The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) has issued directives on operations of emergency services and supplies amid the shutdown to stem the spread of novel coronavirus.
“To keep the emergency services and the supply chain as normal as possible, the following services will continue during the general holidays, despite movement restriction and any other preventive measures declared by the government in a bid to tackle coronavirus (Covid-19),” UNB reports quoting a PMO notification signed by Principal Secretary Dr Ahmad Kaikaus.
According to it, people and vehicle associated with emergency services like electricity, water, gas, fire service, waste-management, telephone and internet will remain exempted from the shutdown.
The same goes for vehicles and people of healthcare services, transporting medical equipment, including medicines as well as the pharmaceutical industry.
Vehicles and people engaged in transporting essential goods, food grains, baby food, milk and dairy products, and animal fodder will remain out of the purview of the shutdown.
Transportation of agricultural products, fertilisers, insecticides, fuel as well as people involved in producing and transporting basic products for livelihood including, agricultural goods, fisheries and livestock, dairy products and foodstuffs will also be exempted from the shutdown.
Besides, the notification said the directives issued by the Cabinet Division and the Public Administration Ministry regarding the general holiday, weekly holiday, and the restriction on movement of the people will remain effective as usual.
Coronavirus, first reported in China in December last year, has infected well over 1.5 million people globally and killed more than 89,000.
It disrupted the global supply chain forcing many factories to shut down as countries grapple to contain the spread of the highly contagious virus.
Bangladesh announced general holidays and imposed restriction on movements to prevent an outbreak. The country has so far reported 330 cases of infection and 21 deaths.
The government has rolled out several stimulus packages totalling Tk 72,750 crore to tackle the possible economic impact due to the ongoing shutdown to tackle coronavirus.