Bangladesh confirms highest number of coronavirus cases, deaths in single day

Three more people died from the novel coronavirus and 35 tested positive for the virus in the last 24 hours, according to the health directorate. This marks the biggest jump in terms of deaths and infections in a single day till now. 

Thus, the number of confirmed cases in the country has reached 121 while the death toll stands at 12.

Dr Meerjady Sabrina Flora, director of the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), during an online press briefing yesterday afternoon, said they tested 468 samples at 14 labs and detected the new Covid-19 cases. 

They have so far performed tests on a total of 4,011 samples. 

Among the newly infected patients, 11 were between 41-50 years old while six were 21-30 years old. Thirty of them were male.  

One of the three fatalities underwent treatment at a hospital for seven days and died yesterday (Monday) morning. The other two died immediately after they were brought to hospital, she added.

During the briefing, Prof Abul Kalam Azad, director general of the Directorate General of Health Services, said a director of the Anti-Corruption Commission was one of the three latest death cases from Covid-19. 

He was undergoing treatment at the intensive care unit of Bangladesh Kuwait Friendship Hospital before he breathed his last on Moday morning.  He was 48. He also suffered from respiratory problems.  

Conflicting data on fatalities and positive infections

The health directorate usually discloses information on coronavirus infections through a regular press briefing. But all of sudden, Health Minister Zaid Maleque revealed the number of new cases and deaths at a different programme yesterday. 

The minister said four more had died from Covid-19 and 29 had tested positive across the country in the last 24 hours. But two hours later, at the regular briefing, Flora gave different figures and mentioned that there had been three deaths and 35 new infections.  

Explanation over inconsistent figures

The health directorate gave an explanation over the conflicting data given by the health minister and the IEDCR on new infections and deaths from coronavirus. 

Prof Abul Kalam Azad said the health minister did not give a briefing on new coronavirus cases, instead he was holding a discussion based on data that had not been updated at that time. Till then, they had not received the entire country's data. Later, the number of cases increased with an update. 

While talking about excluding one person from the number of deaths, he said, "There was a problem regarding the name of one of the people who died. His name had been misspelt, and we thought this was a different person, so the number of deaths was thought to be four. However, after verification, we found the number of deaths to be three." 

Coronavirus patients found in 15 districts

Prof Abul Kalam Azad said they have so far detected 123 coronavirus patients and they have information on 121 of them.

Dhaka city has the highest number of cases in the country till now as 64 among the infected people are from the city. Narayanganj stands second with a total of 23 positive cases, he added.  

Coronavirus patients have been identified in 15 districts of the country till date, he added.  

Apart from Dhaka and Narayanganj, 11 patients have been found in Madaripur, two in Chattogram, one in Cumilla, five in Gaibandha, one in Chuadanga, one in Gazipur, three in Jamalpur, one in Shariatpur, one in Cox's Bazar, one in Narshingdi,  one in Moulvibazar, one in Sylhet and one in Rangpur. 

There are cases of cluster transmission in Dhaka, Gaibandha, Narayanganj and Madaripur with more than one cases. 

IEDCR Director Meerjady Sabrina Flora said, "Two of the new deaths are from Narayanganj. We have intensified quarantine by marking the district a hotspot for the virus." 

"When one tests positive for the virus, we put him in quarantine by tracing his contacts," she added.