Fresh restrictions start for 7 days
The government on Sunday slapped fresh restrictions on public movement and businesses, banning operations of all modes of public transport, including domestic flights, across the country for a week with effect from 6:00am today to contain the new wave of COVID-19 infections.
The Cabinet Division issued an 11-point instruction on the restrictions keeping goods transportation, production activities and emergency services along with those going abroad or returning home from foreign countries outside the ban’s purview.
No one would be allowed to move outside of home between 6:00pm and 6:00am without emergency purposes — medicine and essential commodity purchase, health services and funeral — and the restrictions would remain in force till 12:00 night on April 11, according to the order.
Kitchen markets and shops selling essential commodities will remain open from 8:00am to 4:00pm while restaurants shall sell food online or for takeaway.
Shopping malls will remain closed during the time, but shops would be able to sell products online, said the order.
Kitchen markets and shops selling essential goods will be allowed to operate in open spaces on the condition of maintaining the heath guideline.
Strict actions would be taken against those violating the restrictions, said the order.
The latest move followed the 18-point instruction issued recently by the Prime Minister’s Office in the wake of the sudden rise in coronavirus cases and deaths.
The daily infections on Sunday reached 7,087 — the highest since the virus was detected on March 8, 2020 in the country.
The district and field administrations across the country will take effective measures to enforce the restrictions while law enforcement agencies would beef up patrol.
The Armed Forces Division will take steps necessary to establish field hospitals in convenient places, said the order.
All government and private offices would be able to continue their emergency activities on a limited scale with their own vehicles transporting the necessary people to and from the workplace.
Industries and factories would remain in operation while construction activities would continue during the time, said the order.
‘In this situation the government of Sheikh Hasina has made a decision to impose a countrywide lockdown from Monday for one week,’ ruling Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader said on Saturday.
As soon as the media released the news, people in the capital began to rush to bus and train stations and launch terminals while many went to markets for buying essential commodities fearing the shutdown might linger.
Last year, the government announced general holiday, shutting down all government and non-government offices and businesses excepting those providing emergency services from March 26 to May 30.
The operation of public transports on roads and waterways and trains along with domestic flights were banned during the time.
Asked about the fresh restrictions, state minister for public administration Farhad Hossain told New Age that industries would remain open and employees would have to work shifts in compliance with the health guideline while those involved in emergency services and relief activities would remain out of the purview of the restrictions.
The authorities were asked to enforce the restrictions strictly to contain the rising trend of coronavirus infections, he said.
Emergency services like relief distribution, healthcare, electricity supply, power and gas supply, fire service and ports as well as the law enforcement agencies would remain outside the restrictions, said the Cabinet Division order.
The government measure came after the Directorate General of Health Services on March 16 in a meeting with experts suggested that the government should impose a complete lockdown throughout the country to rein in the coronavirus situation as both COVID-19 infections and deaths were spiking again.
After the government announcement of a one-week ‘lockdown’, people on Saturday afternoon started leaving the capital by buses, launches and trains.
Meanwhile, COVID-19 killed 53 more people while 7,087 tested positive for the disease across the country in the past 24-hour period till 8:00am Sunday.
So far, 6,37,364 people have contracted COVID-19 since its outbreak in March last year.
Earlier, the Prime Minister’s Office on March 29 issued 18-point directives restricting public gatherings, including social, political and religious programmes.
The government on March 23, 2020 for the first time announced a 10-day general holiday from March 26, 2020 after the first cases of COVID-19 were detected on March 8, 2020, restricting public movement and the operation of businesses across the country. The holiday was extended six times till May 30, 2020.
All educational institutions, except qawmi madrassahs, have remained closed since March 18, 2020 due to the coronavirus outbreak.
- No public movement allowed without emergency from 6:00pm to 6:00am
- Kitchen markets, shops selling essential commodities open from 8:00am to 4:00pm
- Restaurants shall sell food online or for takeaway
- Shopping malls to remain closed
- Operation of all public transports banned for 7 days
- Banking hours limited to 10:00am–12:30pm
News Courtesy:
https://www.newagebd.net/article/134446/fresh-restrictions-start-for-7-days
