In view of the rising number of positive Covid-19 cases in the country, the Health Ministry has opened a new integrated control room for managing and supervising the coronavirus situation.
The Director of the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), Dr Meerjady Sabrina Flora, on Tuesday said two more Covid-19 cases had been detected, taking the number of confirmed cases to 10. Three have recovered while seven infected persons are undergoing treatment.
Around 16 people are under isolation while some 43 people are under institutional quarantine. The IEDCR did not disclose the number of people in home quarantine other than saying, “It is sparking controversy.”
Of the two, one is an expatriate while the other person contracted the virus from an expat returnee, she said.
According to the IEDCR, the expat returnee who possibly infected the one at home has returned abroad.
The IEDCR is not only compiling a list of persons contracted by the infected person but also compiling details about the expatriate who had gone back, she said.
The person infected by the expat was diagnosed while undergoing treatment for other complications.
“We will contact the relevant embassy,” she added.
Asked if the incident showed that community transmission had already started in the country, the director ruled out the possibility and said that there was no scientific evidence behind that.
She said from the cases confirmed by the IEDCR, it had been found that transmission occurred between families. No neighbours or persons from the community were infected.
Besides, the IEDCR has collected more than 20 samples from patients diagnosed with atypical pneumonia. However, none of them were found infected. These are scientific methods to ensure if there is community transmission or not.
“But till now we do not have any evidence of community transmission,” she added.
Dr Flora said as part of its preparations the IEDCR had readied some 150 intensive care unit (ICU) beds and was working to prepare more in the city.
The IEDCR has confirmed that till now 277 Covid-19 tests have been conducted, including 36 in the last 24 hours.
According to the WHO latest situation report, some 167,515 have been infected in 152 countries, with 6,606 people dying. There have been 862 new cases.
However, worldometers.info said that some 184,133 people have been infected by the strain, of whom 7,182 have died in some 162 countries till now. Some 79,927 people have recovered from the infection globally to date.
New integrated control room established for monitoring
The Health Ministry has set up an integrated control room to manage and supervise the coronavirus situation at the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) at Mohakhali in the city.
The temporary “Integrated Control Room” for Covid-19, in the cafeteria of the building, was inaugurated by Health Minister Zahid Maleque yesterday.
DGHS Director General Dr Abul Kalam Azad and WHO Country Representative Dr Bardan Jung Rana were present, among others.
DGHS Additional Director General (planning and development) Prof Sanya Tahmina Jhora said as soon as the local transmission came into evidence the DGHS understood the need for expanding controlling facilities.
It would be an overnight unit where 15 groups would work coordinately.
The groups are – hospital and patients care, quarantine management, legislative and supply, information communication and awareness, laboratory and diagnosis, contact tracing, protocol and guideline, orientation and training, coordination, security and cleaning, partnership with development and PPP and oversight supervising and oversight monitoring.
Two expats fined in Manikganj for defying home quarantine
Two returnees, one from Iraq and another from Australia, were fined by mobile courts in Saturia and Ghior upazilas of the district for breaching rules of home quarantine.
A mobile court fined Iraq-returnee Makbul Hossain, 28, of Saturia, a total of Tk10,000 and Australia-returnee Pannu Miah, 70, of Ghior upazila, Tk15,000 respectively.
Executive Magistrate Ashraful Alam, Saturia upazila nirbahi officer (UNO), and Ghior UNO and Executive Magistrate Airin Akhter of the mobile courts confirmed the matter.
Makbul returned on March 6, and was told to be in self-quarantine for 14 days. Pannu returned home on March 16 from Australia.
Meanwhile, one Italy returnee was warned by health officials of Laksam in Comilla to strictly maintain home quarantine.
UNO AKM Saiful Alam said that they had let him go without penalty as he had promised not to repeat such behaviour.
Advice for offices with mass gathering like garments
1. Ensure checkup every day before entering the factory
2. Allow paid leave to anyone found having Covid-19 symptoms
3. Ensure home quarantine for them
4. Do not have foreign buyers at premises
Advice for transport sector
1. Don’t allow drivers and helpers with fever and cough
2. Wash every place every two hours touched by public
3. Use sanitizers for cleaning the places
