COVID-19 rising concern as deaths, infections slightly high

The country's COVID-19 situation is spreading fears again as both the number of death and infection rates are slightly higher since last week.

Some 74 death cases have been recorded and 5,098 people newly infected with Covid-19 in the last 24 hours, the Directorate General of Health Services data shows.

The number of deaths increased six to 13 while the daily infection cases have raised 1,051 to 1,066 in the past 24 hours, rising deaths to 8,515 and infections to 5,55,222, with 5,09,172 recoveries.

The ratio of deaths and recoveries stand- 1.5 percent and 91.7 percent respectively.

The DGHS on Thursday said that 18,058 samples were tested across the country and 5.82 percent of them were found positive for COVID-19 in the past 24 hours.

The health regulatory agency examined 16,111 people on Friday, of them, 1,066 reported positive. The number of recoveries stands – 1307 on Thursday, 1252 on Friday.

While the country recorded 8,000 deaths on January 23, more than 515 deaths occurred in the last 17 days.

Health minister Zahid Maleque marks the amount of death and infection rates as‘ alarming’.

‘The country’s test positivity rate dropped to 2 percent but it has topped to 6 percent in recent days, he said at a programme on Thursday.

‘We have become desperate. We are not wearing masks and not maintaining social distancing. Even, we are gathering in many social events which are contributing to the rise of COVID-19 cases,’ he said.

‘The coronavirus has not gone away from Bangladesh. It will linger,’ he warned.

The minister said that he ordered both government and private hospitals to keep their COVID-19 beds prepared and the local administrations at district levels were asked to enforce strict guidelines.

The minister said many people are reluctant to follow health rules and that's why the possibility of infection prevailed. 

He said that the vaccinated people also should follow health practices to keep the coronavirus at bay.

The government began a mass vaccination against COVID-19 on February 7, inoculating 42.18 lakh people so far, including 99,000 on Thursday.

Bangladesh confirmed the first cases of COVID-19 on March 8 in the past year and the first death 10 days la

The government data says, a total of 8,515 people died from the pandemic and the infection rate rose to 5, 55,222 until file this report.

Bangladesh stands in the 33rd position in terms of COVID-19 cases and 39th position in regards to COVID-19 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data.