Dhaka, Bangladesh – Bangladesh has enforced a brand new algorithm and pointers to examine a pointy rise in COVID-19 infections previously week.
The South Asian nation reported 3,359 new instances and 12 COVID-related deaths on Thursday, with a positivity fee of 12 p.c, in response to a each day bulletin issued by the Directorate Normal of Well being Companies (DGHS).
The DGHS has declared the capital, Dhaka, and the southeastern district of Rangamati “purple zones” because the an infection fee in these districts was reported to be between 10 p.c and 19 p.c.
“We’ve been witnessing fairly a pointy rise in COVID-19 instances. The each day positivity charges now have crossed 10 p.c for the previous three days,” DGHS spokesman Dr Robed Amin informed Al Jazeera.
Amin mentioned greater than 80 p.c of the COVID-19 instances detected in Bangladesh are nonetheless of the Delta variant. “The instances of Omicron variant nonetheless are rising,” he mentioned.
Bangladesh, dwelling to 180 million folks, confirmed its first Omicron instances within the second week of December when two ladies cricketers returned from a sequence in Zimbabwe.
The most recent figures took the nation’s whole deaths to twenty-eight,123 whereas the entire caseload mounted to 1,604,644. On January 1, Bangladesh had detected solely 370 instances with a each day positivity fee of two.43 p.c.
“The continual improve in infections signifies that group transmission of Omicron has already begun to some extent,” Well being Minister Zahid Maleque informed a media briefing on Wednesday.
The minister warned that the state of affairs may worsen and put a severe pressure on the nation’s healthcare system within the coming days. He urged folks to put on masks open air, keep bodily distance, and get vaccinated as quickly as doable.
A day after his warning, the federal government issued an 11-point directive, together with necessary COVID-19 passes and restrictions on occasions and transport services.
The restrictions mandate folks to put on protecting face masks at retailers, purchasing malls, markets, motels, eating places and different public locations. All social, political and spiritual public gatherings at open areas have been banned till additional discover.
Trains, buses and launches have been instructed to hold passengers at half capability. The principles additionally say that college students above 12 years of age won’t be allowed to attend in-person lessons with out displaying a vaccine certificates.
To implement the principles, the federal government has arrange cell courts throughout Dhaka, although native media stories mentioned the principles are usually not being strictly adopted within the metropolis.
“We’re presumably getting into into the third wave of the coronavirus due to Omicron variant,” Dr Tahmina Shirin, director of Dhaka-based Institute of Epidemiology, Illness Management and Analysis (IEDCR), informed Al Jazeera.
“It’s a world development. The entire world has been witnessing a speedy surge in instances. The Omicron variant may be very contagious,” she mentioned.
In the course of the second wave of the pandemic in July and August final yr, Bangladesh witnessed greater than 200 deaths a day for a couple of month. Many died resulting from a scarcity of medical oxygen.
“This time, the caseloads are prone to be greater than the second wave since Omicron spreads quicker. At this level, we are able to’t make sure concerning the demise fee as international traits counsel Omicron just isn’t as lethal as Delta,” Shirin informed Al Jazeera.
She, nonetheless, mentioned folks ought to keep hygiene and observe the COVID-19 pointers.
“Carrying masks and sustaining social distance continues to be the very best solution to curb the unfold of infections.”