Bangladesh reports 16 deaths, 2,187 fresh cases from Covid-19

Bangladesh recorded 16 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) deaths and 2,187 fresh cases overnight, a press release of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) said today (Thursday).

During the late winter season, infection rate started decreasing sharply as the country reported 2.79 percent coronavirus positive cases on February 5 this year while the figure has surged significantly at recent times again.

Of the total sample tests in the past 24 hours, 10.45 percent tested positive, while 12.99 percent cases were detected from the total tests conducted so far, the release added.

A total of 20,925 samples were tested at 219 authorized laboratories across the country during the time.

“Sixteen more COVID-19 patients died in the last 24 hours, increasing the death toll from the pandemic to 8,624,” the release said.

It said the tally of infections has surged to 5,64,939 as 2,187 new cases were confirmed in the last 24 hours. The recovery count rose to 5,17,523 after another 1,534 patients were discharged from the hospitals during the period,

Among the total infections, 91.61 percent patients have recovered, while 1.53 percent died so far since the first COVID-19 positive cases were reported in the country on March 8.

Among the 16 deaths, 12 are male and four female, the press release said, adding three are in their 40s and one in his 50s while 12 are above 60 years.

According to the division-wise data, 13 deaths took place in Dhaka Division.

Among the total 8,645 fatalities, 4,845 deaths occurred in Dhaka division, 1,587 in Chattogram division, 485 in Rajshahi division, 568 in Khulna division, 263 in Barishal division, 313 in Sylhet division, 366 in Rangpur division and 197 in Mymensingh division, according to the press release.

A total of 43,49,194 samples have so far been tested since the detection of the first COVID-19 cases in the country.

The DGHS said in order to make treatment facilities easily available for the COVID-19 patients, the government has introduced telemedicine services comprising 100 physicians for round the clock in the country.

It added that 2,39,10,305 people received healthcare services from hotline mobile numbers and health web portals as the government formed a group of medical professionals to provide emergency healthcare services.

To receive information and treatment facilities on COVID-19, the contact hotline and mobile numbers are 16263; 333; 10655 and 01944333222.

As of March 18, 2021, 12:03 GMT, 2,694,944 people have died so far from the COVID-19 outbreak and there are currently 121,941,358 confirmed cases in 212 countries and territories, according to Worldometer, a reference website that provides counters and real-time statistics for diverse topics.

China was the world’s first country which on January 11, 2020 reported the first death from the novel coronavirus in Wuhan, the capital of Central China’s Hubei province.

Source: BSS

AH