Bangladesh in one day- on May 30- will complete 12 weeks since the first Covid-19 cases were detected in the country on March 8, and the running week has already become its worst of the pandemic.
The highest single-day count of new coronavirus cases and deaths were both recorded in the current week, painting a grim picture of the worsening Covid-19 crisis in the country.
In the week starting May 24, a total 10,757 cases have been registered over the past six days. This amounts to an average of 1,793 people testing positive for Covid-19 each day of the week, so far, according to government data.
Shockingly, this is the highest weekly infection rate yet, overtaking the 1,538 cases a day in the 11th week, between May 17 and 23. As many as 11,083 new cases were confirmed in the 11th week.
In the 12th week, over 2,000 new cases were detected for the first time on Thursday (2,029 on May 28) and 2,523 new cases were confirmed on Friday.
The ongoing week has also seen an alarming toll of 130 deaths, amounting to nearly 22 fatalities a day - the highest daily death rate, so far. A total 23 new deaths were reported on Friday and the highest number of deaths from Covid-19 (28) was reported on May 24.
A total 138 people died in the 11th week, which amounts to nearly 20 deaths per day.
In the first seven weeks of the coronavirus outbreak in the country, till April 25, a total of 4,998 cases were confirmed.
However 3,972 cases were confirmed in the eighth week (April 26-May 2), and 4,980 in the ninth (May 2-May 9). In the 10th week starting from May 10, a mammoth 7,225 cases of Covid-19 were confirmed.
The country on May 16 completed its 10th week into the outbreak. In the eighth week, the government confirmed 35 fatalities, and the weekly death toll almost tripled to 100 in the 10th week.
On March 18, the health authorities in Bangladesh reported the first coronavirus death.
The virus broke out in China's Wuhan in December last year and quickly spread throughout the world, becoming a pandemic in less than three months.