Bangladesh COVID-19 cases top 20,000, reports 15 more deaths

ZOOMBANGLA DESK: The tally of infections from the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in Bangladesh today exceeded 20,000 as 1,202 fresh cases were detected over a 24-hour period, the highest in a daily count.

The fatalities from the pandemic also climbed to 298 after 15 new deaths were registered during the period, a top health official said.

“The total number of COVID-19 cases has surged to 20,065 in the past 24 hours after 1202 new cases were registered,” DGHS Additional Director General (administration) Prof Nasima Sultana told a virtual media briefing at the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) in the city.

The health official informed that a total of 8,582 samples, the highest in a single day, were tested at 41 authorised laboratories across the country during the time.

She said the recovery count also rose to 3,882 after 279 patients were discharged from hospitals in the last 24 hours.

Nasima said 18.52 percent patients have so far recovered since the detection of first COVID cases on March 8, while the mortality rate from the deadly virus is 1.53 percent.

Bangladesh confirmed the first coronavirus death on March 18, ten days after the detection of the first COVID-19 cases.