Police arrested 241 more people in Dhaka on Sunday for violating lockdown restrictions on the 17th day of the countrywide lockdown aimed at reducing the Covid-19 spread. The arrestees failed to show any valid reason for being out on the streets, said DMP Additional Deputy Commissioner (Media) Iftekharul Islam. Meanwhile, mobile courts collected Tk 37,450 in fines from 84 people. Read: Govt eases lockdown from Aug 11 with some guidelines to follow Also, the Traffic Division collected Tk 12,18,000  as penalties from 537 vehicles for violating lockdown restrictions. The number of vehicles and people on the city’s streets were comparatively higher on Sunday than the previous day. The movement of people and vehicles increased significantly on the 17th day of lockdown on as many people are coming out of their houses for various reasons. Read: Lockdown or no lockdown, life is the same in Dhaka Some people are going outside for vaccination as mass vaccination programme began in the country on Saturday while many more for other reasons as export-oriented factories were opened on August 1. It is only the shopping malls and eateries that remained closed and public transport stayed off roads as per lockdown rules.

As the ruthless Delta variant keeps spreading like wildfire, Bangladesh added 248 fatalities to its national tally Friday, up from 212 logged a week earlier. The country has been reporting over 200 single-day fatalities for the last two weeks as it races to head off a surge in Covid-19 cases driven by the unrelenting Delta variant. After weathering the first wave of the virus, Bangladesh's health services are now stretched dangerously thin. The Covid-19 infections are on the upswing, with 13,771 – 95% of the peak – new cases reported on average each day. Bangladesh recorded 12,606 new cases on Friday after testing 48,015 samples, down from 13,862 logged a week earlier on July 30. Read: Bangladesh ready to kick off massive vaccination drive Saturday: DGHS DG The country reported the highest daily Covid-19 fatality of 264 on August 5 and 16,230 infections on July 28.

Police arrested 354 people in Dhaka for violating lockdown restrictions on the 12th day of the countrywide strict lockdown on Tuesday. The arrestees failed to show any valid reason for coming out on the streets, said DMP Additional Deputy Commissioner (media) Iftekharul Islam. Meanwhile, mobile courts collected Tk 1,77,000 in fines from 120 people. Read: People find 'easy excuses' to defy lockdown in Dhaka Besides, the Traffic Division collected Tk 1,12,3000 as penalties from 532 vehicles for failing to comply with coronavirus lockdown restrictions. On the 12th day of lockdown, the streets of Dhaka flooded with vehicles bringing back its chaotic days. Read: Covid kills 218 more in Bangladesh as its catastrophe continues Everything except public transports were plying city streets and people wandering around with little or no regard to the health guidelines. The government, meanwhile, has extended the current lockdown till August 10.

Amid the merciless onslaught of Covid-19 in Bangladesh, the country recorded 236 more deaths linked to the virus in 24 hours till Tuesday morning. According to a handout issued by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), 15,776 more people came out positive with the virus during the period after the test of 55,284 samples. The fresh numbers pushed the country’s death tally to 21,397 today with the caseload mounting to 1,296,093. Meanwhile, the daily test positivity rate fell to 28.58 % from Monday's 29.91%, while the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a 5% or below rate. The country has been seeing over 14,300 cases and 230 deaths every day on average for the last seven days. The recovery rate, however, rose to 86.80%, and the case fatality remained unchanged at 1.65% compared to the same period, said the DGHS. Read: Covid in Bangladesh: Seniors far more likely to face the worst Amid the growing concerns about the highly infectious Delta variant, Dhaka division reported the highest 73 deaths, Chattogram 65, Khulna 32, Rajshahi 21, Sylhet, Rangpur and Mymensingh each 12 and Barishal eight deaths. Of today’s deceased, 140 were male and 95 were female. Hiring hospitals The government is going to rent hotels for providing treatment to Covid patients with mild complications as hospitals are under an unprecedented crisis with huge patients, Health Minister Zahid Maleque said on Tuesday. “Already 90 percent of the seats in hospitals have been packed. And 95% ICU beds are also occupied. We’re preparing a field hospital at Bangabandhu Medical University where we can immediately arrange 500-600 beds,” he said.

Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, is known for its traffic congestion. One will see it, no matter whether there is a shutdown or bad weather because its chaotic traffic -- still too mild a term -- is its identity.   On the 12th day of lockdown, UNB correspondents saw the streets of Dhaka flooded with vehicles bringing back its chaotic days. Everything except public transports were plying city streets and people wandering around with little or no regard to the health guidelines.   The government, meanwhile, has extended the current lockdown till August 10 amid a surge in the delta variant of Covid-19 across the country. Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque disclosed the decision of the government while talking to reporters after an inter-ministerial meeting on Tuesday. He said shops, factories and offices will be reopened from August 11 while public transport will be allowed to ply roads on a limited scale once the lockdown is over.  After a reality check at different parts of the capital, including Shabagh, Uttara, Mohakhali, Mirpur, Kalabagan, Biijoy Srani, Badda, Farmgate, Shyamoli, Karwan Bazar and Bangla Motor, the UNB correspondents saw the capital almost returning to normal with, with an increased number of vehicles and people on the streets. Read: People find 'easy excuses' to defy lockdown in Dhaka Usual traffic jams were also seen at most of these places during office hours from 8:30 am to 11 am.

Police arrested 303 people in Dhaka for violating lockdown restrictions on the 10th day of the 14-day countrywide strict lockdown on Sunday. The arrestees failed to show any valid reason for coming out on the streets, said DMP Additional Deputy Commissioner (media) Iftekharul Islam. Meanwhile, mobile courts collected Tk 1,16,100 as fines from 103 people. Besides, the Traffic Division collected Tk 4,45,500 as penalties from 183 vehicles for failing to comply with coronavirus lockdown restrictions. As mills and factories reopened on Sunday following the government’s announcement, public transports were seen on the roads till noon carrying workers and staff to the city. Read: People find 'easy excuses' to defy lockdown in Dhaka Those who had left the capital for Eid-ul-Azha and did not return due to the closure of factories were seen entering the city on foot amid the lockdown. Good number of buses and other vehicles were seen around Abdullahpur Tongi Bridge, Ashulia Bridge, Aminbazar Bridge, Gabtoli, Babubazar Bridge and Postogola Bridge. Shimulia ferry terminal in Munshiganj also saw a huge crowd as people from south western districts were coming back to the capital to join their work. However, the streets in Dhaka saw a lower number of CNG autorickshaws and private vehicles. Visiting Gabtoli, Technical Intersection, Kamalapur, Shyamoli, Asadgate, New Market and Mirpur areas and Uttara, Abdullahpur, Banani, Mohakhali, Airport, Satrasta, Kakrail, Matshya Bhaban, the UNB correspondent found few private cars and CNG autorickshaws. Read: Covid kills 218 more in Bangladesh as its catastrophe continues The number of three-wheeler rickshaws was more than the previous day. Members of the police, Rab and BGB were seen patrolling the city streets and checking vehicles at check posts in different parts of the capital. Re-imposed at 8 am on July 23, the current round of strict lockdown will be in force till August 5, unless extended further.

The government has allowed the movement of all public transport services till Sunday 12pm to help the export-oriented factory workers and officials to return to their workplaces. Bus, launch and train services will be operational in all routes across the country during this time. The development was confirmed by the Press Information Department Saturday amid a strict lockdown which will continue till August 5. Read: No decision yet on lockdown extension: Farhad Also, the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) "allowed all water transport to operate from Saturday evening to Sunday 12pm to transport factory workers." The decisions came a day after the government allowed export-oriented factories to restart production from tomorrow amid the ongoing lockdown. Read: Covid kills 218 more in Bangladesh as its catastrophe continues Despite the suspension of public transports, thousands of people started returning to Dhaka through alternative means on the ninth day of the lockdown Saturday. A record surge in the number of Covid cases and fatalities in recent days prompted the government to enforce a nationwide stringent lockdown, suspending all outdoor activities unless there is an emergency.

River vessels will be allowed to operate from Saturday evening to Sunday 12 pm to carry factory workers, said the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) on Saturday. To carry the workers of RMG and export-oriented factories, the government has allowed the vessel movement, said a media release issued by the BIWTA in the evening. The BIWTA requested vessel owners, masters, drivers, staff and passengers to follow health guidelines during the period. Read: No decision yet on lockdown extension: Farhad Although public transport movement remained suspended, thousands of people started returning to Dhaka on the 9th day of the lockdown on Saturday following the government’s announcement that mills and factories will reopen on Sunday (Aug 1). Shimulia ferry terminal in Munshiganj saw a huge crowd as people from south western districts who were coming back to the capital to join their work. The vessel movement was suspended from July 23, 6 am as the government reimposed a countrywide ‘stricter’ lockdown till August 5, midnight as per a Cabinet Division’s order. Read: Covid kills 218 more in Bangladesh as its catastrophe continues Ahead of Eid-ul-Azha, the BIWTA, however, allowed vessels to carry passengers at half of their capacities on condition of maintaining health guidelines from July 14 midnight to 6am on July 23. A record rise in the number of Covid cases and fatalities in recent days prompted the government to enforce a nationwide stringent lockdown suspending all outdoor activities unless there is any emergency.

Police arrested 481 people in Dhaka  for violating lockdown restrictions on the 9th day of the 14-day countrywide strict lockdown on Saturday The arrestees failed to show any valid reason for coming out on the streets, said DMP Additional Deputy Commissioner (media) Iftekharul Islam. Meanwhile, mobile courts collected Tk 2,06,710  as fines from  202 people. Besides, the Traffic Division collected Tk 10,45,000 as penalties from 440 vehicles for failing to comply with coronavirus lockdown restrictions. Although public transport movement remained suspended, thousands of people started returning to Dhaka, following the government’s announcement that mills and factories will reopen on Sunday (Aug 1). Read: Covid kills 218 more in Bangladesh as its catastrophe continues Those who had left the capital for Eid-ul-Azha and did not return due to the closure of factories were seen entering the city on foot amid the lockdown.

As health authorities scramble to prevent the spread of the Delta variant, Bangladesh added 218 fatalities to its national tally on Saturday. The country registered over 200 single-day fatalities for the last six days as it is fighting a horrific wave of the pandemic that overwhelmed its healthcare systems. The country recorded 9,369 new cases on Saturday after testing 30,980 samples, and reported the highest daily Covid-19 fatality number – 258 – on July 27 and 16,230 infections the next day, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). There have been 1,249,484 positive cases and 20,685 coronavirus-related deaths here since the pandemic began, the DGHS said. Meanwhile, the daily test positivity rate took a negligible fall to 30.24% from Friday’s 30.77 %, while the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a 5% or below rate. However, the recovery rate rose to 86.29% from the previous day’s 85.81 % and the case fatality rate to 1.66% from last day’s 1.65 %. Read: No decision yet on lockdown extension: Farhad As many as 14,017 patients recovered from the fatal disease in the 24-hour period. Among the latest deaths, the highest 67 deaths were recorded in Dhaka division followed by 55 in Chattogram, 27 in Khulna, 22 in Rajshahi, 16 in Rangpur, 12 in Mymensingh, 10 in Barishal, and nine in Sylhet divisions.   Of them, 134 were men and 84 women.  Among them, one was between 0-10 years of age, six between 21-30, 17 between 31-40, 37 between 41-50, 37 between 51-60, 66 between 61-70, 33 between 71-80, 15 between 81-90, four between 91-100 and two over 100 years old. Astrazeneca’s fresh rollout On a positive note, Bangladesh will resume vaccination with Astrazeneca shots within the next few days, said Health Minister Zahid Maleque. “We’ll resume vaccination with Astrazeneca jabs within the next 2-1 days. Those who failed to take the second dose after getting the first one will be able to get it now,” he said. He said the government has an overall stock of 2 crore 60 lakh vaccine doses now. Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen and Health Minister Zahid Maleque on Saturday received the second consignment of AstraZeneca vaccine doses from Japan under the COVAX facility. Read: Vaccination with Astrazeneca jabs in Bangladesh to resume within days The second consignment contains 7,81,320 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine. A cargo flight of Cathay Pacific that carried the vaccine doses from Japan landed at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 3:15 pm. The third consignment that will contain 6,16,780 doses of the vaccine is scheduled to arrive here on August 3.