Restrictions on movement in Red Zones

Dhaka, June 16 – In an effort to prevent transmission of coronavirus and to improve the situation, the government has issued some directives imposing restrictions on the movement of people.
The Cabinet Division issued the directives on Monday which will remain in force until June 30. According to the directives, all government offices, non-government, autonomous, private offices and their employees and staffers under ‘red’ zone will be under general holidays and the Public Administration Ministry will take necessary measures in this regard.
The life and livelihood, movement of people in red, yellow and green zones under Bangladesh Risk Zone-Based Covid-19 Containments implementation Strategy guide, provided by Health authorities will be strictly controlled.
A standard operating procedure should be made for testing samples of patients suspected to be infected by Covid-19, Covid, non-covid health service protocol, quarantine, isolation, ambulance service, movement of people, movement of vehicles, economical activities, food and medicine supply, food and relief assistance for destitute people, maintaining law and order, financial assistance, banking and financial services. Ministry and division concerned will take necessary steps in this regard.
City Corporations authorities will implement overall activities under their areas while district administrations will monitor the process outside the city corporation areas.
Local government organisation, district and upazila administrations, health department, law enforcing agencies will implement the directives in a coordinated way.
Public representatives, Parliament members, political leaders and volunteer organisations will be connected in the process.
Government and private offices under green zone will be opened on a limited scale under their self management. No one will be allowed to leave their workplace during this period.
Those who are sick and pregnant have been discouraged to attend offices.
No one will be allowed to go out of his/her home from 8pm till 6am without emergency work (emergency purchasing, work place, medicine purchasing, treatment, and burial process).
People will have to maintain health issues when going out for emergency work or they would face legal action.
All have to abide by the directives provided by the Health Department during this period.
Health safety a must
Social and physical distancing must be ensured while going out to purchase essential items. Authorities concerned have to take measures for ensuring sanitisation at the entrances of the shops and supermarkets.
All shops and markets should be closed down around 4 pm.
Vehicles and workers employed at various emergency services will be out of the purview of the directives. Besides, goods-laden vehicles and cargo vessels will be allowed to ply as usual.
Those who are engaged in processing of agricultural products, insecticides, foods, industrial goods, kitchen markets and pharmacies will remain out of the restriction, said the directives.
Physicians, health workers, vehicles for transporting medicines and other medical equipment, and media people will remain out of the purview of the directives.
Organisations involved in producing and marketing medicine and agriculture, export-import activities can open their factories after ensuring safety and health issues of the workers.
Educational institutions will remain closed, it said.
Bangladesh Bank will provide directives to open banking systems.
Public transport, river vessels and railways and flights can be operated on a limited scale after ensuring health issues.
All kinds of public gatherings, meetings, and programmes will be restricted and limited number of people will be allowed to perform prayers at mosques as per the directives of the Religious Affairs Ministry.
Some areas of the two city corporations in Dhaka, Chattogram, Narayanganj, Narshingdi and Gazipur districts have been marked as ‘Red zones’ to contain the spread of coronavirus.
Seventeen areas under Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC), 28 areas under Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC), 11 areas in Chattogram, Sadar, Rupganj and Araihazar Upazilas of Narayanganj, Narsingdi Model and Madhabdi thanas, Palash Upazila in Narsingdi district and all Upazilas of Gazipur district will be treated as red zones.
The health authorities on Monday confirmed the detection of 3,099 new coronavirus patients in the span of 24 hours, raising the total number of confirmed cases to 90,619.
The death toll jumped to 1,209 as 38 more people died of COVID-19 during the same period.
The government issued a gazette notification allowing limited operation of public transport and offices from May 31 to June 15 amid the coronavirus outbreak. But coronavirus cases and deaths started to rise soon after the reopening of offices and resumption of public transport movement. – UNB