Bangladesh records highest-ever virus cases despite lockdown

By Md. Kamruzzaman

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AA) - Despite a strict lockdown in place, Bangladesh registered 11,651 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, the highest ever single-day tally since the pandemic gripped the South Asian country in March last year.

With the new infections, total cases surged to 989,219, while another 199 deaths pushed the death toll to 15,792, according to the government's latest health report.

To stem the spread of the virus, the nation has been observing a nationwide two-week lockdown since July 1.

"Days before the lockdown, the government restricted public transports through a sudden declaration and tens of thousands of migrant people left urban areas, including the capital Dhaka, in a mad rush, violating social distancing rules and other health guidelines," Dr. Sajed Abdul Khaleque, a professor at a private medical college in Dhaka, told Anadolu Agency.

He added that violation of COVID-19 protocols has led to a recent surge in infections in the country, which has detected the more contagious delta variant of the virus within its borders.

Bangladesh, which has so far inoculated more than 10 million people, resumed mass registration for COVID-19 vaccination on Wednesday after a gap of two months due to a shortage of vaccines.