Bangladesh: Rising virus numbers fuel winter wave fears

By SM Najmus Sakib

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AA) – Coronavirus fatalities spiked and infections showed no major signs of decline in Bangladesh on Saturday, fueling fears of a second wave in the country as the winter season sets in.

Authorities recorded 36 more virus-related fatalities over the past day, a sharp rise from Friday’s figure of 20.

At 1,908, new cases fell below the 2,000-mark for the first time in a week, according to data released by the Directorate General of Health Services.

The overall case count in Bangladesh now stands at 460,619, including 6,580 deaths.

The death rate stands at 1.43% and total positivity rate stands at 16.79%, which is still high compared to the World Health Organization’s recommended level.

The recovery rate in Bangladesh, meanwhile, has risen to 81.6%, the data showed.

Some 2.7 million COVID-19 tests have been carried out in the country of 165 million since the first cases were detected in March.

Amid worsening numbers seen this month, Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has directed officials to formulate a plan to tackle a possible second wave in the country.