Market reopening, relaxed lockdown bode big disaster in waiting: Experts

The government decision to reopen shopping malls and allow people's normal movement can increase the number of coronaviurs-infected people, health experts say.
Health experts and representative of civil society members came up with this opinion as the country witnessed its highest number of coronavirus-infected patients and the death toll on Sunday.
About eight hundred and eighty-seven people tested positive for Covid-19 and fourteen people died of coronavirus infections in the last 24 hours till Sunday, according to the Directorate General of Health Service (DGHS).
The most parts of the city on Sunday experienced huge traffic jams as the government decided to reopen shopping malls and markets.  
Referring to the Sunday's situation, Dr Habibur Bashar, a health expert from Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH), said such flexibility will spell catastrophe for the country.  The government decided to reopen shopping malls, markets and shops from 10 am to 4 pm from Sunday.
"Such decision has allowed people coming in physical contact more than it was during the lockdown," he added.
Dr Lenin Chowdhury, a medicine specialist, said all the decisions including reopening the RMG factories which forced RMG workers to come back to Dhaka city from different parts of the country and relaxing the lockdown considering the people's daily needs were disastrous.
"I think situation is turning from bad to worse and now, I think, the government and business owners can realize that their decision was wrong. And the second worst thing was the relaxing of lockdown," he said.
Earlier, health experts, trade bodies and representatives of civil society had strongly condemned the decision to reopen the garment factories and considered it as irresponsible behavior.
And it was a fact that the day when the garment factory workers gathered to join the factories after they had received an order from the factory owners, the number of coronavirus patients doubled the following days.
Dr Abdul Matin, General Sectary of Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (BAPA), expressed his concern over the huge traffic jam and people's gatherings.
"I am really terrified with the situation and concernced about the health of the people as they are following no guidelines," he said.
"If the situation goes like that then no doubt that we will see a disaster within a few days as the World Health Organization (WHO) and health experts as well warned that during the month of May Covid-19 pandemic might spell more disaster," he said.
The government should not have relaxed the lockdown it should rather ensure necessary support for the people in need, he said.
The number of patients is likely to increase till 16, 17 and 18 May and this may be called the peak and this peak may continue till Eid-ul-Fitr, according to a prediction.