Less testing, fewer cases detected
Recent test scams and the imposition of test fees are thought to be the reasons behind the public’s lack of interest in getting tested
Highlights:
- Total infected: 221,178 or 20.08%
- Total death: 2,874 or 1.30%
- Total recovery: 122,090 or 55.20%
- Total sample test: 1,101,480
- Isolated: 19,202
- In Quarantine: 59,450
The country, on Saturday, conducted its lowest number of Covid-19 tests – 10,446 – in nearly two months. It also detected its lowest number of infections – 2,520 – in a week.
Thirty-eight more people died of Covid-19 in 24 hours until Saturday at 8:00am, raising the tally to 2,874. The death rate is 1.30 percent against the number of infected.
Meanwhile, experts and the Directorate General of Health Services have expressed concerns over the fact that the number of people lining up to get tested has marked a sharp fall recently.
The recent test scams involving Regent Hospital and JKG Health Care, and the imposition of test fees by the government, are thought to be the reasons behind this lack of interest in testing.
On June 26, the highest number – 18,498 samples – were tested in a single day.
During Saturday's bulletin, DGHS Additional Director General Nasima Sultana called upon the people to get tested if they exhibit Covid-19 symptoms.
"We have sample collection systems in place in every upazila, district and city of the country. You give samples and help us prevent the disease through identification of infections," she said.
Only 9,615 people gave their samples for testing in the last 24 hours. Along with previous samples, some 10,446 samples were tested during the period; results of 2,520 of those came back positive. The previous lowest figure of daily testing was 9,987 on May 30.
The total number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in the country currently stands at 221,178.
Among the 38 people who died of the novel coronavirus in the last 24 hours, 29 were men and nine were women.
More than 78 percent of those who died from the novel coronavirus since March were men, and more than 45 percent were aged 60 and above.
Dhaka has the highest fatality rate – 48.33 percent – followed by Chittagong with 24.47 percent and Khulna with 6.89 percent.
In the daily count, 1,114 people have recovered in the last 24 hours, raising the total number of recoveries to 122,090.