Social distancing largely ignored during relief distribution
People largely ignore social distancing during relief distribution in the city, exposing them to coronavirus attack that has already killed 20 people and infected 218 others in the country.
The poor people gather for reliefs raising risk of community transmission of the COVID-19 for the authorities’ unplanned relief and OMS distributions.
BSMMU public health expert Romen Raihan said that the poor people getting exposed to the infectious COVID-19 for the authorities’ unplanned relief distributions, posing a risk of community transmission.
While visiting the capital’s Mohammadpur, Dhanmondi and Mirpur areas on Wednesday, several hundred people were seen standing in queues for food.
Different individuals and private companies distributed food among the hand-to-mouth people at different locations in the city without maintaining social distance.
At Mohammadpur bus stand, a group of young men distributed cooked food among the poor who rushed to collect the food.
Rafiquel Islam, one of the young distributors, said that the people did not heed to their repeated request to maintain social distancing.
55-year-old Shahjahan Mollah, a rickshaw puller said that usually many people were deprived of food at the end, so he jostled to collect one early, even after knowing the danger.
Dhaka South city mayor Mohammad Sayeed Khokon said that to avoid public gathering and maintain social distancing, the city corporation was now providing relief at doors of the needy people.
He said that the ward councilors also asked to avoid public gathering in the time.
But many individuals and groups distribute cooked food as well as relief package without informing the city corporations or police creating crowed.
The government has deployed military in aid of civil administration and already put several districts and cities on lockdown and closed schools, offices, banned public transports, asking people to stay at home to contain the spread of coronavirus.
News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net
