2 more infected with coronavirus; number of cases now 10: IEDCR

Staff Reporter: IEDCR on Tuesday declared that two more persons have been infected with novel coronavirus (Covid-19) in Bangladesh.
It has raised the number of patients to 10, IEDCR Director Professor Meerjady Sabrina Flora said while briefing reporters at IEDCR’s Mohakhali office in Dhaka.
She said,one of the two has been infected with the virus from their family members who had returned from abroad.
The other patient is in institutional quarantine, she added.
The IEDCR Director said that a total of 16 people have been kept in isolation and 43 remain in institutional quarantine so far.
As part of preparations to contain the virus spreading, the Director said that 150 ICU beds in hospitals across the country are ready for coronavirus infected persons.
She said that the IEDCR received 4,205 calls to the hotline numbers till Tuesday. Of them, 4,164 were coronavirus related.
Professor Sabrina also urged returnee expatriates not to travel anywhere to thwart the spread of the virus.
She asked those returnees that if any of them think that they are infected with the virus should not come to IEDCR office.
She advised them to call IEDCR office numbers and they will collect samples from those people’s home.
Replaying to a query she advised Garments factory owners and authorities not to allow any employee or anyone who has coronavirus like symptoms.
“Give them leave with payment so that they are not worried in this regard,” Dr. Sabrina said.
The IEDCR Director urged people to refrain from organising social programmes in this crisis period.