Coronavirus: Bangladesh reports 112 new cases as death toll climbs to 21

Bangladesh registered its highest number of Covid-19 cases in a single day, with 112 new cases—70 males and the rest females-- in a 24-hour span until 8am Thursday.

The update translates into 330 Covid-19 positive cases, by far the biggest single-day surge in cases since the virus was first detected in the country on Mar 8

Also, one more died over the 24-hour period, pushing up the toll to 21 as yet, said Health Minister Zahid Maleque in an online videoconference on Thursday.

However, no further patients was recovered in past 24 hours, meaning that the number of those making recovery remained static at 33.

Joining the daily health bulletin broadcast from the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), the minister said as the number has spiked, the range of testing has also increased.

The health authorities tested record 1,097 samples—mostly from Dhaka--across the country, which the maximum in any given day.

During the briefing, Directorate General of Health Services Additional Director General Sanya Tahmina said some 618 samples were tested in nine centres in Dhaka alone, while the others in the rest of the country. 

"Among the 112 newly-infected ones, three are below 10 years, nine between 11 and 20 years, 25 between 21 and 30 years, 24 people between 31 and 40 years, 17 people between 41 and 50 years, 23 between 51 and 60 years, and 11 people are aged over 60 years," she added.

Dhaka still the 'red zone'

The capital city continued to generate new and increasing number of Covid-19 cases. 

IEDCR Director Meerjady Sabrina Flora, said of the newly infected patients, 62 are from Dhaka alone. 

The figure is two-thirds of the latest tally of the infected, with Narayanganj reporting the second most (13) patients.

On Wednesday, the health authorities reported three deaths and 54 fresh cases, of which 39 were from Dhaka city alone. 

‘More ventilators being procured’

The heath minister said that there are more than 550 ventilators to treat coronavirus patients in the country.

“The procurement of another 380 ventilators is under process,” he said, adding that there is a confusion among the messes about the lifesaving medical device. 

The minister went on saying that a number of buildings are being set up as isolation units.

"A building owned by Bashundhara Group is being prepared as a 2000-bed isolation unit, and a market in the DNCC area will be prepared as another 1400-bed isolation unit," he added.

Meanwhile, the global death toll from coronavirus was more than 88,500 as of Thursday morning, according to worldometer.

Also, over 1,518,700 people have been infected around the world since the highly contagious disease was first reported in China in December last year.