Bangladesh reports eight more deaths, highest 641 fresh positive cases from COVID-19

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DHAKA, April 29, 2020 (BSS) – Bangladesh today reported eight more deaths from the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) overnight and recorded the highest number of 641 fresh positive cases in a single day.

“Eight more COVID-19 patients died in the last 24 hours, increasing the death toll from the pandemic to 163,” DGHS Additional Director General (administration) Prof Nasima Sultana told a virtual media briefing at the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) in the city.

She said the tally of infections has soared to 7,103 in the same period after another 641 people tested positive for COVID-19 from 4968 samples, the highest in a single day.

This is the biggest single-day spike in new cases since the first COVID-19 cases were detected in Bangladesh on March 8.

Nasima said 11 more COVID-19 patients were cured in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of recoveries to 150.

Bangladesh confirmed the first coronavirus death on March 18, ten days after the detection of the first COVID-19 cases.

Among the COVID-19-infected cases, nearly 75 percent patients are taking treatment from their homes and many of them are being cured every day after receiving treatment through hotlines, Nasima added.

She said among the eight fatalities, four are in their 60s, two in their 50s, and two in their 30s. Of them, six are in Dhaka and two others in outside Dhaka.

Of the total fatalities, 85 deaths were recorded in Dhaka city and 39 reported in Narayanganj district. Of the total 163 deaths, 137 took place in Dhaka division and rests are other seven divisions, the health official added.

Nasima said COVID-19 cases were found in 60 districts meaning that almost all regions of the country are now risky for the fatal disease.

She dubbed Dhaka and Narayanganj COVID-19 as “hotspots” as the maximum number of cases were detected in the two cities.

As of April 28, Dhaka city has been considered as the worst-affected with nearly 52 percent of COVID cases, while Dhaka division has remained top position with 84 percent infected cases out of total coronavirus patients, the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) sources said.

Among the 60 districts infected by COVID-19, Narayanganj is the most hardest-hit district with 849 cases as 150 more people tested positive in the last 24 hours, she said.

It is followed by Gazipur with 318 positive cases, Kishoreganj with 194 cases, Narsingdi with 142 cases, Mymensingh with 117 cases Dhaka district with 88, Munshiganj with 82 cases, Chattogram with 67 cases, Gopalganj with 50, Habiganj with 48 cases, Cumilla with 47 cases and Jamalpur with 52 cases.

The worst hit areas of Dhaka city are Mirpur with 135 cases and Rajarbagh with 110 cases, Mohammadpur 61 with cases, Lalbagh 67 with cases, Jatrabari 70 with cases, Bangshal with 49 cases , Bashabo with 28 cases, Chakbazar 32 with cases, Kakrail with 47 cases, Wari 37 cases, Shahbag with 36 cases, Uttara with 46 cases, Tejgaon with 44 cases, Dhanmondi with 37 cases, Mugda with 43 cases and Mahakhali 54 cases.

Nasima said Bangladesh is witnessing a rapid rise of coronavirus cases since March 24 as 7,097 people tested positive for the virus during the time while the number was only 6 from March 8 to March 23 period.

She said a total of 59701 samples have so far been tested since the detection of the first COVID-19 cases in the country.

The health official informed that at present, there are 26 labs in the country for testing samples of COVID-19, adding, three more labs will be set up within few days.

She said under the private sector initiative, one more PCR Lab was formally inaugurated today at US-Bangla Medical College Hospital in Narayanganj.

“This is very encouraging that private sector is supplementing the efforts of the government to test more suspected cases to curb the transmission of the deadly disease,” Nasima continued.

Nasima said the government is gradually expanding testing facilities as part of its preventive measures to fight COVID-19.

The government has given approval to three more private hospitals — Evercare Hospital Dhaka, Square Hospital Limited and United Hospital Limited — for performing COVID-19 tests, she said, adding these hospitals have been given permission to conduct coronavirus tests for their admitted patients only.

“These hospitals will not be allowed to carry out tests of outdoor patients,” she explained.

They (the three private hospitals) will charge for each COVID-19 test as per the fixed rate by the government, Nasima added.

The health official said a process is underway to give permission to two more private hospitals for performing COVID-19 tests.

The health official said as coronavirus outbreak is on the rising trend in the country, the government has intensified its efforts including further extending general holidays till May 5, collecting quality logistics medical materials and increasing healthcare facilities to fight the pandemic.

“We have sufficient stock of testing kits… the government is importing testing kits on regular basis as it is very essential medical tool to determine coronavirus cases,” she said.

“There are 9738 isolation beds in the country,” Nasima said, adding 3944 of them are in Dhaka city.

The DGHS said nearly 1,84,337 lakh people were kept at both home and institutional quarantine and 1,07,955 people were released from quarantine, while the number of people who are currently remain in quarantine is 76,382.

It said a total of 601 institutions have been prepared across the country for keeping over 30,635 people in quarantine, adding nearly 13,40 people have now been kept in isolation.

The health service organization 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 screening of all foreign returnees.

It said the government has collected 1,711,294 PPE so far, of which over 13 lakh were distributed and 3,58,334 are in stock.

The DGHS said the government is strictly maintaining standard of all kinds of protective equipment including PPE, surgical masks and gloves to ensure safety of medical professionals.

It said in case of critical COVID-19 patients, special facilities including oxygen, ICU and dialysis units are needed in hospitals. At present, the country has 341 ICUs and 102 dialysis units, it added.

The DGHS sources said till today, nearly 36,16000 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 29, 2020, 10.32 GMT, 218,386 people have died so far from the coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak and there are 3,149,241 currently confirmed cases in 210 countries and territories, according to Worldomete, a reference website that provides counters and real-time statistics for diverse topics.

China was the world’s first country which on January 11 reported the first death from the novel coronavirus in Wuhan, the capital of Central China’s Hubei province.