Bangladesh reenters 2-week strict COVID-19 lockdown

2021-07-23 16:05:59 GMT2021-07-24 00:05:59(Beijing Time) Xinhua English

DHAKA, July 23 (Xinhua) -- Starting Friday morning, Bangladesh entered its most severe nationwide lockdown to curb the rampant spread of COVID-19.

Authorities decided to impose the strict lockdown from July 23 to Aug. 5 after relaxing restrictions for a week on the occasion of Eid al-Adha festival which was celebrated here Wednesday.

"None will be allowed outdoors unless it is urgent," a police officer said Friday at a makeshift checkpoint in capital Dhaka, as members of the law enforcement agencies, including army troopers, returned to the streets to prevent people's movements.

As public transport services were suspended due to the restrictions, thousands of Eid holidaymakers, who have started returning from their hometowns, have been stranded in and around the capital and other cities.

TV reports on Friday morning showed large columns of people walking on the main roads in the Bangladeshi capital and other cities and towns across the country.

"During the lockdown that is to be stricter than the ones imposed earlier, garment factories will remain closed," State Minister for Public Administration Farhad Hossain told journalists Thursday.

As the pandemic kept spreading since last month, the Bangladeshi government had ordered lockdown from July 1, but later eased the restrictions for a week from July 15- 22 on the occasion of Eid al-Adha.

The Directorate General of Health Services of Bangladesh on Friday reported 6,364 new cases of COVID-19 and 166 new fatalities, taking the total tally to 11,46,564 with 18,851 deaths. Enditem

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