The government reported 41 new cases and five deaths from coronavirus on Tuesday is the highest ever single-day increase in Bangladesh as the rising trend of COVID-19 infection continued.
But good thing is that new cases remained within the previously spotted locations of Dhaka and Narayanganj. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina announced incentives for healthcare providers to boost their morale.
Director of the IEDCR Prof Meerjady Sabrina Flora, during the 2pm briefing, said they had detected 41 new cases in the 24 hours. Five patients died and none recovered during that period, she said.
With the update, the number of patients rose to 164 in Bangladesh. Of them 17 died and 33 made complete recoveries. Of the all cases, 84 were found in Dhaka and 38 in Narayanganj, the two hotspots.
The government tested 792 persons in the last 24 hours in 14 laboratories across Bangladesh, director general for health services Prof Abul Kalam Azad said at the briefing.
He asked people to contact hotline and mobile numbers – 16263; 333; 10655 and 01944333222 – to receive information and treatment facilities on Covid-19.
Earlier the highest number of cases was 35 in a single-day confirmed on Monday. The number was 18 on Sunday and nine on Saturday. The death reported on Monday was only three.
Prof Azad, however, announced that there will be no press briefing on the coronavirus situation from Wednesday.
They will share key information as special a bulletin online, but there will be no scope of question-answer session with media, he said, adding that detailed information would be shared in a press release later.
About the new five deceased, Prof Flora said four of them were male and another was a female. Of the deceased, two were from Dhaka and the rest were from outside.
Among them, two were aged above 60, two between 50 years and 60 years and one between 41 to 50 years old, she said.
Of the infected, 20 were from Dhaka and 15 from Narayanganj, hotspots of the disease so far. Others were from Cumilla, Keraniganj and Chattogram. 28 were male and 13 were female.
Among the newly-infected people, one is below 10, four aged between 11 years and 20 years, 10 between 21 years and 30 years, five between 31 years and 40 years, nine within 41 years and 50 years, seven within 51 years and 60 years, and five aged above 60 years.
Giving further details, the director general for health said, 605 more people were sent to home quarantine and 32 in institutional quarantine during the last 24 hours.
He said they have prepared 1550 isolation beds in hospitals in Dhaka and 6143 outside Dhaka. They have only 112 ICU beds in hospital and trying to increase the number.
The government’s disease monitoring agency, IEDCR, earlier said they were getting community transmission in five areas –Bashabo and Tolarbagh inside Dhaka, Narayanganj on the outskirt of the capital Dhaka, Madaripur, a district in central Bangladesh, and northern Gaibandha.
They found cases in 15 districts out of 64 - Dhaka, Narayanaganj, Madaripur, Gaibandha, Chattogram, Cumilla, Chuadanga, Gazipur, Jamalpur, Shariatpur, Cox’s Bazaar, Moulvibazar, Syelhet and Rangpur, and four upazillas under Dhaka district such as Keraniganj, Savar, Nawabganj and Dhamrai.
The Prime Minister in a videoconference announced introduction of “special health insurance” for physicians, nurses and others working in containing the novel virus.
“We want to reward the brave health workers, including doctors, nurses and others who are working day and night to provide health care services to the people in the critical time,” she said, in an effort to boost the morale of the front liners.
“To this end, a special health insurance scheme will be introduced to encourage them,” she said.
