No new Covid-19 case in Bangladesh in last 2 days

No new patient was detected positive with the novel coronavirus in Bangladesh on second consecutive day. 

IEDCR also found no new coronavirus patient on Saturday. So the current number of confirmed cases remains at 48.

"Some 109 coronavirus tests were performed by IEDCR, Chattogram and other healthcare organisations in last 24 hours. No new patient was found in those tests," said Prof Meerjady Sabrina Flora, director of the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), at a virtual press briefing today.

"Among 48 infected patients in the country, 28 patients are being diagnosed in different hospitals of the country and five people died from the virus. 15 people have recovered so far," she added.

During the online briefing, Health Minister Zahid Malik said, "We started preparing from first week of January …started off with airport screening, forming four committees including national, district and upazila levels, imposed mandatory quarantine, followed treatment protocol and trained doctors and nurses. We are in a very good situation compared to other countries of the world."

"We have 45,000 testing kits in hand and 85,000 more kits are expected to arrive here. Government hospitals have 500 ventilators at present and 700 are in private hospital, and 350 will be added soon. 3 lakh personal protective equipment have been distributed in different hospitals across the country," he added. 

The minister also said the United Nations expressed satisfaction with Bangladesh's performance in fighting the coronavirus, but people must follow the directions of DGHS and act with empathy to fight the virus. 

Replying to a question about gatherings after the end of public holiday, Zahid Malik said, "Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will take further decision."

"Civil surgeons, medical officers of 264 sadar hospitals and dedicated hospitals for coronavirus treatment of Dhaka have received a training to prevent the novel coronavirus," said Habibur Rahman, director of Management Information System (MIS), DGHS.

"Some 710 doctors and 43 nurses have received the coronavirus related training," he added.

IEDCR confirmed the first death from coronavirus infection on March 18, second on March 21, third on March 23, fourth on March 24 and fifth death on March 25. 

Globally, 664,924 people have so far got infected with the highly contagious coronavirus and 30,848 have died from it.