The government has urged people not to panic over the coronavirus as it has taken necessary preparation to prevent the virus from entering the country.

"Do not panic but remain cautious, the government has taken a slew of measures. We hope the virus will not enter Bangladesh," Health Minister Zahid Maleque said on Tuesday (Jan 28).

Speaking to the media after an inter-ministerial meeting, he said that the government has taken a two-pronged approach-- screening of inbound passengers at all air, land and sea entry points and equipping the hospitals if any case is confirmed.

"Monitoring at all airports, landports and seaports have been beefed up; [thermal] scanners have been set up, even the hand-held ones have been supplied. Monitoring activities are more focused on the airports. Travellers from China are being watched," said Maleque.

Hospitals have been told to set up isolation units in case of any coronavirus-infected person enters the country or a case is confirmed. "Civil surgeons, DCs [deputy commissioners] and SPs [superintendents of police] in every district have been put on alert over the virus," he said.

NO CHINA BAN BUT ADVISED NOT TO TRAVEL

Amid the outbreak of the virus, which has so far claimed over 100 deaths, the health minister advises Bangladeshi citizens not to travel to China.

Some 300 Bangladeshis are enrolled in universities in the central Chinese city of Wuhan-- the epicentre of the virus, Maleque said before adding: "Any Bangladeshi is yet to be infected. The prime minister has ordered to evacuate the citizens there if they want to, but the Chinese government is not allowing anyone to leave now."

According to him, no one will be allowed to leave China in 14 days and the deadline ends on Feb 6.

"We advise against travelling to China now, but there's no travel ban," said the health minister.

China's foreign ministry said on Tuesday that the head of the World Health Organization said he was confident in China’s ability to contain the virus and that he did not think foreigners should be evacuated, reports Reuters.

CHINESE CITIZENS UNDER WATCH

Chinese citizens in Bangladesh are being monitored, said the health minister.

"A lot of Chinese nationals work in Bangladesh. Their living quarters are being watched. Strict monitoring has been enforced in the airports. All persons entering Bangladesh from China will be watched for 14 days," said Maleque.

Meanwhile, the authorities of the Padma bridge construction project have slapped a travel ban on Chinese nationals working there.

Those who have gone to China for vacation will not be allowed to return while those in Bangladesh will not be able to travel home for now, the project's Executive Director Dewan Abdul Quader told Bangla Tribune on Tuesday.

Responding to a query from the media, the minister said that a Chinese national is admitted at a Dhaka hospital with cold.

"He has recuperated and wants to be released. But we are running more tests on him," he said.  

The death toll from the fast-spreading virus rose to 106 in China on Tuesday with more than 4,500 infected.

The virus has already spread to more than 10 countries including the US, Japan and neighbouring India. The small number of cases confirmed outside China is linked to people who travelled from the country, but no deaths have been reported elsewhere.

The Chinese National Health Commission's chief said on Sunday the current outbreak was spreading "relatively fast" and "now entering a more severe and complicated period", reports Reuters.

Last Thursday, the World Health Organization called the outbreak an emergency for China, but stopped short of designating it a global emergency.

Coronavirus infections have a wide range of symptoms, including fever, coughing, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. Severe cases can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and death. Many of those who died had pre-existing medical conditions or were elderly, authorities have said.

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