The authorities have nearly completed their preparations to put Wari— under the Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC)— in an experimental lockdown to contain the transmission of the coronavirus pandemic.
Letters have been issued to the relevant ministries to identify virus clusters in Wari and put those areas under lockdown, Dr Nasima Sultana, additional director general of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), said on Saturday.
Speaking at the daily online health bulletin, she said the West Rajabazar area had been put under lockdown as it was a red zone; any area might be considered a red zone depending on its conditions and guidelines from a consultative committee working under the DGHS.
Earlier, the Dhaka North City Corporation put West Rajabazar under lockdown from June 10 to contain the spread of coronavirus.
On June 24, DGHS officials said the mapping of two coronavirus hotbeds had been completed and a map was shared with the DSCC. For its part, the DSCC agreed to impose a lockdown on the areas mapped, they added.
On June 25, Brig Gen Dr Sharif Ahmed, chief health officer (CHO) of DSCC, told Dhaka Tribune that the corporation was prepared to impose a lockdown within 48 to 72 hours after getting a government order.
Till June 24, a total of 158 people tested positive for Covid-19 in Wari, according to the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR).
The dos and don’ts in red zones
According to government directives, the authorities concerned will place red zone areas under a 21-day lockdown, and all offices and businesses in the area will remain shut.
The authorities will also strictly control the movement of people by setting up entry and exit points in these areas.
Residents of the areas will have to rely on deliveries from restaurants, while grocery stores and pharmacies will remain open for walk-in customers.
People will be allowed to shop in marketplaces only when necessary.
People must work from home in the red zone areas and can go outside their homes by maintaining health guidelines in case of emergencies.
Movement of rickshaws, vans, taxis, auto-rickshaws and even private cars will not be allowed inside the demarcated areas during the 21-day lockdown.
There will be facilities for Covid-19 tests for suspected patients, and home or institutional isolation will be arranged for those who test positive.
In the red zones, almost all forms of transport will be suspended, and public transport, including trains and launches, will not be allowed to stop to ferry people, as per the 13-point directive for red zones.
Goods-laden water vessels and ships, however, can enter and exit red zone areas but only during the night.
Shopping malls, gyms, sports complexes and recreation centres will remain shut during the lockdown period.
Any kind of public gathering is prohibited during this time, and only ailing people can go out to hospitals.
Mosques and other places of worship can remain open but only for staff and their officials, not for local residents.
ATM services will remain operational, and banks can stay open in a limited capacity.
