Govt to take tough measures to save people’s lives: PM

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday said that her government will take stringent measures immediately to protect people’s lives from the rapid spread of coronavirus.

She made the remark while virtually addressing the concluding session of the 71st basic training course of the BSC officers from her official residence Ganabhaban this noon.

The prime minister also asked all top officials within the administration to be prepared to make the government’s bid to contain the spread of the virus successful.

Everyone will have to maintain the government imposed health guidelines, the prime minister said it categorically.

“Coronavirus has taken an epidemic turn and we are witnessing the surge. We have taken some measures initially. We will have to take a tough step in future to save people’s lives,” she said during her address.

“The countrymen have been asked to be careful. Follow the health guidelines, protect yourselves and keep eye on others so that all are forced to maintain the directives. We all will have to work upholding our utmost sincerity,” she further said.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh began its second phase of inoculating people against the coronavirus disease amid the growing surge of the virus and uncertainty over availability of the vaccine.

The virus was detected first at Wuhan province of China in December 2019, since then Bangladesh recorded the first case of infection on March 8 last year and confirmed first death 10 days later in the same year.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the pilot Covid-19 vaccination drive formally on January 27.

Later, Health and Family Welfare Minister Zahid Maleque officially inaugurated the mass inoculation campaign across the country on February 7.

Amid the situation, the government went on a seven-day lockdown across the country from Monday to stem the spread of the coronavirus but the death and infection rate is continuously rising as people are reluctant in maintaining the health safety rules.