quarantine
206 India returnees put in 14-day quarantine in Cumilla
A total of 206 Bangladeshis, who returned from India through the Akhaura land port in Brahmanbaria district, have been sent to Cumilla to stay in 14-day institutional quarantine, said officials.
Local administration sources said the Bangladeshi nationals returned home through Akhaura Land Port in the last five days and all of them have been kept at the eight quarantine centres in Cumilla as all the isolation centres in Brahmanbaria are full.
Read: 3 India returnees test positive for Covid in Magura
However, no one tested positive for Covid-19, Mohammad Abu Syed, Cumilla Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) told UNB on Saturday.
The returnees hail from Cumilla, Feni, Chandpur, Noakhali and Brahmanbaria districts.
Four executive magistrates and health officials are there to ensure the health protocols, said the UNO.
As India has been experiencing a new strain of Covid-19, the government has imposed restrictions along the border areas of Bangladesh.
Read:36 India returnees sent to Cumilla for institutional quarantine
According to the World Health Organisation, the Indian variant has already spread to 60 countries across the world.
The Bangladeshi citizens currently travelling to India for treatment and having visas with validity for less than 15 days could enter Bangladesh only through Benapole, Akhaura and Burimari after taking permission from Bangladesh diplomatic missions in New Delhi, Kolkata, and Agartala and with a mandatory Covid-negative certificates done through PCR test within 72 hours of entry.
3 India returnee students test Covid positive
Three Bangladeshi students, who returned home from India through the Burimari land port, have tested positive for coronavirus.
Lalmonirhat Civil Surgeon Dr Nirmalendu Roy on Sunday said samples collected from the students would be sent to Dhaka for tests to find out if they had been infected by the Indian variant.
The students have been kept in institutional quarantine under the supervision of the district administration at a hotel in Burimari.
Also read: Bangladesh sees only 363 new Covid cases as sample testing falls amid Eid
Patgram Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md Saifur Rahman said the students are doing well.
“Their samples will soon be sent to IEDCR for testing,” he said.
Bangladesh has kept all its borders with India shut since April 26 as the neighbouring country grapples with the new variant of the virus that has infected millions and claimed thousands of lives.
Also read: Bangladesh extends lockdown until May 23
Many Bangladeshi students and patients got stuck in India during the border closure. But they are being allowed to return home with the approval of the authorities concerned and on condition of undergoing mandatory quarantine after entering the country.
Until Sunday afternoon, 202 people returned through the Burimari land port.
Of the returnees, 83 are currently staying in quarantine at five residential hotels and 101 are in Lalmonirhat Sadar Hospital.
Also read: DGHS urges holidaymakers to return to Dhaka after 14 days
Thirty-five of them were released by the upazila administration after they tested negative for the virus.
Woman kept under quarantine dies in Jashore
A Bangladeshi woman who was kept under institutional quarantine following her recent return from India, died at Jashore Chest Disease Hospital on Wednesday night, health officials said Thursday.
The deceased was identified as Ambia Khatun, 34, wife of Abdul Awal, a resident of the Siddhirganj area in Narayanganj. She was suffering from kidney disease and had gone to India for treatment.
Both Ambia and her husband and wife were kept under institutional quarantine at Hotel Hasan International in Jashore since their return from India on May 7.
Read: 7 who fled Covid facility in Jashore arrested, later released on bail
Jashore District Civil Surgeon Dr Sheikh Abu Shaheen said that Ambia was suffering from kidney ailment, diabetes and hypertension and had gone to India for treatment.
"She fell sick on Wednesday evening and was rushed to Jessore Chest Disease Hospital. She died around 10.45 pm while undergoing treatment. Ambia had tested negative for Covid-19," he said.
Arrangements have been made to send her body to her village in collaboration with the police, the civil surgeon added.
No hotel vacancy in Benapole and Narail
Bangladeshis returning from India through Benapole checkpost are being sent to hotels in Khulna for 14-days quarantine.
Since Saturday, India-returnees have been sent to Khulna.
After all the 12 hotels and a madrasa in Benapole were filled with people from India by Thursday, they were sent to the hotels in Narail on Friday.
Also read: 105 Bangladeshis return from India through Benapole
To cope with overwhelming crowd of returnees, this step has been taken.
Every day, Bangladeshis stuck in India are returning in groups through Benapole checkpost.
Read Liquid oxygen import from India suspended at Benapole
Most of the stranded passengers were staying in India for treatment.
About 70 Bangladeshis returned to the country by 3 pm on Sunday.
They were taken to Khulna under special arrangements.
Also read: 15 stranded Bangladeshis return home through Benapole
So far 1199 people have returned from India after the lockdown.
As per the government instructions, the returnees are being kept in 14-day institutional quarantine.
Read Arms, valuables, drugs worth Tk 120 crore seized from Benapole in 2020
Legal notice seeks implementation of 14-day mandatory quarantine
A legal notice was sent to the authorities concerned seeking implementation of a High Court (HC) order to make 14-day quarantine mandatory for all foreign returnees.
The notice also sought an explanation on why the progress report on implementing HC’s four-point directive was not submitted to the court.
Also Read: Lockdown is only way to tackle coronavirus
Health Minister Zahid Maleque, State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism Md Mahbub Ali and five others were made respondents to the notice issued by Supreme Court lawyer Yunus Ali Akhand.
The notice asked the respondents to reply within 24 hours and warned that a contempt of court case will be filed against them if they don't respond.
On March 19 last year, the HC issued a rule along with a four-point interim directive after an initial hearing on a writ petition filed by Akhand.
It also issued a rule seeking an explanation why airports and seaports won’t be directed to ensure 14-day quarantine and health examination.
Covid-19 would not have spread to this extent had the authorities concerned followed the directive on mandatory quarantine of foreign returnees, the lawyer said.
The cabinet secretary is yet to file the progress report which was scheduled to be submitted within April 16 last year, he said.
Also Read: HC wants to know steps taken to prevent coronavirus
Covid-19 situation
Bangladesh posted its highest single-day death count from the virus for the third consecutive day on Monday.
The health authorities confirmed 83 deaths in the afternoon, surpassing Sunday’s figure of 78. The number was 77 on Saturday.
Fatalities from Covid-19 rose to 9,822 as the mortality rate remained static at 1.42 percent for the fourth consecutive day, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) said in a handout.
Safe Lifestyle in COVID-19 Lockdown: Do's, Don'ts, and Precautions
It seems coronavirus is not going away anytime soon from our life. And the second wave already hit Bangladesh. This time the new variations of COVID-19 are much more deadly than the last year. Hence Bangladeshi government was forced to call for another lockdown like the previous year. The government has issued new directives to implement during the lockdown period for the next seven days.
Staying at home without being accessible to the open air is not satisfying for some people, while it is enjoyable for some. But the ultimate truth is, 'lockdown is a necessity not a luxury.' Here we have explained a proper guideline to cope with the lockdown and stay home safely.
Read Coronavirus Home Quarantine: How to keep the Elderly People Engaged
Reliable Sources for COVID-19 Updates in Bangladesh
With the vast availability of smartphones along with the internet, access information circulates so quickly. Therefore, it becomes hard to tell which news is true. With the wrong or fake news, it is easy to get scared. But, getting the real news is highly essential.
Currently, government-issued circulations are the only trustworthy source to ger the real information about coronavirus in Bangladesh. You may visit corona.gov.bd to access the latest and reliable information. Besides, information from the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) is also counted as reliable. However, if you want to get updates on other parts of the world, you can check the World Health Organization.
Read How to Handle Your Coronavirus Anxiety during Home Quarantine?
COVID-19 Lockdown Do's and Dont's
Do’s:
Stay home! This is the ultimate goal of lockdown. There is no point in giving lockdown if you don't stay at home. However, you can go outside for emergency purposes or grocery shopping, or even if you need to go to the office. Since there is no proper guideline about attending the office and most of the offices are open, you may go to the office by maintaining proper COVID-19 safety protocol.
Wash your hands frequently. This is the easiest process to slow down the spread and restrict passing to others or having passed it to you. However, you need to follow the proper handwashing guideline, and you found it here.
Also Read: Coronavirus Home Quarantine: How to keep the Elderly people engaged
Practice proper coughing and sneezing etiquette. Corona can easily spread through the affected person's coughing and sneezing. Whether you are affected or not, cough and sneeze on your elbow. In this way, your hands remain clean and eventually prevent from spreading germs. Practice proper social distancing. In other words, don't go out unnecessarily. Avoid going to any large gatherings. Nevertheless, if you go out in an emergency, maintain at least six feet distance from people.
Use the mask properly. We have a tendency not to use a mask. Even when we use a mask; we don't wear it properly. So, wear a mask properly as it can prevent the virus to a great extent. Use designated transport to commute to the office. According to the government-issued directives, government, non-government, courts, and private offices can provide transportation facilities to their employees. Those vehicles will maintain all the safety protocols, so you can use the official transportation to stay safe.
Read Essential Hygiene Practices to Prevent Coronavirus Contamination
Order food online. Since the restaurants are instructed to stay open for delivery or takeaway foods, you can order from home or even order and pick up from the restaurant quickly.
Don'ts:
Going out between 6 pm to 6 am is strictly prohibited unless there are any emergencies. However, it is suggested that you try to stay home regardless of the time. Even if you need to go out, you should not spend much time outside.
Avoid visiting the shopping malls. Although the shopping malls will remain close, shops can keep their wholesale part open. But it would be a good idea to avoid any kind of shops.
Avoid buying excessive suppliers. We have seen in last year that people tend to buy excessive supplies of foods, toiletries, etc., like there is no tomorrow. Avoid buying more supplies than you need and keep the items for others.
Read Pandemic Grocery List: Is Your Home Ready for Coronavirus Home Quarantine?
Don't panic. We may get panicked if our nearest or dearest ones get infected. In that case, you will need to stay calm and quiet. Besides, remember that COVID-19's severity depends on several factors. So, try to stay calm and take the necessary steps.
Read Where to Buy Grocery Online in Dhaka during Quarantine?
Tips to Stay Stress-Free During COVID-19 Lockdown
Getting stress during the lockdown is inevitable, even though you did everything to stay calm. You will need to keep yourself busy on something that you have an interest in. Besides, you can take some steps to make your lockdown stress-free.
Read How to Keep Your Children Occupied during Coronavirus
For health and nutrition
Adequate nutrition can certainly fight COVID-19. You may not get proper nutrition as you cannot go outside to shop according to your needs. Sometimes you may not get the proper supply in your nearest grocery store. Therefore, you can shop online and get your desired items.
However, it is mandatory to hygiene your online deliveries. For instance, you can wash your food before eating. Besides, you can clean and use disinfection spray to clean other stuff.
Read Masala Tea Health Benefits: How Can It Improve Your Immunity
For mental well-being
Taking care of your mental health is highly essential. For mental well-being, you can do yoga or meditation by maintaining a specific routine. Besides, being physically active is necessary, too, as it can reduce depression and can also reduce feelings of stress. Healthy eating is another way to boost mental well-being.
Read Coronavirus and Insomnia: How to Sleep Well during COVID19 Pandemic
For physical well-being
During the lockdown, we tend to sit idly, which invites some fats into our bodies. Therefore, physical activities are necessary to involve all of your muscles. Try to be active at home; you can do this by simply walking on the rooftop. You can do some home exercise too. If you are not sure which exercise you should do, there are plenty of apps for work out, and you can follow these to stay fit during the lockdown.
Read Online Pharmacy: Where to Buy Medicine in Dhaka during Coronavirus Home Quarantine
For self-development
Last year many people did online courses during the lockdown to develop themselves. You can do this too. You may search for the books that you are interested in and enrich yourself.
Besides, taking courses on different platforms such as Udemy, Coursera, Repto, etc. are the great way to develop skills.
Read Where to Find Online Courses during Coronavirus Home Quarantine
Final words
The Bangladesh government has imposed a seven-day lockdown so far. However, there is a great chance that it will be extended. So, the guidelines and the tips we have mentioned in the article will definitely help you to stay motivated during a long span of lockdown.
Read Rooftop Gardening: Way to Release Stress and Promote Health during Pandemic
Tigers off to Queenstown after quarantine
Bangladesh cricket team were on their way to Queenstown from Christchurch after their 14-day quarantine ended.
Tigers to leave managed isolation and move free in New Zealand
After completion of the managed isolation and quarantine in New Zealand, the Bangladesh team will be free to move around from Wednesday, a Bangladesh Cricket Board statement reads.
How experts will hunt for Covid-19 origins in China
After a two-week quarantine, the real work can begin. Maybe.
3 Hobbies to Pick Up During Quarantine
It’s 2021 and the epidemic doesn’t seem to be slowing down any time soon. Despite heightened security and prompt responses in many parts of the world, the future remains uncertain and another lockdown could be imminent at any time. Unlike the first wave, everyone is better prepared; which means that picking up a new hobby during prolonged isolation could be the perfect opportunity to turn a grim situation into a productive one that we’d never have the time for otherwise. Here are a few hobbies to pick up if you find yourself back into quarantine.