The government is going to enforce a new nationwide "strict lockdown" on Monday, as the country grapples with a surge in coronavirus cases and fatalities with the highly infectious Delta variant playing havoc.

The restrictions will remain in place for seven days, said Press Information Department Principal Information Officer Surath Kumar Sarker.

Government and private offices, barring those of emergency services, will remain shut during this period.

All modes of transport, except those carrying emergency goods, will also remain suspended and nobody will be allowed to go out unless there is an emergency.

Also read: From bad to worse: Bangladesh reports 108 new Covid deaths, 5,869 cases

However, the restrictions will not apply to the media, ambulances, and vehicles used for medical purposes.

The Cabinet Division will come up with details regarding the "strict lockdown" on Saturday, Surath said.

The repeated lockdowns have become a threat to the livelihoods of many in Bangladesh while disrupting travel and social lives.

However, experts hope that stricter rules will bring positivity rates and fatalities down as the country is battling to get a second coronavirus wave under control.

Also read: Bangladesh may see dreadful Covid peak ahead of Eid, experts warn

The National Technical Advisory Committee on Covid-19 pandemic on Thursday recommended imposing a "nationwide shutdown" for two weeks considering the worsening Covid-19 situation in the country.

Community transmission of the highly transmissible Delta variant of coronavirus might be the reason behind the current Covid-19 situation in the country, said the committee.

It used the example of India to emphasise that no step other than a "complete shutdown" might be enough to prevent the spread of the Delta variant.

Bangladesh has seen a spike in coronavirus infections and fatalities in recent weeks, with the country reporting its second-highest fatalities – 108 new deaths – and 5,869 cases Friday. It has now seen 878,804 cases and 13,976 deaths.