187 Ansar-VDP members infected with coronavirus

Bangladesh Ansar and Village Defence Party (Ansar-VDP) on Saturday said 187 of its members and employees have been infected with coronavirus. Of them, five have been infected with the virus on Saturday alone.

Besides, a member of the force died from the virus on May 11, said a press release.  

It said the infected personnel, included a deputy director general, 81 Battalion Ansars, 101 associate Ansars, women Ansars, nursing assistants, signal operator and a VDP members.

They were deployed at various places across the country including Dhaka metropolitan area and the parliament building.

Apart from them, 156 Ansar members are currently undergoing treatment with symptoms similar to coronavirus at different hospitals in the capital city. Nineteen of the infected Ansars recovered from illness.  

Ansar and VDP director general Major General Kazi Sharif Kaikobad said various steps have been taken for the treatment of the coronavirus infected Ansars.
 
From the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak in Bangladesh, Ansar-VDP members are working with other law enforcement agencies to ensure that the government's instructions are implemented at field level.

Hundreds of law enforcement officials and health workers working on the frontline have been infected.

On Saturday, Bangladesh recorded 930 fresh cases, taking the total number of confirmed cases to 20,995. Besides, 16 more people died from the virus during the same period, raising the death toll to 314.

Coronavirus, first reported in China in December last year, has spread to 213 countries and territories and infected about 4.5 million people. The confirmed number of deaths was 302,376 until Saturday, according to Worldometer.


SZA