The coronavirus (COVID-19) infection related death toll reached 357 with two more fatalities reported from Dinajpur district during the last 24 hours ending at 9 am today in Rangpur division.
Health officials said the infection rate continues to show a little declining trend during the last four consecutive days in the division where the casualty rate continues rising during the last more than two months.
�A total of 37 infected patients died from April 10 to May 7 last, the highest number in 27 days since the outbreak of the pandemic in the division,� said Focal Person of the COVID-19 and Assistant Director (Health) for Rangpur division Dr. ZA Siddiqui.
The district-wise break up of the 357 fatalities stands at 82 in Rangpur, 130 in Dinajpur, 38 in Thakurgaon, 35 in Nilphamari, 18 in Kurigram, 20 in Panchagarh, 21 in Gaibandha and 13 in Lalmonirhat districts. The average death rate currently stands at 1.96 percent in the division.
Earlier, the monthly numbers of fatalities were eleven between March 11 and April 11, three between February 11 and March 11 and six between January 11 and February 11 last in the division.
Talking to BSS, Divisional Director (Health) Dr Md Ahad Ali said the number of COVID-19 cases rose to 18,173 as 29 more patients were reported after testing 371 samples with the infection rate of 7.82 percent on Friday in the division.
Since the beginning, a total of 1,27,441 collected samples of all eight districts in the division were tested till Friday, and of them, 18,173 people were found COVID-19 positive with an average infection rate of 14.26 percent.
The district-wise break up of 18,173 patients stands at 4,735 in Rangpur, 830 in Panchagarh, 1,538 in Nilphamari, 1,047 in Lalmonirhat, 1,168 in Kurigram, 1,650 in Thakurgaon, 5,485 in Dinajpur and 1,720 in Gaibandha of the division.
Meanwhile, the number of recovered COVID-19 patients rose to 17,009 with the healing of 18 more infected people on Friday with the average recovery rate of 93.59 percent in the division.
�The 17,009 recovered patients include 4,346 of Rangpur, 802 Panchagarh, 1,477 of Nilphamari, 1,014 of Lalmonirhat, 1,019 of Kurigram, 1,533 of Thakurgaon, 5,135 of Dinajpur and 1,653 of Gaibandha districts,� Dr Ali said.
Among the total 18,173 infected patients, 62 are undergoing treatments at isolation units, including 19 critically sick patients at ICU beds, after recovery of 17,009 patients and 357 deaths while 771 are remaining in home isolations across the division.
�Meanwhile, the number of citizens who got the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine remained steady at 5,96,952 since April 26 last, and among them, 2,94,197 got the second dose of the jab till Thursday in the division,� Dr Ali added.
Chief of Divisional Coronavirus Service and Prevention Task Force and Principal of Rangpur Medical College Professor Dr. AKM Nurunnobi Lyzu urged people to abide by the health directives to reduce the infection rate of the deadly virus.