Pandemic’s deadliest month ends with signs of progress

The deadliest month yet of the coronavirus pandemic in the country drew to a close with signs of progress: Covid-19 cases are plummeting.

Bangladesh reported 2,404 fatalities in April, almost double the previous record of 1,264 deaths in July last year.

However, on Saturday, the number of daily new infections dropped to 1,452 — the lowest in seven weeks — after hitting an all-time high of 7,266 cases on April 7.  

The Covid-19 outbreak, which unfolded in March last year, eased gradually and the number of deaths dropped to as low as five in the beginning of March this year. Then came the second wave, setting new records in death counts.

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In April last year, 163 Covid-19 fatalities were reported, followed by 482 in May, 1,197 in June, 1,264 in July, 1,170 in August, 970 in September, 672 in October, 721 in November and 915 in December.

The first month of this year saw 568 deaths, while 281 fatalities were reported in February and 638 the next month.

An explosion of new infections in March resulted in more than 2,000 deaths in April. A study revealed that the more contagious and deadly coronavirus variant, first detected in South Africa, dominated the cases from mid-March.    

The number of coronavirus cases in Bangladesh is on a downward trend purportedly due to the restrictions, imposed on April 5 and extended to May 5.

Bangladesh has confirmed 760,584 coronavirus cases so far, with 11,510 deaths.