COVID-19 recoveries in Bangladesh top 100,000

By SM Najmus Sakib

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AA) – Bangladesh on Tuesday crossed the 100,000 mark in COVID-19 recoveries with a 52.61% recovery rate.

According to the Health Ministry data, 4,910 more people infected with coronavirus made recovery in the last 24 hours, bringing the total to 103, 227.

Meanwhile, 33 new fatalities caused by the disease pushed the death toll to 2,424 for a 1.28% death rate.

Besides, another 3,163 positive cases were recorded in the past 24 hours to bring total case count to 190,000, said Nasima Sultana, a director at the Directorate General of Health Services under the Health Ministry told a regular online media briefing on Tuesday.

The active infections rate is currently at 19.67% in the South Asian country which reported the first case on March 8, she added.

As of Tuesday Bangladesh remained the 17th worst-affected country across the globe in terms of infections.

The country of 165 million has tested 966,400 samples so far.

- Journalists face brunt of infection

Thirteen Bangladeshi journalists lost their lives to the novel coronavirus while nine others died with COVID-19 symptoms as the virus continued taking its toll on media people for their role on the front line to cover events.

Meanwhile, as many as 583 news people of some 142 national and regional newspapers, TVs and other forms of media contracted the virus as of Monday, Ahammad Foyez, coordinator of a Dhaka-based journalists’ platform titled Our Media, Our Rights, told Anadolu Agency on Tuesday.

Of the total infected, 236 made recovery and rejoined their service, he added.

Besides, at least 64 physicians died and some 5,559 health workers were infected with the virus, including 1,954 physicians, 1,504 nurses, and 2,101 health care staff, as of Tuesday, according to Bangladesh Medical Association the apex body of physicians in the country.