Dhaka, Jan. 19 -- The National Technical Advisory Committee on Covid-19 has recommended the government re-impose a 14-day institutional quarantine for all people returning from abroad, fearing a further spread of the new and deadly coronavirus variant through them in the country.

The gestation period of the virus is 14 days and so there is a risk that the returnees could be infected at any time within 14 days, the Covid-19 advisory panel, headed by Prof Dr Mohammad Shahidullah, argued at its 25th online meeting on Monday.

The recommendation came days after the government reduced the institutional quarantine period to four days, which the panel deems "not safe enough".

The government has recently decided to institutionally keep the UK r...