Bangladesh records lowest infection rate in 3 months
The rate was 15.84 percent on May 20 and started to grow gradually after that
Highlights:
- Total infected: 304,583 or 20.30%
- Total death: 4,127 or 1.35%
- Total recovery: 193,458 or 63.52%
- Total sample test: 1,500,385
- Isolated: 20,149
- In Quarantine: 52,405
The country recorded 2,436 more Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours ending at 8am Thursday.
The daily infection rate stood at 16.11 percent – the lowest in the last three months. The rate was 15.84 percent on May 20 and started to grow gradually after that.
Bangladesh confirmed 45 more Covid-19 deaths in the last 24 hours, bringing the total fatality to 4,127. And the death rate stood at 1.35 percent.
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Of the deceased, 34 were men and 11 women. And 22 were from Dhaka division, 10 from Chattogram, six from Rangpur, five from Khulna and one each from Rajshahi and Sylhet.
The total number of novel coronavirus cases in the country stood at 304,583 while the overall infection rate was 20.30 percent.
A press release issued by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) on Thursday revealed the latest numbers.
Professor Nazrul Islam, noted virologist and former vice chancellor of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, told the Business Standard: "Only when the Covid-19 infection rate will fall below 5 percent, we can say the infection rate has dropped."
"The infection growth rate in Bangladesh hovered between 20 and 25 percent since May 25. It started to slow down, slightly, after August 18. Now it stands around 18 percent."
It took more three months for the infection rate to go down by two percentage points, although health rules were "somewhat maintained" during that time, Professor Nazrul said.
As things have started to get back to normal, people are not following the hygiene rules. So it may take a long time to bring the rate under 5 percent, he pointed out.
"Infection growth will not fall by chance. If you do not wear a mask, maintain social distancing, follow health rules, it will linger," Nazrul Islam, who is also a member of the National Technical Advisory Committee on Covid-19, said.
However, the total number of recovered patients stood at 193,458 including 3,275 new ones in the last 24 hours. And the recovery rate rose to 63.52 percent.
And 15,124 samples were tested in 92 labs across the country. So far 1,500,385 samples have been tested, according to the DGHS.
