News Desk :
Mongla is at the greatest risk of coronavirus infections in the southwestern district of Bagerhat, as the disease is spreading faster in the countryside.
Of the 51 COVID tests conducted in the 24 hours until 6 am on Wednesday, 30 came back positive, yielding a positivity rate of 58.8 percent, a 5 percentage-point jump from the previous 24-hour period, reports bdnews24.com.
The local authorities in Mongla Upazila have imposed strict restrictions in the area since May 30, but the enforcement has been lax. Locals have largely continued their regular activities while avoiding authorities.
Four people, including a woman, have died of the coronavirus in Bagerhat in the past 24 hours. Three died at the Corona Dedicated Hospital in Khulna, while the fourth died at the Rupsha Upazila Health Complex, according to Bagerhat Civil Surgeon’s office spokesman Subrata Das.
The four were residents of Fakirhat, Morrelganj, Sarankhola and Mongla Upazilas.
Another 67 people tested positive for the coronavirus in Bagerhat in the past 24 hours, Das said. A total of 155 tests were administered in the same period, with a positivity rate of 43.23 percent in worrying signs.
Bangladesh on Tuesday recorded 2,322 new COVID-19 cases, the highest daily count since Apr 29, taking the tally of infections to 815,282. The death toll jumped to 12,913 after 44 people died from the illness in a 24-hour count, the most in a month, according to the latest government data.
KHULNA OVERWHELMED
The number of cases and deaths continue to spiral up in the Khulna Division.
As of Tuesday night, there have been a total of 36,955 coronavirus cases in the 10 districts of the division, according to Dr Rashida Sultana, a director of the Directorate General of Health Services for Khulna Division.
The region counted 680 deaths from the COVID illness, while 32,262 recovered from the disease, for a recovery rate of 87 percent.
The number of cases and deaths has risen since Eid-ul-Fitr, according to DGHS data. The first eight days of June saw 2,664 new cases, or an average of 333 a day. Thirty-five people also died in that period. The previous eight-day period-May 24 – May 31 — saw 1,222 new cases, or an average of 153 a day.
People are at greater risk of catching the delta variant of the virus which is devastating India because six of its districts share a 284 km-long border with India.
Bangladesh closed the border with India on Apr 26 to stop the spread of the variant. But many people have entered Bangladesh from India through the Benapole Land Port in Jashore since. Many have crossed the border into India illegally or are entering Bangladesh through illegal means in order to avoid the mandatory 14-day quarantine.
The Corona Dedicated Hospital in Khulna had exceeded its capacity for patients, said hospital spokesman Mehedi Newaz.
As beds are full, some patients are lying on the floor. Doctors and nurses are struggling to cope with the rush.
A 24-hour count shows that 130 patients were admitted to the hospital, Newaz said, and 20 were in the ICU. Seven died at the hospital in this same period while receiving treatment.
Most of the patients currently admitted to Khulna Medical College and Hospital have severe symptoms, said RMO Dr Suhash Ranjan Halder.
Most of the patients are suffering from low oxygen. Though only 100 beds are available, 129 patients have been admitted to the hospital. Most of them were trying to recover from the disease at home and only came to hospital when their oxygen levels fell.
The hospital has relatively limited logistic support, Dr Halder said. The rush of patients shows the need for another coronavirus unit and more doctors and nurses, he said.
He fears it will be difficult to cope with the pandemic otherwise.
But Dr Rashida Sultana of DGHS says the division has sufficient medical facilities to cope with the situation. The division has 49 ICU beds and 304 high-flow nasal cannulas.
The lack of awareness and breach of health regulations is causing the Khulna pandemic situation to deteriorate, said Khulna Civil Surgeon Niaz Mohammad.
“The situation will not improve until people follow health protocols.”
