RANGPUR, Jan 30, 2022 (BSS) - The Covid-19 positivity rate hastily

jumped to the highest ever 53.31 percent on Saturday amid a faster community
spread of the lethal virus in Rangpur division.

     Health officials said 451 fresh Covid-19 cases, the highest number in a
day in six months, were diagnosed after testing 846 samples at the highest
ever 53.31 percent positivity rate on Saturday since the outbreak of the
pandemic in the division.

     "The number of Covid-19 positive cases is increasing amid a hastily
rising positivity rate in the last two weeks deteriorating the pandemic
situation," Divisional Director (Health) Dr. Abu Md. Zakirul Islam told BSS
today.      

     With the diagnosis of 451 new cases on Saturday, the total number of
Covid-19 patients climbed to 58,907 in the division amid a declining trend in
the recovery rate of infected patients.      

     On Saturday, Rangpur recorded 62 percent Covid-19 positivity, Panchagarh
54.10 percent, Nilphamari 47.70 percent, Lalmonirhat 39.20 percent, Kurigram
42.10 percent, Thakurgaon 67.30 percent, Dinajpur 50.50 percent and Gaibandha
45.90 percent.

     The district-wise break up of total 58,907 patients include 13,380 of
Rangpur, 3,983 Panchagarh, 4,799 of Nilphamari, 2,939 of Lalmonirhat, 4,748
of Kurigram, 8,094 of Thakurgaon, 15,863 of Dinajpur and 5,511 of Gaibandha
in the division.

     "Meanwhile, the number of Covid-19 casualties remained steady at 1,255
as no more patients died on Saturday in the division where the average
casualty rate now stands at 2.13 percent," Dr. Islam said.

     The district-wise break up of 1,255 fatalities stands at 295 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 3,17,967 collected
samples were tested till Saturday, and of them, 58,907 were found positive
with an average positivity rate of 18.53 percent," Dr Islam said.

     Meanwhile, the number of healed Covid-19 patients reached 54,790 with
the recovery of 28 more patients on Saturday in the division. The average
recovery rate stands at 93.01 percent.
     

     "The average recovery rate of patients reached 97.12 percent on January
14 last in the division and the same haershly dropped by 4.11 percent to
93.01 percent in only 15 days on Saturday," Dr. Islam said.

     The 54,790 recovered patients include 12,349 of Rangpur, 3,773
Panchagarh, 4,400 Nilphamari, 2,696 Lalmonirhat, 4,537 Kurigram, 7,524
Thakurgaon, 14,672 in Dinajpur and 4,839 Gaibandha districts in the division.   

     Among the 58,907 patients, 84 are under treatment at isolation units,
including 14 critical patients at ICU beds and eight at High Dependency Unit
beds, after recovery of 54,790 patients and 1,255 deaths while 2,778 are
remaining in home isolation.     

     "In the meantime, the number of citizens who got the first dose of the
Covid-19 vaccine rose to 1,07,22,856, and among them, 64,22,645 got the
second dose and 1,49,757 got the booster dose of the jabs till Saturday in
the division," Dr Islam added.

     Talking to BSS, Principal of Rangpur Medical College Professor Dr. Bimal
Chandra Roy suggested everyone to sincerely abide by the health directives to
contain the community transmission of the Covid-19 virus including its
Omicron variant.