“One more Covid-19 patient died in the last 24 hours, while the number of coronavirus cases has stood at 330 as 112 more people have been infected by the lethal virus during the time,” Health and Family Welfare Minister Zahid Maleque told a virtual media briefing at the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) in the city through joining it online.
State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief and Secretary General of Bangladesh Private Medical College Association (BPMCA) Dr. Md. Enamur Rahman, BPMCA President Mubin Khan, DGHS Director General Prof Dr Abul Kalam Azad and Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) Director Prof Dr Meerjady Sabrina Flora and Additional Director General (ADG) of DGHS Prof Dr Sania Tahmina joined the briefing.
Referring to his meeting with Chinese COVID-19 experts through a videoconference, the health minister said the Chinese experts suggested the people to stay at home and the authorities concerned to increase the number of sample test to curb the deadly virus.
“So, I am urging the people to stay at home for protecting themselves from infection of coronavirus,” he said. Pointing out that the government had taken necessary preparations to contain the disease in the country after its detection in China, Maleque said at present there is a total of 550 ventilators at the government hospitals, while a process is underway to buy 380 more ventilators.
As part of increasing medical facilities, he informed, a hospital with 2000 isolation beds would be prepared within 10 to 15 days at the Bashundhdhra Convention Centre in Kuril. “Simultaneously a newly-constructed market and four buildings will be kept ready as isolation centres with 2600 beds in Dhaka city to fight the COVID- 19,” the health minister said.
Mentioning that the country has 69 private medical colleges and hospitals, Enamur said these facilities will provide healthcare services to the people round the clock during this crisis. “The medical colleges and hospitals will provide services to the people to supplement the government efforts to contain COVID-19,” he said.
Flora said with the detection of fresh 112 cases in the last 24 hours, the number of coronavirus cases spiked to 330 in the country, adding 185 of them were found in Dhaka. She said among the new COVID-29 cases, 62 are in Dhaka, 13 in Narayanganj and others are in different districts. Of the fresh COVID-19 cases, 70 are male and 42 female, she added.
The IEDCR director called Dhaka and Narayanganj COVID-19 “hotspots” as maximum number of cases were detected in the two cities. She said 59 people have so far tested positive in Narayanganj district. Flora said the fresh 112 cases were detected as “we have tested 1097 samples through 16 labs across the country in the last 24 hours.”
The IEDCR director said among the newly COVID-19 cases, three were children, nine between 10 to 20 while 25 were in their 20s, 24 in their 30s, 17 in their 40s, 23 in their 50s and 11 in the 60s.
Analyzing the infected history of the patients, Flora said rampant movement of the coronavirus patients is mainly responsible for increasing COVID-19 positive cases. She put emphasis on staying at home alongside following hygienic practices including washing hands with soap and wearing masks to contain COVID-19.
Sania said 69,810 people were so far kept at both home and institutional quarantine, and the number of people remain currently in quarantine is 10787 as rests were released after medical clearance.
She said till today 18.5 lakh people received healthcare services from hotline mobile numbers and health web portals as the government formed a group of medical professionals to provide emergency health services.
Sania said the government by now prepared 7,693 isolation beds at different hospitals in the country to be run under a 23-point health guideline prescribing isolation and quarantine arrangements, PPE usage and hygienic environment.
She said as the number of COVID-19 infected case is on the rise in the country, the government has intensified its efforts including collection of protective equipment such PPE, surgical masks alongside increasing medical facilities for coronavirus infected patients.
The contact hotline and mobile numbers are 16263; 333; 10655 and 01944333222 – to receive information and treatment facilities on Covid-19.
(BSS)
