Infection rate rises in 42 dists

The Covid infection rate has increased in 42 districts in the fourth week of this month compared to the third week.

A total of 19 districts, including nine bordering ones, have seen a drop in infection rate during this period. However, the rate remained unchanged in the rest of the three districts, according to data of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

The infection rate rose in the three hill districts. The rate also increased in Dhaka and its four nearby districts -- Narayanganj, Munshiganj, Gazipur and Manikganj.

In Dhaka, the positivity rate was 35 percent last week, up from 33 percent in the previous week.

The positivity rate was 39 percent in Narayanganj, 44 percent in both Munshiganj and Gazipur and 45 percent in Manikganj last week. These four districts of Dhaka division are well known for industrial hubs.

This week, the infection rate has dropped by 3 to 20 percent in the four bordering districts -- Nilphamari, Thakurgaon, Dinajpur and Panchagarh.

According to DGHS data, the infection rates in Khagrachari, Bandarban and Rangamati rose by 12 to 46 percentage points in one week.

13,862 MORE INFECTED

Meanwhile, 13,862 new Covid-19 infections were reported in 24 hours preceding 8:00am yesterday, taking the overall number of infections to 12,40,115 in the country, said a DGHS press release.

The current positivity rate is 30.77 percent and the total positivity rate is 16.08 percent.

A total of 45,044 samples were tested across the country during the 24-hour period.

The health authorities reported 212 deaths from the virus in the same period.

With this, the total number of Covid deaths in the country now stands at 20,467. The overall death rate is 1.65 percent.

Among the 212 deceased, 119 were men and 93 women.

Of them, one was aged between 11 and 20 years, five between 21 and 30, 15 between 31 and 40, 25 between 41 and 50, 48 between 51 and 60, 69 between 61 and 70, 32 within 71-80, 11 between 81 and 90 and six between 91 and 100 years, said the release.

At least 13,975 Covid patients have recovered during the 24 hours. The total number of recoveries now stands at 10,64,195 and the recovery rate is 85.81 percent.