The Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) on Monday said that no new case of coronavirus, or Covid-19, was reported in Bangladesh, since they confirmed the first three cases on Sunday.
Addressing a regular press briefing at the IEDCR auditorium in Dhaka, the institute’s Director Dr Meerjady Sabrina Flora said: “We have received 479 phone calls related to coronavirus so far through the hotlines, and 18 people came in person to IEDCR.
“We tested four of them and no one was found infected.”
Director General Abul Kalam Azad of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) also said that there was no change in the stable condition of the first three infected patients and they were kept under observation in quarantine.
• Three infected patients undergoing treatment • Three more back from abroad sent to hospital • Two more Bangladeshis infected in UAE • Biman suspends 74 weekly flights |
“We held a meeting with officials and civil surgeons and ordered them to open control rooms in every district. So, people can easily communicate for health services if they see any symptom of the disease,” he said.
"Do not panic. We are well prepared if the number of cases increase. Not everyone needs to wear mask. Using hand sanitizer is good, but washing hands with soap is more preferable," Azad said addressing the people.
World Health Organization Representative to Bangladesh Dr Bardan Jung Rana said it was not surprising that coronavirus cases have been detected in Bangladesh.
"All government departments, ministries, private organizations and every individual should come together to fight against coronavirus, which is still confined,” Rana added.
IEDCR confirmed the first three coronavirus cases in Bangladesh on Sunday. Two of them, both men, had returned from Italy recently. The other patient is the wife of one of the men.
Azad also expressed concern over disclosure of these patients’ identities. He requested journalists not to disclose the patients’ identities as it will threaten their social security.
About the risks associated with health professionals and journalists, he also urged the journalists not to go inside the hospital where coronavirus patients are being treated for their own safety.
3 more hospitalized, 9 more hotlines
Meanwhile, two more Bangladeshi men, back from Spain and Italy, and a child, back with his family from Singapore, were sent to the hospital after they showed possible symptoms of coronavirus infection following their arrival at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on Monday.
Due to high temperatures in their bodies, they were sent to Kuwait Bangladesh Friendship Hospital for further checkup, said Group Captain AHM Touhid-ul Ahsan, director of the airport.
Touhid said that they would try to find out whether other passengers or airlines staffs, including crew members, of the flights these three arrived will need check-ups or not.
IEDCR and DGHS on Monday also increased the number of hotlines — dedicated to answer people’s questions regarding coronavirus — to 13, after the number of calls through the four hotlines shot up after three infected patients were identified.
These numbers are — 16263, 01401184551, 01401184554, 01401184555, 01401184556, 01401184559, 01401184560, 01401184563, 01401184568, 01927711784, 01927711785, 01937000011, and 01937110011. |
Two Bangladeshis infected in UAE
on Monday, two Bangladeshi nationals were also found infected with Covid-19 in the United Arab Emirates.
The country’s health ministry announced that they recorded 14 new coronavirus cases — including the two Bangladeshis — on Monday, taking the total number of people diagnosed to 59, reports Reuters quoting state news agency WAM.
Of the new cases, four were Emiratis, three Italians, two each from Bangladesh and Nepal, and one each from Russia, Syria and India.
Since last month, a number of Bangladeshi nationals were also found infected with the virus in several other countries.
After the outbreak started in China’s Wuhan city at the end of December last year, the new strain of the coronavirus has killed more than 3,800 people and infected over 111,800 in 109 countries and territories around the world.
Biman suspends 74 weekly flights
The Biman Bangladesh Airlines on Monday also suspended 74 weekly flights due to shortage of passengers amid the widespread fear of coronavirus, said it’s Managing Director Mokabbir Hossain.
The national flag carrier has been operating 142 flights every week on 10 routes — Kuala lumpur, Kathmandu, Kolkata, Delhi, Bangkok, Singapore, Doha, Jeddah, Medina, and Kuwait.
For now, as many as 68 flights are still operating on these routes, Mokabbir added.
Meanwhile, Brahmanbaria Civil Surgeon Dr M Shah Alam on Monday told reporters that he would urge the Ashuganj Power Station’s managing director to not allow the team of 70 experts from six countries — Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Thailand, Germany and Singapore — to enter Bangladesh because of the coronavirus situations in those countries.
The 70-member expert team had written to the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources earlier to allow them to work in the under-construction thermal power plant.
A patient showing possible symptoms of coronavirus infection was referred from a hospital in Sirajganj to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH).
The person who returned from Malaysia recently was admitted to Bongamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib 250 Bed General Hospital, Sirajganj with fever, but doctors sent him to DMCH as they does not have proper detection facility and proper atmosphere to treat such patients, said the hospital’s Assistant Director Dr Saiful Islam.
