RANGPUR, April 23, 2021 (BSS) – The number of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases crossed the 17,600-mark in Rangpur division where the infection rate is rising hastily and recovery rate declining amid a rising casualty rate in recent weeks.
Health officials said the number of Covid-19 cases quickly rose to 17,613 as 42 more patients were detected positive after testing 376 samples at the infection rate of 11.17 percent on Thursday in the division.
“Earlier, the infection rate crossed the 10 percent mark on March 24 last first time after remaining below the five percent mark for sometime in the division,” Focal Person of COVID-19 and Assistant Director (Health) for Rangpur division Dr. ZA Siddiqui said.
The district-wise break-up of total 17,613 patients now stands at 4,562 in Rangpur, 824 in Panchagarh, 1,505 in Nilphamari, 1,035 in Lalmonirhat, 1,120 in Kurigram, 1,621 in Thakurgaon, 5,268 in Dinajpur and 1,678 in Gaibandha.
Since the beginning, a total of 1,22,885 collected samples were tested till Thursday, and of them, 17,613 were found Covid-19 positive with an average infection rate of 14.33 percent.
Meanwhile, the total number of healed COVID-19 patients reached 16,276 with recovery of 43 more infected patients in the division on Thursday at the average recovery rate of 92.41 percent.
Among the recovered patients, 4,154 of Rangpur, 786 of Panchagarh, 1,424 of Nilphamari, 980 of Lalmonirhat, 1,019 of Kurigram, 1,505 of Thakurgaon, 4,847 of Dinajpur and 1,561 of Gaibandha districts in the division.
Talking to BSS, Divisional Director (Health) Dr. Md. Ahad Ali said the number of fatalities rose to 338 with two more deaths reported from Rangpur and Dinajpur in the division on Thursday.
The district-wise break-up of the total fatalities now stands at 78 in Rangpur, 121 in Dinajpur, 36 in Thakurgaon, 33 in Nilphamari, 17 in Kurigram, 20 in Panchagarh, 21 in Gaibandha and 12 in Lalmonirhat.
“The average casualty rate currently stands at 1.92 percent in the division,” he said.
Among the total 17,613 infected patients, 88 are undergoing treatments at isolation units, including 19 critical patients at ICU beds, after recovery of 16,276 patients and 338 deaths while 942 remaining in home isolation across the division.
Since the beginning, a total of 1,02,226 people of the division were put in institutional isolation or home quarantines, and of them, 97,231 were released till Friday morning.
Meanwhile, the number of citizens who got the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine rose to 5,94,905, including 3,56,285 male and 2,38,620 female, with inoculation of 1,647 more people on Thursday in the division.
“At the same time, the number of second dose recipients rose to 1,81,327, including 1,20,624 male and 60,703 female, with vaccination of 13,194 more people,” Dr Ali added.
Chief of Divisional Coronavirus Service and Prevention Task Force and Principal of Rangpur Medical College Professor Dr. AKM Nurunnobi Lyzu put maximum emphasis on abiding by the health directives to contain the rising infection rate.