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Govt lists red zones as virus spreads

New Covid cases stubbornly high, 32 fatalities in 24 hours


FE REPORT | June 15, 2020 00:00:00


Considering the intensity of coronavirus contagion, the government has listed 17 areas of Dhaka north, 28 of Dhaka south and 11 of Chittagong city as red zones.

The classifications were made at the second meeting of the central technical group held on Saturday.

The number of infections and fatalities related to COVID-19 pandemic rose, with the authorities reporting 3,141 new cases in the last 24 hours.

During the period, the country also recorded another 32 people who succumbed to the respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus, officials and physicians said.

Director general of DG Health Prof. Dr. Abul Kalam Azad and chair of the central technical group presided over the meeting.

Dhaka and Chattogram city corporations' cut-off value for red zone will be 60 cases in the last 14 days per 100,000 population.

Seventeen (17) areas of Dhaka North City Corporation have been earmarked as red zones.

The north's red zones are: Bashundhara, Badda, Cantonment, Mohakhali, Tejgaon, Rampura, Aftabnagar, Mohammadpur, Kallyanpur, Gulshan, Mogbazar, Airport, Banasree, Rayerbazar, Raja Bazar, and Uttara.

Mirpur and Uttara are under consideration to be made more granular for more effective zonal management.

Twenty eight areas have been identified in Dhaka South City Corporation as red zones.

The identified red zones are: Jatrabari, Demra, Gendaria, Dhanmondi, Jigatala, Lalbagh, Azimpur, Basabo, Shantinagar, Paltan, Kalabagan, Ramna, Sutrapur, Malibagh, Kotowali, Tikatoli, Shahjahanpur, Motijeel, Wari, Khilgaon, Poribagh, Shahbag, Eskaton, Kodomtoli, Siddheshwari, Laxmibazar, Elephant Road, and Segunbagicha.

Dhanmondi, Malibagh and Khilgaon are under consideration to be made granular for more effective zonal management.

Eleven (11) areas have been identified in Chattogram City Corporation as red zones.

The identified red zones are: Zone Chittagong Port Ward No-38, Patenga Ward No-39 (Part), Chittagong Port Ward No-39 (Part), Pahartali Ward No-10, Kotwali Ward No-16, Khulshi Ward No-14 and Ward No-20, Kotwali Ward No-21, Halishahar Ward No-26, Chittagong Port Ward No-37, Kotwali Ward No-22 and Ward Kotwali.

For the rest of the areas in the country, especially for districts and upazilas, the cut off point for red zones will be 10 cases in the last 14 days per 100,000 population. Locally, civil Surgeons, DC and SP can decide the smallest areas according to their available data.

The following districts' red zones are:

Narshingdi district: Narsingdi Model and Madhobdi Thana, Palash Upazila. Narayanganj District: Rupganj, Araihazar and Narayanganj Sadar and NCC.

Gazipur district: All upazilas. This central technical group will develop a tool to help local administrators take the decision on identifying red zone in their areas.

The central technical group will recommend proper preparation that needs to be taken for red zone management by appropriate local authorities as specified in the standard operating procedures.

With the latest statistics, the total number of infections and death toll due to the deadly virus in the country reached 87,520 and 1,171 respectively, according to state-run Directorate General of Health Services, or DGHS.

In a virtual news conference, Prof Dr Nasima Sultana, DGHS additional director general responsible for administrative affairs, said a total of 14,505 samples were tested in 60 labs across the country in the last 24 hours.

With the tests, a total of 501,465 samples have so far been tested across the country and the infections rate rose to 17.45 per cent.

Of the tests, some 3,141 samples were found COVID-19 positive along with 32 more deaths recorded across the country during the period, she said.

With these numbers, the overall tally of confirmed cases and deaths rose to 87,520 and 1,171 respectively, she said.

Sixteen of the latest deaths were recorded in Dhaka division, followed by 11 in Chattogram, two in Sylhet, one each in Rangpur, Barishal and Mymensingh divisions, Dr Sultana said.

Of them, one was between 21-30 years old, one between 31-40, six within 41-50, 10 within 51-60, nine between 61-70, two within 71-80 and the remaining three were between 81-90 years old, Dr Nasima added.

Simultaneously, some 903 people recovered from the respiratory disease, taking the overall number of recovery to 18,730, according to her.

The DGHS officials said 61,814 people remained in both home and institutional quarantine while 9,758 others in isolation as of May, 2020 The bulk of infections and deaths came on the 15th day of easing lockdown by the government, allowing public transports and offices to operate since May 31.

Globally, more than 7.9 million people were infected with the novel pathogen and 432,956 died until Sunday 6:30 pm, according to Worldometer data.

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