AMN/ WEB DESK
The National Technical Advisory Committee (NTAC) on COVID in Bangladesh has recommended a travel ban on countries from which cases of the new variant Omicron have been reported. People with a recent travel history to these countries should be kept under a 14-day institutional quarantine on arrival in Bangladesh. The NTAC recommended strengthening of screening at all gateways including air, land and waterways and limiting the public gatherings in view of the new variant.
Bangladesh has issued an alert to all its ports considering the spread of the Omicron variant of COVID 19 in some countries like South Africa. The spokesperson of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) told the media that the government is taking all measures to prevent the spread of the new variant as the WHO has called it a variant of concern.
Earlier, Health Minister Zahid Maleque had said that the government has directed all relevant organisations to take emergency measures to prevent the highly contagious new variant Omicron, reported the official news agency BSS.
Meanwhile, COVID positivity rate in Bangladesh continued to be low at 1.03 percent on Sunday. The country reported 3 deaths and 205 new cases over the last 24 hours on Sunday morning.