Dhaka: Bangladesh on Monday extended its strictest lockdown till July 14 amid a surge in coronavirus cases led by the highly contagious delta variant, with areas bordering India bearing the brunt of the infection.
The South Asian country on Sunday reported 153 new coronavirus deaths, its biggest daily increase since the pandemic began, bringing the death toll to 15,065. The total cases are 944,917.
Hospitals are overwhelmed with coronavirus patients, especially in the districts bordering India where the delta variant was first identified. Bangladesh sealed its border with India in April, but trade continues.
A surge in cases prompted the government on Thursday to order a week of tighter controls, with army soldiers patrolling the streets.
All measures have been extended, the government said in a statement. Due to the bandh, there has been a house-to-village migration of migrant workers from the capital Dhaka.
Factories are allowed to operate following health protocols, while all offices and transport remain closed, with essential goods carriers and ambulances expected.
Some workers are finding it difficult to survive without any income.
Mohammad Manik, a father of two who works as a daily wage laborer in a kitchen market in Dhaka, said, “During the lockdown, there is no work. If this continues, I don’t know how I can feed my family.” I nurture.”
“It is not the coronavirus but hunger that will kill us.”
Bangladesh received 2.5 million doses of Moderna Inc’s vaccine from the United States under the COVAX global-sharing scheme over the weekend. It also received two million doses of the Sinopharm vaccine from China.
Bangladesh’s vaccination campaign gets a setback after India stops exports astraZeneca The shot in response to a record increase in domestic infections, with only 3% of its population of 170 million receiving the two doses needed so far.
The South Asian country on Sunday reported 153 new coronavirus deaths, its biggest daily increase since the pandemic began, bringing the death toll to 15,065. The total cases are 944,917.
Hospitals are overwhelmed with coronavirus patients, especially in the districts bordering India where the delta variant was first identified. Bangladesh sealed its border with India in April, but trade continues.
A surge in cases prompted the government on Thursday to order a week of tighter controls, with army soldiers patrolling the streets.
All measures have been extended, the government said in a statement. Due to the bandh, there has been a house-to-village migration of migrant workers from the capital Dhaka.
Factories are allowed to operate following health protocols, while all offices and transport remain closed, with essential goods carriers and ambulances expected.
Some workers are finding it difficult to survive without any income.
Mohammad Manik, a father of two who works as a daily wage laborer in a kitchen market in Dhaka, said, “During the lockdown, there is no work. If this continues, I don’t know how I can feed my family.” I nurture.”
“It is not the coronavirus but hunger that will kill us.”
Bangladesh received 2.5 million doses of Moderna Inc’s vaccine from the United States under the COVAX global-sharing scheme over the weekend. It also received two million doses of the Sinopharm vaccine from China.
Bangladesh’s vaccination campaign gets a setback after India stops exports astraZeneca The shot in response to a record increase in domestic infections, with only 3% of its population of 170 million receiving the two doses needed so far.
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