None of 142 Italy returnees catch coronavirus

None of 142 people, who returned from Italy on Saturday morning, have tested positive for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). 

But they all will have to stay in home-quarantine for 14 days as cautionary measures. 

Dhaka district civil surgeon Dr Mainul Hasan said the returnees were diagnosed at Ashkona Hajj camp and none was found to have contracted the virus. 

They will be sent to their respective homes under police guard for home-quarantine, he added.

Earlier, 142 Bangladeshi nationals reached Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport from Italy, the worst-hit European country, around 8am through a flight of Emirates airline. 

Later, they were directly taken to the hajj camp for medical check-ups. 

Italy is currently the worst-hit country outside China, where the virus first emerged. The European country on Friday confirmed record 250 coronavirus deaths in a day.

The novel coronavirus, so far, claimed 5,436 lives, including 3,189 in mainland China, and infected around 145,634 people worldwide. As many as 72,529 people recovered from the virus, according to Worldometer, a website which compiles new case numbers of COVID-19.