The death toll from Covid-19 continued to climb in the country with 54 more deaths recorded yesterday.
This is the highest single-day death toll in 35 days, with 56 deaths from Covid-19 recorded on May 9. The total number of confirmed deaths from the pandemic in the country now stands at 13,172.
As many as 3,031 people tested positive for Covid-19 in the 24 hours till yesterday morning, taking the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 829,972.
A total of 20,602 samples, including pending ones, were tested yesterday, amounting to an infection rate of 14.80%. The infection rate on Sunday was 12.99%, while the overall infection rate in the country stands at 13.40%.
The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) revealed the latest figures on the Covid-19 situation in a press release yesterday afternoon.
Situation in the border districts
Khulna division has the highest infection rate of 38.71%, with its Meherpur district recording the highest test positivity rate among all districts of the country at 48.44%.
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Jessore district saw a jump in infections from 34.5% to 39.13%, while in Khulna district it went from 27.5% to 34.24%, and in Kushtia from 31.5% to 36.79%
However, Satkhira, Chuadanga, Jhenaidah, Jessore and Narail districts saw slight falls in the infection rate.
In Rangpur division, Kurigram recorded the highest infection rate of 45.16%, followed by Lalmonirhat with 41%, Dinajpur 35%, and Takurgaon 33.87%.
The highest number of14 persons died in Chittagong division, while 13 people died in each of Dhaka and Rajshahi.
54 deaths
Of the 54 deceased – 39 men and 15 women – 14 were from Chittagong, 13 each from Dhaka and Rajshahi, seven from Khulna, five from Rangpur, and one each from Barisal and Mymensingh divisions.
Among them, 40 patients died in government hospitals, 10 in private hospitals, and four at home.
Altogether 27 of the deceased were aged over 60, 14 between 51 and 60, six between 41 and 50, five between 31 and 40, one between 21 and 30, and one between 11 and 20.
So far, 9,477 men (71.95%) and 3,695 women (28.05%) have died from Covid-19 across the country.
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Since the outbreak of the pandemic in Bangladesh, 7,307 people have died in Dhaka division, 2,532 in Chittagong, 792 in Rajshahi, 874 in Khulna, 395 in Barisal, 485 in Sylhet, 526 in Rangpur, and 271 in Mymensingh.
PM Sheikh Hasina directs caution
As the infection rate remains high in the border districts, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has ordered the local administrations not to take any risks and to impose restrictions in areas with spiking infections.
Following the weekly cabinet meeting, Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam told reporters letters had already been sent to the district administrations in this regard.
“If the administration feels it necessary, they should impose restrictions,” he said, quoting the prime minister.
The directives had also been sent to the Local Government Division, Armed Forces, and law enforcement agencies.
He said Dinajpur was now seeing a spike in infection while the situation was improving slowly in Jessore and Chapainawabganj.
The secretary also said a decision on extending the nationwide movement restrictions would be taken later.
