Bangladesh tightens borders as COVID cases rise, Dhaka “red zone” | Coronavirus pandemic News

Dhaka, Bangladesh – Bangladesh has introduced a new rule and guideline last week to check the significant rise in COVID-19 infections.

The South Asian country reported 3,359 new cases and 12 COVID-related deaths on Thursday at a 12 percent positive rate, according to a daily bulletin issued by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

The DGHS has designated the capital Dhaka and the south-eastern district of Rangamati as “red zones”, reporting that the infection rate in these districts was between 10 and 19 per cent.

“We have seen a significant increase in COVID-19 cases. The daily positive rate has exceeded 10 percent in the last three days,” DG JS spokesman Robed Amin told Al Jazeera.

Amin said more than 80 percent of COVID-19 cases detected in Bangladesh are still of the Delta variant. «Cases of Omikron variant however, they are growing, ”he said.

Bangladesh, with a population of 180 million, confirmed its first Omicron cases in the second week of December when two female cricketers returned from a series in Zimbabwe.

The latest figures put the death toll in the country at 28,123, bringing the number of cases to 1,604,644. As of January 1, Bangladesh detected only 370 cases with a daily positivity rate of 2.43 percent.

“The steady growth in infections indicates that Omicron’s community transmission has already begun to some extent,” Health Minister Zahid Maleque told the media on Wednesday.

The minister warned that the situation could worsen and could cause serious tensions in the country’s health system in the coming days. He asked people to wear masks outside, keep their physical distance and get vaccinated as soon as possible.

His warning and a day later, the government issued an 11-point directive, including mandatory COVID-19 passes and restrictions on events and transportation facilities.

Restrictions require the wearing of face masks in shops, shopping malls, markets, hotels, restaurants and other public places. All public social, political and religious gatherings in open spaces have been banned until further notice.

Trains, buses and starters have been ordered to transport passengers in full capacity. The rules also state that students over the age of 12 will not be able to attend face-to-face class without showing a vaccination certificate.

To enforce the rules, the government has set up mobile courts throughout Dhaka, even though local media reports that the rules are not strictly enforced in the city.

“We are likely to be entering the third wave of coronavirus because of the Omicron variant,” said Dr. Tahmina Shirin, director of the Dhaka-based Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), Al Jazeera.

“It’s a global trend. The whole world has witnessed a rapid rise in cases. The Omicron variant is highly contagious, “he said.

In the second wave of the pandemic in July and August last year, Bangladesh claimed more than 200 deaths a day for about a month. Many died from a lack of medical oxygen.

“This time, the number of cases may be higher than the second wave, as Omicron is spreading faster. At this time, we cannot be sure about the death rate, as global trends suggest that Omicron is not as deadly as Delta,” Shirin told Al Jazeera.

However, he said that people need to maintain hygiene and follow the guidelines of COVID-19.

“Wearing flies and maintaining social distance is still the best way to reduce the spread of infections.”