Bangladesh plans to extend COVID-19 lockdown to May 30

The Bangladesh government has planned to extend the ongoing lockdown to May 30 as the daily rate of new COVID-19 cases has continued to surge, it was reported.

Speaking to bdnews24 about the plans on Wednesday, State Minister for Public Administration Farhad Hossain said citizens would to be ordered to spend the Eid-ul-Fitr days in their own areas.

The government would also put strict curbs on travels for seven days before and after the festival, the Minister said.

The travel curbs will begin four days before Eid and continue for two days until after the festival.

"All must spend the Eid wherever they are," the Minister said.

The government will issue the orders on the extension of the shutdown on Thursday, he told bdnews24.

The shutdown of all offices, workplaces and public transport system has been in place since March 26 after the detection of the first coronavirus cases and fatalities in Bangladesh.

The government had extended it several times to May 16 at the earliest, but eased some curbs such as allowing factories to reopen.

Some shopping malls have also resumed trading ahead of Eid.

But all educational institutions have remained closed, so has public transit system.

On Wednesday, Bangladesh registered 19 new COVID-19 fatalities, the highest over a 24-hour period, raising the death toll to 269.

The total number of cases also soared to 17,822 after 1,162 people, in the steepest single-day jump, tested positive.

( With inputs from IANS )