Coronavirus has spread to 63 districts, excluding Rangamati, across the country.
A total of 7,667 people had been infected up to Thursday. Of them, around 85 per cent are residents of Dhaka division. However, more than half of the total infected people live in Dhaka city.
The highest infected 6 districts of Dhaka division are Dhaka, Narayanganj, Gazipur, Munshiganj, Kishoreganj and Narsingdi. Out of Dhaka, Mymensingh, Cumilla and Chattorgam district have become hotspots. Experts have advised the government to adopt separate plans for these nine high-risk districts.
In their view, the health department needs to pay more attention to the more infected districts. If necessary, curfew should be imposed and people should be kept at home. At the same time, samples should be tested in each area of these districts. This requires the person identified as positive to be isolated and the people in contact with him to be quarantined. Then it will be possible to prevent this virus. Otherwise, it will spread everywhere at a fast pace.
According to the IEDCR data, about 84 percent of the infected live in eight districts. Some 3,751 people were infected in Dhaka city, which is 54.39 percent. Another 99 are residents of different areas of Dhaka district. Narayanganj is the second highest number with 923 cases after Dhaka district. Third is Gazipur with 322 people and Kishorgani is in the fourth position, where 200 people were infected. Some 145 people were infected in Narsingdi, 143 in Mymensingh, 110 in Munshiganj, 93 in Cumilla and 75 in Chattogram district.
Former Vice Chancellor of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University and Virologist Professor Nazrul Islam told Bangladesh Post that corona infection has spread in the country mainly through expatriates returning from Italy. My guess is that most of those who have returned to the country from Italy are residents of those seven districts. That is why the number of victims is higher in the other districts. The health department needs to think separately about the nine districts that are most affected.
Samples should be tested in each area and the identified person should be isolated and the person in contact should be quarantined.
“The first panic in the Dhaka division was in Tolarbagh in Mirpur and Shibchar upazila in Madaripur district. Coronavirus infection spread through expatriates from Italy in Shibchar. The local administration declared Shibchar upazila as the first lock down. Tolarbag was also locked down. The people of the two areas have benefited from this lockdown. So the same procedure can be adopted for seven districts of the highly infected districts like these two places. If necessary, curfew should be imposed and people should be kept under house arrest,” he continued.
Nazrul Islam further said “now the government should mainly focus on these seven districts. If the virus can be controlled in these districts, we can easily take control of the whole country. Otherwise, the virus could spread to millions of people and take on terrible proportions.”
Among other districts of Dhaka, 39 people were affected in Madaripur, 21 in Manikganj, 17 in Rajbari, 12 in Faridpur, 29 in Tangail, 30 in Shariatpur and 49 in Gopalganj.
A total of 296 people were infected with coronavirus in Chattogram division. Of these, 75 were affected in Chattogram district, 23 in Cox's Bazar, 93 in Cumilla, 40 in Brahmanbaria, 01 in Khagrachari, 35 in Laxmipur, 4 in Bandarban, 6 in Noakhali, 6 in Feni and 14 in Chandpur.
In Mymensingh division, coronavirus has been detected in 258 people. Of these, 143 are in Mymensingh district, 61 in Jamalpur, 29 in Netrokona and 25 in Sherpur.
Corona infection has been detected in 119 people in Barishal Division. Among them 30 people in Barguna, 40 people in Barishal, 5 people in Bhola, 27 people in Patuakhali, 9 people in Pirojpur and 8 people in Jhalokati.
Corona infection has been detected in 111 people in Sylhet division. Of these, 12 were affected in Moulvibazar, 28 in Sunamganj, 53 in Habiganj and 18 in Sylhet.
In Rangpur division, corona infection has been detected in 119 people. Of these, 31 were in Rangpur district, 21 in Gaibandha, 13 in Nilphamari, 3 in Lalmonirhat, 7 in Kurigram, 8 in Panchagarh, 20 in Dinajpur and 16 in Thakurgaon.
In Khulna division, corona infection has been detected in 145 people. Out of these, 11 in Khulna, 63 in Jessore, 13 in Narail, 19 in Jhenaidah, 7 in Magura, 2 in Meherpur, 13 in Chuadanga, 16 in Kushtia, 01 in Satkhira and 2 in Bagerhat.
Corona infection has been detected in 109 people in Rajshahi division. Of these, 32 were identified in Joypurhat, 10 in Pabna, 2 in Chapainawabganj, 19 in Bogra, 15 in Naogaon, 9 in Natore, 3 in Sirajganj and 19 in Rajshahi district.
Additional Director General (Administration) of the Department of Health, Prof. Nasima Sultana said the health department has separate plans for Dhaka as well as the more infected districts. At the same time, plans have been made for the areas where the virus has spread across the country. Infected people in the area have been isolated as well as people in contact with them have been quarantined. But sadly, despite repeated appeals to the public, they are not staying at home. Despite various disciplinary measures including fines, people are not being kept at home. This is massive risk; which is the biggest barrier to disease prevention.
