More Bangladeshis want to return from China

The eight Bangladeshis who were hospitalised after returning to Dhaka from Wuhan on Saturday were not infected with coronavirus, said the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research on Monday.

IEDCR director Meerjady Sabrina Flora said, ‘We conducted tests on them and the test results were concluded on Sunday night. But none was found infected with the virus.’

Meanwhile, 171 more Bangladeshis, staying in China’s Hubei province, whose capital is Wuhan, have wanted to return home, said officials.

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday asked the ministries and agencies concerned to take appropriate measures to bring home Bangladeshis from Hubei as the Biman crew, who operated the evacuation flight from Wuhan, were now facing embargo on flying to other international destinations.

The PM, after the weekly cabinet meeting at her Tejgaon office, asked the authorities to make sure that all passengers coming from China via other countries were also screened properly, said cabinet secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam at a press briefing at the Secretariat.

‘The pilots and other crew who operated the special Biman flight to bring home the 312 Bangladeshis from Wuhan are now facing embargo on flying to other international destinations. Singapore has already imposed restrictions and is not allowing them to fly to that country,’ he said.

The Bangladesh mission in Beijing has been directed to take up the issue with the Chinese authorities in order to bring home the 171 Bangladeshis from Hubei by a charter plane, said the cabinet secretary.

Asked whether Bangladesh would suspend flights to and from China, he said that there were now only four flights to Chinese destinations daily and the number of passengers on each flight came down to 10 to 12.

‘I think that the airlines incurring losses would suspend their flights on their own in the prevailing situation,’ he added.

China’s coronavirus epidemic death toll soared past 360 on Monday, with the global concern about the outbreak deepening and countries closing their borders to people from China.

The number of the total infections crossed 17,200 nationwide with 2,829 new cases confirmed on Monday, Agence France-Presse reported quoting the National Health Commission of China.

Speaking at a press conference at the IEDCR office, Meerjady said that the eight people were taken back from Kurmitola Hospital to Ashkona Hajj Camp, where  the government kept all the Bangladeshis from Wuhan in isolation.

Another Bangladeshi, who was taken to the Kurmitola hospital on Sunday night after being detected with fever was doing well, she said.

Besides, eight other women and children, including a pregnant woman, are now being kept in the Combined Military Hospital in Dhaka because of their possible vulnerability, said the IEDCR director.

The government on Saturday quarantined 312 Bangladeshis at hospitals in Dhaka on arrival from Wuhan.

Eight of them were taken to Kurmitola Medical College Hospital as their body temperatures were little higher than the usual.

People, who are now staying at the Hajj camp, alleged that their accommodation was not good but the IEDCR director said that they were taken proper care of and their needs were addressed.

Bangladesh has effected measures, including screening the people coming to the country using air-, land- and seaports, to face a possible coronavirus outbreak in the country.

As of Monday, the IEDCR screened 5,952 passengers who have arrived home from China recently after the coronavirus spread began, it said.

In the 24 hours till Monday evening, at least 623 people were screened at the Dhaka airport.

No passenger was found infected with the coronavirus as of that time, the IEDCR said in its daily updates in the evening.

Common signs of coronavirus infection include fever, cough, short and/or difficult breathing, according to the World Health Organisation.

In severe cases, the infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death, the WHO said.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism in a statement on Monday said that Tk 2.3 crore was spent on bringing back the 312 Bangladeshis from Wuhan.

The statement, signed by the ministry’s pubic relations officer Tanvir Ahmed, mentioned that the special ferry flight was sent by the Bangladesh Biman upon orders from the prime minister.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net