Ten more people have tested positive for Covid-19 in the past 24 hours, although no new deaths have been reported during this period. Two patients have recovered.
According to a press release issued by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) on Wednesday, 107 samples were tested between 8am Tuesday and 8am Wednesday, from which 10 new cases were confirmed.
The test positivity rate in the past 24 hours stood at 9.35%, while the overall positivity rate since the beginning of the pandemic remains at 13.5%.
The DGHS’s regular bulletin also noted that all 107 tests—and the 10 new patients—were from Dhaka. No Covid-19 samples were tested from any other region of the country.
Meanwhile, the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b) reported the detection of a new Covid-19 variant in the country, though it said the situation is not currently cause for major concern.
According to the icddr,b, two new Omicron subvariants—XFG and XFC—have emerged in Bangladesh and contributed to the recent rise in infections.
These variants, part of the JN 1 group, were first detected in April this year at Chittagong Medical College Hospital and have since been found in several regions.
The institute further reported that in May, these new subvariants accounted for 7% of patients hospitalized under its hospital-based influenza surveillance study in Kishoreganj, Rajshahi, Comilla, Khulna, Jessore, Sylhet, Barisal, Chittagong, and Dinajpur.
Although there is no reason for panic at this stage, icddr,b said it is closely monitoring the situation.
As precautionary advice, the institute urged the public to stay safe, remain at home if feeling unwell, get vaccinated—particularly the elderly and immunocompromised—and wear masks in crowded areas.
People were also advised to wash or sanitize their hands regularly.
In response to the rise in Covid-19 cases, the DGHS issued an 11-point advisory on Wednesday.
