Bangladesh declares Cox’s Bazar areas near Rohingya camps coronavirus red zone

The local authorities have put Cox’s Bazar Municipality on lockdown declaring some areas of the district coronavirus red zone for maximum risks of infection.

The rate of COVID-19 infection in the district housing the world’s largest refugee camp has been rising rapidly for a week after the government ended the nationwide shutdown.

Md Kamal Hossain, the district administrator, said the local committee on coronavirus prevention made the decision to lock the municipality down in an emergency meeting on Friday. It will be effective from Saturday through to Jun 20.

The district has recorded 877 COVID-19 patients so far with Cox’s Bazar Sadar Upazila having the highest number of infections, 364.

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Moheshkhali is 34, Teknaf 41, Ukhiya 110, Ramu, 53, Chakoria 189, Kutubdia 3 and Pekua 47.

In the Rohingya camps, 35 refugees have tested positive for the new virus.

In the lockdown order, the authorities embargoed all sorts of private, family, social, and political gatherings.

Everyone must stay at home and all modes of public and private transports will stay off the streets. Only vehicles carrying essential goods will be allowed from 8am to 8pm.

Groceries and kitchen markets can remain open for eight hours on Sundays and Thursdays only by maintaining physical distancing and other health safety rules.

Other shops and business establishments will remain closed.

Hospitals, pharmacies, ambulances, and vehicles carrying patients, health and essential services workers, and banking services for COVID-19 response will be out of the lockdown’s purview.

Organisations providing emergency services will remain open on a limited scale.

Banks and financial institutions will be open on Sundays and Thursdays.

Journalists must collect and show special ID cards from the Cox’s Bazar Press Club for working in the red zones. COVID-19 volunteers can collect ID cards from the Sadar Upazila chief executive or UNO.

Transport terminals will operate outside the red zones.

No one can hold gatherings for aid distribution.

After reopening offices and public transport system on May 31, the government said it would categorise areas as red, green and yellow zones with different sets of restrictions based on rates of infections and deaths.