NDATF to help Bangladesh government to flag COVID-19 risk zones

National Data Analytics Taskforce, or NDATF, will assist the government with information from virus-affected areas to flag COVID-19 risk zones on the basis of death and infection rates.

The data analysis team made the decision in a meeting presided over by its chief State Minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak on Tuesday, according to a statement issued by the ministry on Wednesday.

“The task-force will check data and submit reports to the health ministry to assist in flagging red, yellow and green zones, recommending measures to turn the red and yellow zones into green,” the statement said.

On Monday, Health Minister Zahid Malik said the government had plans to flag COVID-19 risk zones as part of efforts to strangle the spread of the novel coronavirus in unlocked Bangladesh.

Prior to the plan, the ICT ministry had asked the government to flag higher, medium and lower-risk zones on the basis of information from the areas hit by the coronavirus outbreak.

Anir Chowdhury, policy adviser of A2i flagship programme of the Digital Bangladesh agenda, and Ayesha Sonia presented two reports titled ‘COVID-19 Data Analysis and Policy Recommendations' and 'Epidemic Modelling and Syndrome Surveillance' respectively during the meeting conducted  by the task force.