Armed Forces to Be Deployed Today

Armed Forces will be deployed at any time today to assist the civil administration to take effective steps to maintain social distancing and keep coronavirus suspects in quarantine.

Sources at the Inter-Services Public Relation (ISPR) said they will be deployed after a field assessment.

Members of the Bangladesh Army, Navy and Air Force will assist the civil administration at the division and district levels and in coastal areas, Rashedul Alam Khan, assistant director of ISPR, said Monday.

They will assess the treatment arrangement for COVID-19 patients and quarantine of suspects in coordination with district magistrates, he said, adding that Armed Forces members will look into whether any returnee is following or violating the mandatory quarantine.

District magistrates will urge local Army commanders to assess the situation as per the law, he added.

Navy members will assist the civil administration in coastal areas while Bangladesh Air Force will be deployed for distributing necessary medical equipment for hospitals and emergency communication.

Meanwhile, the government on Monday declared general holidays from March 26 to April 4 to prevent the transmission of coronavirus. Kitchen markets, hospitals and pharmacies will remain open as usual.

Educational institutions and trains services have also been shut.

Bangladesh on Monday confirmed its third death from coronavirus and reported six more new cases, including a health worker, taking the number of cases to 33.

The global death toll reached 16,510 as of Tuesday – a mortality rate of 14 percent. The virus has so far infected 378,842 people, according to the worldometer.

Of them, 260,268 are currently being treated and 12,062 are in serious or critical condition. So far, 102,064 have recovered.

Source: UNB