Bangladesh heads into strict lockdown amid record coronavirus spike
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A record spike in cases this week of the highly contagious Delta variant prompted the government to order a week of tight controls, although the measures could be extended.
Bangladesh police officers checked vehicles and army soldiers patrolled streets in the capital Dhaka as the country entered a strict lockdown on Thursday (July 1) in an effort to curb the spread of coronavirus.
A record spike in cases this week of the highly contagious Delta variant prompted the government to order a week of tight controls, although the measures could be extended.
All offices and transportation will be shut during this period while factories, including the country's prime garment export sector, will be allowed to remain open if they follow health protocols, the government said.
A police officer at one checkpoint said only essential goods carriers and ambulances were being permitted to move on the streets.
The country recorded 115 coronavirus deaths on Wednesday (June 30), with 14,503 overall, and 913,258 cases.