Bangladesh on Wednesday touched a grim milestone as the deaths due to Covid-19 crossed 1000-mark with the rising number of infections.
The health department at the daily briefing confirmed 37 more fatalities from the novel coronavirus in the last 24 hours till 8am, raising the total toll to 1012.
Total number of cases rose to 74,865 after 3,190 new infections detected during the period by testing 15,965 samples, the highest in a single day, in 55 labs across Bangladesh. The infection rate was 19.98 percent.
The recovery count also rose to 15,899 after another 563 patients were released from hospitals.
Additional Director General for Health Prof Nasima Sultana disclosed those updates at the virtual briefing and said among the total infections, 21.24 percent patients have recovered while 1.35 percent died so far.
Bangladesh confirmed the first COVID-19 positive cases on March 8 and the first death on March 18. The WHO declared the disease pandemic on March 11.
The government has been enforcing general holidays to contain the spread of the virus since March 26.
But all offices and businesses were allowed to reopen from May 31 after the Eid-ul-Fitr holidays.
However, people have been asked to maintain physical distancing.
A new zonal system – red, yellow and green – has been introduced to maintain strict lockdown in the areas which are the worst affected.
Among the latest deaths, 33 were male and four female - 25 died at different hospitals and 12 at their homes.
25 were from Dhaka, seven from Chattogram, two from Barishal and one each from Rajshahi, Sylhet and Mymensingh.
Currently, 57,711 people are in quarantined situations across Bangladesh.
A total of 251,472 people have completed their quarantine course.
The authorities placed 538 new individuals suspected of having Covid-19 into isolation, bringing the total to 8,243 after 4,723 left.
Most of the patients are staying at home. There are reports that people are buying oxygen cylinders for home use in the current situation.
Prof Nasima urged all not to do that since “oxygen therapy is a technical medical service, only experienced physicians and medical technologists know proper use of oxygen support for patients”.
“It is not possible for non-medical persons to determine appropriate measurement of oxygen therapy,” she said.
“People should refrain from the dangerous practice of buying oxygen cylinders. This risky practice creates artificial shortage of oxygen cylinders in the markets.”
She also stressed on maintaining three health directives — wearing a mask, physical distancing and washing hands by soap — to contain the spread of COVID-19.
She said scientifically cloth-made masks are equally effective to prevent the virus.
“We can reuse cloth-made masks after washing by detergents or soaps,” Prof Nasima said.
Bangladesh has so far tested 441,560 samples for detecting the virus.
