Bangladesh today reported 7 more deaths from the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and 414 fresh positive cases overnight.
�Seven more COVID-19 patients died in the last 24 hours, raising the death toll from the pandemic to 127,� Health and Family Welfare Minister Zahid Maleque told a virtual media briefing at the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) in the city.
The minister said the total number of the COVID-19 cases in the country has climbed to 4186 as 414 more people tested positive for the lethal virus during the time.
DGHS Additional Director General (administration) Prof Nasima Sultana also addressed the briefing.
Bangladesh confirmed the first coronavirus death in the country on March 18, ten days after detection of its first COVID-19 positive cases.
Maleque said Bangladesh is witnessing sharp rise of coronavirus cases since March 24 as 4180 people tested positive for the virus during the one month period, while the number was only 6 from March 8 to March 23.
He said the total number of recovered patients has now stood at 108 as 16 patients were cured from the disease over the past 24 hours.
The minister said over 300 Bangladeshi expatriates have so far died of coronavirus in different countries. �I want to cleary say that Bangladeshi returnees from Singapore and India must remain at institutional quarantines,� he added.
As coronavirus outbreak is on the rising trend in the country and some healthcare providers have been infected by the virus, the government has taken a decision to recruit 2000 doctors and 4000 nurses to deal with pandemic, Maleque added.
Pointing out that a section of dishonest businessmen is marketing sub-standard protective equipment including PPE and masks, the health minister asked the drug administration to take stern action against the persons involved with the crime.
Nasima said a total of 32,770 samples have so far been tested since the detection of first COVID-19 cases in the country, adding: �We tested the highest number of 3416 samples in the past 24 hours, 320 more than the previous day.�