Bangladesh has recorded the highest coronavirus deaths in a single day. 24 people have died of the deadly disease in the last 24 hours.
With the latest figure, the death toll now stands at 432.
1,694 people have tested positive for Covid-19 over the same period, pushing up the total number of confirmed cases to 30,205.
Additional Director General (Administration) of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), Prof Nasima Sultana, revealed the latest figures from Dhaka on Friday afternoon, in a daily online bulletin on the Covid-19 situation.
She said, of the 24 deceased, 15 died at hospitals, eight at home, and one was brought dead to a hospital.
Of the deceased, 13 were from Dhaka division, nine from Chittagong division, and one each from Mymensingh and Barisal divisions, she said.
Analyzing the deaths in accordance with age, Prof Nasima said, five were between 21 and 30 years old, three were between the ages of 31 and 40, two were 41 to 50 years of age, five were between 51 and 60, six were aged 61 to 70, two were between 71 and 80 years old, and one was between 81 to 90 years of age.
Previously, Bangladesh recorded the highest Covid-19 deaths (22) in a single day on May 21. Deaths from coronavirus infection crossed the 400 mark in the country on the same day.
Bangladesh recorded its first fatality on March 18 and crossed its 100 mark on April 20.
Prof Nasima, also the DGHS acting director general (DG), said as many as 9,993 samples were collected in the past 24 hours. Of those, 9,727 were tested in 47 labs across the country.
A total of 223,841 tests have been conducted so far, she said.
On May 21, Bangladesh recorded the highest single day of cases (1,773) from the coronavirus infection.
In the briefing, the DGHS acting DG also said that 588 more Covid-19 patients have recovered from the infection in the last 24 hours.
As per the revised guidelines provided by the Clinical Management Committee of the health authorities, 6,190 people so far have won the fight against coronavirus.
Nasima said: "225 people were put under institutional isolation in the last 24 hours, bringing the total to 4,060, while 2,028 individuals were released from isolation so far.
"Meanwhile, 2,560 people have been put in home and institutional quarantine in the past 24 hours. Till now 258,094 people have been quarantined across the country, of which 203,171 have been released."
Nasima also told the press that so far, 2,406,427 personal protective equipment (PPE) have been collected and at least 2,061,032 have been distributed across the country.
"We have 345,395 PPE in stock now."
17 private hospitals allowed to conduct tests
The DGHS official said that the health authorities have so far allowed 17 private hospitals and diagnostic centres to conduct Covid-19 tests in three districts. Of those, 14 are in Dhaka, two in Chittagong, and one in Bogra.
These health facilities have also been authorized to collect and test samples from other private hospitals and clinics on an outdoor basis, she said.
'Do not go to the village'
At the beginning of the briefing, the DGHS acting DG made a plea to the people to stay wherever they are.
She made the request at a time when the government has decided to allow people to use personal cars and microbuses to leave Dhaka for the Eid holidays.
However, all public transport services will remain suspended during this time.
Prof Nasima, also requested people not to go to their village home and to keep their near and dear ones safe from the coronavirus infection.
"Stop your movement please," she added.
On March 8, health authorities in Bangladesh reported the first case of Covid-19, a severe acute respiratory illness caused by the new strain of coronavirus, Sars-CoV-2. 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.
The fast spreading coronavirus has claimed 334,995 lives and infected 5,213,678 people across the world till 3:40pm on Friday, according to Worldometer.
As many as 2,093,874 people have recovered from Covid-19 which has spread to 213 countries and territories across the planet.
