Covid-19 cases soar to new record everyday
The government has started setting up testing booths to increase the scope of tests
Bangladesh recorded a new single-day high on Wednesday with health officials confirming 790 more cases of Covid-19.
The figure on the preceding day was 786.
Coronavirus cases in the country thus continue to break records with every passing day.
Currently, tests for coronavirus are being conducted at 33 labs. The government has started setting up testing booths with the help of Brac, a development organisation, to increase the scope of tests.
At a virtual health bulletin briefing, the health directorate confirmed three more deaths from the novel coronavirus in the last 24 hours – from Tuesday 8:00am to Wednesday 8:00am.
With this, the death toll from the virus rose to 186, while the number of total infections stood at 11,719.
"Among the dead, two are male and one is female. Two lived in Dhaka and were aged above 60," Dr Nasima Sultana, additional director general of the health directorate, said at the routine briefing.
She added, "6,777 samples were collected in the last 24 hours and 6,241 were tested, which is 9.28% higher than that on the previous day."
A total of 99,646 tests have been carried out so far.
However, no information was provided on the number of patients who have recovered in the last 24 hours.
Professor Nazrul Islam, former vice-chancellor of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) and a noted virologist, said as the infection spreads the number of cases is also increasing from day to day.
"Garment factories are already open. Markets and mosques are on the way to opening soon. In these circumstances, infections will increase in the days ahead," he told The Business Standard
"Alongside regular sample collection activities, the government has launched sample collection booths with the help of Brac,"said Professor Nasima.
So far the authorities have installed four booths at the BSMMU, three at Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College and Hospital and one at Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib Memorial Hospital.
The health directorate has been supervising the process of installing many more people-friendly booths.
"But those who are bed-ridden, differently abled, or too old to go out for testing will be provided with home sample collection facilities," said Nasima.
"The authorities placed 184 new individuals suspected of having Covid-19 into isolation, bringing the total to 1,794 after 1,327 left."
"The country is capable of accommodating 3,635 people at 601 isolation wards and 30,955 people at quarantine facilities," she added.