DHAKA, Dec 22, 2020 (BSS) – Bangladesh recorded 17 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) deaths and 1,318 fresh cases overnight.
The recovery count rose to 4,41,929 after another 2,235 patients were discharged from the hospitals during the period, a press release of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) said today.
“Seventeen more COVID-19 patients died in the last 24 hours, increasing the death toll from the pandemic to 7,329,” the release said.
It said the tally of infections has surged to 5,03,501 as 1,318 new cases were confirmed in the last 24 hours.
A total of 15,145 samples were tested at 161 authorized laboratories across the country during the time.
Of the total sample tests in the past 24 hours, 8.70 percent tested positive, while 16.21 percent cases were detected from the total tests conducted so far, the release added.
Among the total infections, 87.77 percent patients have recovered, while 1.46 percent died so far since the first COVID-19 positive cases were reported in the country on March 8.
Among the 17 deaths, 11 are male and six female, the press release said, adding two are in their 40s, four in their 50s, while 11 are above 60 years.
According to the division-wise data, nine deaths took place in Dhaka division and rests are in other divisions.
Among the total 7,329 deaths, 4,00,5 deaths occurred in Dhaka division, 1,363 in Chattogram division, 430 in Rajshahi division, 518 in Khulna division, 235 in Barishal division, 290 in Sylhet division, 329 in Rangpur division and 159 in Mymensingh division, according to the press release.
A total of 31,0,6494 samples have so far been tested since the detection of the first COVID-19 cases in the country.
The DGHS said in order to make treatment facilities easily available for the COVID-19 patients, the government has introduced telemedicine services comprising 100 physicians for round the clock in the country.
A total of 6,43,509 people have received healthcare services from telemedicine. The DGHS said 2,32,17,219 people received healthcare services from hotline mobile numbers and health web portals as the government formed a group of medical professionals to provide emergency healthcare services.
To receive information and treatment facilities on COVID-19, the contact hotline and mobile numbers are 16263; 333; 10655 and 01944333222.
As of December 22, 2020, 10:38 GMT, 1,711,177 people have died so far from the COVID-19 outbreak and there are currently 77,804,369 confirmed cases in 212 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.