As of December 21, 2020, Bangladesh has 502,183 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 7,312 related deaths. Beset by poor testing rates and an initial failure to quarantine returnees from abroad, the country’s initial outbreak grew quickly despite nationwide social distancing and lockdown measures announced at the end of March. Lack of medical workers and equipment, in conjunction with a highly informal economy, also added to the difficulty of containing the spread. The lockdown order was lifted in late May, with international arrivals for travellers with negative COVID-19 test results resuming in June and restrictions on mass gatherings and nighttime curfews eased in September. Mask wearing is still required in all public areas and schools remain closed, however. Cox’s Bazar, where the largest refugee camp for Rohingya is located, has been declared a ‘red zone’ since June, subject to special local measures.
Cyclone Amphan Adds to COVID-19 Disruptions in South Asia (May 22, 2020)
Special Dispatch | Will COVID-19 Cause the World – and Canada – to Forget about the Rohingya? (May 15, 2020)
First COVID-19 Case Confirmed in Rohingya Camps (May 15, 2020)
Bangladesh Refuses Entry to Desperate Rohingya (April 27, 2020)
Bangladeshi Garment Workers Protest as Outbreak Grows (April 17, 2020)
COVID-19 threatens Asia's refugee camps (March 16, 2020)
