Positivity rate rises again

A total of 2,131 people tested positive for coronavirus yesterday whereas 11,689 samples were tested in 92 labs across the country.

According to a press release issued by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), 18.23 percent of the total samples tested positive which was two percent more than the previous day.

After more than a month, the positivity rate was going down during the last several days. But it rose again yesterday.

The overall positivity rate now stands at 20.25 percent which is much higher than the global standard.

According to epidemiologists, the transmission will be considered in an alarming stage until the positivity rate comes down to five percent continuously.

Meanwhile, new 32 Covid-19 patients died in hospitals during the past 24 hours till 8:30am yesterday. No Covid-19 related death was recorded in the same period, according to the press release.

The total number of deaths due to Covid-19 rose to 4,206 -- 1.36 percent of all confirmed cases.

Besides, the total number of confirmed cases reached at 3,08,925.

In the same 24 hours yesterday, a total of 2,027 Covid-19 patients recovered from their illness, taking the total number of recoveries to 198,863 which is 64.37 percent of all confirmed cases.

Six of the yesterday's dead were females and 26 were males.

Eighteen of the dead were over 60 years of age while two aged between 31 and 40, seven between 41 and 50, and five between 51 and 60 years.

Three were from Rangpur and Sylhet divisions each, five from Barishal, one from Khulna, nine from Chattogram and 11 from Dhaka division.

So far, nearly half of all Covid-19 casualties were from Dhaka division, according to the DGHS.

Of the Covid-19 patients, who were undergoing treatment in those 24 hours, 3,798 were in general beds and 320 were in intensive care units (ICUs) across the country.

GONOSHASTHAYA NAGAR HOSPITAL STARTS RT-PCR TESTING

The authorities of the Gonoshasthaya Nagar Hospital in Dhaka have launched an rt-PCR testing laboratory at their hospital yesterday.

Prof Nazrul Islam, former vice chancellor of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University Hospital (BSMMU), inaugurated the laboratory as the chief guest.

Covid-19 Real Time Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction or rt-PCR test is prescribed to detect coronavirus in the respiratory tract through a naso-pharyngeal swab collected from a patient.

It can detect the virus even if the viral load is less.