Positivity rate drops to 9.39pc

The positivity rate of Covid-19 tests in the country has come down below 10 percent after 40 days.

Experts see it as a result of the ongoing restrictions on movement. They said maintaining physical distancing is a proven method to reduce virus transmission and it is more important now  the context of the grim pandemic situation in neighbouring India.

"It is obvious that this a result of the ongoing restrictions on movement. But we cannot say the transmission is under control. The downward trend must continue for at least two weeks," Dr Mushtuq Hussain, consultant at the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), told The Daily Star yesterday.

He said if people maintain health safety guidelines, the transmission rate will go down no matter how dangerous the Covid variants are.

Against a total of 24,928 tests conducted in 24 hours till 8:00am yesterday, the positivity rate was 9.39 percent.

The rate was 9.39 percent on March 20 and it crossed 23 percent-mark on April 2. It started going down from April 17.

The highest positivity rate of 23.57 percent in the second wave of Covid-19 in the country was recorded on April 9.

Meanwhile, a total of 88 people died of the virus in the same 24-hour period, raising the tally to 11,393.

In this period, 2,341 people tested positive for the virus. With this, the total number of novel coronavirus cases rose to 756,955 in the country.

Of the 88 deceased, 52 were men and 36 women. Three of them died at homes and the rest at hospitals.

As usual, Dhaka division saw the highest deaths yesterday with 48 deaths followed by Chattogram with 22, according to a handout of the Directorate General of Health Services.

The rush of Covid-19 patients at hospitals hasalso continued easing.

As of yesterday noon, 58 ICU beds out of 257 were vacant while 2,028 general beds out of 3,481 were unoccupied in public hospitals dedicated to Covid-19 patients in Dhaka city.

Countrywide, 685 novel coronavirus patients were undergoing treatment in the Covid-19 dedicated hospitals.

As the data showed the transmission rate is declining, the government has extended the ongoing movement restrictions till May 5, which, according to experts, should be maintained till before and after the Eid-ul-Fitr festival, scheduled to be held next month.

"Continuing the movement restrictions fully may not be possible, but the health safety guidelines must be maintained," Dr Mushtuq said.