Covid positivity rate remains below 5% for second day
The positivity rate for the coronavirus has been recorded at below 5% in the country for two days at a stretch, indicating an improving Covid-19 situation, government data showed.
The death toll from the virus, however, continued to mound with nine new deaths on the day, according to data released by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). The country also recorded 864 fresh cases from the deadly virus during the period.
According to DGHS officials, the Covid-19 positivity rate in the country was recorded at 4.01% in the last 24 hours till Sunday 8 am after testing 21,543 samples.
Earlier, Bangladesh recorded its first below-5% positivity rate for the virus in 52 days on Sunday— 4.15%.
Previously, a Covid-19 positivity rate of 4.20% was recorded on 5 January, after which the infections continued to increase due to the highly transmissible coronavirus variant Omicron. The infection rate reached an all-time high for the country on 28 January at 33.37%.
According to the World Health Organization, Covid-19 infections are considered to be under control if a country's detection rate remains below 5% for more than two consecutive weeks.
Meanwhile, the latest figures took the country's death toll to 29,033 and the case tally to 19,42,680. Among the deceased, five were reported in Dhaka, three in Rajshahi and one in the Khulna Division.
Also, 6,264 Covid patients were declared to have recovered in the meantime with a recovery rate of 93%.
Bangladesh reported its first Covid-19 case on 8 March 2020 and the maiden death on 18 March of the same year.