PMO issues directive about emergency services, supply chain
It has been notified by a PMO notification signed by Prime Minister’s Principal Secretary Dr Ahmad Kaikaus.
The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) on Thursday issued directives outlining that people and vehicles associated with emergency services and supply chain will remain out of the purview of the transport shutdown and restriction of movement imposed to check transmission of coronavirus.
"To keep the emergency services and the supply chain as normal as possible, the following services will continue during the general holidays, movement restriction and any other preventive measure declared by the government in a bid to tackle coronavirus (Covid-19)," said a PMO notification signed by Prime Minister's Principal Secretary Dr Ahmad Kaikaus.
The services are: A) Emergency services like electricity, water, gas, fire service, cleanliness activities, telephone and internet as well as vehicles and people associated with them.
B) Vehicles and people of healthcare services and transporting medical equipment, including medicines.
C) Vehicles and the people related to the pharmaceutical industry.
D) Vehicles and people engaged in transporting essential goods, food grains, baby food, milk and dairy products and animal fodder.
E) Vehicles and the people engaged in transporting agricultural products, fertilisers, insecticides, energy etc.
F) Vehicles and people involved in producing and transporting basic products for livelihood including, agricultural goods, fisheries and livestock, dairy products and foodstuffs.
G) Vehicles and the people engaged in the aforesaid services-related maintenance.
Besides, the notification said the directives issued by the Cabinet Division and the Public Administration Ministry regarding the general holiday, weekly holiday and the restriction on movement of the people will remain effective as usual.
Coronavirus, first reported in China in December last year, has infected well over 1.5 million people globally and killed more than 89,000.
It disrupted the global supply chain forcing many factories to shut down as countries grapple to contain the spread of the highly contagious virus.
Bangladesh announced general holidays and imposed restriction of movement to prevent an outbreak. The country has so far reported 330 cases and 21 deaths.
The government has rolled out several stimulus packages totalling Tk 72,750 crore to tackle the possible economic impact of the ongoing shutdown to tackle coronavirus.
