Five more die of COVID-19, 182 fresh cases detected

ZOOMBANGLA DESK: Bangladesh today reported five more deaths from the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) overnight, raising the death toll to 39, and recorded highest number of 182 fresh positive cases in a single day since its first detection on March 8, BSS reports.

“Five more COVID-19 patients died in the last 24 hours, while the number of coronavirus cases has stood at 803as 182 more people have been infected by the lethal virus during the time,” Health and Family Welfare Minister Zahid Maleque told a virtual media briefing at the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) in the city by joining it online.

Additional Director General (administration) of DGHS Nasima Sultana also addressed the briefing.

The health minister said as part of increasing medical facilities for COVID-19 patients, the government is preparing six infrastructures as isolation centres with required equipment including 4500 beds.

“We’re also working on an urgent basis to prepare both government and private hospitals as dedicated ones for COVID-19 patients in the country,” he added.

Referring to the support extended by private medical colleges and hospitals for COVID-19 patients, Maleque said both Shahbuddin Medical College Hospital with 500-bed and Anwar Khan Medical College Hospital with 700-bed will be prepared for treatment of the coronavirus patients.

The minister reiterated her call to the people to stay at home, saying that it is the best way to halt the spread of the disease.

“We’re observing that people are roaming rampantly violating the social isolation measures taken by the government,” he said.

Mentioning that the countrywide infection history of the disease, Maleque said most of the fresh infected people came from Dhaka and Narayanganj, the two hotspots of COVID-19.

In order to deal increased COVID-19 patients, the minister said said the government will import nearly 500 ventilators and 500 oxygenators on an urgent basis, although the world is facing such essential equipment crisis in the wake of the pandemic.

Nasima said they detected 182 fresh cases after testing 1570 samples through 17 labs across the country in the last 24 hours.

She said rampant movement of the coronavirus patients is mainly responsible for increasing COVID-19 positive cases.

As the government has taken decision to increase sample test of suspected cases to determine how many people are infected by the virus, Nasima said 38 percent sample collection has been raised in the past 24 hours, while 17 percent sample test increased during the same time

She said as the number of COVID-19 infected case is on the rise in the country, the government has intensified its efforts including collection of protective equipment such PPE, surgical masks alongside increasing medical facilities for coronavirus-infected patients.

Nasima said nearly 86,000 people were kept at both home and institutional quarantine and 63,276 were released after medical clearance.

The health official said a total of 488 institutions have been prepared across the country for keeping over 26,000 people in quarantine. “At present, a total of 299 people have been kept at isolation,” she added.

Nasima said doctors, medical technologists and health workers are being imparted training through online as part of countrywide ongoing training initiatives to provide healthcare facilities to COVID-19 patients and help test of suspected cases for quick confirmation of coronavirus positive.

She advised people must follow some hygienic practices including washing hands with soap frequently, cleaning all spaces of house and refrain from touching mouths, nose and eyes by unclean hands to protect themselves from the infection of the virus.

Nasima said as part of taking preventative measures to stop imported cases of COVID-19, the authorities of all gateways including air, land port and waterways continued to screening of all foreign returnees.

She said till today, over 22 lakh people received healthcare services from hotline mobile numbers and health web portals as the government formed a group of medical professionals to provide emergency health services.

The contact hotline and mobile numbers are 16263; 333; 10655 and 01944333222 – to receive information and treatment facilities on Covid-19.