Coronavirus-related deaths increase by 30pc in a week

The number of coronavirus-related deaths in Bangladesh has increased by 30 per cent in a week as a second wave of infections is spreading more rapidly than the first.

As many as 77 people lost their lives to the disease in the 24 hours to 8 am Saturday, the highest count since the pandemic hit Bangladesh in March 2020, reports bdnews24.com.

The number of coronavirus deaths rose to 448 in the week to Saturday from 344 in the previous week.

The Directorate General of Health Services recorded the first COVID-19 death on Mar 18 last year, 10 days after the detection of the first cases.

The deaths began rising afterwards and hit 64 in the daily count on Jun 30, the highest in 2020.

The outbreak eased gradually and the number of deaths dropped to as low as five in the beginning of March this year.

Then came the second wave, setting new records in death counts. The DGHS reported the previous record in deaths at 74 on Apr 8. The toll now stands at 9,661.

More than half of the fatalities, or 56.2 per cent, have been reported among people over 60 years.

Division-wise, Dhaka counted most deaths, accounting for 57.71 per cent of the total, while Mymensingh has the lowest rate -- 2.15 per cent.

Health workers tested 220,828 specimens from Apr 4 to Apr 10, an 18.75 per cent weekly jump.

The number of positive cases rose by 26.48 per cent to 48,660 in the past week. The recovery rate increased by 42.58 per cent.