RANGPUR, Jan 28, 2022 (BSS) - Rangpur division recorded the highest ever 46.45 percent Covid-19 positivity rate on Thursday since the outbreak of the pandemic amid a quicker community spread of the lethal virus.
Health officials said 438 fresh Covid-19 cases, the highest number in a day in six months, were diagnosed on Thursday after testing 943 samples at 46.45 percent positivity rate in the division.
"With the diagnosis of 438 new cases, the total number of Covid-19 patients climbed to 58,351 in Rangpur division," Divisional Director (Health) Dr. Abu Md. Zakirul Islam told BSS today.
The number of positive cases continues rising hastily in recent weeks amid a declining trend in the recovery rate of infected patients.
On Thursday, Rangpur recorded 41.20 percent Covid-19 positivity, Panchagarh 57.40 percent, Nilphamari 40 percent, Lalmonirhat 40.40 percent, Kurigram 47.70 percent, Thakurgaon 56.60 percent, Dinajpur 52.60 percent and Gaibandha 42.10 percent.
The district-wise break up of total 58,351 patients include 13,227 of Rangpur, 3,982 Panchagarh, 4,734 of Nilphamari, 2,894 of Lalmonirhat, 4,732 of Kurigram, 8,020 of Thakurgaon, 15,693 of Dinajpur and 5,069 of Gaibandha in the division.
"Meanwhile, the number of Covid-19 casualties remained steady at 1,254 as no more infected patients died on Thursday in the division where the average casualty rate stands at 2.15 percent," Dr. Islam said.
The district-wise break up of the 1,254 fatalities stands at 294 in Rangpur, 81 in Panchagarh, 89 in Nilphamari, 69 each in Lalmonirhat and Kurigram, 256 in Thakurgaon, 333 in Dinajpur and 63 in Gaibandha.
"Since the outbreak of the pandemic, a total of 3,16,578 collected samples were tested till Thursday, and of them, 58,351 were found Covid-19 positive with an average positivity rate of 18.43 percent in the division," Dr Islam said.
Meanwhile, the number of healed Covid-19 patients reached 54,747 with the recovery of 62 more patients on Thursday in the division. The average recovery rate stands at 93.82 percent.
"The average recovery rate of Covid-19 patients reached 97.12 percent on January 14 last in the division and the same dropped by 3.30 percent to 75 percent in only 13 days on Thursday," Dr. Islam said.
The 54,747 recovered patients include 12,346 of Rangpur, 3,773 Panchagarh, 4,400 Nilphamari, 2,684 Lalmonirhat, 4,537 Kurigram, 7,509 Thakurgaon, 14,659 in Dinajpur and 4,839 Gaibandha districts in the division.
Among the 58,351 patients, 72 are under treatment at isolation units, including 16 critical patients at ICU beds and nine at High Dependency Unit beds, after recovery of 54,747 patients and 1,254 deaths while 2,278 are remaining in home isolation.
"In the meantime, the number of citizens who got the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine rose to 1,06,74,833, and among them, 63,80,023 got the second dose and 1,47,206 got the booster dose of the jabs till Thursday in the division," Dr Islam added.
Principal of Rangpur Medical College Professor Dr. Bimal Chandra Roy urged people to abide by the health directives to contain community transmission of the Covid-19 virus including its Omicron variant.