Government plans to lock Dhaka’s Wari, Rajabazar down to limit coronavirus spread

The government is planning to put Wari and Rajabazar on lockdown as part of efforts to strangle the proliferation of the novel coronavirus amid a bulging caseload.

The lockdown is likely to begin in a day or two, Additional Secretary Habibur Rahman Khan told bdnews24.com on Saturday night.

Permission of the health ministry or higher authorities like the Prime Minister’s Office upon consultation with experts via the Directorate General of Health Services will be required for the decision, said Habibur, who is working as the COVID-19 spokesperson for the health ministry.     

“I’ve seen the news on TV that the lockdown will begin tomorrow [Sunday]. We have not got official orders. But we are ready. We can do it whenever we get our orders,” said Shah Md Imdadul Haque, CEO of Dhaka South City Corporation.

Councillors have been told to be prepared, according to Dhaka South City Corporation’s Chief Executive Officer Shah Imdadul Haque..

The government ended the coronavirus shutdown of offices and the public transportation system on May 31 after over two months amid a rapid rise in COVID-19 cases and deaths.

It has decided to categorise the areas red, green and yellow based on the rate of coronavirus infections and deaths from the disease.

The local authorities put Cox’s Bazar Municipality on lockdown declaring it a coronavirus red zone with maximum infection risk on Friday.

Earlier on Saturday, Habibur said the government was planning to impose area-wise lockdowns in the capital by identifying infection clusters and hotspots.

"We will start by locking down neighbourhoods, communities and wards taking into account the coronavirus hotspots or cluster areas," he said.