IEDCR dissuades people from coronavirus-hit countries from visiting Bangladesh 

The Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) is dissuading people living in novel coronavirus-hit countries from visiting Bangladesh.

In a press briefing on Saturday, IEDCR Director Dr Sebrina Flora said, "Bangladesh is prepared to tackle any situation. However, the virus has spread in many countries, so we are dissuading people from travelling abroad unless it is absolutely necessary.

We are also dissuading people from coming to Bangladesh from the countries where the virus has spread."

COVID-19 has spread throughout 60 countries – where it is transmitting locally.

The IEDCR Director also discouraged people from coming to Bangladesh for projects or work and recommended meetings or seminars be postponed – if there is any possibility that people from coronavirus-hit countries would attend those programmes.

To prevent the local transmission of COVID-19, the IEDCR has urged the organisations concerned to arrange a system wherein officials returning from abroad are quarantined for 14 days at their homes and work remotely. 

Dr Sebrina said, "We are still continuing our screening and surveillance programme, under which 87 people have been examined, but none of them have been diagnosed with the disease." 

"As Bangladesh has taken sufficient precautionary measures, we do not need to take any new steps following the World Health Organisation having raised the highest level of alert [regarding coronavirus]," she added.

Meanwhile, another Bangladeshi COVID-19 patient in Singapore has recovered and returned home, and another one is recuperating quickly. However, the condition of another critically-ill Bangladeshi patient has remained unchanged, said Dr Sabrina.