Two more Bangaldeshis infected in Singapore

Earlier, two Bangladeshis, aged 35 and 39, were reported to have been diagnosed with the novel coronavirus on February 9 and 11.

The two Bangladeshis found infected yesterday are aged 30 and 37 and all four are linked to a work site in Seletar Aerospace Heights.

One of the Bangladeshis confirmed to be infected yesterday fell ill on February 7.

He said that he had mostly stayed in his flat in Campbell Lane since he fell ill.

The 37-year-old was identified as a close contact of the two previously identified Bangladeshis, who worked at the Seletar Aerospaces Heights work site.

Both were being kept in isolation rooms at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases.

The Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) in Dhaka said the condition of the two previously infected Bangladeshis in Singapore was stable.

A total of 58 people have been diagnosed with coronavirus, including eight new cases reported in the country, the Ministry of Health in Singapore said.

Meanwhile, the 312 Bangladeshis, who returned from the Chinese city of Wuhan and had been quarantined in the Ashkona Hajj Camp, would be going home tomorrow, Health Minister Zahid Maleque said yesterday.

"All the returnees from China are in the last stage of their quarantine period. They would be able to leave the camp on Saturday following health check-ups," the minister said.

On February 1, 312 Bangladeshis, who had been stranded in Wuhan -- the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak, were flown back to the country in a chartered flight arranged by the government and were kept quarantined in the camp.

After landing at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, eight of the returnees were sent to hospitals as they had fever.

Later, all of them were tested coronavirus negative by the IEDCR.

Three returnees, quarantined at the camp, were also hospitalised due to high body temperature. They were also cleared by the IEDCR.

The health minister yesterday urged people not to panic.

"Nobody inside the country has been infected so far. Medical admission [of any Chinese returnee] does not necessarily mean coronavirus infection. We should not say it's a coronavirus infection until it is proven through a test. Otherwise, it creates panic."

Yesterday, police detained five people from different areas in the capital for allegedly spreading rumours about the coronavirus outbreak.

Najmul Islam, additional deputy commissioner of DMP's cyber security and crime division, said the detainees, using their Facebook accounts and different online portals, were spreading rumours that the virus had spread in Bangladesh.

They were taken into custody for interrogation, he added.

The virus has so far claimed 1,370 lives and infected 60,329 people, mostly in China.

PM'S CONDOLENCES

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday expressed deep condolences for the loss of lives due to the outbreak of coronavirus in Wuhan city and other places in China and offered the readiness of Bangladesh to extend any help to mitigate the plight of the victims.

"The prime minister expressed her profound condolence to Chinese President Xi Jinping in a letter," said PM's Assistant Press Secretary ABM Sarwar-e-Alam Sarkar.

In the letter, the premier said, "It is my firm conviction that the government of China, under your great leadership, will be able to face and stop the aggravation of the situation with utmost capacity and control."

She added, "Establishing a taskforce and building emergency hospitals to address the crisis is timely and praiseworthy."