Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) has extended the lockdown imposed on Dhaka’s East Rajabazar neighbourhood, considered a Covid-19 red zone, by seven days.
DNCC Mayor Atiqul Islam declared the extension on Tuesday morning after visiting the area.
He also distributed 300,000 waste disposal polythene bags to residences in the area so that general waste can be disposed separately from waste coming from Covid-19 protective equipment.
Waste resulting from masks, gloves, goggles, gowns, and other equipment that may transmit Covid-19 infection will have to be disposed of in separate garbage bags. Those bags will be collected by concerned authorities on Saturdays and Tuesdays, added the mayor.
Gradually, the process will be introduced in all areas. Starting July 7, garbage will not be collected from houses that fail to follow this procedure of disposing garbage separately, he added.
The mayor explained that the decision was taken because disposal of all garbage together creates risk of infection for cleaners and other city dwellers.
Meanwhile, DNCC Ward 27 Councillor Faridur Rahman Khan Iran informed that the area had 31 people infected by coronavirus when it was locked down. That number has now increased to 50.
However, 35 out of the 50 infected people have already recovered from the virus, and the other 15 are in relatively good condition despite being infected, he said.
He added that another five people were found to have coronavirus infection in the area, but they are no longer included in the list since they do not live there anymore.
The councillor reiterated his support for those infected, and said that officials are cooperating with locals to make the area coronavirus-free.
