People in the lockdown area at Shibchar upazila in Madaripur district have now become aware and have been following the guidelines to stop a further spread of coronavirus.
The local administration clamped an emergency lockdown on Shibchar upazila once it was identified as the center of the coronavirus outbreak in the country.
According to the upazila administration: “No one can enter or leave the area during the lockdown. Everyone has to stay home. Only emergency services are to remain active. Pharmacies, grocery stores and emergency services will remain open. All shops and public transports will also remain closed during the lockdown.”
Visiting the vulnerable areas, this correspondent found them to be completely deserted.
No one was available to speak about the situation. However, a pharmacy vendor said: “People are now following the order to stop the spread in line with the global situation. Law enforcement personnel are also patrolling the streets, so that people do not roam around the streets unnecessarily.
Abdul Rashid, a shopkeeper at Shibrayerkandi Bazar, said: “We use masks and gloves while selling anything. Police and magistrates are looking after the situation round the clock.”
The government has deployed 250 policemen at two vulnerable wards and unions. Police are not allowing anyone to venture out of their homes except in emergency cases.
Magistrates are closely monitoring the area so that people obey the order from the government.
On the other hand, the authorities have started serving food, medicine and necessary equipment to the people of the locked down areas in Shibchar Upazila.
Home quarantined people as well as people from low-income brackets have been receiving food and medicine.
Shibchar Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Md Asaduzzaman said: “We have identified the people who need food and medicine. We have started to distribute food and medicine from today.”
Meanwhile, the district administration on Sunday closed off all the roads for internal communication except the highway between Madaripur and Barishal.
A total of 360 people have maintained home quarantine, 3 are in quarantine in hospital and another 3 are in isolation in Madaripur Sadar Hospital.
A total of 287 people were released from home quarantine, according to information from Madaripur civil surgeon office.
A total of 78 thousand people are under strict surveillance in terms of movement. Altogether 3,500 expats arrived in Shibchar upazila including 684 from highly infected Italy.
Police restrict movement at Tolabagh:
Police have also imposed restrictions at Uttar Tolarbagh in Dhaka’s Mirpur.
They closed off all internal roads within Tolarbagh. People who had left home earlier to go to work were seen getting stuck outside the residential area. However, they were finally allowed in on condition that they do not move out of the area.
“Limited restrictions have been placed on movement in Tolarbagh, but they cannot be considered as a lockdown,” said Mahmuda Afroz, additional deputy commissioner of Police (Mirpur Zone).
“People are allowed to move if it’s an emergency case. We took the decision following a meeting with the local public representative and establishment owners,” added Mahmuda.
