Covid-19 infection rate reaches 23.98pc in Rangpur division

The daily Covid-19 infection rate climbed to 23.98 percent on Sunday after remaining between 15 to 20 percent almost during the last three weeks in Rangpur division.

"The number of Covid-19 cases harshly rose to 19,478 as 94 more patients were reported after testing 392 samples at the infection rate of 23.98 percent on Sunday," Focal Person of Covid-19 and Assistant Director (Health) for Rangpur division Dr ZA Siddiqui said.

Earlier, the daily infection rates sharply rose to 23.66 percent on Saturday against 15.57 percent on Friday, 17.74 percent on Thursday, 20 percent on Wednesday, 20.63 percent on Tuesday and 15.04 percent on Monday last in the division.

The daily infection rate crossed the 10 percent mark on March 24 last for the first time since 26 December last year in the division after remaining below the five percent mark for over a month previously and again crossed the 10 percent mark on May 8 last.

"The district-wise break up of total 19,478 patients currently stands at 5,105 in Rangpur, 844 in Panchagarh, 1,593 in Nilphamari, 1,116 in Lalmonirhat, 1,257 in Kurigram, 1,760 in Thakurgaon, 6,021 in Dinajpur and 1,782 in Gaibandha of the division," he said.

Since the beginning, a total of 1,35,641 collected samples were tested till Sunday, and of them, 19,478 were found Covid-19 positive with an average infection rate of 14.36 percent.

Talking to BSS, Divisional Director (Health) Dr. Md. Ahad Ali said one more infected patient died in Dinajpur on Sunday raising the Covid-19 related death toll to 413 in the division. The district-wise break up of the 412 fatalities stands at 101 in Rangpur, 152 in Dinajpur, 44 in Thakurgaon, 36 in Nilphamari, 22 in Kurigram, 20 in Panchagarh, 23 in Gaibandha and 15 in Lalmonirhat districts of the division. "The average casualty rate presently stands at 2.12 percent," he said.

Meanwhile, the total number of healed Covid-19 patients rose to 18,046 with recovery of 44 more infected patients on Sunday in the division where the average recovery rate stands at 92.65 percent.

The 18,046 recovered patients include 4,702 of Rangpur, 816 of Panchagarh, 1,526 of Nilphamari, 1,048 of Lalmonirhat, 1,119 of Kurigram, 1,580 of Thakurgaon, 5,542 of Dinajpur and 1,713 of Gaibandha districts in the division. Among the 19,478 infected patients, 107 are undergoing treatments at isolation units, including 19 critical patients at ICU bed and five at High Dependency Unit beds, after recovery of 18,046 patients and 413 deaths while 961 remaining in home isolation.

"Meanwhile, the number of citizens who got the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine remained steady at 5,96,952 since April 26 last, and among them, 3,87,180 got the second dose of the jab till Sunday in the division," Dr Ali added.

Chief of Divisional Coronavirus Service and Prevention Task Force and Principal of Rangpur Medical College Professor Dr. AKM Nurunnobi Lyzu stressed on abiding by the health directives to contain the harshly rising Covid-19 infection rate.