Several countries, including neighbouring India, have seen a recent uptick in Covid-19 cases, which may affect Bangladesh as well, Health Minister Zahid Maleque has said.
The number of daily cases in Bangladesh is negligible now, but the situation may take a turn for the worse considering the surge in cases worldwide, the minister said at an event in Dhaka on Sunday.
Many people from Bangladesh are travelling to India, where there has been an increase in the number of infections, he said, adding that they have to be kept under monitoring upon their return.
Some 130 million Bangladeshis have taken at least one dose of Covid-19 vaccine, Maleque said. “Even many developed countries have not been able to vaccinate so many people,” he added.
Those who have not been inoculated have not done so by choice, he said.
Health Minister Zahid Maleque addresses an event in Dhaka on Sunday, April 22, 2022 Bangla TribuneIndia on Sunday reported over 2,000 new Covid-19 cases for the fifth consecutive day.
With 2,593 new infections, India's total caseload rose to 43,057,545. The country’s death toll climbed to 522,193 with 44 fresh fatalities.
India, on April 5, lifted restrictions on cross-border travel to and from Bangladesh, though the country had reopened its air routes earlier.
India is a popular destination among Bangladeshis, especially for travel and treatment purposes.
At over 2.57 million visitors, Bangladesh was the largest source of foreign tourists arriving in India in 2019, before the pandemic started, according to Statista.