Many can’t reach IEDCR hotline!

A large number of people from across the country cannot reach the hotline numbers of IEDCR to know about coronavirus related information, causing concern among them.

A number of people of different areas of Dhaka city said they tried for several times but couldn’t reach the IEDCR hotlines as those were shown busy again and again.

Visiting the institute on Tuesday, it was seen that some people gathered in front of the IEDCR in Mohakhali of the capital and were trying to get information from the concerned people of the office.

One of them placed his allegation to Meerjadey Sabrina Flora saying that they tried for several times but couldn’t reach the hotline numbers to get information about the coronavirus.

The IEDCR director said the hotline numbers remain busy as only 17 people were appointed to provide information about coronavirus through the hotline services.

“More than 4,000 people everyday phone IEDCR hotlines to know about coronavirus and others but only 17 people are providing the service to a large number of people. So, the hotline may be busy sometimes,” she said.

Many people in social media already also alleged that they couldn’t contact the IEDCR through its hotlines and failed to get information about the coronavirus.

Earlier, the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) director Prof Dr. Meerjadey Sabrina Flora on Tuesday briefed journalists that 10 people have been diagnosed with coronavirus so far.

Dr. Flora asked people not to gather in the IEDCR for any information about the coronavirus and advised them to contact through hotline numbers to know about this.

She advised people who travelled abroad recently to stay in home quarantined and to contact the IEDCR hotline if any symptom of the coronavirus exposes in their body.

The IEDCR director asked people not to gather at the institute for information but to contact through the hotline numbers to get services about the covid-19.

The IEDCR also said that, if contacted and according to necessity, their special medical teams would visit suspected coronavirus patients’ homes and collect samples for testing.

According to the IEDCR, the hotline numbers were increased as the coronavirus alert level has been raised to three from one. The hotline numbers:

People also can avail information about the coronavirus through sending message through facebook at Iedcr,COVID-19 Control Room.

In the past 24 hours, IEDCR tested 36 people. The total number of people in isolation is now 16.

On Monday, IEDCR reported three new cases and confirmed that the virus has started transmitting locally.

The global death toll from coronavirus or COVID-19 pandemic climbed to 7,019 on Tuesday. The disease has so far infected 173344 people around the world. And 152 countries affected the virus.