Bangladesh’s coronavirus cases surge 67% in a week

Bangladesh has recorded a 67.27 percent weekly spike in confirmed coronavirus cases.

The number of deaths among the patients has increased by 49.02 percent in this period, according to an analysis of data from the Directorate General of Health Services.

The labs conducted 116,232 samples from Mar 7 to Mar 13, a 14.56 percent rise from the previous week. As many as 6,512 of the tests came back with positive results. The week saw 76 deaths from COVID-19, while 8,344 patients recovered.

In the previous week from Feb 28 to Mar 6, a total of 3,893 patients were confirmed to have caught the coronavirus after 101,497 samples were tested. The death toll in the week was 51, while 5,859 recovered from the disease.

In the daily count, the caseload increased by 1,014 to 556,236 with a positivity rate of more than 6 percent for the second day on Saturday.  

The death toll climbed to 8,527 after 12 fatalities were registered in the 24 hours to 8 am Saturday, according to data released by the government.

Another 1,138 people recovered from COVID-19 through treatment at home and in hospital care in the same period, bringing the tally of recoveries to 510,310.

After dropping below 5 percent on Jan 19, the positivity rate decreased further to 3 percent, but began to rise again in early March to cross the 5 percent mark again on Mar 9.

A fresh wave of coronavirus cases may sweep over Bangladesh unless immediate steps are taken to stifle the spread of the infection, experts warned last week amid growing concerns over more infectious and deadlier variants that were first detected in the UK and South Africa. 

While the number of daily infections appeared to be on a downward trajectory from Nov 30 to the first week of February, active cases have been steadily rising since mid-February.

On Friday, Education Minister Dipu Moni said the government may review its decision to reopen schools and colleges on Mar 30 if the resurgence of infections continue.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Mar 9 called for people to put special attention to wearing masks and limiting public gatherings even though they are vaccinated.

The pandemic situation is worsening in many other parts of the world after improvement for some days amid vaccination drives hit by inequality in global distribution.

India reported its biggest daily spike in COVID-19 of the year on Saturday, with 24,882 infections as a resurgence since last month continues.

Most of Italy will have curbs on business and movement intensified from Monday, while French Prime Minister Jean Castex said the COVID-19 situation in the Paris region is extremely tense and authorities are ready to take new measures.

Turkey recorded 14,941 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, the highest daily rise this year, less than two weeks after President Tayyip Erdogan announced an easing of curbs.

[With details from Reuters]