Rajshahi hospital reports 14 new COVID-related deaths

Another 14 people have died in the past 24 hours at the coronavirus unit of Rajshahi Medical College Hospital.

Five of the dead had tested positive for COVID-19 while the others showed symptoms of the illness, according to RMCH Director Brig Gen Shameem Yazdany.

Six of them were from Rajshahi, four from Chapainawabganj, three from Naogaon, and one from Natore. The fatalities were split evenly between the genders.

In terms of their ages, four were over 61, five between 51 and 60, four between 41 and 50, while the other was aged between 31 and 40.

A total of 274 people died at the hospital’s coronavirus unit from the start of June to 6 am on Friday, said Yazdany.

As many as 65 more patients were admitted to the hospital in the last 24 hours. Among them, 44 were from Rajshahi and eight from Chapainawabganj. Meanwhile, another 43 people were discharged from the hospital after recovering from the illness.

As of 6 am Friday, the 357-bed coronavirus unit was caring for patients with 423 patients. The excess patients are using makeshift beds on the floor or on the hospital’s verandah.

Of these patients, 283 are from Rajshahi, 64 are from Chapainawabganj, 31 from Natore and 29 from Naogaon. Twenty are admitted to the ICU.

The positivity rate from the coronavirus tests conducted at the hospital in the past 24 hours has dropped below 30 percent, Yazdany said. The rate hovered between 30 percent and 50 percent over the last three weeks, peaking at 61 percent.

But COVID-19 cases have been on the decline in the last five days amid an ongoing three-week lockdown in the region.

A week-long lockdown was declared in Rajshahi City from Jun 11. It was extended by another week and was to end on Thursday, but the high number of new cases and deaths has forced another extension to the lockdown.

The lockdown will now continue until Jun 30.