The Bangladesh government on Saturday decided to impose a week-long nationwide lockdown from Monday as Covid-19 cases and deaths surged across the country.
Road Transport Minister Obaidul Quader made the announcement at a media briefing in Dhaka on Saturday as the country recorded 58 coronavirus deaths and 5,683 new cases overnight, third highest in terms of both fatality and infection since the pandemic broke out in March last year.
“The government is going to enforce a nationwide lockdown from Monday initially for a week as the spread of coronavirus increases,” Quader, also the general secretary of the ruling Awami League, said.
State Minister for Public Administration Farhad Hossain in a separate briefing said an official handout would be issued detailing measures to be taken under the lockdown order.
He said the government might extend the restriction if the situation continue to be worsened but emergency services, kitchen markets and industrial units would remain beyond the restriction but operate strictly maintaining health guidelines.