ZCZC
BSS-12
BREIFING-CORONA
One more dies of coronavirus, 6 new cases detected: IEDCR
DHAKA, March 23, 2020 (BSS) – One more coronavirus patient has died in the
country and six new cases have been confirmed by the Institute of
Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) in the last 24 hours.
“The total death toll from the coronavirus stood at 3 and the number of
total infected stood at 33 while the new six cases confirmed in the last 24
hours,” IEDCR Director Professor Dr Meerjady Sabrina Flora said while
briefing the media through videoconference today.
Of the six new patients, three are male and three female, she said, adding
“Of the total infected people, one was doctor and two were nurses.”
Flanked by IEDCR Principal Scientific Officer ASM Alamgir and health
ministry’s public relation officer (PRO) Mydul Islam, Dr Flora said, “Of the
total 33 patients detected in the country so far, five have recovered and
were discharged from hospital. Of the total number of patients, 13 were
foreign returnees and 20 local, who got infected after coming into their
contacts.”
“So far, we have tested samples of 620 people in IEDCR of which 56 were
tested in the last 24 hours. A total of 51 people have been kept in isolation
while 46 are kept in institutional quarantine,” she added.
The IEDCR chief said number of calls made on their hotline numbers have
gone down as most of the contacts are being made online and adding “A total
of 1,716 calls were received in the last 24 hours, of which all were related
to COVID-19.”
Dr Flora said though they have asked people not to come directly to IEDCR
for sample collection, 12 people had come to their office even in the last
24-hour and they were served accordingly.
Underscoring the need for involving people to control the outbreak of the
pandemic, she said, “Otherwise government’s all initiatives will go in vain
if we cannot make ensure people’s participation.”
“We must stay away from places like markets, shopping malls and all kinds
of gatherings where there is a chance of coming into contact with suspected
corona infected persons,” the IEDCR director said.
“The government will take Sheikh Rasel Gastroliver Institute and Hospital
and Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery for the
treatment of the COVID-19 patients,” PRO Mydul Islam said.
IEDCR has opened an e-mail [email protected] and facebook account-
Iedcr and COVID-19 Control Room- from where people can get their required
information.
From January 21 to March 22, IEDCR has received total 53,167 calls, of
which 2,570 calls were made in the last 24-hour.
A total of 6, 57,972 passengers were screened at different ports and
cantonment railway stations of the country from January 21 to March 22. Of
those, 3,21,512 were screened at three international airports. A total of
9,157 people were screened at Chattogram and Mongla Sea Ports.
BSS/ASG/DH/SAH/SSS/1804 hrs