Seven more die of COVID-19, 209 fresh cases detected: health official

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DHAKA, April 14, 2020 (BSS) – Bangladesh today reported seven more deaths
from the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and 209 fresh positive cases overnight,
the highest in terms of both deaths and infection in a single day since its
first detection on March 8.

“Seven more COVID-19 patients died in the last 24 hours, raising the death
toll to 46,” Additional Director General (administration) of DGHS Prof Nasima
Sultana told a virtual media briefing at the Directorate General of Health
Services (DGHS) in the city.

She said 209 more people were infected by the lethal virus in the country
during the time which took the total number of COVID-19 positive cases
to1012.

Nasima said they detected 209 fresh cases after testing 1905 samples
through 17 labs across the country over the period.

The health official said in a bid to increase sample tests of suspected
patients, a process for setting up nine labs in the county is underway.

“The nine labs — three in Dhaka and six in outside Dhaka — will be
installed within a week,” she said.

Nasima said rampant movement of the coronavirus patients is mainly
responsible for increasing COVID-19 positive cases.

She informed that they tested 335 more samples in the past 24 hours in line
with the government’s decision to increase sample test of suspected cases to
determine how many people are infected by the virus.

The health official said as the number of COVID-19 infected case is on the
rise in the country, the government has intensified its efforts including
collection of protective equipment such PPE, surgical masks alongside
increasing medical facilities for coronavirus-infected patients.

She also told the briefing that by now authorities collected 14,01016 PPE,
and of them, they distributed 8,86,94 PPE at different hospitals countrywide,
while 5,15,122 PPE are in stock.

Nasima said nearly 89,000 people were kept at both home and institutional
quarantine and 65,315 people were released from quarantine, while the number
of people who currently remain in quarantine is about 29,000.

The health official said a total of 488 institutions have been prepared
across the country for keeping over 26,000 people in quarantine. “At present,
a total of 383 people have been kept at isolation,” she added.

Nasima said doctors, medical technologists and health workers are being
imparted training through online as part of the countrywide ongoing training
initiatives to provide healthcare facilities to COVID-19 patients and help
test of suspected cases for quick confirmation of coronavirus cases.

She advised the people to follow some hygienic practices including washing
hands with soap frequently, cleaning all spaces of house and refrain from
touching mouths, nose and eyes by unclean hands to protect themselves from
the infection of the virus.

Nasima said as part of taking preventative measures to stop imported cases
of COVID-19, the authorities of all gateways, including airports, land ports
and waterways, are continuing to screening of all foreign returnees.

She said till today, over 23,0,282 people received healthcare services from
hotline mobile numbers and health web portals as the government formed a
group of medical professionals to provide emergency health services.

The contact hotline and mobile numbers are 16263; 333; 10655 and
01944333222 – to receive information and treatment facilities on COVID-19.

As of April 14, 2020, 11:07 GMT, 120,536 people have died so far from the
COVID-19 outbreak and there are currently 1,936,576 confirmed cases in 210
countries and territories, according to Worldometer, a reference website that
provides counters and real-time statistics for diverse topics.

China is the first country of the world which on January 11 reported the
first known death from an illness caused by the virus in Wuhan, the capital
of Central China’s Hubei province.