“The tally of coronavirus infections has surged to 15,691 in the past 24 hours in the country after a record 1034 new COVID-19 cases were detected,” DGHS Additional Director General (administration) Prof Nasima Sultana told a virtual media briefing at the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) in the city.
Nasima said 11 more COVID-19 patients died during the period, increasing the death toll from the pandemic to 239.
She said the recovery count rose to 2902 in the last 24 hours after 252 patients were discharged from hospitals.
The health official informed that the highest number of 7208 samples were tested in a single day at 37 authorised laboratories across the country.
Bangladesh confirmed the first coronavirus death on March 18, ten days after the detection of the first COVID-19 cases.
The recovery rate from the disease is currently 18.52 percent in Bangladesh while the death rate is 1.53 percent, Nasima said.
She said nearly 75 percent COVID-19 patients are taking treatment from their homes, and many of them are being cured every day after receiving treatment through hotlines.
The health official said among the 11 deaths, one is in his 70s, one in his 60s, four in their 50s, two in their 40s, two in their 30s and one in his 20s.
Of the fatalities, she said, eight are in Dhaka division, two in Chattogram division and one in Rangpur division.
Nasima said COVID-19 cases were found in 64 districts, meaning that all regions of the country are now risky for the fatal disease.
The health official dubbed Dhaka and Narayanganj COVID-19 as “hotspots” as the maximum number of cases were detected in the two cities.
As of May 10, Dhaka city has been considered as the worst-affected with 58.35 percent of COVID cases, while Dhaka division has remained at the top position with 81.35 percent infected cases out of total coronavirus patients, according to Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR).
Of the total infections, 9,226 cases were reported in Dhaka division, 693 cases in Chattogram division, 435 cases in Mymensingh division, 218 cases in Khulna division, 146 cases in Barishal division, 317 cases in Rangpur division, 180 cases in Sylhet division and 162 cases in Rajshahi division, it added.
Among the 64 COVID-19-infected districts, Narayanganj is the most hardest- hit one with 1198 cases, according to the IEDCR data.
It is followed by Gazipur with 333 positive cases, Kishoreganj with 202 cases, Narsingdi with 171 cases, Mymensingh with 221 cases, Dhaka district with 209 cases, Munshiganj with 216 cases, Madaripur with 54 cases, Chattogram with 220 cases, Gopalganj with 56 cases, Shariatpur with 57 cases, Lakhkhipur with 58 cases, Cox’s Bazar with 83 cases, Barishal with 54 cases, Jashore with 79 cases, Habiganj with 73 cases, Cumilla with 171 cases, Jamalpur with 110 cases, Netrokona with 68 cases, Joypurhat with 42 cases, Chandpur with 55 cases, Dinajpur with 42 cases, Nilphamari with 41 cases and Brahmanbaria with 57 cases.
According to the age-group, 8 percent COVID-19 cases are in their 60s, 13 percent in their 50s, 18 percent in their 40s, 24 percent in their 30s, 26 percent in their 20s while 8 percent is above 10 years and 3 percent below 10 years, Nasima added.
According to the gender-based calculation of COVID-infected cases, 68 percent are male and 32 percent female, she said.
The health official said a total of 129,865 samples have so far been tested since the detection of the first COVID-19 cases in the country.
As coronavirus outbreak is on the rising trend in the country, the health official said, the government is expanding testing facilities across the country with joint initiatives of government, non-government organizations, universities, state-run research institutes and private hospitals to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
The organizations include Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) Hospital, Sheikh Hasina Medical College in Jamalpur, Dhaka University, Narayangany 300-bed Hospital, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP), Childhood Disease Research Foundation, Dhaka Shishu Hospital, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Institute for Developing Science and Health Initiatives, Bangladesh Livestock Research Institute, Central Police Hospital in Dhaka, Bangladesh Agricultural University in Mymensingh, Mymensingh Medical College Hospital, Chattogram Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Jashore University of Science and Technology, Gazi PCR LAB in Rupganj and Abdul Maleq Ukil Medical College Hospital in Noakhali.
Abdul Maleq Ukil Medical College Hospital in Noakhali has been added to the testing activities from yesterday (May 10).
As part of efforts to increase testing activities, BRAC, a leading non- government organization, has already set up four sample collection booths at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), one in Sheikh Hasina National Institute Of Burn and Plastic Surgery, one booth at Shaheed, Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital, one in National Institute of Laboratory Medicine and Referral Centre, one at Sheikh Fazilatunnessa Mujib Memorial KPJ Specialised Hospital in Gazipur and two in Narayanganj City Corporation, she said.
Under the supervision of DGHS, the BRAC is working to set up more booths in different healthcare and service providing organizations to expedite testing facilities in the country, she added.
Alongside BRAC, another non-government organization JKG Health Care has set up sample collection booths in different areas in Dhaka city and Narayanganj district.
The health ministry sources said there are 37 PCR labs in the country, adding the government has a target to set up 16 more PCR labs to expand testing facilities of suspected cases of coronavirus.
At present, testing of over 5,000 samples of COVID-19 suspected cases is being performed everyday, and after installation of 16 PCR labs, nearly 10,000 tests will be carried out in the country every day, the sources said.
The DGHS sources said as maximum numbers of coronavirus positive cases have been reported in Dhaka division, the government has prepared dedicated COVID-19 hospitals for providing healthcare services to the virus-infected patents.
These hospitals are Kurmitola General Hospital, Kuwait Maitree Hospital, Mohanagar General Hospital, Railway General Hospital in Kamalapur, Infectious Disease Hospital, Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital, Sheikh Russel Gastro Liver Institute and Hospital, Regent Hospital in Uttara and Mirpur, Sajeda Foundation in Narayanganj, Rajarbag Police Hospital, Lalkuthi Hospital Mirpur, Dhaka Medical College Hospital (burn unit), Mugda Medical College Hospital, Shahid Tajuddin Medical College Hospitaul in Gazipur.
The Holy Family Red Crescent Hospital has been included as a latest one in the list of dedicated hospitals for COVID-19 treatment on May 10.
According to DGHS, a total of people 2,12,983 were kept at both home and institutional quarantine and 1,76,640 people were released from quarantine, while the number of people who are now in quarantine is 36,343.
It said a total of 615 institutions have been prepared across the country for keeping over 30,955 people in quarantine, adding nearly 2,236 people have now been kept in isolation.
The health service organization said as part of taking preventative measures to stop imported cases of COVID-19, the authorities of all gateways, including airports, land ports and waterways, are continuing screening of all foreign returnees.
It said the government has collected 21, 32,325 PPE so far, of which over 17,83,926 were distributed and 3,88,392 are in stock.
There are 8632 isolation beds in the country and 2900 of them are in Dhaka city, it added.
The DGHS said in case of critical COVID-19 patients, special facilities including oxygen, ICU and dialysis units are needed in hospitals. At present, the country has 329 ICUs and 102 dialysis units, it added.
The DGHS sources said till today, nearly 47,93,512 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.
To receive information and treatment facilities on COVID-19, the contact hotline and mobile numbers are 16263; 333; 10655 and 01944333222.
As of May 11, 2020, 09:58 GMT, 284,102 people have died so far from the coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak and there are 4, 198,418 currently confirmed cases in 212 countries and territories, according to Worldometer, a reference website that provides counters and real-time statistics for diverse topics.
China was the world’s first country which on January 11 reported the first death from the novel coronavirus in Wuhan, the capital of Central China’s Hubei province.
