Atleast 31 people contract COVID-19 at closed temple in Dhaka; cases near 5,000

The infections have baffled the authorities as the temple has been closed to outsiders since the first COVID-19 case was reported in Bangladesh on March 8.

British and American nationals who were stranded in Bangladesh arrive to board repatriation flights at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport as the country continues to be in lock down to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus in Dhaka, Bangladesh

DHAKA: Thirty-one people have been infected with the novel coronavirus in a closed ISCKON temple in the Bangladesh capital of Dhaka, it was reported on Sunday.

The infections have baffled the authorities as the temple has been closed to outsiders since the first COVID-19 case was reported in Bangladesh on March 8, bdnews24 said in a report.

"No one was allowed into the temple. I don't understand how so many people have been infected given so much care was taken," Gendaria Police Station OC Saju Mia said after the test results from the government's disease control agency IEDCR came on Saturday.

More than 100 people, including priests, officials and devotees, reside in the temple.

The Old Dhaka areas under the Gendaria Police Station have recorded 55 coronavirus cases so far with three deaths.

Bangladesh has so far reported 4,998 coronavirus cases, with 140 deaths.