COVID-19: Bangladesh shuts all educational institutions

By SM Najmus Sakib

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AA) - Bangladesh said educational institutions across the country will be suspended for next two weeks as a precautionary measure to fight possible spread of coronavirus after the number of the infected people rose to 8 on Monday, an official said.

"Primarily we decided to close the educational institutions on March 17-31, and further decision will be taken after March 31, if necessary," Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury, the country's deputy education minister, told Anadolu Agency.

He noted the ministry will also issue relevant formal instructions shortly.

The decision came amid fears of spread of the coronavirus pandemic as three more Bangladeshi citizens from the same family were reported positive on Monday, rising the tally to 8.

After emerging in Wuhan, China last December, the coronavirus has now spread to at least 146 countries and territories, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

The global death toll now numbers around 6,500, with around 170,000 confirmed cases, according to WHO.

While WHO recently declared the global outbreak a pandemic, its head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the situation was controllable.

In his remarks at a March 3 briefing on COVID-19, the WHO director-general also pointed out that the mortality rate from the virus was around 3.4%.