RANGPUR, June 23, 2021 (BSS) - The number of coronavirus (Covid-19) cases
has rapidly crossed the 22,600 mark in the division where the infection rate
continues rising quickly amid a declining recovery rate during the last three
weeks.

  Health officials said the number of Covid-19 cases quickly climbed to
22,619 as 266 more active cases were reported after testing 740 samples of
the division with the infection rate of 35.95 percent on Tuesday.

  Earlier, the daily infection rates were 34.58 percent on Monday, 38.94
percent on Sunday, 35.20 percent on Saturday, 29.12 percent on Friday, 33.60
percent on Thursday and 31.68 percent on Wednesday last in the division.

  The infection rate continues rising with an increasing number of fatalities
across the division in recent weeks, Focal Person of Covid-19 and Assistant
Director (Health) for Rangpur division Dr ZA Siddiqui told BSS today.

   "The district-wise break up of total 22,619 patients stands at 5,441 in
Rangpur, 906 in Panchagarh, 1,697 in Nilphamari, 1,311 in Lalmonirhat, 1,510
in Kurigram, 2,532 in Thakurgaon, 7,317 in Dinajpur and 1,903 in Gaibandha of
the division," he said.

  Since the beginning, a total of 1,45,719 collected samples were tested till
Tuesday, and of them, 22.619 were found Covid-19 positive with an average
infection rate of 15.52 percent.

  Meanwhile, the total number of healed Covid-19 patients reached 18,977 with
recovery of 62 more infected patients on Tuesday in the division where the
average recovery rate currently stands at 83.90 percent.

  "The average recovery rate of Covid-19 infected patients was 97.55 percent
around three and a half months ago on March 9 last in the division where it
sharply dropped by 13.65 percent to 83.90 percent during the period," Dr
Siddiqui said.

  The recovered patients included 4,919 of Rangpur, 824 of Panchagarh, 1,568
of Nilphamari, 1,090 of Lalmonirhat, 1,181 of Kurigram, 1,684 of Thakurgaon,
5,927 of Dinajpur and 1,784 of Gaibandha districts.

  Acting Divisional Director (Health) Dr Abu Md Zakirul Islam told BSS today
that the Covid-19 related death toll rose to 467 as one more patient died in
Dinajpur on Tuesday in Rangpur division.

  The district-wise break up of the 467 fatalities stands at 107 in Rangpur,
170 in Dinajpur, 62 in Thakurgaon, 38 in Nilphamari, 27 in Kurigram, 21 in
Panchagarh, 23 in Gaibandha and 19 in Lalmonirhat districts.

  "The average casualty rate currently stands at 2.06 percent," Dr Islam
said.

  Among the 22,619 infected patients, 190 are undergoing treatments at
isolation units, including 23 critical patients at ICU beds and eight at High
Dependency Unit beds, after recovery of 18,977 patients and 467 deaths while
3,104 are remaining in home isolation.

  "Meanwhile, the number of citizens who got the first dose of the Covid-19
vaccine rose to 5,98,701, and among them, 3,88,185 got the second dose of the
jab till Tuesday in the division," Dr Islam added.

  Chief of Divisional Coronavirus Service and Prevention Task Force and
Principal of Rangpur Medical College Professor Dr. AKM Nurunnobi Lyzu urged
everyone to strictly abide by the health directives as the infection rate
continues rising in the division.