Covid cases see 60% rise in 7 days: DGHS

The number of Covid-19 infections in the country has increased by 60% in the last one week compared to the previous week, said the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) Director (Non-communicable Disease Prevention) Professor Dr Robed Amin. 

"The rate of infection in the country started increasing from 20 December 2021. On 27 December, the infection rate crossed the 2% mark," he told the media during the regular DGHS briefing on Sunday. 

Bangladesh reported one death from Covid-19 in the last 24 hours till 8am Sunday, read a press release issued by the DGHS.

On the contrary to the decline in deaths, the number of daily cases went up to 557 during the same period, which is the highest in the last 82 days. Earlier, on 11 October Bangladesh reported 599 covid cases.   

Also, the positivity rate rose to 2.91%, up from 2.43% a day ago, as 19,130 samples were tested across the country.   

Presenting the official data, Robed Amin said Bangladesh recorded 6,745 cases during the month of November 2021 but the number of cases recorded in December 2021 was 9,255.

He further said the upward trend of Covid infections started from the last week of December alongside the number of deaths.

Among those who are dying from the deadly virus in the country, the number of people aged above 50 is much higher, said Robed Amin.

Meanwhile, the mortality rate among people between the ages of 41 and 50 is 11%.

Elaborating on some recent research on the omicron variant, Robed Amin said, "Hopefully, the number of people severely infected with omicron will be significantly lower. However, there is no chance of complacency. There is no substitute for wearing a mask for everyone.

With the latest additions, the death toll reached 28,077 and the case tally climbed to 15,86,466 in the country. 

The country's maiden cases were reported on 8 March 2020 and the first death from the virus was reported the same year on 18 March.