The deadly novel coronavirus has been spreading its net in Bangladesh by leaps and bounds infecting 2,523 more people, the highest for one day. In addition, the pathogen has taken the lives of 23 more people.
With the updates, the infections have altogether reached 42,844 while the body count now stands at 582.
The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) revealed the information on the Covid-19 situation at a media briefing in the capital on Friday.
Professor Dr Nasima Sultana, Additional Director General of DGHS, addressing the briefing as she has been doing of late, said, ''A total of 11,301 samples were tested in 49 authorized labs across the country in the past 24 hours. Of them, 2,523 were found to be coronavirus positive.''
The previous highest tally of 2,029 infections was recorded on Thursday against 9,310 samples. ''Of the newly 23 deaths, 10 were from Dhaka division, nine from Chattogram, two from Rangpur, one from Barishal and another one was from Sylhet division. Among them, 19 were male and four female,'' she added. As per age categories, one was between 11-20 years old, one within 21-30, two were between 31-40 and five between 41-50 years, five within 51-60, six between 61-70 years, two within 71-80 and the other was between 81-90 years old.
Professor Nasima Sultana, who has been acting as DG of DGHS, went on to add, ''As many as 590 patients have made a recovery since Thursday, the highest tally of recoveries for one day, surging the total to 9,015.''
A total of 328 more people were put on isolation in the past 24 hours, she added.
Covid-19 has spread to all 64 districts of the country. Many districts have been under lockdown for several weeks to contain the spread of the killer virus.
Meanwhile, the government has decided not to extend the public holidays which is ending today (May 30). All public, private and autonomous offices can be reopened on a limited scale from May 31 to June 15. The government first announced the holidays on March 23, five days after Bangladesh reported its first coronavirus death.
Earlier, the ongoing shutdown was eased somewhat considering Ramadan, Eid-ul-Fitr, the livelihoods of common people and the economy of the country. Soon after the announcement by the government, most people started breaking social distancing rules and gathering at different places, fuelling possibilities of a spread of the bug.
The government has called in army personnel to assist the civil administration to ensure social distancing across the country. Bangladesh reported its first case of the virus on March 8 while the first death was recorded on March 18.
The killer virus, which broke out in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December last year, has so far killed at least 362,900 people across the globe. It has infected more than 5,945,000 people in 213 countries and territories.
The US is the worst-hit country with at least 103,100 deaths and more than 1,771,000 infections. Brazil has the second highest number of infections with 438,000 cases. The country has so far recorded at least 26,700 deaths.
The UK has recorded 37,800 deaths, the highest in Europe, followed by Italy with at least 33,100 casualties. France has lost at least 28,600 people followed by Spain with at least 27,100 casualties. Belgium has so far reported more than 9,400 deaths, followed by Germany with no fewer than 8,500 deaths while Iran has recorded at least 7,600 casualties.
Canada has lost at least 6,800 citizens followed by the Netherlands with at least 5,900 casualties. China, the epicenter of the virus, has so far recoded as many as 4,600 deaths.
India has recorded at least 4,800 deaths with more than 169,000 infections. Pakistan has so far reported 1,300 deaths and now fewer than 64,000 infections. Sri Lanka has reported only 10 deaths and 1,540 infections.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the Covid-19 a pandemic. The outbreak of the virus has brought almost the entire world to an impasse.