More 271 migrants were released during the last 24 hours without no symptom of coronavirus (COVID-19) infection after their 14-day stay at home quarantine in Rangpur division, reports BSS.
Talking to BSS, divisional level health officials said 2,866 migrants were home-quarantined so far and four others are now in institutional quarantine in Rangpur division and of them, 1,336 released after expiry of their 14-day quarantine till today.
“A total of 40 expatriate Bangladeshis were quarantined at homes in last 24 hours in all eight districts of the division,” said Focal Person of COVID-19 and Assistant Director (Health) for Rangpur division Dr. ZA Siddiqui.
During the period, six migrants have been home-quarantined in Rangpur, one each in Panchagarh and Lalmonirhat, eight in Nilphamari, three in Kurigram, six in Thakurgaon, 12 Dinajpur and three in Gaibandha districts of the division.
Four migrants are now remaining at institutional quarantine in the division from where four COVID-19 positive patients of Gaibandha were sent to the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) at Dhaka so far. Currently, a total of 1,531 are remaining in home quarantine in all eight districts of Rangpur division.
“Of them, 147 migrants of Rangpur, 247 of Panchagarh, 190 of Nilphamari, 141 of Lalmonirhat, 109 of Kurigram, 177 of Thakurgaon, 292 of Dinajpur and 228 of Gaibandha districts are now remaining in home-quarantine,” Dr. Siddiqui said.
Divisional Director (Health) Dr. Md. Amin Ahmed Khan said installation of a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) machine continues at Laboratory of the Department of Microbiology of Rangpur Medical College to test COVID-19 infection.
“On completion of installation of the PCR machine at RMC by tomorrow, COVID-19 infection tests of the suspected patients of Rangpur division will be conducted there to get results within a day,” he added.
“The Isolation Unit of Rangpur Medical College Hospital, Rangpur Shishu Hospital, Haragachh Hospital, Tazhat Chest Disease Hospital, Primary Teachers Training Institute and other facilities of the division will be used as Corona Units, if needed,” he added.
Additional Divisional Commissioner (General) Md. Zakir Hossain said the Armed Forces and law enforcement agencies are assisting the civil administration to ensure quarantine of migrants and social distancing to prevent community transmission of COVID-19.
“Besides, the Armed Forces, police, local administrations, municipalities, local government bodies and voluntary organisations have engaged maximum efforts to prevent community transmission of COVID-19 across Rangpur division,” he said.
The ongoing efforts include motivation of common people to raise their awareness, distribution of leaflets and masks, spraying antibiotics on roads and public places, hand-washing and conducting cleanliness campaign to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Talking to BSS, common citizens highly appreciated the Armed Forces for conducting awareness raising activities by using hand-loudspeakers, distribution of leaflets and masks and spraying disinfectants on the city streets here to prevent COVID-19 spread.
