Bangladesh extends shutdown until May 5 as death toll rises
Bangladeshi authorities have extended the lockdown of public, commercial businesses and transport across the nation as the country’s death toll from the novel coronavirus rose to 127, officials said on Thursday.
According to an order issued by the Public Administration Ministry, the lockdown will now continue until May 5, but emergency services will remain excluded from the closures.
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The ministry said factories could operate only if they ensured workers’ safety in line with guidelines from the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Bangladesh reported seven deaths from the novel coronavirus in the last 24 hours running up to Thursday morning, saying the death toll had risen to 127.
The country detected 414 new cases during the period, taking the total number of patients to 4,186, said the Health Minister, Zahid Maleque.
According to a health ministry official, Nasima Sultana, community transmission of the virus began more than a week ago and it now presented in 58 of the country’s 64 administrative districts.
Bangladesh, which reported its first three cases on March 8, initially closed schools, transport, public and commercial businesses for nine days from March 26 to slow the spread of the deadly pandemic.
The shutdown was later extended three times until April 25.
The South Asian country has deployed army troops to ensure social distancing to prevent spread of the virus.
It also locked down a southern district which is home to more than a million Rohingya Muslims who live in overcrowded camps in the world’s largest refugee settlement.
