Coronavirus hospitalizations and cases have been on a decline since their peak numbers from mid-March to mid-April.
Nearly 60% of the ICU beds dedicated for Covid-19 patients across the country are now vacant, according to official figures.
Bangladesh reported 1,682 new cases on Friday, after hitting an all-time high of 7,266 cases on April 7.
April was the cruellest month in terms of deaths with the country logging 2,404 deaths, the most in a month since the pandemic started. The highest-ever daily deaths of 112 was reported on April 19.
Only 638 fatalities were recorded in March.
According to figures by the health authorities, there are 1,090 ICU beds dedicated for Covid-19 patients across hospitals in the country. As of Wednesday (May 5), 618 or 57% of them were vacant.
In capital Dhaka, around 60% of the 771 ICU beds in state-run and private hospitals were empty while in the port city of Chittagong, 38 out of the 71 were vacant, says the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
General beds and others
Official figures show that 77% general beds for Covid-19 patients were empty until May 5.
Among the 12,542 general beds, 2,920 were occupied across the country, as per official report.
Besides, there are 830 beds equipped with high flow nasal cannula in Dhaka city, while 87 in Chittagong city.
Moreover, there are 292 beds in high dependency units (HDUs) with oxygen concentrators in Dhaka and 44 in Chittagong to provide service to the critical patients.
Analyzing the data of April
The second wave hit the country from mid-March when people were seen violating the health safety rules.
The number of daily cases started going up along with fatality counts, breaking all previous records.
Among the 11,833 deaths till Friday, this year's April alone witnessed 2,404 deaths, while March saw only 638 deaths.
The highest 112 deaths in a 24-hour span were reported on April 19 while the highest 7,626 new cases were recorded on April 7. The highest daily infection rate stood at 23.57% on April 9.
The number of empty ICU beds decreased to 21% on April 13 while 37% beds were vacant on April 1, according to the official data.
However, April 14 data showed that the lowest 17% ICU beds were empty on that day.
The number of empty beds again started to increase from the next day with 21% and reached 57% until May 5.
As many as 57% general beds remained vacant across the country, according to April 1 data, but the percentage stood at 77% as of May 5.
Prof Dr Nasima Sultana, an additional director general of DGHS, said when infections skyrocketed in April, the government enforced countrywide lockdown and restrictions to stem the spread of the virus.
"That’s why cases are falling and hospitalizations are declining," she told Dhaka Tribune.
She emphasized that people need to be more conscious regarding following the health protocol.
She especially suggested that the youth should not roam outside aimlessly as they were also seen falling victims of the deadly virus.
Asked what to expect if people do not follow safety rules and travel to their hometowns for the Eid holidays, she replied: "This is all about awareness. The people need to do it on their own."
