DHAKA, March 20 (Xinhua) -- As the COVID-19 infections rise, the Bangladeshi government has decided to assign army to help combat the viral pandemic.
Bangladeshi Health Minister Zahid Malik announced the decision Thursday, saying the army will be used to build special quarantine facilities in Tongi on the outskirts of the capital Dhaka.
Meanwhile, the minister said the government is contemplating to lockdown vulnerable areas to contain the outbreak of the disease.
"We're planning to lock areas vulnerable as infection rates climb," he told a press briefing.
As part of precautious measures, the Bangladeshi government reportedly put embargo on all kinds of political, social and religious gatherings in the country with a plea to people having symptoms of COVID-19 to refrain from going to mosques and other worship places.
A total of 17 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Bangladesh with three more testing positive for the virus on Thursday.
Apart from them, hundreds of expatriate Bangladeshis are reportedly isolating themselves at their homes across the country, waiting to see if they develop symptoms of the dangerous virus.
So far, three COVID-19 patients have recovered in the country.
Bangladesh on Wednesday announced the country's first death related to the COVID-19.
