DHAKA, April 1, 2021 (BSS) – Bangladesh today reported 6,469 COVID-19 cases, the highest in a single day since its first detection on March 8 last year while the coronavirus claimed overnight 59 lives, the second highest figure in terms of fatality, so far.
“The tally of infections has surged to 6,17,764 as 6,469 new cases
were confirmed in the last 24 hours . . . 59 people died of COVID-19 during the period,” Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) said in its routine daily statement said.
It said 40 out of the 59 died in Dhaka division alone and 35 of them were male while 24 were women and added one of them is in his 20s, four are in their 30s, 11 in their 40s, 13 in their 50s while 30 are above 60 years.
DGHS officials said the both the fatality and infection figures suggested the trend to be worsening, prompting Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to issue a clarion call in parliament seeking optimum precautions by individuals in containing the spread of the coronavirus.
“We have to bring the situation under control (and) We are trying to bring the virus under control . . . But, assistance from the people is necessary to contain it,” she said insisting people to follow health guidelines.
The premier regretted a tendency to defy health rules in recent period despite repeated calls asking people to wear masks and follow other directives even after taking the jabs against coronavirus.
Bangladesh recorded the highest number of COVID-19 fatality on June 30 last year when the virus killed 64 people in a day.
DGHS said the country logged over 5,000 COVID-19 cases for the third consecutive day as 5,181 cases were recorded on March 29, 5,082 on March 30 and 5,358 on March 31.
The DGHS report came four days after the government ordered physical office attendance to be reduced by 50 percent under a 18-point directive as the coronavirus pandemic reappeared with an intensified wrath.
The order simultaneously asked mass-transport systems and restaurants to keep 50 percent seats vacant and ban transport services in high-risk areas in required cases and restrict all religious, social, political and other gatherings.
Bangladesh today also imposed a 16-day ban from July 3 on entry of passengers from all European nations except the United Kingdom (UK) and 12 other countries to check the new spike of coronavirus.
The DGHS statement said 22.94 percent of the 28,198 samples collected in 24 hours were tested positive while the infection rate was only 2.30 percent just on February 8 this year as during the late winter season, the rate started decreasing sharply.
The samples are tested at 226 authorized medical laboratories across the country during the time as the government put in efforts to increase the number of testing centers gradually with resurgence of the pandemic.
The recovery count rose to 5,44,938 after another 2,539 patients were discharged from the hospitals during the past one day.
The DGHS statistics showed of the people infected from the beginning, 88.21 percent recovered, while 1.47 percent died.
According to month-wise statistics last year, 51 COVID-19 positive cases were detected in March 2020, 7616 in April, 39,486 in May, 98,330 in June, 92,178 in July, 75,335 in August, 50,483 in September, 44, 205 in October, 57,248 in November and 48,578 in December.
The beginning of the current year witnessed a drastic fall of coronavirus cases in the country but the trend lasted for only two months — 21,629 cases were detected in January and 11,077 in February.
The month of entire march witnessed sharp increase of infection when the virus infected 65,079 people.
DGHS said among the total 9,105 fatalities, 5,192 deaths occurred in Dhaka division, 1,645 in Chattogram, 506 in Rajshahi, 586 in Khulna, 274 in Barishal, 325 in Sylhet, 376 in Rangpur and 201 in Mymensingh divisions.
It said the government-sponsored telemedicine services comprising 100 doctors were on service round the clock in the country to provide medical assistance to COVID-19 suspects and patients while 2.68 crore people received so far the treatments from them.
The contact hotline and mobile numbers of the telemedicine services are 16263; 333; 10655 and 01944333222.
According to Worldometer, a reference website, as of April 01, 2021, 10:56 GMT, the coronavirus killed so far 2,830,724 people in 212 countries and infected 129,606,379.