The decision to relax the ongoing lockdown could lead to increase coronavirus infections in the country. Earlier, experts feared that the peak time of the outbreak of the contagion would take place in May.
Despite the various steps taken by the law enforcement agencies during the ongoing lockdown, it has not been possible to fully implement all those measures. In many parts of the country, including the capital Dhaka, social or physical distancing is no longer being followed. As a result, the number of Covid-19 victims is increasing day by day.
However, if the situation gets out of control due to easing of the lockdown then it will not be a surprising matter.
In this situation, if shops, shopping malls are opened and congregations allowed in mosques, the infection may increase. There are also doubts as to how many people will follow the personal hygiene rules.
A statistic shows that the number of victims in US is 1.1 million on Thursday. But in the first 50 days, the total number of victims was only about 6,000. And in the first 50 days in Bangladesh, more than 10,000 have been infected. So, it is understandable that the fear of a widespread infection remains in our country.
Zahidur Rahman, Assistant Professor of Department of Virology of Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College, said, "The coronavirus infection rate in our country is currently increasing. The way people have violated the lockdown in Dhaka, Gazipur and Narayanganj in the last few days, the infection rate in the country may reach the highest level within this month. So, every moment is precious now."
"No country in the world has thought of easing or lifting the lockdown at this
stage of the transmission. Only Sweden did it and within just two weeks they started paying for their mistake. The number of their death is increasing every day. Now they are regretting their own mistake," he added.
At the same time, Dr Zahidur Rahman has sought the intervention of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to immediately cancel a few decisions that Bangladesh has taken in the name of relaxing the lockdown.
A member of the National Technical Advisory Committee on Coronavirus said that the peak time of coronavirus could appear in the country within this month. The presence of which is already being noticed.
All lockdown's instructions must be followed to keep the situation under control. Such as, not leaving the house unnecessarily, using facemask when going out in case of emergency and keeping distance, etc. Failure to follow these lockdown instructions can lead to terrible consequences.
He also said that the decision to open shopping malls and mosques has been taken at a time when it is mandatory to follow these instructions.
As a result, public gatherings cannot be controlled in anyway. Social transmission from these places will spread at a much wider rate. The coronavirus pandemic in the country may become uncontrollable like that of Europe and America.
Meanwhile, Health Minister Zahid Malek has expressed concern that the infection may increase due to the opening of ready-made garment factories and increasing people's movement as shops are being opened. He made the remarks at a press briefing after a meeting of the National Technical Advisory Committee on Coronavirus at the Ministry of Health on Tuesday.
Health Minister Zahid Malek further said that the Coronavirus Technical Committee including 17-member of experts and experienced doctors would advise the government on opening the ongoing lockdown across the country. The government must seriously consider the opinion of the specialist doctors in the country.
But the technical committee has no authority to make such a decision, said one of the members of the committee, Professor M Iqbal Arslan.
He said, "There is no scope to give this type of suggestion from the technical committee on these issues. So far, all the decisions to ease the lockdown have been taken by the inter-ministerial committee."
However, he expressed worry about the instructions given to ease the lockdown in the current situation of the country.
A general holiday has been going on in the country since March 26 to prevent coronavirus infection. Public transport, shops and shopping malls are closed.
Besides, prayers in congregation in mosques are also closed. But on Monday, the government decided that shops for Eid shopping would be kept open on a limited scale from May 10.
On Wednesday, the Ministry of Religious Affairs said from the time of Zohr on Thursday, maintaining rules of hygiene and distance people can offer prayers in congregation in mosques.
Sources said about 60 per cent of the affected people in the country are in Dhaka and Narayanganj. So, more caution is needed in these two areas. Worryingly, most of the garment factories are also located in these two districts and Gazipur.
According to experts, although the ongoing lockdown is not fully effective, but still one of the reasons for keeping the infection rate under control is this lockdown. Garment factories were opened a few days ago and if shops and shopping malls will also open from May 10, the risk of infection will increase manifolds.
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