Bangladesh set to come out of COVID-19 lockdown

Bangladesh is all set to end its weeks-long strict lockdown imposed against the COVID-19 pandemic.

The ongoing restrictions on public and vehicular movement will be lifted from Aug. 11 and all the shops and offices will reopen on the same day.

Bangladesh's Cabinet Division issued a circular in this regard on Sunday. According to the circular, offices will remain open, maintaining the health guidelines.

It also said that buses and trains can carry passengers at full capacity but can't operate more than 50 percent of their total vehicles every day.

The resurgence in COVID-19 cases since June prompted the government to enforce the strict lockdown that began on July 1 and continued till July 14.

Bangladesh re-imposed the lockdown from July 23 to Aug. 5 after relaxing restrictions for a week on the occasion of Eid al-Adha festival which was celebrated here on July 21.

Again last week, the Bangladeshi government extended the nationwide strict lockdown for five more days until Aug. 10 to further contain the spread of the COVID-19.

On Sunday, the country's Directorate General of Health Services reported 10,299 new cases of COVID-19 and 241 new deaths, bringing the number of total cases to 13,53,695 and the total death toll to 22,652. (ANI/Xinhua)

( With inputs from ANI )