3 upazilas in Bandarban under lockdown

Local administration kept three upazilas under lockdown in Bandarban from 8pm on Tuesday to curb the spread of coronavirus.

The upazilas are Lama, Alikadom and Naikhongchhari.

"Those upazilas are by the border area. They have entry points with Cox's Bazar. We declared the lockdown as one coronavirus patient was identified in Cox's Bazaar yesterday," said Md Shamim Hossain, Additional Deputy Commissioner (general) of Bandarban.

Earlier, Deputy Commissioner of Bandarban received a letter of the lockdown directive of Lama upazila, which clarifies that there are possibilities of the coronavirus spreading as the link roads between Cox's Bazar's Ramu and Chakaria upazila with Bandarban's Lama upazila are open.

The letter also said, Lama is declared under lockdown from today 8pm until further notice.

Civil surgeon of Bandarban Dr Aung Swe Prue Marma said, "We have sufficient amount of personal protective equipment (PPE) for doctors and nurses to resist the coronavirus. But we don't have coronavirus testing kits. We informed the matter to our superior authority."

He added, "Fifty people of the district are kept in quarantine."

Army personnel have been seen patrolling different points of Bandarban from this morning.