RANGPUR, April 26, 2021 (BSS) – The death toll from coronavirus (COVID-19) infection rose to 345 with two more deaths reported from Rangpur and Kurigram districts on Sunday in the division.
Health officials said the Covid-19 infection rate continues rising rapidly amid a declining recovery rate and a rising casualty rate during the last more than one month in the division.
“A total of 25 infected patients died from April 10 to April 25 last, the highest number in a fortnight since the outbreak of the pandemic in the division,” Focal Person of COVID-19 and Assistant Director (Health) for Rangpur division Dr. ZA Siddiqui told BSS.
The district-wise break-up of the 345 fatalities stands at 80 in Rangpur, 123 in Dinajpur, 36 in Thakurgaon, 34 in Nilphamari, 18 in Kurigram, 20 in Panchagarh, 21 in Gaibandha and 13 in Lalmonirhat.
“The average casualty rate currently stands at 1.94 percent in the division,” he said.
Earlier, the monthly numbers of casualties were 11 between March 11 and April 11, three between February 11 and March 11 and six between January 11 and February 11 last in the division.
Talking to BSS, Divisional Director (Health) Dr. Md. Ahad Ali said the number of coronavirus infected cases quickly rose to 17,780 as 55 more patients were reported after testing 288 samples at the infection rate of 19.10 percent during the period.
A total of 1,23,925 collected samples of all eight districts in the division were tested till Sunday, and of them, 17,780 people were found Covid-19 positive with an average infection rate of 14.35 percent.
“The district-wise break-up of total patients now stands at 4,623 in Rangpur, 824 in Panchagarh, 1,515 in Nilphamari, 1,039 in Lalmonirhat, 1,131 in Kurigram, 1,633 in Thakurgaon, 5,326 in Dinajpur and 1,692 in Gaibandha,” he said.
Meanwhile, the number of recovered patients from the lethal virus rose to 16,411 with the healing of 74 more infected people on Sunday in the division.
“The average recovery rate currently stands at 92.30 percent in the division where the recovery rate crossed 97 percent mark about a couple of months ago,” he added.
“Among the 16,411 recovered patients, 4,187 of Rangpur, 788 of Panchagarh, 1,443 of Nilphamari, 992 of Lalmonirhat, 1,019 of Kurigram, 1,511 of Thakurgaon, 4,891 of Dinajpur and 1,580 of Gaibandha districts,” Dr Ali said.
Of the total infected patients, 83 are undergoing treatments at isolation units, including 18 critically sick patients at ICU beds, after recovery of 16,411 patients and 345 deaths while 966 remaining in home isolations across the division.
“Meanwhile, the number of citizens who got the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine rose to 5,96,934, among them, 2,09,843 got the second dose of the jab till Sunday in the division,” Dr Ali added.
Chief of Divisional Coronavirus Service and Prevention Task Force and Principal of Rangpur Medical College Professor Dr. AKM Nurunnobi Lyzu urged people to abide by the health directives for containing the hastily rising infection rate of the deadly virus.