Coronavirus: 3 more die in Bangladesh, total infected 123

Bangladesh reported its highest single-day increase in Covid-19 cases yesterday, with 35 new positive cases and three deaths.

The total number of confirmed coronavirus positive cases now stands at 123 in the country, with the death toll at 12. Of the three new deaths since Sunday evening, one was in Habiganj and the others in Gazipur and Gaibandha districts.

The Covid-19 infection, which was first reported in Bangladesh on March 8, has now spread to 15 districts with the highest number of patients in Dhaka and Narayanganj, according to data compiled by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

The number of cases was quite low in Bangladesh till early April, as the government initially only tested those who were highly likely to have Covid-19.

The daily testing rate remained below 100 per day till March 25, a day before the government imposed a shutdown to encourage people to stay at home in order to fight the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus which causes Covid-19.

The DGHS increased the volume of testing from Thursday and continues to find higher numbers of positive cases each day. Yesterday, the health authorities tested 468 samples to confirm the 35 new cases. 

So far, Bangladesh has tested samples from 3,610 suspected Covid-19 patients. Among the 123 who tested positive for the coronavirus, 33 have returned home following recovery and 78 are still undergoing treatment.

The fast spreading coronavirus, which was first reported in China's Wuhan, has claimed 73,824 lives and infected 1,329,303 people across the world till date, according to Worldometers.

As many as 277,295 people have recovered from Covid-19, a disease caused by a new strain of coronavirus, which has spread to 209 countries and territories across the planet.