In the wake of fresh surge in Covid cases in the country, the National Technical Advisory Committee (NTAC) on Covid-19 placed six recommendations to contain its spread. The Cabinet Division issued a notification on Tuesday requesting all concerned to implement the recommendations of NTAC. Read:Health Minister concerned over uptick in Covid, urges return to protocols The recommendations include: 1. Requesting media to raise awareness among people for maintaining  health guidelines 2. Making use of mask mandatory everywhere, enforcement of ‘No mask no service’ policy, ensure social distancing and avoid public gatherings. 3. Ensure use of mask and maintain social distance in all religious places including mosques, temples and churches. 4. Asking people to undergo Covid-19 test if they see Covid symptoms including fever, cough and cold. 5. Ensuring mask use at all shopping malls, shops, markets, hotel-restaurants or facing legal action. 6. Imams of mosques to give sermons for maintaining health guidelines and wearing masks to all during Juma prayers. The Cabinet also asked the authorities concerned to take necessary steps to   implement the recommendations. Covid-19 situation Bangladesh registered three more Covid-linked deaths with 2,087 new infections in 24 hours till Tuesday morning. The new figures took the country’s total death toll to 29,145 while the caseload to 19,69, 361, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). The daily-case positivity rate slightly increased to 15.47 per cent from Monday’s 15.20 per cent as 13,489 samples were tested during the period, said the DGHS. The mortality rate remained unchanged at 1.48 per cent. The recovery rate declined to 96.84 per cent from Monday’s 96.93 per cent as 200 patients recovered during this period. In May, the country reported only four Covid-linked deaths and 816 new cases, while 7,356 patients recovered from the disease, according to the DGHS. Among the four deaths during the period, one was vaccinated with a single dose of Covid vaccine while three were vaccinated with two doses. Read: Bangladesh sees 3 more Covid deaths, 2,087 new cases The country reported its first zero Covid death in a single day on November 20 last year, along with 178 cases, since the pandemic broke out here in March 2020. On January 28, Bangladesh logged its previous highest positivity rate of 33.37 per cent. The country registered its highest daily caseload of 16,230 on July 28 last year and daily fatalities of 264 on August 10 in the same year.

BNP on Tuesday aired a doubt whether the government imposed fresh restrictions, including on public gatherings, to stop the party’s rallies and meetings. "People are questioning whether the restrictions have been imposed only to prevent BNP’s rallies. Because people have awakened against the government,” said BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi. Speaking at a press conference at BNP’s Nayapaltan central office, he also said the government has become sacred as people have started joining their party’s rallies breaking section 144. "We would like to clearly say the fall of the current regime can’t be resisted, no matter how many conspiracies are hatched. People can no longer be suppressed by resorting to conspiracies with cases, conviction and restrictions,” Rizvi warned. Read: 300 injured in ‘police attack’ on BNP’s Habiganj rally: Rizvi Amid the spike in Covid cases due to the transmission of the Omicron variant, the government on Monday imposed various restrictions, including public gatherings, social programmes, political and religious events. The restrictions will be effective on January 13. Programmes to continue Replying to a question, Rizvi said their party’s planned rallies in the second phase will continue amid the government’s restrictions. "The programme that we’ve already announced will continue. Our party still didn’t change its decision in this regard,” he added. On January 5, the party announced to hold rallies in its 40 more organisational districts from January 8 in the second phase to force the government to allow its chairperson Khaleda Zia to go abroad for advanced medical treatment. As per the schedule, the party was supposed to hold rallies in six days--January 8, 12, 15, 17, 22 and 24-- to mount pressure on the government to allow Khaleda Zia to go abroad for treatment. The party formally inaugurated the second-phase programmes through a rally in Brahmanbaria on January 8. Read:Don’t leave streets until govt ousted: Rizvi to BNP followers In the first phase, the party held rallies in 32 districts from December 22 to 30 to press for the same demand. Khaleda, a 76-year-old former prime minister, has been receiving treatment at Evercare Hospital for various health complications since November 13. Her medical board members said Khaleda immediately needs to go abroad for better treatment as she was diagnosed with liver cirrhosis.

EdsSeeking cooperation from all to check the rapid transmission of coronavirus, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday urged people to avoid public gatherings, unnecessary outside stay and wear face masks everywhere. “This time the virus is spreading very rapidly. This resurgence is not only seen in our country but also throughout the world. So, I would like to tell all that we’ll have to check the coronavirus again this time as we controlled everything in the first time,” she told Parliament. The Prime Minister made the call participating in the discussion over the condolence motion placed in the first sitting of the 12th session of Parliament at the death of MP Mahmud Us Samad Chowdhury (Sylhet-3). She said though coronavirus was largely controlled in Bangladesh initially, the sudden surge in the virus infection has recently been seen as people ignored hygiene rules after the Covid-19 inoculation programme started. Sheikh Hasina said public movement and gatherings went up excessively, though she repeatedly asked all to wear masks and follow the health rules even after getting vaccinated. Noting that the government has already issued some directives to check the transmission of Covid-19, she said, “We’re trying to bring it under control gradually. But cooperation from people is needed in this regard.” “I would like to request to pay special attention so that no public gathering takes place anywhere,” she said. She suggested all to avoid large gatherings of people in social programmes like wedding and return home within a short time after completing their tasks in shops and markets. “I would like to request all, no matter who is infected or not (by Covid-19), to wear masks always,” said the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister suggested people to take the hot water steam and use mustard oil in their nose. Though the use of mustard oil is rural practice, it can be effective in many cases, she said. “I always use mustard oil in my nose whenever go outside after the outbreak of Coronavirus,” she added. Also read:PM issues directives to tackle Covid-19