Despite a sharp decline in daily coronavirus fatalities and cases, Bangladesh on Saturday registered a 51-day high test-positivity rate.
In the 24 hours till Saturday morning, the country logged 39 more deaths and 1,637 new cases at a 14.12.% infection rate — the highest since April 22 when the figure last crossed the 14% mark.
With the latest development, the total number of deaths and cases in the country reached 13,071 and 824,486 respectively, according to the daily official estimate.
There were 43 new deaths and 2,454 cases on Friday, when the infection rate stood at 13.24%.
The latest infection rate was confirmed after 11,590 samples, including pending ones, were tested in the 510 authorized labs – government and private – around the country over the 24-hour span.
To date, 6,156,363 tests have been conducted in the country, leading to an overall infection rate of 13.39%.
Death and recovery
Of the 39 deceased – 26 men and 13 women – 11 were from Khulna division, 10 from Dhaka, seven from Rajshahi, six from Chittagong, two each from Barisal and Rangpur divisions, and one from Sylhet division.
Thirty-six of them died while undergoing treatment at different hospitals in the country while three died at home.
Twenty of the deceased patients were aged above 60, seven between 51 and 60, seven between 41 and 50, four aged between 31 and 40, and one was aged between 21 and 30.
So far, 9,406 men (71.96%) and 3,665 women (28.04%) have died from Covid-19 across the country.
Since the beginning, 7,279 people have died in Dhaka division, 2,509 in Chittagong, 773 in Rajshahi, 859 in Khulna, 393 in Barisal, 483 in Sylhet, 507 in Rangpur and 268 in Mymensingh.
The mortality rate against the total number of cases detected so far stands at 1.59%.
The health authorities said 2,108 people had recovered from the disease over the preceding 24 hours.
So far, 764,024 patients – 92.67% – have made full recovery across the country.
Currently, 23,955 people are in isolation and 46,397 are quarantined.
Now Narail, Kushtia under tougher curbs
With the coronavirus situation worsening in the border districts, stricter restrictions have been imposed in parts of Narail and Kushtia for a week starting yesterday
The authorities imposed a week-long night curfew in three municipalities and three unions of Narail's Sadar upazila to break the chain of Covid-19 transmission in the district.
The decision was taken at an emergency meeting of the District Coronavirus Prevention Committee on Friday night.
Meanwhile, the district administration has imposed a week-long lockdown in the municipality areas of Kushtia, reports UNB
Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Saidul Islam said the lockdown would continue till June 18. "The decision to enforce the lockdown was taken on Friday night to contain the spread of coronavirus in the municipality areas, " he said.
The positivity rate in Kushtia and Narail was 29.75% and 15.79% respectively. Both the districts are in Khulna division, which has been registering the highest infection rates for the past few days in the country. Even the lockdown in Khulna and Satkhira was previously extended for a week starting Friday
Situation at RMCH
Four more Covid-19 patients and patients with symptoms died at Rajshahi Medical College and Hospital (RMCH) in the last 24 hours.
One of the deceased, a resident of Chapainawabganj, tested positive for the deadly virus, said RMCH Deputy Director Saiful Ferdous.
Three others with symptoms of the disease hailed from Rajshahi, he added.
As many as 289 patients were undergoing treatment at the Covid-19 unit of the hospital until Saturday morning, with 25 people admitted over the last 24 hours.
Chapainawabganj, which is at the heart of the Indian variant transmission in Bangladesh, saw another four people succumb to coronavirus infections. Some 32 new cases were detected there yesterday
The newly tougher restrictions, imposed after a 14-day strict lockdown, in the border district will end on June 16.
