Coronavirus: Bangladesh Locks Down 38 Districts

Bangladesh has locked down its 38 districts out of 64 in an attempt to deter the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

Seventeen more districts were also put on partial lockdown following a rise in the number of virus cases in the region, said Minister of Health and Family Welfare Zahid Malik.

The fully locked down districts are Gazipur, Gopalganj, Kishoreganj, Madaripur, Narayanganj, Narsingdi, Rajbari, Shariatpur, Tangail, Munshiganj, Cox's Bazar, Noakhali, Lakshmipur, Chandpur, Cumilla, Brahmanbaria, Mymensingh, Netrakona, Jamalpur, Sherpur, Rajshahi, Naogaon, Joypurhat, Rangpur, Gaibandha, Lalmonirhat, Nirphamari, Dinajpur, Sunamganj, Habiganj, and Moulvibazar.

As a result, no-one is allowed to enter or exit the districts during the period.

The deadly virus infected 2,456 people in the country and killed 91 people as of Sunday, with 75 recovering from the outbreak, the minister added.

Saying that many circumvent the lockdowns, minister Zahid has cautioned that infections and deaths can escalate or go out of reach if the restrictions are lifted.

New districts are now being introduced to the lockdown list when a growing number of people leaving infected areas with coronavirus to their home villages in the middle with bans, thus enhancing the possibility of further infections.

COVID-19 first emerged in December last year in the Chinese city of Wuhan, and later expanded to 210 countries and territories.

According to Worldometer, the outbreak has so far affected 2,358,675 people and killed 161,919 globally, a database that is tracking a list of reported reports of coronavirus and deaths from it.

However full recovery from the coronavirus pandemic has reached 606,654 globally.