Deaths from the coronavirus continue to rise in Bangladesh with the new cases forcing the government to extend the nationwide shutdown of offices and workplaces to May 5. The health department announced 10 more deaths from the virus and 390 new cases in the 24 hours to 8am Wednesday. Five more patients recovered from the disease during that period.
With that, additional director general for health Prof Nasima Sultana in the daily bulletin said the number of cases rose to 3,372 including 120 deaths and 92 recoveries. The death rate remained steady while the recovery rate was slow. “It takes long time to recover. That’s why the recovery rate is slow. Patients need almost a month to test negative (of the virus),” she said at the 2.30pm bulletin that gives 24 hour picture between 8am and 8am.
She, however, did not speak anything about the deaths with doctors complain that hospitals are not properly equipped to manage those patients. The healthcare workers also lack personal protective equipment (PPE). However, state minister for public administration Farhad Hossain said the government would extend the nationwide shutdown to May 5 amid a worsening situation.
A formal notice announcing the extension will be published on Thursday, he told reporters. The World Health Organisation declared the virus pandemic on March 11 after its emergence from China’s Wuhan city in December. Bangladesh reported the first cases of coronavirus on March 8 and the first death on March 18. The new cases started to rise after April 10 when the government also intensified testing facilities across the country.
The Wednesday’s new cases were found by testing 3096 samples which were the highest in a day so far. However, the new case detection rate was 12.60 percent which was lower than the previous day of 14.59 percent when 434 new cases were identified by testing 2,974 samples.
Giving the details of the deceased, Prof Nasima said seven were men and three women. Seven were from Dhaka and one each was from Mymensingh, Narayanganj and Tangail. Of the dead, three were aged above 60 which comprised most of the deaths so far. Besides, two persons were between 51 and 60 years of age, two between 41 and 50 and two between 21 and 30, a group which is mostly infected.
Prof Nasima said patients have so far been found in 55 out of total 64 districts in Bangladesh. Dhaka division holds the highest number of patients with around 73 percent of the total patients of the country. Of that, half of them are in Dhaka city and other districts -- Narayanganj, Gazipur, Kishoreganj and Narsingdi -- account for the rest half, Prof Nasima said.
The government asked people to contact hotline and mobile numbers: 16263; 333; 10655 and 01944333222 – to receive information and treatment facilities on coronavirus.
