Covid positivity rate highest in Barishal, Sylhet

After hitting Rajshahi and Khulna hard, Covid-19 is currently spreading rapidly in Barishal and Sylhet.

According to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), the positivity rate in Barishal division has now reached 40.2%, 39.46% in Sylhet, 32.4% in Chattogram, 33.25% in Khulna and 30.76% in Rangpur.

In Rajshahi, the positivity rate was 50% in June but now it has come down to 22.9%. In Dhaka division, the positivity rate was 10% last month but currently it has increased to 28.14%.

Professor Robed Amin, spokesperson of DGHS, said, "The positivity rate has been the highest in Barishal over the last week. There has been a 114% increase in infections in the last one week. In Chattogram it has increased by 77%."

"Over the last few days, we have seen more than two hundred deaths Covid-19 daily. The rate of identifying new cases daily was also much higher. Our mortality rate is increasing too. The highest number of deaths has been reported in Dhaka and Khulna in the last two weeks. Now we have to be very careful. There are fears of an increase in infections due to lockdown relaxation," he added.

Bangladesh registered 187 more Covid-19 related fatalities and 12,148 new cases in the past 24 hours until Friday 8am when the movement curbs has been eased for eight days centring the Eid-ul-Adha until 23 July.

The death toll reached 17,465 in the country and the death rate stands at 1.61%. The total caseload reached 10,83,922. The positivity rate of the deadly disease stands at 28.96% in the country. 

The number of daily deaths was 39 in Khulna and 36 in Chattogram in the past 24 hours till yesterday morning.  Moreover, 14 people died in Rajshahi, 6 Rangpur, 7 in Mymensingh, 8 in Barishal, and nine died in Sylhet division.

The spike in deaths in Dhaka division continues as 68 people died of the virus in the preceding 24 hours till Friday 8am.

From the onset of Covid-19 pandemic in the country, the number of deaths was higher in Dhaka and Chattogram divisions. But when the Delta variant of the virus spread to the border districts in June, deaths outside Dhaka, especially in Rajshahi and Khulna, continued to rise. 

The situation in Rajshahi has improved recently, but Khulna is still witnessing a significant number of Covid-19 deaths. The deaths caused by Covid-19 are increasing again in Dhaka too. In July alone, 391 people died in Dhaka in 16 days. After Dhaka, highest deaths are reported in Kushtia, Khulna and Jashore.

In April this year, 2,404 novel coronavirus patients died in the country, which was the highest in a month. Besides, the daily death counts crossed the 100-mark five times in that month.

But, during the first half of July, 2,843 Covid-19 patients have already died here. The country reported 200-plus deaths for six days, and 100 plus deaths for nine days so far this month. 

Institute of Epidemiology Disease Control And Research (IEDCR) said districts with positive rates of 10% and above are considered "high risk" zones, while those with 5-9% "medium risk" zones and those below 5% "low risk" zones

20 lakh doses of vaccine from China to arrive on Saturday

Another 20 lakh of the 1.5 crore doses of the Sinopharm Covid vaccine bought from China will arrive in Dhaka at 11:45pm on Saturday, said DGHS Director General Prof ABM Khurshid Alam, 

China will send the vaccines on their own arrangement.

This is the second consignment of vaccines sent by China under a purchase agreement with the government. 20 lakh doses of the vaccine have already entered the country and are being used to immunise people and protect them from the deadly virus.