The government is yet to take a decision on whether to impose fresh lockdown curbs amid a resurgence of coronavirus cases in the country, Health Minister Zahid Maleque has said.
Speaking to reporters at the Krishibid Institute on Thursday, the minister said, "We are not thinking about a lockdown but the government is. A decision will be taken in consultation with all the agencies of the government. A decision has not yet been made in this regard."
The government has been apprised of the current COVID-19 situation and it will take the necessary action in due course, according to Zahid, reports bdnews24.com.
As the number of coronavirus cases in the country has been on the rise for some time now, the health directorate held an emergency meeting on Mar 16 to explore ways to curtail the spread of the virus.
The officials discussed strengthening the rules of isolation for COVID patients, strict quarantine policy for people coming close to the patients, a minimum 14-day quarantine for the travellers from abroad, and assistance from the armed forces to enforce these rules.
The possibility of a complete lockdown was also considered along with the imposition of restrictions on public gatherings and keeping educational institutions while maintaining 'economic balance'.
It would be possible to control the transmission of the virus if the issues raised could have been implemented, Khurshid Alam said on Wednesday.
The DGHS has sent the issues mooted in the meeting to the Prime Minister’s Office for consideration.
It will also discuss them with the national technical advisory committee to tackle COVID-19 before making the final decisions, Khurshid said.
The health minister stressed the need to keep the economy afloat while stemming the number of coronavirus cases. He believes a lockdown will not be necessary if the health and safety rules are followed.
"We also don't want anyone to die from the illness. For this reason, we have to comply with the health directives. I have instructed different districts to take necessary steps to ensure compliance with the rules, even if it means introducing mobile court drives or fines for violations."
"We have also asked the hospitals to be prepared. But if everyone adheres to the health guidelines, I don't think we will require a lockdown."