7 more RMG workers infected with coronavirus in Savar

Eight people, including 7 readymade garment workers have been diagnosed with the novel coronavirus in Savar within last 24 hours. 

With this, the total number of positive cases of coronavirus in Savar stands at 30. 

All of the seven infected RMG workers are aged between 35-36. Police already locked down the areas they live in to curb further spread of the virus. 

Sources at the Health and Family Welfare officials at Savar upazila told The Business Standard that more than a hundred garment workers came to the health complex for coronavirus testing on Thursday. 

The officials chose 50 from them, collected their samples and sent them to the Savar's Livestock Research Institute lab. Test results of eight among the 50 came positive.  

"All seven workers work at three factories in Savar's Ulail area. They have been admitted into a hospital in the capital's Mirpur," an Upazila Health Complex official, unwilling to be named, said. 

Upazila Health and Family Welfare officer Sayemul Huda said that the number of infected patients is increasing since the factories reopened. Most of the newly infected are apparel workers.

Earlier on April 29, four workers of different readymade garments (RMG) were tested positive with the novel coronavirus after they resumed working amid the current pandemic situation in Chattogram, Rangpur, Jashore and Pirojpur.

Garment factory owners have taken initiatives to set up four testing labs in Ashulia-Savar, Gazipur, Narayanganj and Chattogram for detecting coronavirus among workers, where tests will be done free of cost among 2,400 workers daily for detecting coronavirus.

Tests will be done free of cost for workers of other sectors too.

Bangladesh today confirmed two more deaths from the novel coronavirus and 571 new cases of infection testing 5,573 samples in the last 24 hours.

With this, the death toll from the deadly virus rose to 170 and the number of total infections stood at 8,238.