Apr 3, 2021 - World

Bangladesh to enforce week-long lockdown amid swell of COVID-19 cases

Oriana González

Picture of two Bangladeshi health workers each collecting nasal swabs from people to test for coronavirus — Photo: Ahmed Salahuddin/NurPhoto via Getty Images

The Bangladeshi government on Saturday announced plans to impose a seven-day national lockdown starting Monday as coronavirus cases surge in the country, Bloomberg reports.

Details: Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader made the announcement in an online press conference in Dhaka, saying the country hit a record-high on Friday, with more than 6,800 new cases reported for the day, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

The Bangladeshi Minister of State for Public Administration, Farhad Hossain, said new lockdown guidelines would soon be released, India's Tribune reports.
"Factories will remain open and workers can work shifts by following hygiene rules," The Tribune writes.

By the numbers: The country has reported a total of 630,277 cases and more than 9,200 deaths since the start of the pandemic, per Johns Hopkins.

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Bangladesh to enforce week-long lockdown amid swell of COVID-19 cases

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