DGHS weighs ways to curb COVID-19 infections in Bangladesh

The Directorate General of Health Services or DGHS has discussed ways to stem the number of coronavirus cases amid a surge of infections.

Director General ABM Khurshid Alam chaired a meeting and weighed measures such as lockdown, restrictions on public gatherings while keeping the economy running, and halting the resumption of in-person educational activities.

The officials on Tuesday also discussed strengthening the rules of isolation for COVID patients, strict quarantine policy for people coming close to the patients, a minimum 14-day quarantine for the travellers from abroad, and assistance from the armed forces to enforce these rules.

It would be possible to control the transmission of the virus if the issues raised could have been implemented, Khurshid Alam said on Wednesday.

The DGHS has sent the issues mooted in the meeting to the Prime Minister’s Office for consideration.

It will also discuss them with the national technical advisory committee to tackle COVID-19 before making the final decisions, Khurshid said.

COVID infections have been on the rise across the country in past few days. The tally of Bangladesh’s COVID infections jumped to 562,752 as another 1,865 new virus cases were recorded in the 24 hours to 8am on Wednesday while the death toll climbed to 8,608 after 11 fatalities were registered in the same period.