Coronavirus outbreak: 100 N’ganj families put in self-isolation

Authorities have placed about 100 families in self-isolation on both sides of a road in Bandar upazila of Narayanganj last night after a woman who died earlier tested positive for coronavirus.

Samples from the deceased were collected on March 30 and sent to the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) for tests, said Shukla Sarker, the upazila nirbahi officer. 

The IEDCR informed the district's civil surgeon around 7:00pm last night that the woman was infected with coronavirus, the UNO told The Daily Star.

Following this, the local administration placed a Ward 23 road -- from Jamal Soap Factory to Rasulbagh intersection -- under lockdown around 10:15pm last night as per directive of IEDCR, she also said. A 100 families live in the area.

No one will be allowed to come out of their homes in the area under lockdown and police have been deployed to enforce it, the UNO added.

The woman, 45, fell ill with high fever on March 29 and went to Narayanganj General Hospital where she was advised to go for coronavirus test at Kurmitola General Hospital in Dhaka.

The patient, however, went home instead of coming to Dhaka.

On March 30, her condition deteriorated and she was admitted to Kurmitola General Hospital in Dhaka where she later died on the same day.

Imtiaz Ahmed, civil surgeon of Narayanganj district, told The Daily Star that it could not be known how the woman got infected with coronavirus.

Her family members and those she might have come into contact with in the area will be tested for Covid-19 today, the civil surgeon said.

Local administration will provide essential commodities to the families under lockdown, UNO Shukla Sarker said.