DHAKA, May 2, 2020 (BSS) – Bangladesh today reported five more deaths from the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and 552 fresh positive cases overnight.
“Five more COVID-19 patients died in the last 24 hours, increasing the death toll from the pandemic to 175,” 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 8,790 same period after another 552 people tested positive for COVID-19 from 5827 samples, the highest number of tests in a single day.
Nasima said three more COVID-19 patients were cured in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of recoveries to 177.
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 five fatalities, three are male and two female. Among the victims, all are in Dhaka.
As of May 2, of the total fatalities, 95 deaths were recorded in Dhaka city and 39 in Narayanganj district.
Of the total 175 deaths, 134 took place in Dhaka division and rests are in other seven divisions, the health official added.
Nasima said COVID-19 cases were found in 63 out of 64 districts, meaning that almost all regions of the country are now risky for the fatal disease.
No coronavirus positive case has been reported yet in Rangamati district, she said.
The health official dubbed Dhaka and Narayanganj COVID-19 as “hotspots” as the maximum number of cases were detected in the two cities.
As of May 2, Dhaka city has been considered as the worst-affected with 54.73 percent of COVID cases, while Dhaka division has remained at the top position with 83.08 percent infected cases out of total coronavirus patients, according to Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR).
Of the total infections, 6,031 cases were reported in Dhaka division, 334 cases in Chattogram division, 269 cases in Mymensingh division, 147 cases in Khulna division, 123 cases in Barishal division, 131 cases in Rangpur division, 114 cases in Sylhet division and 111 cases in Rajshahi division, it added.
Among the 63 COVID-19-prone districts, Narayanganj is the most hardest-hit one with 966 cases, according to the IEDCR data.
It is followed by Gazipur with 322 positive cases, Kishoreganj with 201 cases, Narsingdi with 151 cases, Mymensingh with 143 cases, Dhaka district with 109 cases, Munshiganj with 112 cases, Chattogram with 74 cases, Gopalganj with 45, Laksmipur with 41 cases, Cox’s Bazar with 37 cases, Barishal with 40 cases, Jashore with 63 cases, Habiganj with 55 cases, Cumilla with 99 cases and Jamalpur with 66 cases.
The worst hit areas of Dhaka city are Mirpur with 148 cases, Rajarbagh with 150 cases, Mohammadpur with 80 cases, Lalbagh 78 cases, Jatrabari 99 cases, Bangshal with 56 cases , Malibagh with 58 cases, Bashabo with 34 cases, Badda with 41 cases, Kakrail with 135 cases, Gendaria with 42 cases, Hazaribagh with 38 cases, Wari 41 cases, Shahbag with 50 cases, Uttara with 63 cases, Tejgaon with 50 cases, Mogbazar with 43 cases, Mitford with 38 cases, Dhanmondi with 38 cases, Mugda with 69 cases and Mahakhali 68 cases.
Nasima said Bangladesh is witnessing a rapid rise of coronavirus cases since March 24 as 8,784 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 76,066 samples have so far been tested since the detection of the first COVID-19 cases in the country, adding currently tests are being conducted at 31 labs in the country.
As coronavirus outbreak is on the rising trend in the country, Nasima said, the government is expanding testing facilities across the country with joint initiatives of government, non-government organizations, universities, state-run research institutes and private hospitals to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
These organizations are extending their cooperation to government to test samples of more suspected COVID-19 patients, which will help stem the spread of the disease, she said.
The organizations include Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), Sheikh Hasina Medical College in Jamalpur, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP), Childhood Disease Research Foundation, Dhaka Shishu Hospital, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR,B), Institute for Developing Science and Health Initiatives, Bangladesh Livestock Research Institute, Central Police Hospital in Dhaka, Bangladesh Agricultural University in Mymensingh, Mymensingh Medical College Hospital, Chattogram Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Jashore University of Science and Technology and Gazi PCR LAB in Rupganj.
Among them, Nasima said, some institutions are providing necessary support including donating PCR labs and other equipment to different hospitals for expediting testing activities in the country.
About the present stock of PCR kits, the health official informed that currently there are over one lakh PCR kits in the country.
“The government is importing testing kits on regular basis as it is a very essential medical tool to determine coronavirus cases,” Nasima added.
“There are 9738 isolation beds in the country,” she said, adding 3944 of them are in Dhaka city.
The DGHS said 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.
These hospitals have been given permission to conduct coronavirus tests for their admitted patients only, it said.
The DGHS said a process is underway to give permission to more private hospitals including LabAid Hospital, Ibn Sina Hospital and Tairunnessa Memorial Medical College and Hospital for performing COVID-19 tests.
A total of 1,90,443 people were kept at both home and institutional quarantine and 1,21,349 people were released from quarantine, while the number of people who are now in quarantine is 69,394.
According to the DGHS, a total of 615 institutions have been prepared across the country for keeping over 30,955 people in quarantine, adding nearly 1,632 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 18,33,492 PPE so far, of which over 14,34,428 were distributed and 3,98,764 are in stock.
The DGHS 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 38,35,391 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 May 2, 2020, 10.03 GMT, 239,823 people have died so far from the coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak and there are 3,415,349 currently confirmed cases in 210 countries and territories, according to Worldometer, 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.