The health ministry has issued a detailed guideline of how to prevent coronavirus in Bangladesh as businesses are going to reopen from May 10.
The ‘comprehensive technical guidelines’ prepared by a panel of the Directorate General and Health Service incorporate all sectors from individual homes to offices, shopping malls and bus, launch and train stations as well as airports.
It is published in Bangla language at the website of the dghs.gov.bd.
Bangladesh is gradually going back to businesses despite the rise of number of cases. Till Saturday, 13,770 cases were detected with 214 deaths.
Factories mostly readymade garments have already been opened.
Restrictions on mosque congregations have also been restricted.
A health ministry official told Bangladesh Post that they analysed the models adopted by China and some other countries.
The official, however, is in doubt whether it is possible to implement in Bangladesh context.
The measures include Any person with a body temperature of more than 99 degrees Fahrenheit will not be allowed on public transportation.
Air flights will make seating arrangements that leave some seats empty. Airplanes will have mini-quarantine facilities onboard.
Customers in shopping malls will have to go through thermal scanners and maintain one meter of distance while paying bills.
Banks will have thermal scanners installed and they will make sure that the customers maintain one meter of distance.
Salons will wash their towels and aprons after every time they serve a customer.
Chairs at salons will have to be set up with 1.5 meters of distance between them and the barbers will have to change their gloves before each new customer.
The guidelines mandate aprons for garment, hosiery, textile and tannery workers at the production units.
The workers will also have to get their heads and shoes covered and will leave the covers at the factory after finishing their shifts.
The workers will not be allowed to dine together.
The guidelines advise the employees of industrial establishments and service sectors to use face masks, spray disinfectant solutions, keep toilets clean – plus disinfect lift buttons, stair handles, doorknobs, vehicle seats, and floors continuously.
Office and residence windows should be opened at least thrice a day – for 20-30 minutes each time – so that fresh air ventilates the rooms.
For shopping malls, it said that adequate face masks and disinfectants must be stocked before the malls are reopened.
Those shopping centers also must have crisis plans.
Before resuming construction, sites must be disinfected.
Workers must have a thermal checkup before and after their shift.
There must be arrangements for point-to-point buses or separate vehicles for workers.
Workers returned from Covid-19 clusters or high-risk areas must be tracked and put under continuous monitoring. The entire area must be disinfected if any confirmed case is detected.
