Bangladesh issues travel warnings as Covid-19 infections rise in neighbouring countries
A security personnel stands guard at the entrance of an isolation ward prepared for patients with Covid-19 symptoms at a government hospital in Secunderabad, Telangana on May 24, 2025. A Bangladesh directive stated that new subvariants of the coronavirus are spreading in several neighbouring countries. - AFP
DHAKA: Amid a fresh rise in Covid-19 infections in several neighbouring countries, the Bangladeshi interim government has asked people to refrain from traveling to those destinations unless absolutely necessary.
The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) under the Ministry of Health has also instructed the relevant authorities to enhance health screening and surveillance measures at all ports to contain the spread of the infection.
The directives which were issued Monday (June 10) stated that new subvariants of the coronavirus are spreading in several neighbouring countries.
To prevent potential transmission of these variants into Bangladesh, it said surveillance must be strengthened at International Health Regulations desks at all land, sea and airports for both inbound travelers from affected countries, and outbound travelers from Bangladesh to those destinations.
In line with the directives, people must wear masks at all gatherings, shopping malls and restaurants.
The DGHS asked the relevant authorities to use thermal scanners or digital handheld thermometers with non-contact techniques to measure body temperature at all entry points, ensure an adequate stock of masks, gloves and personal protective equipment for healthcare workers, and disseminate infection prevention guidelines to raise public awareness and prevent virus transmission.
Bangladesh on Thursday recorded its first Covid-19 fatality this year when a man died from the infectious disease in capital Dhaka. - Xinhua
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