Daily Covid-19 cases fall while infection rate remains unchanged

Highlights:
 

•    Total infected: 2,18,658 or 20.04%
•    Total death: 2,836 or 1.30%
•    Total recovery: 120,676 or 55.33%
•    Total sample test: 1,091,034
•    Isolated: 18,970
•    In Quarantine: 59,530

The health authorities confirmed 2,548 Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours ending at 8am on Friday. 

This is the lowest number of daily cases detected in the last 50 days. The latest daily infection rate was 21.19 percent against the tests conducted. 

However, the overall infection rate in the country stood at 20.04 percent.

Though the daily infection rate fell, it has been hovering between 21 to 24 percent since June. It was highest, at 25.23 percent, on July 15.

Professor Nazrul Islam, noted virologist and former vice-chancellor of the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, told the Business Standard, "Although the number of cases fell, infection rate remained the same. So, it is not the time to say if Covid-19 infections are going down in Bangladesh.

"The number could jump again during the upcoming Eid."

Meanwhile, 35 more people died from the disease in the past 24 hours. Of them, 32 died at different hospitals and three at home.

Of the 35 deceased, 28 were men and seven were women. 

Eleven of them were from Dhaka division, six each from Chattogram and Khulna, four each from Sylhet and Rangpur, three from Barisal and one from Rajshahi.

Directorate General of Health Services Additional Director General Professor Nasima Sultana said this during a daily online briefing on Friday.

With this new number, the death toll from the virus rose to 2,836 and total infections stood at 218,658. 

Professor Nasima said 1,768 patients recovered in the last 24 hours.

"And 12,361 samples were collected in the last 24 hours, 12,027 of which were tested in 80 labs across the country. So far 1,091,034 samples have been tested."

Till now, 2,237 men and 599 women have succumbed to the virus, Professor Nasima said.

Of the 2,836 fatalities till date, 1,372 were from Dhaka division, 707 from Chattogram, 194 from Khulna, 159 from Rajshahi, 133 from Sylhet, 109 from Barishal, 104 from Rangpur, and 58 from Mymensingh.