DGHS for extending lockdown

The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) recommended extending the ongoing countrywide ‘strict lockdown’ on Friday as movement restrictions failed to improve the country’s coronavirus situation.

In a regular press release, DGHS said it recorded 212 coronavirus-related deaths and 13,862 new cases in 24 hours until morning.

The local death tally stands at 20,467, while the number of confirmed cases rose to 12,40,115. Bangladesh reported its first Covid cases on March 8 last year and the first death on March 18, 2020.

The government is enforcing a two-week lockdown starting from July 23 to contain the coronavirus infection. But the restriction on movement failed to improve the Covid situation.

DGHS Director and spokesperson Robed Amin told The Business Post that the coronavirus situation started deteriorating after the Delta variant spread in the country in May.

“The situation is worsening. Lockdown extension is needed to combat virus infection,” Amin said.

He said they recommended extending the lockdown and increasing hospital facilities at a meeting with the government on Thursday night. “The government will make the final call,” he said. On Friday, the health department tested 45,044 samples at 648 laboratories and found 30.77 per cent Covid positive cases.

With 13,975 patients recovering from the virus infection, the overall recovery rate stood at 85.81 per cent.

Dhaka division recorded 65 deaths on Friday, followed by Chattogram (53), Khulna (36), Sylhet (17), Rajshahi (13), Barishal (11), Rangpur (9) and Mymensingh (8). Among the deceased, 202 died in hospitals. Of them, 119 were men and 93 women.