Daily new cases drop

Comparing with the previous epidemiological week, the number of new Covid-19 cases have drastically decreased.

The detection of coronavirus cases decreased by 9.22 percent while the deaths also decreased by 17.25 percent as of yesterday which was the 38th epidemiological week, read a press release of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

Experts, however, said the situation could not be observed based on this narrow definition only.

Prof Nazrul Islam, member of the National Technical Advisory Committee (NTAC) on Covid-19, yesterday said, "I think transmission is stagnant at a particular place. If there is intervention, coronavirus transmission may be decreased in the days to come. However, we can't say anything firmly."

Urging the DGHS to publish detailed analysis on Covid-19 situation, he said, "We do not know the detailed case analysis of Covid-19 cases or deaths. Also, the number of studies is also too little. We need an overall study to know the situation."

In the previous week, the deaths caused by Covid-19 rose by 5.81 percent compared to the previous [36th] week.

Compared to the previous week, the number of tests decreased by 3.41 percent while the number of recoveries decreased by 21 percent in the 38th week, according to the press release.

On March 8, the DGHS reported the first three Covid-19 cases while the government body reported the first deaths on March 18.

In the past 24 hours till 8:30am yesterday, 26 Covid-19 patients died. Of them, 24 died in hospitals and two in their homes.

With this, the total number of deaths rose to 4,939 which is 1.42 of all cases detected so far.

A total of 1,544 people tested positive for the viral infection, raising the number of confirmed cases to 348,916.

Against a total of 11,591 tests in those 24 hours, the positivity rate was 13.32 percent, 1.42 percent up from the previous day's 11.9 percent, according to the press release.

As 2,179 patients were added to the recovery list and the total number of recovered patients rose to 256,565. This is more than 73 percent of all detected cases.

Nine of yesterday's deceased were females while 17 were males.

One of the deceased was aged between 21 and 30 years, one between 41 and 50, seven between 51 and 60, and the highest 17 were above 60 years.

One each of them was from Rangpur, Khulna and Rajshahi divisions, four from Chattogram and the rest 19 were from Dhaka division, according to the press release.

Dhaka division saw more than 49 percent of the deceased so far.

According to the press release, 3,006 patients were in general beds in the Covid-19 hospitals across the country and 301 were in ICUs as of yesterday morning.