51% of Covid-19 infections in last 15 days

The Covid-19 cases are spiking in the country and 846 people died from the deadly virus so far. 

Of them, 414 people – 48.93 percent – died in the last 15 days.

And 63,026 people got infected with the virus up to now. Of them, 32,421 people – 51.44 percent – got affected in the last 15 days.

The Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) Advisor Dr M Mushtuq Husain said, "The infection is likely to rise no matter how many tests we perform now."

"The more infected people come in contact with others, the more the disease will spread. Lack of strict implementation of isolation and shutdown measures will increase the Covid-19 cases."

"To minimise the source of infection, we need to identify the patients at the community level and give them treatment in isolation. The IEDCR did so, following the cases of Tolarbagh, Shibchar, and Madaripur.  

"But it is no longer possible, although the affected areas have been divided into red, yellow, and green zones."

The national committee formed to implement zone-wise lockdown in the country will propose marking areas in Dhaka city with 30 or more Covid-19 positive cases per 1 lakh people as "red zones."  

The committee will table the proposal to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today, State Minister for Public Administration Farhad Hossain told The Business Standard. 

"The prime minister will make the final decision."

Almost half of the total Covid-19 cases in the country were reported in Dhaka city alone. 

Till Saturday, 19,327 people in Dhaka city tested Covid-19 positive.

According to the IEDCR, 20 areas in the city with the highest number of Covid-19 cases are Mirpur (602), Mohakhali (457), Uttara (433), Mugda (428), Mohammadpur (394), Jatrabari (387), Kakrail (300), Dhanmondi (294), Moghbazar (255), Tejgaon (251), Rajarbagh (221), Khilgaon (219), Lalbagh (206), Rampura (197), Badda (195), Malibagh (164), Gulshan (163), Babu Bazar (162), Basabo (122), and Bangshal (109). 

For areas outside Dhaka, the committee will propose putting a neighbourhood in the red zone if 10 or more Covid-19 cases are reported from among one lakh people there. 

The state minister also said that areas with a comparatively lower number of infections will be put in "yellow" or "green" zones. 

As on Saturday, Dhaka division had the second-most Covid-19 cases, followed by Chattogram, Mymensingh, Rangpur, Sylhet, Rajshahi, Khulna and Barishal. 

District-wise, Chattogram had the highest (2,875) Covid-19 cases, followed by Narayanganj (2,460), Dhaka (1,380), Gazipur (1,150), Cumilla (1,173), Munshiganj (980), and Cox's Bazar (969).

The government conditionally lifted the nationwide general holidays on May 31. 

After that, a record number of infections and deaths were reported in the last seven days. The experts kept warning about such a possible scenario.

With the public transports and all government and private offices resuming, Health Minister Zahid Maleque, on June 1, disclosed the decision of dividing the whole country into red, green and yellow zones to control the infection and death rates from Covid-19 more effectively. 

He said the classification would be based on the ratio of Covid-19 infections in different areas of the country. 

Highly affected areas, marked as red zones, will be completely locked down for a temporary period. 

In the yellow zones, with comparatively fewer cases, houses of infected patients will be under lockdown. 

And the areas with no Covid-19 cases will be marked as green zones. 

Special initiatives will be taken in the green zones so that no one can enter those areas from outside.

Meantime the Local Government and Rural Development Minister Md Tajul Islam confirmed The Business Standard that "the whole country will be divided into three zones."

"There will be strict enforcement in the red zones. Local councillors, activists, and religious leaders will be involved in the process," said the minister.

Md Habibur Rahman Khan, additional secretary to the Health Services Division and convener of the media cell formed by the health ministry told the Business Standard that "zoning activities will start in some areas of Dhaka on a pilot basis from today." "No one will have entry into and exit from the red zones." 

Bangladesh today confirmed 35 more deaths from Covid-19 and 2,635 new cases of infections while testing 12,486 samples in 50 labs across the country in the last 24 hours ending at 8am on Saturday.

Of the deceased – 28 males and seven females – 20 were from Dhaka division, eight from Chattogram, three from Rajshahi, two each from Sylhet and Barishal.

Additional Director General (Administration) of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) Dr Nasima Sultana said this in an online briefing on Saturday.

Besides, 521 patients recovered during this time, taking the number of cured patients to 13,325.

"25 patients died at different hospitals, nine at their home and one was diagnosed with the infection after death," Dr Nasima said.

According to the latest data of the DGHS, 21.14 percent of all infected made recovery. Of them, 71 percent were male and 29 percent female. 

The death toll accounted for around 1.34 percent of the total infected.

Of the deceased, 77.06 percent were male and 22.94 percent female. 

And the infection rate was 21.10 percent on Saturday.