Bangladesh likely to extend lockdown for another week as Covid-19 worsens

"The ongoing nationwide lockdown is likely to be extended for another week, and the decision in this regard will come within a day or two," Dhaka Tribune quoted State Minister for Public Administration Farhad Hossain as saying.

Bangladesh is likely to extend the ongoing nationwide lockdown for another week as the Covid-19 situation in the country continues to worsen.

A nurse injects Oxford-AstraZeneca’s Covishield to an elderly man at the Dhaka Medical College vaccination centre in Dhaka, Bangladesh.(Reuters)

"The ongoing nationwide lockdown is likely to be extended for another week, and the decision in this regard will come within a day or two," Dhaka Tribune quoted State Minister for Public Administration Farhad Hossain as saying.

"We haven't yet got any decision about a fresh lockdown. There'll be a meeting on Monday over the current Covid-19 situation. But advice is there overextending the ongoing lockdown," the State Minister added.

Bangladesh on Sunday reported over 100 Covid-19 single-day deaths for the third consecutive day.

On Sunday, another 102 deaths were logged in 24 hours. Earlier on Saturday and Friday, 101 new deaths were recorded in a single day, the highest in the country so far since the first reported death on March 18, 2020.

With the updated data, the death toll in the country stands at 10,385, and the total cases at 718,950.

On April 14, the Bangladesh government enforced a fresh lockdown with harsher measures. The ongoing lockdown was imposed after a 'loose' nationwide lockdown for one week from April 5 as part of its move to contain the spike in both coronavirus infections and fatalities.

"The decision [to extend lockdown] will be known within 1-2 days as the coronavirus infections keep spreading. If people follow health guidelines properly and stay home, then the infection rate will come down," Hossain said.

The National Technical Advisory Committee (NTAC) on Covid-19 has recommended a 14-day fresh lockdown and the ongoing lockdown might be extended for another week based on the recommendation.

Replying to a question about the extension of the ongoing lockdown, Additional Secretary of the Cabinet Division Rafiqul Islam, said: "The decision in this regard will be known on Monday after an inter-ministerial meeting."