RANGPUR, April 12, 2020 (BSS) – Six more people were detected with coronavirus (COVID-19) positive after testing at the COVID-19 Laboratory here on Saturday raising the number of infected patients to 15 in Rangpur division.
“Among the newly detected six COVID-19 patients, three are of Thakurgaon and one each of Lalmonirhat, Gaibandha and Nilphamari districts,” Principal of Rangpur Medical College (RMC) Professor Dr. AKM Nurunnabi Laizu told BSS today.
He said the three new COVID-19 infected patients of Thakurgaon recently came from Narayanganj, one of Gaibandha remained in his own area and other two of Lalmonirhat and Nilphamari recently visited Dhaka and some other places.
Meanwhile, health officials said the number of quarantined people rose to 6,662 as 1,166 more people were quarantined anew at home or institutions during the last 24 hours in Rangpur division amid spread of COVID-19 infection in more areas.
In the last 24 hours, the numbers of quarantined people are nine in Rangpur, 91 in Panchagarh, 63 in Nilphamari, 242 in Lalmonirhat, 45 in Kurigram, 81 in Thakurgaon, 358 in Dinajpur and 277 in Gaibandha districts of the division.
“Of them, 1,129 people have put in home quarantine and 37 others in institutional quarantine in all eight districts of the division during the last 24 hours,” Focal Person of COVID-19 and Assistant Director (Health) for Rangpur division Dr. ZA Siddiqui said.
He said a total of 6,662 people have been quarantined, and of them, 3,272 released so far with 3,390 are still in home or institutional quarantine to prevent community transmission of coronavirus (COVID-19) in Rangpur division.
“So far, 20 suspected coronavirus patients were admitted to the isolation units of different hospitals in Rangpur division since the beginning, and of them, eight released so far and 14 are undergoing treatments,” he said.
“Among the total 15 detected COVID-19 patients, including two of Rangpur, three of Nilphamari, six of Gaibandha, three of Thakurgaon and one of Lalmonirhat districts, 11 of them are undergoing treatments in hospitals of the division,” Dr. Siddiqui added.
“Besides, one COVID-19 positive patient of Rangpur is undergoing treatment at a Bogura hospital and other four patients of Gaibandha are undergoing treatments at home isolation in Gaibandha district,” Dr Siddiqui added.
Talking to BSS, Divisional Director (Health) Dr. Md. Amin Ahmed Khan said adequate facilities have been made available for providing tenements to the COVID-19 infected patients in Rangpur division and steps have been taken to further enhance the capacity.
“The testing process of collected samples of suspected COVID-19 patients of Rangpur division is smoothly going on at the COVID laboratory of RMC with assistance of the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR),” he said.
Additional Divisional Commissioner (General) Md. Zakir Hossain said the efforts have been further intensified in ensuring social distancing to prevent community transmission of coronavirus (COVID-19) in all eights districts of Rangpur division.