Returnees’ apathy let virus spread

The carelessness of the returnees from abroad over following self-quarantine rules is putting their family members and relatives at risk of contracting coronavirus, statistics show.

As many as 20 people got infected with Covid-19 in the country since March 7. Of them, 11 are family members of nine returnees, according to the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR).

The only patient, who died of novel coronavirus last week, was a family member of a person who returned home from Italy.

Dr Nasima Sultana, additional director general of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), yesterday said a 30-year-old woman and two men aged 30 and 70 were found infected with Covid-19. The three are from different families.

With them, the number of coronavirus cases in the country rose to 20.

Briefing reporters at her Mohakhali office in the capital, Nasima said the elderly man was in critical condition at the intensive care unit of a hospital. He got infected after coming in contact with a person who returned from abroad recently.

The woman was suffering from a slight infection and cough. She came in contact with an expatriate who returned from Italy, the DGHS official added.

The 30-year-old man had visited Rome and Berlin.

So far, 44 people have been place in institutional quarantine and 30 in isolation at hospitals.

Nasima urged the people to strictly follow the rules of self-quarantine to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Ironically, the local administrations across the country do not have traces of the expatriates who have returned home recently.

For instance, about 10,303 people have returned to Barisal division from abroad this month so far. Of them, only 764 could be traced by the health department and were forced into self-quarantine.

Dr Basudeb Das, director of DGHS in Barishal division, said two other returnees were sent into isolation.

"We have informed the district administrations that many returnees were not following self-quarantine rules and asked them to operate mobile courts," he said.

Meanwhile, the authorities of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) have started stamping quarantine information on the inbound passengers. The seal bears the date until when they will have to be in home quarantine.

The authorities adopted the measure on Thursday, the officer-in-charge (immigration) at the airport told The Daily Star, wishing not be named.

In another development, a Bangladeshi passenger was hospitalised yesterday with high fever after he arrived at Dhaka airport from abroad around 1:00am, said Dr Johirul of the health desk at the airport.

With him, 10 returnees were sent to hospitals with high fever in the last 48 hours.

DGHS ISSUES DIRECTIVES

The DGHS has issued letters to its divisional directors, district civil surgeons and upazila health and family planning officers, directing them to take legal actions through operating mobile courts to monitor self-quarantine and tackle the spread of coronavirus.

Under the Infectious Disease (prevention, control and elimination) Act, 2018, they can hand out punishments of six month's imprisonment or a fine of Tk 1 lakh or both to those concealing information about any infectious disease.

Besides, if anyone refuses to follow instructions or obstruct officials from carrying out their duties, the offenders can be sentenced to imprisonment for more than three months or fined Tk 50,000 or handed both the punishments.

Dr Mahmudul Hasan, upazila health and family planning officer in Shariatpur's Jajira upazila, said he received a letter in this regard yesterday.

GOVT MULLS SUSPENDING BUS, TRAIN SERVICES

Amid the increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in the country, the government may suspend bus, train and launch services if the situation deteriorates, reports UNB quoting ministers.

Railways Minister Nurul Islam Sujan said they took some precautionary measures at railway stations as per the directives of the health ministry to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

"If the situation gets worse, the government will take initiatives to stop train services for a certain period," he told the news agency.

State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury said, "We are now discouraging people from travelling by launches and steamers. If the situation worsens, movement of all river vessels will be suspended."

Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader said preventive measures have been taken as per the health ministry's directives and bus owners have been asked to follow the directives."Bus owners have been asked to disinfect their vehicles before carrying passengers in those," he told UNB.