Covid-19 cases cross 2.5 lakh mark

Highlights:

•    Total infected: 2,52,502 or 20.40%
•    Total death: 3,333 or 1.32%
•    Total recovery: 145,584 or 57.66%
•    Total sample test: 1,237,823
•    Isolated: 18,651
•    In Quarantine: 52,609

Bangladesh has crossed another grim milestone of confirmed Covid-19 cases with 2,851 people testing positive in the last 24 hours ending at 8am on Friday.

With the new cases, the figure of total confirmed cases stood at 252,502.

The current infection rate is 22.45 percent in the country while the total infection rate stands at 20.4 percent. 

The experts are calling for the right steps to be taken now to curb infections as more people are testing positive for Covid-19. 

They called for more tests to be done, isolation and quarantine to be ensured, and hygiene rules to be maintained. 

Dr M Mushtuq Husain, Covid-19 pandemic control consultant to the Institute of Epidemiology Disease Control and Research, told the Business Standard that as the rate of testing increased recently, more people were found to have been infected.

Up to seven or 15 days after the Eid-ul-Adha vacation, there remains a higher risk of a spike in infections, Dr Mushtuq said.

"Currently, many people are not following hygiene rules. This is unacceptable. Returning to normal is desirable, but hygiene guidelines must be followed," he added.

After identifying the Covid-19 positive patients through testing, they should be isolated and given treatment. Those who come in contact with them also must be quarantined, the public health expert said.

"Emphasis should be placed on institutional quarantine. The failure to do so will prolong this grim situation which will eventually increase economic costs. Infections must be prevented by engaging people with these efforts," Dr Mushtuq said.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh confirmed 27 more deaths from Covid-19 in the last 24 hours. With this, the death toll from the virus rose to 3,333.  

The health directorate's Additional Director General Dr Nasima Sultana revealed the latest figures on Friday in a daily online bulletin.

Of the 27 deceased, 24 were men and three women. Thirteen of them were from Dhaka division, five from Khulna, three, each, from Chattogram and Rajshahi, two from Rangpur, and one from Barishal, Dr Nasima said.

"One of them died at home and 26 at hospitals."

Dr Nasima said 13,253 samples were collected in the last 24 hours and 12,699 were tested in 84 labs across the country.

So far 1,237,823 tests have been conducted in the country.

Dr Nasima said 1,760 more people have recovered from the disease in the last 24 hours.

"So far 145,584 patients – 57.66 percent of all infected – have made a full recovery."