Coronavirus: Cox’s Bazar declared as country’s first ‘red zone’

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Cox Gazette | Online Desk June 5, 2020, 07:54 PM

The Cox's Bazar district administration locked down 10 wards of Cox's Bazar municipality and various areas of the district for 14 days marking them as "red zone".

Md Kamal Hossain, deputy commissioner of Cox's Bazar, announced to lock down the areas on Thursday afternoon. The lockdown was effective from Friday morning.

Kamal said, "No one can enter or go out from the marked red zone areas. The areas will be completely blocked. Food and medical assistance will be officially provided to low-income people."

"If necessary, stricter measures will be taken. Only people involved in the emergency services will be allowed to move in the red zone areas to a limited extent," he further said.

A committee will be formed in each ward to keep an eye on the necessary matters in their areas, sources from the district administration informed.

Two among the twelve wards of Cox's Bazar municipality were considered "yellow zone". The remaining 10 wards were marked as "red zone".

Other than the municipality area, the infection rate is the highest in Cox's Bazar Sadar and Chakaria. Various areas of these regions were also placed under the "red zone".

Sources further said that Cox's Bazar was divided into three zones based on the number of coronavirus cases. The Upazila nirbahi officers were carrying out the responsibility of mapping.

Unions or wards that have high infection rates were categorized as "red zone". Areas that have a mid-level infection are in the "yellow zone" and areas that are not infected at all are in "green zone".

No ward in Cox's Bazar municipality was identified as a "green zone".

So far in Cox's Bazar district, 890 people have been infected with coronavirus and 20 died.

Thirty-four Rohingya camps in the district are at risk. A Rohingya man has already died and 30 are being treated.