Modi’s Dhaka trip cancelled

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was scheduled to visit Dhaka on March 17, has cancelled his trip amid a surging threat of novel coronavirus in South Asia, the Times of India reported on Monday citing Delhi-based Asian News International (ANI) as source.

Bangladesh has also cancelled the grand ceremony of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's birth centenary which PM Modi was expected to attend on March 17.

On Sunday, Bangladesh confirmed its first batch of coronavirus cases. Three people, two of whom had recently returned from Italy, tested positive for Covid-19 as per official authorities.

Director of the Institute of Epidemiology Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) Meerjady Sabrina Flora told local media that two of the three infected - all aged between 20 and 35- are men while the third is a woman.

Three other people, who were in close contact with the infected trio, have also been quarantined.

For the past few days, IEDCR has been emphasizing cautiousness and improvement of personal hygiene, Flora said.

The government further urged that Bangladeshis who are returning from six countries including China, Italy, South Korea, Singapore, Iran and Thaland, to remain in self-quarantine for 14 days.

Passengers arriving from these countries are being screened through thermal scanners at the airport, said Health Officer at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka, Mohammad Shahriar Sazzad, adding that they are provided with health declaration forms where they give health-related information.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina also urged the people not to be worried over coronavirus as the country was capable enough to tackle this disease.

So far, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 107,000 people have been affected by coronavirus in at least 100 countries around the world, since the virus spread from China's Wuhan city at the end of December last year.

Kamruzzaman