People are least bothered about social distancing and health guidelines, mostly in the kitchen markets across the capital, even after the infections and deaths of Coronavirus (Covid-19) are rising every day.

To be safe from the deadly Coronavirus, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) has asked everyone to follow hygiene rules including washing their hands with soap, wearing face masks and maintaining physical distance.
But, for people in the kitchen markets, the advices fall on deaf ears. The required distance of 1 metre or so which is thought to be safe for preventing the transmission of COVID-19 is absent in the kitchen market. Many were not even wearing face masks.

Most people are wearing masks for fear of police, but most of them are taking off their masks while talking. Many sellers are seen counting money by using saliva.

According to public health experts, the dangers can be aggravated if the health rules are not followed, including exercising physical distancing. They also give advice not to go out unnecessarily.

During a visit to some kitchen markers including Mirpur 11, Mirpur 12, Kalshi and Mohammadpur Krishi Market, it was seen that buyers and sellers are not following the health rules.

Some of them were wearing masks or gloves, but were failing to maintain enough distancing from each other.

There is no arrangement to measure temperature at the entrance of the kitchen markets. A big number of them were seen unmasked, with some sellers too.
Many shop owners ask their customers for maintaining safe distancing, but most people ignore the marked places that are there.

The customers and sellers continue their activities leaving the risk of the virus aside and believing in providence.

Sultan, a trader of Mirpur 11 Kitchen Market, said “There are too many people with little space to move on making it difficult to maintain distancing.”

The situation was almost same in most of the kitchen markets in the capital including Mohammadpur.

Public health expert Dr Lelin Choudhury said, “Dangers may increase if health rules are not followed. We need to stop unnecessary movement. If you can’t keep yourself safe, a lot of people will be at health risk, and many will die.”

Prof Dr Nasima Sultana, Additional Director General of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), urged the media to promote the use of masks. She said many people are still seen going out in public without wearing face masks.

“Your safety lies with you,” she said. “We must use masks.”

She said three-layer masks made at home with old clothes can help protect people from coronavirus. “It’s a key took in fight against coronavirus,” she said.

On Saturday, Bangladesh recorded another spike in coronavirus cases when the health authorities announced detection of  2,856 new patients in the last 24 hours which took the total number of confirmed cases to 84,379.

“During this period, 44 patients died, raising the death toll to 1,139,” said Prof Dr Nasima Sultana.

Earlier on Friday, Bangladesh recorded the highest single-day fatality and positive cases with 46 deaths and 3,471 having tested positive with coronavirus.