who violate the directives.

The director general of the Directorate General of Health Services is supposed to take necessary steps to engage the law enforcement agencies and local administrations on his behalf.