As the coronavirus situation has deteriorated in United Kingdom, so all London returnees will have to maintain 14-day institutional quarantine. The direction came from the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the regular cabinet meeting on Monday. Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam delivered the information at a press conference after the meeting. The Cabinet Secretary said, those who will return from London have to maintain the quarantine strictly. The Prime Minister gave us the responsibility, returnees will not be discouraged, but they have to maintain strong quarantine. Whoever comes from London, even they have corona negative certificates, have to maintain 14-day quarantine on mandatory basis. They will be taken to institutional quarantine. He said, there are facilities for institutional quarantine at Ashkona Hajj Camp and Diabari. As well as some hotels will be made ready. Steps will be taken for maintaining quarantine locally in Sylhet. He also informed that there is a meeting in this regard tonight. There it will be informed by giving logical time from which day it would be activated. AH  

Health Minister Zahid Maleque said that if the passengers arriving from United Kingdom fail to show negative certificates for coronavirus sample tests then they will have to stay for seven days mandatory quarantine. He said this at the inaugural ceremony of ‘Gene expert machine and mobile laboratory’ at the Ashkona Hajj Camp in the capital on Wednesday morning. The Health Minister said, the precautionary measures have been taken so that the new strain of coronavirus traced in the United Kingdom cannot spread in Bangladesh. He said, we have the ability to face the coronavirus and it has been enhanced further through inaugurating new laboratories. Zahid Maleque said, earlier passengers back from Europe used to stay for three days quarantine and also corona tests were performed for them. As new strain of coronavirus has been traced in Europe so will keep those passengers in seven days quarantine instead of three days. He said, corona infections are rising in Europe, America and India but we have been able to keep it in control. As coronavisrus is under control, so peaceful situation is prevailing and we are passing our lives in discipline. Economy of the country is in good shape and major export sector- garments is in operation. The minister said, yet no situation has been created in the country for lockdown. We have adequate hospital beds and we will increase the number if needed. He said, we are not in deficit of oxygen supply, as one of our oxygen factories is shut at the moment, so we have continued oxygen import from India. It will continue until our oxygen factory goes in operation. AH        

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today (Sunday) asked the authorities concerned to ensure proper screening and compulsory quarantine of the returnees from abroad in the wake of the second wave of COVID-19 in Europe and many countries of the world. “The time has come once again to make sure proper screening and (compulsory) quarantine of the returnees from abroad. Measures as taken before would have to be put in place again at each of the airports and other ports across the country to confirm whether anyone is entering the country with coronavirus,” she said. The Prime Minister said this while addressing a function as the chief guest marking the “Bangabandhu National Youth Day-2020” organized by the Youth and Sports Ministry from her official Ganabhaban residence through a video conference. She added: “We have to ensure proper protection of the people of our country and I hope that you (concerned government officials) will do that.” In this connection, Sheikh Hasina said many countries of the Europe have witnessed massive surge of the Covid-19 and was forced to introduce lockdown system again. The premier however reminded all that they had earlier announced 31 points directives when the coronavirus was first approaching towards Bangladesh last March following its outbreak in Europe. She continued that they had also announced 21 stimulus packages of Taka 1,12,633 crore mainly to keep running the country’s economy facing the worldwide stalemate due to the outbreak of the Covid-19. “The world has got stuck due to the pandemic. We are taking all the measures bearing in mind that our economy isn’t stuck because of the lethal virus. For that reason, the country’s economy is still functioning. Many developed countries even can’t do this,” she said. The premier once again urged the countrymen to follow the health guidelines properly to be protected from the virus, saying, “Wear mask in any kind of gathering to be protected from the coronavirus.” On behalf of the Prime Minister, State Minister for Youth and Sports Md Zahid Ahsan Russel, MP, handed over Bangabandhu National Youth Award that included cash, certificate and crest to twenty one successful self-employed youths and five successful youth organisers in recognition to their exemplary contribution to creating employment for others at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium in the capital. Youth and Sports Secretary Mohammad Akhter Hossain gave the welcome address while two awardees Saifur Rahman and Samia Rahman expressed their feelings of winning the award on the occasion. Commemorative stamps and envelopes were also unveiled on the occasion of Bangabandhu National Youth Day-2020 which is being observed across the country with the theme of “Mujib Borsho er Ahoban, Jubo Karmasangsthan”. The youth day is observed on first November every year while the day has been named Bangabandhu National Youth Day on the occasion of the birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The Prime Minister urged the youths to stay away from drug, militancy and terrorism, reiterating her government’s tougher stance against the social menaces. “There is a scope to make some quick buck by getting yourselves involved in drug, militancy and terrorism. But remember, there is no security of life there. And keep it in mind that our stance against the misdeeds will be tougher,” she cautioned the youths. Describing the youths as the country’s guardians of the future, the PM called upon the young generation to be patriotic and dutiful and good human beings, saying that today’s youths can take the country to a desired level of development by utilizing their talents. “We have a target to build our youths infusing the ideology of Father of the Nation,” she said. The PM recalled the contribution of the youths to every achievement of the nation and their recent initiatives of cutting the paddy of the farmers during the coronavirus pandemic. Referring to various measures taken by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s government for the development of the youths, she said after the assassination of Bangabandhu along with most of the family members, the military dictator Ziaur Rahman gave the students arms and money in a bid to use them to cling to power. The Prime Minister said after taking office, her government has so far created employment for two crore youths and sent the maximum number of workers abroad, adding that after assuming office they have taken measures in a planned way to generate employment. In this connection, she said her government has been building 100 economic zones, high tech parks, software technology parks and IT training centres which will generate huge employments upon their completion. She said imparting education on IT to youths is the most important thing as it has huge potential in generating employment, adding that freelancers are emerging in the country after taking IT education from the government IT centres. The Prime Minister said the freelancers can do the work of any foreign firm residing at their village homes and earn foreign currency. But the problem with the freelancers is that they have no social recognition and for this reason they have to face difficulties in getting married and enrolling their children in schools, she said The PM said that they have consulted with Sajeeb Wazed Joy (PM’s information and communication technology affairs adviser), ICT Ministry and concerned people to find a way out to give recognition to the freelancers. Besides, the premier said, her government has taken various mega projects like construction of the Padma Bridge and metro rail along with setting up community clinics and digital centres across the country, which have already created huge employments. The PM said that they have established Karmosangsthan Bank, Probashi Kallyan Bank, Palli Sanchoy Bank, and SME Foundation mainly to create scopes for the youths to take loan to initiate a business enterprise instead of running after the jobs at home and abroad. “Don’t run after employments rather be entrepreneurs and arrange jobs for others, ” she said and suggested the youths to go abroad after going through a scrutiny through the proper channels like Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Ministry. The premier said they have attached priority to technical education as youths having technical education have the chance to get jobs at home and abroad. All the measures that the government has been taking is to give the future generation a better and dignified life so that they could build the country as a developed and prosperous one free from hunger and poverty envisioned by the Father of the Nation. Source: BSS AH

People coming to Bangladesh from infected countries will be kept in compulsory quarantine, Health Minister Zahid Maleque announced Saturday. “Anyone violating the directive will be jailed and fined,” he said. Maleque said 142 Bangladeshis who returned from Italy, which recorded the highest number of coronavirus cases in Europe, will be kept in compulsory quarantine at Ashkona Hajj Camp. “All returnees, who recently entered Bangladesh from Italy and other countries must stay in a 14-day home-quarantine,” said a handout from Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). All of the returnees are also told to inform about their locations to the local administration and health authorities, it said, adding that anyone violating the direction would be sent to jail and fined. Meanwhile, Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) Director Prof Dr Meerjady Sabrina Flora said there was currently no coronavirus patient in Bangladesh. She confirmed that the Italy returnees did not have symptoms of coronavirus. Death toll from coronavirus or COVID-19 reached 5,436 globally as of Saturday. Besides, 145,810 new cases were reported from around the world, according to worldometer. Of them, 67,843 are currently infected while 72,531 patients have recovered. Source: UNB AH

The Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) has said that no evidence of Coronavirus was found in the bodies of eight people admitted in the hospital who returned from Chinese city of Wuhan. Director of the institute Dr. Meerjady Sabrina Flora said this at a press conference at IEDRC office at Mohakhali in the capital on Monday. She said, seven Bangladeshis who returned from Wuhan were taken back to Ashkona hajj camp after undergoing medical tests. But one pregnant woman has been admitted at CMH hospital in the capital. Medical tests for all the Bangladeshis from Wuhan were done while they were on board in the aircraft. Then eight people were taken to hospital as high body temperature was found. Total 312 Bangladeshis returned from Wuhan of China. Of them eight were taken to hospital. After passing vacation in their country 23 Chinese nationals have returned to Bangladesh on Saturday. 325 Bangladeshis and the Chinese nationals have been kept at Ashkona hajj camp for quarantine. AH