She said the spread of the disease is still limited
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said the coronavirus situation in Bangladesh is still under control and its spread is limited as proper measures were taken in due time.
She made the statement while addressing a press conference at her official Ganabhaban residence in Dhaka around 10:05 am on Sunday.
The prime minister said: “Bangladesh took proper measures in due time for which with Allah’s grace the spread of the disease is still limited and the situation is under control.
“In December, last year, when the coronavirus outbreak began in China, we took the matter very seriously. The Health Department’s disease control branch and IEDCR (Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research) started working together, opening a control room at IEDCR to be prepared to fight the disease,” she added.
The premier also said: “Moreover, two other control rooms have been opened at Prime Minister’s Office and Health Ministry. They are monitoring the overall situation and conducting necessary activities.”
The prime minister announced the various steps taken by the government to prevent the coronavirus infection.
“From our previous experience of controlling virus outbreaks and by following the World Health Organization’s guidelines the National Preparedness and Response Plan for Covid-19, Bangladesh has been formulated,” she added.
The plan has undertaken three-tier initiatives
- People are discouraged to travel to and from abroad, to limit the spread of virus
- Early detection of virus infected people inside the country and prevention of transmission of virus from one person to another
- The infected person should be immediately isolated and provided with appropriate treatment
These initiatives are being implemented from January, said the prime minister.
She also mentioned that a 17-day general holiday has been announced, starting from March 26.
As of Sunday, Bangladesh has so far recorded eight deaths and 70 cases from Covid-19, a pandemic announced by the World Health Organization (WHO).
The fast spreading coronavirus, which was first reported in China’s Wuhan, has claimed 64,729 lives and infected 1,202,242 people across the world till 9:45am on Sunday, according to Worldometers.
As many as 246,638 people have recovered from Covid-19, a disease caused by a new strain of coronavirus, which has spread to 206 countries and territories across the planet.
