29 March 2024

First death of Rohingya man from COVID-19 reported in Bangladesh

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A Rohingya man died from coronavirus while undergoing treatment at the isolation centre at Ukhiya camp in Cox’s Bazar on Monday night.

The deceased could not be identified immediately but he was a 71 year old man, said Dr Abu Toha MRH Bhuiyan, health coordinator of the Refugee, Relief and Rehabilitation Commission, UNB reports.

This is the first time a Rohingya man died from coronavirus, he said adding that several Rohingyas have already got infected with coronavirus and all of them have been kept at the isolation centre.

Earlier on May 16, two Rohingyas were diagnosed with coronavirus at Kutupalong Rohingya camp in Cox’s Bazar, forcing the local administration to put some 5,000 Rohingyas at the camp under complete lockdown.

Meanwhile, the government, UN agencies and NGOs have worked intensively to increase coronavirus testing, expand isolation and treatment capacities for all people in Cox’s Bazar, said the Inter Sector Coordination Group (ISCG).

UNICEF said it was preparing a 210-bed Severe Acute Respiratory Infection Isolation and Treatment Centre after the first coronavirus cases were confirmed among the Rohingya population in Cox's Bazar.

Bangladesh is hosting over 1.1 million Rohingyas, most of them entered Bangladesh since August 25, 2017.


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