Govt plans to limit passengers on public transport, penalize for not wearing mask outdoors
File photo: People are seen in a crowded area in Gulistan of Dhaka, Sunday, June 20, 2021 Mehedi Hasan/Dhaka tribune
Tribune Desk
Publish : 04 Jan 2022, 04:17 PMUpdate : 04 Jan 2022, 04:42 PM
The authorities are not mulling a shutdown for now, but have plans to enforce it if the coronavirus situation in the country deteriorates, Health Minister Zahid Maleque has said on Tuesday.
His remarks came while speaking to the media at the Secretariat.
Several states in neighbouring India have already imposed restrictions like curfew and school shutdowns, said Maleque before adding: “We are not considering anything like that now.”
He, however, said the government has plans to go for a shutdown if infections surge and “the situation goes out of control.”
The minister said they are going to impose some curbs, including cutting public events, limiting the number of passengers on public transport, restricting unvaccinated consumers at restaurants, as well as penalty for not wearing masks outdoors.
Following an inter-ministerial meeting on Monday, Maleque said that the authorities would issues a new set of restriction within two weeks.
Driven by the Delta variant, the country saw a significant increase in the number of Covid-19 cases and deaths in mid-2021. The daily figures dwindled in August and the daily infection rate had remained around 1% throughout early December, before hitting a three-month high of 3.37% on Monday, when 674 new cases were logged, the highest in 13 weeks.
Health Minister: No lockdown for now
The authorities are not mulling a shutdown for now, but have plans to enforce it if the coronavirus situation in the country deteriorates, Health Minister Zahid Maleque has said on Tuesday.
His remarks came while speaking to the media at the Secretariat.
Several states in neighbouring India have already imposed restrictions like curfew and school shutdowns, said Maleque before adding: “We are not considering anything like that now.”
He, however, said the government has plans to go for a shutdown if infections surge and “the situation goes out of control.”
Also Read - IEDCR: Reluctance to mask up behind Covid infection surge
The minister said they are going to impose some curbs, including cutting public events, limiting the number of passengers on public transport, restricting unvaccinated consumers at restaurants, as well as penalty for not wearing masks outdoors.
Following an inter-ministerial meeting on Monday, Maleque said that the authorities would issues a new set of restriction within two weeks.
Driven by the Delta variant, the country saw a significant increase in the number of Covid-19 cases and deaths in mid-2021. The daily figures dwindled in August and the daily infection rate had remained around 1% throughout early December, before hitting a three-month high of 3.37% on Monday, when 674 new cases were logged, the highest in 13 weeks.
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