‘Total shutdown’ anytime

Runaway Covid infections in every division except Dhaka has prompted health experts to recommend "stricter nationwide lockdowns" rather than focusing on protecting Dhaka.

The National Technical Advisory Committee (NTAC) on Covid-19 yesterday recommended "a complete shutdown" for 14 days. It warned about hospitals being overrun and said lives and livelihoods would be saved by the shutdown.

A state minister also went on the record to say that he agrees with the experts' recommendations and that an announcement for the "complete shutdown" could come any time.

Covid-19 deaths in seven divisions combined was around four times that of Dhaka's this month. Dhaka had always been the worst affected division until the Delta variant started riding this particular wave.

In May, Dhaka recorded 458 deaths and in April 1,494, the highest in a month. The seven other divisions combined reported 651 deaths in May and 754 in April.

No division recorded more than 100 deaths during April and May, apart from Dhaka and Chattogram.

Even yesterday, 68 of the 81 Covid deaths recorded were not in Dhaka division, according to the DGHS.

The NTAC in a press release yesterday said, "No matter what preparations are being made, the healthcare facilities will be insufficient if strict measures are not enforced."

It said a high transmission rate was found in more than 50 districts and that the effectiveness of the stopgap measures to curb transmission was being questioned.

"As the infection has gone out of control, the committee unanimously decided to recommend enforcement of complete shutdown for 14 days across the country to save lives," said the press release signed by Prof Mohammad Sahidullah, chief of the NTAC.

Asked what they meant by shutdown, Prof Sahidullah said, "It means stay home. Everything will be closed except for emergency services."

He said the committee emphasised on staying at home without using the word "lockdown" as the word had lost the significance required to help curb transmission.

"We may have some difficulties for two weeks, but it will save lives and livelihoods," Prof Sahidullah.

State Minister for Public Administrations Farhad Hossain told the media yesterday that he thought the recommendations made by the experts were logical and that the government was prepared to implement it. He also claimed that an announcement could be made any time.

Be-Nazir Ahmed, former director at the DGHS, said had the government enforced strict lockdown in the border districts before it spread across the country, the situation could have been different.

"Delta variant has now spread across the country and that's why the infection rate is high. If we fail to take strict action now then the coming days will be hard," he said.

Between June 1 and yesterday, 948 people died from Covid in seven divisions and during the same time 260 people died in Dhaka division, according to the data of Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

On an average, 50 people died of Covid-19 every day so far this month, the second highest average after 80 deaths a day in April.

Rajshahi and Khulna divisions, which have long borders with India, are the hardest hit now. Khulna recorded 295 deaths and Rajshahi 245 this month.

In the previous 14 months since the first cases of Covid were reported, the death toll in Rajshahi was 691 and in Khulna 792.

Yesterday, Chuadanga, a district in Khulna division with a border with India, reported a 100 percent positivity rate as all 41 people tested turned out positive for Covid-19.

The World Health Organization in its weekly situation report has highlighted the deteriorating Covid-19 situation in all districts under Khulna division.

The report, released on Tuesday, said the districts in the division were in the very high risk zone. It also put 40 districts of the country in the same zone.

An area with an infection rate of 30 percent or above is considered as a very high risk zone.

According to the WHO, six out of eight districts in Rajshahi division were in a very high risk zone, and the remaining two were in a high risk zone.

Six districts in Chattogram were in a very high risk zone, three in high risk, and one district in medium risk.

Two other districts, including Dhaka, were in a high risk zone.

Experts blamed the Delta variant and people's nonchalance towards health safety guidelines for the surge.

Since late last month, the Delta variant gradually spread across the country, they said.

As of yesterday, a total of 8,72,935 people tested positive for coronavirus and 13,868 died with Covid-19, according to DGHS.