Coronavirus: 23,000 overseas returnees in Jashore, 332 in home quarantine

More than 23,000 people have returned home in Jashore from different countries in the last one month but among them, only 332 were sent to home quarantine.

The district administration has formed committees to find out the overseas returnees and sent a list of the returnees to eight upazilas of the district.

Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Shafiul Arif made this disclosure at an emergency meeting at Circuit House in the district town on Saturday evening.

Arif, who also heads the coronavirus prevention committee, said 23,000 people have returned home from abroad in the last one month but there were only 332 people in home quarantine.

They have no information about the rest.

"We have received a list of 23,000 people who are from the district and are working to bring the overseas returnees under close observation," he said.

Committees have been formed at ward level with members of union parishads. "Necessary legal action will be taken if anyone disobeys the rules of home quarantine," he said.

Jashore Civil Surgeon Dr Sheikh Abu Shahin said they have prepared 450 beds at different hospitals, including district town general hospital. Separate isolation ward, ambulance, and nurses have been kept ready to take care of coronavirus patients.

Besides, manpower at Benapole land port and immigration has been increased to check passengers with scanners and thermal hand scanners, the doctor added.

Dilip Kumar Roy, a supervisor doctor of Jessore General Hospital, said patients are usually accompanied by a large number of their relatives and this can increase the risk of coronavirus infection.

The hospital authorities are working to raise mass awareness about the situation, the doctor added.