Amdadul Haque
Covid-19 Infection is more dominant in 33districtsout of 64 across the countrywhen the government plans to divide Covid-19-hit areas in red, yellow, and green zones.
According to global exercise, red zones are hotspots with the highest number of cases, orange zones with a limited number of cases in the past and no surge in positive cases recently, while green zones are areas with zero confirmed cases in the last 21 days.
The deadly infections are on the rise across the country. The number of patients in 33 districts has exceeded 100. More than 95 percent of the total infected patients in the country are in these 33 districts. Infections in these districts are also on the rise.
However, from the beginning, the infection was more prevalent in the capital Dhaka and its surrounding districts. There is still that. Now the infection is also increasing in Chittagong.
This information of the infection was obtained by analyzing data from the government's Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR).
A total of 52,445 Covid-19 patients have been identified across the country till Tuesday. IEDCR has given district-wise statistics of 30,549 people (updated till May 30).
Of these, the number of patients in 33 districts is more than one hundred. A total of 95 percent of the total infected people have been infected in 33 districts.
Public health experts think that the number of patients has started increasing due to the carelessness and increased movement of people on Eid-ul-Fitr.
According to IEDCR, from the beginning, the infection was more prevalent in the capital Dhaka and surrounding districts. Now after Dhaka, Chittagong district is the most affected.
Infections are also relatively high in Sylhet and Mymensingh divisions. Apart from Sherpur, there are more than 200 patients in each of the three districts of Mymensingh division (Mymensingh, Jamalpur and Netrokona). In all four districts of Sylhet, the number of patients has exceeded one hundred.
Depending on the severity of the infection the government is planning to divide areas affected by coronavirus around Bangladesh into zones in order to prevent the disease from spreading further.
Following an inter-ministerial meeting at the secretariat in Dhaka on Monday, Health Minister Zahid Maleque told reporters that there would be three zones—red, yellow and green.
“We will finalise a plan, which was discussed at today’s meeting. We will now place a precise plan,” he said, adding that all stakeholders would contribute to the plan.
However, on March 8, the first Covid-19 case was announced in the country. The public holiday began on March 26 to prevent coronavirus infections. A month later, on April 26, the garment factory was reopened, and from that day the lockdown situation became more relaxed than before.
Just two weeks later, from the tenth week of infection (May 10-16), the infection situation deteriorated rapidly. Of the 33 districts where more than 100 patients have been diagnosed, 31 have shown a relatively high rate of infection in the two weeks following May 16.
The 33 most infected districts of the country are: Dhaka, Gazipur, Kishoreganj, Madaripur, Manikganj, Narayanganj, Munshiganj, Narsingdi, Faridpur, Shariatpur, Gopalganj, Chittagong, Cox's Bazar, Cumilla, Brahmanbaria, Laxmipur, Noakhali, Feni,Chandpur, Moulvibazar, Sunamganj, Habiganj, Sylhet,Mymensingh, Jamalpur,Netrokona, Rangpur, Nilphamari,Dinajpur, Joypurhat, Bogra,Naogaon and Jessore district.
Meanwhile, infections in the northern districts are still relatively low. In 3 out of 8 districts of Rangpur division and in 3 districts of Rajshahi, the number of affected has exceeded 100.
By far the lowest infection is in the southwest region of the country. In no district of Barishal division of this region has the number of patients exceeded one hundred yet. Khulna alone has surpassed 100 infected.
From the beginning, the infection was more prevalent in the capital Dhaka and surrounding districts of Narayanganj and Gazipur. But coronavirus infection is now spreading rapidly in Chittagong. Chittagong district has already risen to the second highest number of victims, leaving Narayanganj behind.
Sheikh Fazle Rabbi, Civil Surgeon of Chittagong District, said, “People from different parts of the country travel to Chittagong due to trade and commerce. Their free movement is one of the reasons for the spread of infection. Most of the people in Chittagong are not following the hygiene rules.”
Former Vice Chancellor of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University Professor Nazrul Islam said, “Reopening everything has enhanced the risk of further infection. Now special measures should be taken by declaring 'Red Zone' in the areas where the infection is more prevalent. If necessary, curfew can be given for 14 days. This will reduce the infection a lot.”
