Red zone Cox’s Bazar goes into 14-day lockdown from Saturday

With the increasing number of coronavirus infections in Cox’s Bazar, few areas including the municipality town have been labelled as red zones.

Md Kamal Hossain, deputy commissioner of Cox’s Bazar declared a lockdown in those areas for 14 days starting on Saturday.

The decision was taken at a video conference with the additional deputy commissioner and coronavirus related working committee’s Convenor Md Ashraful Afsar.

It was informed in the conference that Cox’s Bazar has been divided into three zones depending on the number of Covid-19 infected people.

A map has been created with ward-wise distribution of infected patients in four municipalities and union-wise distribution in eight upazilas.

These areas will be under lockdown from June 6 to June 19. The duration would be increased if necessary.

There will be 30 volunteers in each ward of the Cox’s Bazar municipality who will be given identity cards by the Cox’s Bazar Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Mahmud Ullah Maruf.

No one other than the volunteers and emergency workers will be allowed to come out of their houses.

Strict actions will be taken against anyone found outside.

The kitchen markets and daily necessities markets will be opened for a limited time on Sundays and Thursdays.

The authorities will also monitor those areas to maintain health guidelines and social distancing.

All the markets, shopping malls and stores will remain closed.

Banks in district town will also remain open for a limited time on Sundays and Thursdays.

No vehicles can enter the city from the link roads, nor can they enter the central bus terminal of the city. Vehicles will start from the link roads and also end their journey there.

The international and local NGOs will also have to leave their cars at the link roads.

No one from outside the district would be allowed to enter the city during these two weeks.

Journalists, reporters, photographers, videographers, and relevant Cox’s Bazar press club authority will have to carry their identification. Media workers and reporters can move with the vigilance team using the identity cards provided by Cox’s Bazar press club.

People more than the number specified by the authority will not be allowed to gather at mosques.

Cox’s Bazar district information office, Cox’s Bazar municipality, Cox’s Bazar sadar upazila UNO and Cox’s Bazar municipality Awami League gave announcements about these guidelines throughout the city on Friday.

At the video conference with the additional deputy commissioner it was said that 276 coronavirus infections have been identified in Cox’s Bazar municipality alone.

The lowest number of infections is three in ward number 12 and six people in ward number 1.

Ten people have already died from Covid-19 in the municipality.

Till now, 886 people have been infected with Covid-19 in Cox’s Bazar district. Almost 250 of them have returned home after being recovered, while 18 people have died.

Around 34 Rohingya camps are under risk. Till now one Rohingya has died and 34 are under treatment.