Health Service Secy: No decision for general holiday yet
Tribune ReportGovernment Affairs
Despite the sudden surge of Covid 19 cases in March, the health authorities of Bangladesh have said that they are yet to get a directive over imposing another round of general holiday but following the current situation it remains a possibility.
Secretary of Health Service Division under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) Abdul Mannan made the statement replying to a question – whether the government was planning to announce general holiday (lockdown) from March 26 to April 4.
On March 23, 2020, as a part of preventive measures against the spread of Covid-19 pandemic, the government declared a "general holiday" (lockdown) in Bangladesh from March 26 and later extended the shutdown in phases till May 30.
The health service secretary said they did not receive any directive from the government.
“We are celebrating 50 years of our independence nationwide. Not only us, Bangladeshis staying all over the world are celebrating it … So, we have to understand [sic]. If we have to take any decision, it may be taken. But we did not receive any directive in this regard from the higher ups of the government,” the secretary said.
Also Read - Bangladesh records 2,172 Covid-19 cases, 22 deaths in 24 hours
On March 18, Health Minister Zahid Maleque said that the decision of lockdown or general holiday is a decision made by the government, not the Health Ministry.
A recommendation from DGHS has been forwarded to the authorities concerned and they would decide what would be best for the country, Maleque added.
Bangladesh has recorded 2,172 Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours while 22 patients died. Since March 8 last year, some 570,878 people got infected in the country while the death toll from coronavirus has risen to 8,690.
The infection rate in the country was 10.29% between Saturday and Sunday, while the average of the rate stands at 12.95%, DGHS confirmed.