Virus curbs to be relaxed amid record infections

The government has decided to relax the ongoing movement curbs from 15 July to 22 July keeping Eid-ul-Azha in view as Bangladesh reported record Covid-19 cases Monday.

The Cabinet Division will issue a notification on virus curb relaxation Tuesday, said Surath Kumar Sarkar, principal information officer.   

Meanwhile, in a note of caution, public health experts have warned relaxing movement restrictions would meet with fatal consequences since the infection rate is not calming down even during the curbs.

In the past 24 hours until Monday morning, 220 people died from Covid-19 while the country registered the highest 13,768 new cases from a record 44,667 tests. 

In less than two weeks of July, 2,136 lives were lost to the infection – close to the 2,404- fatality mark in the deadliest April this year.    

During the movement curbs relaxation, the public transportation and long-haul buses may resume on a limited scale and shopping malls might be allowed to reopen centring the Eid, said Cabinet Division sources.

Railways Minister Nurul Islam Sujon said trains will resume passenger services at half capacity on 15 July.

Cabinet Division sources said the curbs would be reimposed on 23 July. But the public health experts were critical of the government plan.

"With the runaway infection rate, the virus situation will worsen in the next couple of days. Now if the government allows people to commute to their ancestral villages and setting up cattle markets in the capital, the virus will spread further," said Prof Nazrul Islam, a noted virologist and also a member of the National Technical Advisory Committee on Covid-19.

"If the curbs are relaxed, the positivity rate may jump to 50% after the Eid," he told The Business Standard. Prof Nazrul also said the pressure on district hospital beds and oxygen supply also might intensify.

The single-day infection rate has been above 30% for the last couple of days. In the past 24 hours, the rate was 31.24%. 

"If the government wants to relieve people of the curbs for a brief period, it will have to be very careful," said Dr Mushtuq Husain, an adviser to the Institute of Epidemiology Disease Control and Research (IEDCR).

"We cannot afford a mad rush home like the previous Eid. There is no alternative to limiting the Eid rush, crowd at cattle markets and devotees at Eid congregations. Any failure in government tactics will meet up with brutal surges in both deaths and infections," he added.

However, Dr Mushtuq told TBS that it is better if the virus curbs remain in place. 

Hospitals admitting critical patients only

After being turned down by five hospitals, Anwar Hossain from Feni at last could get admitted to Dhaka North City Corporation Covid dedicated hospital at Mohakhali.

"We first went to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, but the authorities told us to go elsewhere," said Anwar's attendant Golam Ali.

"Then we tried two private and another public hospital before arriving here [Mohakhali]. The search for a hospital in the last two days has already cost Tk35,000 even before the treatment begins. Besides, rushing from one hospital to another has worsened the patient's condition," he added.       

Health officials said the rush of patients from faraway districts to Dhaka hospitals is mounting, occupying almost all the beds and intensive care unit (ICU) beds in the capital. To deal with the situation, the hospitals are now taking critical patients only.

"All our 500 beds remain occupied almost round the clock. As many as 70% of the patients are from outside Dhaka," said AKM Nasir Uddin, director of Dhaka North City Corporation Covid dedicated hospital.

"We are unable to admit all the patients coming to us," he said, adding the hospital is working on adding 250 beds more. 

Hailing from Sylhet, Rahela Khatun has been taking Covid-19 treatment at Asgar Ali Hospital in Dhaka. The patient's attendants came to Mugda Hospital as they failed to shift Rahela to Dhaka Medical College Hospital. 

One of her relatives said the patient's bill at Asgar Ali Hospital has already reached Tk85,000, but her condition did not improve.