ZCZC
BSS-10
BRIEFING-IEDCR-CORONA
Self-quarantine is most feasible way to tackle COVID-19: IEDCR
DHAKA, March 10, 2020 (BSS) – Country’s state-run disease monitoring wing
Institute of Epidemiology, Diseases Control and Research (IEDCR) today said
self-quarantine is the most viable way to tackle coronavirus (COVID-19).
“Self-quarantine is the most feasible way to remain safe from this virus.
Apart from foreign returnees, I would request elderly people to go for self-
quarantine,” IEDCR Director Dr Meerjady Sabrina Flora told a press briefing
at its auditorium in city’s Mohakhali area.
IEDCR’s Principal Scientific Officer Dr ASM Alamgir was present at the
briefing.
Dr Flora said no new coronavirus case found in the country after confirming
the initial three, and they (the affected persons) too are doing well.
“We have tested samples of total seven persons in the last 24 hours and all
of them were found negative. We have kept eight people in isolation and four
others, who had came into contact with those three Coronavirus patients, have
been kept on ‘institutional’ quarantine,” she added.
The IEDCR director repeatedly emphasized raising awareness about the lethal
virus, saying without awareness and practicing good habits, there is mainly
no other way to contain this deadly virus as yet.
“I would like to urge all the recent foreign returnees to remain on self-
quarantine for 14 days. Do it for the sake of yourself, your loved ones,
society and the country. Do not go outside without any emergency, if you have
to go, please wear masks,” she added.
While talking about the traffic congestion on the hotline numbers of IEDCR,
Dr Flora said the total numbers of the hotline were raised to 12 to ease the
deadlock of incoming calls.
IEDCR has received a total of 2,778 calls in the last 24 hours regarding
COVID-19, she said.
The director said one Bangladeshi national is in hospital in UAE, one in
Italy and two in Singapore after getting infected by Covid-19 and her office
is maintaining close contact with the Bangladesh missions abroad and Ministry
of Foreign Affairs in this regard.
Earlier on March 9, Director General of Directorate General of Health
Services Prof Abul Kalam Azad talked about opening separate units at public
hospitals across the country, while separate cells will be opened in private
hospitals to take care of COVID-19 patients.
He had also urged all not to get involved in the chaos regarding face
masks and hand sanitizers, adding, shortage of these products will be
mitigated very soon.
Repeating her last statement regarding showing sympathy with the family
members and neighbours of foreign returnees, Dr Flora today again said that,
“…all the people returning from other countries are not infected with the
coronavirus. We are continuously saying this because the persons who are
coming from abroad are facing odd situation here,”
Earlier on March 8, IEDCR confirmed that three Bangladeshis — two male
and one Female — were detected with coronavirus (COVID-19). Among the three,
two of them had returned from Italy recently, she said on that day.
On March 4, in a bid to control the spread of COVID-19, the government
restricted the entry of people from four countries – Italy, South Korea,
Japan and Kuwait – without the virus-free medical certificates.
BSS/ASG/DH/GMR/1515 hrs