RANGPUR, May 2, 2021 (BSS) – The coronavirus (COVID-19) cases has crossed the 18,000-mark in the division where the infection rate and casualty rate continued rising amid a declining recovery rate in recent weeks.
Health officials said the number of Covid-19 cases rose to 18,012 as 34 more patients were reported after testing 282 samples at the infection rate of 12.06 percent on Saturday in the division.
“The daily infection rate crossed the 10 percent mark on March 24 last first time after remaining below the five percent mark for over a month in the division,” Focal Person of COVID-19 and Assistant Director (Health) for Rangpur division Dr. ZA Siddiqui said.
The district-wise break-up of the total patients now stands at 4,690 in Rangpur, 827 in Panchagarh, 1,529 in Nilphamari, 1,045 in Lalmonirhat, 1,155 in Kurigram, 1,642 in Thakurgaon, 5,413 in Dinajpur and 1,711 in Gaibandha of the division.
Since the beginning, a total of 1,25,809 collected samples were tested till Saturday, and of them, 18,012 were found Covid-19 positive with an average infection rate of 14.32 percent.
Meanwhile, the total number of healed patients reached 16,668 with recovery of 25 more infected people on Saturday in the division where the average recovery rate stands at 92.54 percent.
Among the recovered patients, 4,250 of Rangpur, 796 of Panchagarh, 1,458 of Nilphamari, 995 of Lalmonirhat, 1,019 of Kurigram, 1,520 of Thakurgaon, 5,018 of Dinajpur and 1,612 of Gaibandha districts in the division.
Talking to BSS today, Divisional Director (Health) Dr. Md. Ahad Ali said the number of fatalities rose to 352 while two more deaths reported from Dinajpur on Saturday.
A total of 32 infected people died from April 10 to May 1 last, the highest number since the outbreak of the pandemic in the division.
The district-wise break-up of the total fatalities now stands at 80 in Rangpur, 128 in Dinajpur, 37 in Thakurgaon, 35 in Nilphamari, 18 in Kurigram, 20 in Panchagarh, 21 in Gaibandha and 13 in Lalmonirhat.
The average casualty rate currently stands at 1.95 percent in the division.
“Earlier, the monthly casualties were 11 between March 11 and April 11, only three between February 11 and March 11 and six between January 11 and February 11 last in the division,” Dr Ali said.
Among the total 18,012 infected people, 82 are undergoing treatments at isolation units, including 20 critical patients at ICU beds, after recovery of 16,668 patients and 352 deaths while 946 remaining in home isolation across the division.
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 to contain further spread of the Covid-19 infection.