DHAKA, Jul 14 (NNN-BSS) – The Bangladeshi government announced five packages of 32 billion taka (some 372 million U.S. dollars), to help low-income groups affected by the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown.
Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, made the announcement of the support packages in a statement here yesterday.
According to the statement from the Prime Minister’s Office, low-income people, including day-labourers, transport workers, small traders and water transport workers, who have been hit hard by the ongoing restrictions imposed, due to the rise in COVID-19 cases and deaths, will be supported through the packages.
To curb the virus transmission, Bangladesh on Jul 1, entered a strict one-week COVID-19 lockdown, that has subsequently been extended till today, and army personnel have been deployed to patrol alongside civilian forces, to maintain law and order.
The Bangladeshi government Monday said, it would ease the ongoing lockdown for a week from July 15 (tomorrow), to help Muslims prepare for the festival of animal sacrifice, Eid al-Adha, despite the recent surge in COVID-19 cases.
Yesterday, Bangladesh reported 12,198 new COVID-19 cases, and 203 new deaths, making the case tally at 1,047,155, and death toll at 16,842, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) said.
The official data showed that 41,755 samples were tested in the last 24 hours, as of 8:00 a.m. local time yesterday, across Bangladesh.– NNN-BSS
