‘Strict Lockdown’: Violators to be punished

Anyone who goes outdoors without an urgent cause will face severe punishment during the seven-day lockdown starting tomorrow.

Except emergency services, all public movement will be restricted to rein in the rising Covid-19 cases.

The decision came at a late evening meeting yesterday, chaired by Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, according to a handout from the Press Information Department.

"It [the lockdown] will be the toughest one. Army, Rab and police will be deployed," Md Mohsin, secretary of the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, told the Daily Star last night.

The government has chalked out a contingency plan for providing aid to the poor people.

"About Tk 23 crore has been allocated to make the plan a success," he said, adding that the government has procured the essentials that will be distributed.

"We'll distribute aid to the transport workers and people who will become jobless due to the lockdown."

Among others, Health Minister Zahid Maleque, Information Minister Hasan Mahmud, Disaster and Relief Minister Enamur Rahman, Principal Secretary Ahmad Kaikaus of the Prime Minister's Office, and Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam were present in the meeting.

The handout said the government decided to impose restrictions and regulations to stop operation of different government and private organisations, transport services and public movement for seven days from 6:00am of July 01.

"During this period, anyone, except emergency service providers, going outdoors without an urgent need will face stern punishment," reads the handout.

Details on restriction and regulation will be circulated today from the cabinet division, it reads.

On Monday, Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam told media that the members of the army, police, Border Guard Bangladesh and the Armed Police Battalion have been given the authority to take appropriate action so that people don't step out of their homes.

"We had no alternative but to impose strict restrictions," he said.

112 DEATHS REPORTED

The number of Covid-19 deaths continued to rise as the health directorate reported 112 deaths in the 24 hours till 8:00am yesterday -- the second highest daily toll recorded in the country.

On Sunday, the country logged the highest single-day death toll of 119.

The 112 deaths recorded yesterday brought the total number of Covid-19 deaths to 14,388 -- around 1.59 percent of all confirmed cases.

Since the cases were detected in the country in March 2020, Khagrachhari district has recorded 10 deaths, the lowest among the districts, while Dhaka tops the list with 5,487 deaths, according to a press release from the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

In the 24 hours till 8:00am yesterday, 7,666 new cases of Covid-19 were detected against a total of 31,982 tests.

The positivity rate was 23.97 percent, up from 23.86 percent the previous day. The overall positivity rate stands at 13.76 percent.

With the latest count, the total number of confirmed cases has risen to 8,96,770.

Of yesterday's deceased, 67 were male and 45 female. Thirteen died in their homes.

One of the deceased was between 11 and 20 years old, two were between 21 and 30, 14 between 31 and 40, 10 between 41 and 50, 24 between 51 and 60 and 61 were above 60 years old, added the DGHS release.

Khulna division -- which has been the worst affected by Covid-19 transmission over the last two weeks -- logged the highest 35 deaths yesterday, followed by 22 in Dhaka and 21 in Rajshahi divisions.

Meanwhile, a total of 4,027 people have recovered from the virus yesterday, raising the total number of recovery to 8,11,700.

On Sunday, the country logged the highest single-day death toll of 119.

The 112 deaths recorded yesterday brought the total number of Covid-19 deaths to 14,388 -- around 1.59 percent of all confirmed cases so far in the country.