The 312 Bangladeshis who returned from Wuhan in China left the Ashkona Hajj Camp for home on Saturday, after completing 14-day quarantine at the camp.
Under the Health Department’s supervision, all of the Wuhan-returnees were sent to their respective addresses after final screening conducted at the camp in the afternoon.
But, sources said, they will be under the care of the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR).
IEDCR director Dr Meerjady Sabrina Flora, during a regular briefing on coronavirus at the IEDCR conference room on Saturday, said the returnees from China have been allowed to go home after their health screening. Besides, sufficient mask and other materials will be sent to their home.
“The returnees from China have completed their 14-day quarantine on Saturday. All of them were found negative in coronavirus screening test. They all were allowed to go home after final screening,” she added.
“The IEDCR so far conducted coronavirus tests on 62 Bangladeshis, none of them was found positive with coronavirus symptoms”, she said, adding, “One of the four people infected with coronavirus in Singapore is in the intensive care center.”
Earlier in the morning, IEDCR through a press release requested journalists not to stay at Ashkona quarantine camp and adjoining areas during the release of 312 Wuhan-returnees saying that keeping their identities secret is a moral responsibility.
The 312 China-returnees went home on Saturday afternoon s, said a press release.
“Many journalists expressed interest to observe the quarantine period ending activities. We welcome the interest but it is the moral and professional responsibility of both sides to keep the returnees’ identities secret. So today’s programme was not kept open to all,” said the release.
As per media reports, the death toll from a new coronavirus epidemic in China surged past 1,500 on Saturday.
The China-returnees were kept at Ashkona Hajj camp and Combined Military Hospital for observation since February 1.
The viral outbreak that began in China has so far infected more than 67,000 people globally and killed 1,523 others, reports AP.
