Bangladesh postpones on-arrival visa for Chinese visitors

The government has decided to postpone granting on-arrival visas for the Chinese visitors until further notice, foreign minister AK Abdul Momen said on Sunday.

The government has made the decision amid the spread of the coronavirus infection to different countries, said the minister at a press conference at the foreign ministry.

Chinese citizens would have to apply to the Bangladesh missions for visas with medical certificates from the appropriate authorities, he said.

At least 305 people died in the coronavirus outbreak in China and over 14,400 people were infected till Saturday, according to the National Health Commission of the country.

Three hundred and twelve Bangladeshis have been brought back home from the coronavirus epicentre, Wuhan of China, by a special flight and quarantined at different facilities in Dhaka to confirm their health status.

Two infants and their mothers among the Bangladeshis brought back from China were shifted to the Combined Military Hospital in Dhaka from the quarantine at the Hajj camp at Ashkona, the families said.

The Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research, however, said none of them so far detected to be carrying the virus.

Huazhong Agricultural University research fellow Hafizur Rahman told New Age that his researcher wife Nur Taj Khatun and their six-month-old baby Nuhaifa Rahman and another infant with its researcher mother were shifted to the CMH considering the vulnerabilities of the infants.

He said his family members were satisfied with the services at the quarantine but were moved to the CMH later on the day.

‘We are not allowed to meet our family but I am happy with the decision. They are proving improved diets,’ said Hafizur in the evening.

Eight other Bangladeshis coming from Wuhan were earlier taken to Kurmitola General Hospital and Combined Military Hospital as their fever levels were little higher than usual.

The foreign ministry’s South East Asia wing director general Daud Ali said that none of the 5,760 Bangladeshis registered with the Bangladesh embassy in China so far was infected with the virus.

The health ministry has ordered screening of all people coming to Bangladesh from India through the Benapole land port.

Deaths caused by the new virus rose to 304 globally.

Health minister Zahid Maleque on Sunday requested to the Chinese citizens working in Bangladesh to refrain from travelling to China without any emergency at this moment.

Meerjady Sabrina Flora, director of the IEDCR, said they continued with their thermal screenings at the airport. At least 302 passengers were screened in last 24 hours. 

As of Sunday, the IEDCR said that they so far screened 5,631 passengers who arrived home from China in recently after the coronavirus spread in that country.

Biman Bangladesh Airlines on Sunday in press release stated that after disembarkation of all passengers, Biman officials and crews, the disposable waste item were removed from aircrafts and disposed as per procedure of the World Health Organisation. The aircrafts were also cleaned and disinfected as per ICAO Anex-6 and 9.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net