Staff Reporter Bangladesh recorded another spike in coronavirus cases on Wednesday when the health authorities announced detection of 2,695 new patients in the last 24 hours. “During this period, 37 patients died, raising the death toll to 746,” Prof Dr Nasima Sultana, Additional Director General of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), told a regular online briefing. “The mortality rate is 1.35 percent in country,” she said. Bangladesh’s confirmed cases now stand at 55,140. Fifty labs tested 12,510 samples in the last 24 hours and the infection rate is 21.54 percent, she added, adding that so far, 345,589 tests have been carried out. Bangladesh announced its first cases on March 8 and the first death on March 18 but it has been seeing a sharp rise in both new cases and deaths in recent weeks. In May, 452 deaths and 39,386 cases were recorded. In March, the number of confirmed cases was 51 and six people were killed. In April, 160 people were killed while...

Staff Reporter The number of globally confirmed coronavirus cases has gone up to 6,377,596 while the death toll reached 380,205 on Wednesday morning, according to the Centre for System Science and Engineering of the Johns Hopkins University. JHU data show that Brazil has 555,383 confirmed coronavirus cases, the second highest in the world after the USA. The South American country lost 31,199 lives to Covid-19 till date. The US has the highest number of confirmed cases and deaths. It recorded 106,180 deaths and 1,831,806 cases so far. In the US, New York State alone counted 29,968 deaths till date. The UK has the second-highest death toll at 39,452, followed by Italy with 33,530, France 28,943 and Spain 27,127, according to Johns Hopkins University. Some countries like China and New Zealand seem to have the pandemic under control. Besides, Europe is in the process of lifting lockdown. Coronavirus cases were first reported in China in December last year. The World Health Organization...

Staff Reporter People, who have been hit hard by the recent shutdown aimed at containing the coronavirus outbreak, have urged the government to announce a pro-poor national budget that saves both the lives and livelihoods of the people. They have also requested the government to priorities health, agriculture, social safety net and education in the budget for 2020-21 fiscal year. Bangladesh announced detection of its first coronavirus cases on March 8 and the first death on March 18. The general holidays were announced from March 26 and later extended up to May 30 in phases. Millions of day laborers and low-income people, as well as those involved in the non-essential sector, were hit the hardest with many losing their jobs. Monir, a street child, said that all he wants is to have three square meals a day. “Nothing else matters to people like us,” he said. Rickshaw puller Ashikur Rahman said they don’t think about budget. “I want to work and earn enough to feed my family. I...

Staff Reporter The country on Tuesday saw the biggest jump in coronavirus cases in a day with the detection of record 2,911 new cases in the span of 24 hours which took the total number of confirmed cases to 52,445. During the same period 37 more patients died due to deadly COVID-19, raising the death toll to 709. Prof Dr Nasima Sultana, Additional Director General of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) came up with the disclosure at its daily health bulletin. Dr Nasima, who is also the acting Director General of DGHS, said the infection rate in Bangladesh has been recorded at 22.91 percent Tuesday. Across the country, 523 more patients made recovery. “So far, 11,120 individuals have recovered from the disease.” Against the total number of detected cases, the recovery rate is 21 percent and the mortality rate is 1.35 percent in country. Among the deceased, 33 were male and four were female. “28 patients breathed their last in hospitals across the country while...

Staff Reporter Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday said COVID-19 has slowed economic advancement of the country to some extent but the nation will step forward defying all hurdles. COVID-19 has slowed economic advancement to some extent that might delay country’s graduation to a developing nation in the stipulated time, she said adding, and “These days of COVID-19 will not last forever. We will be able to step forward defying all hurdles.” The Prime Minister said this while speaking at the Executive Committee on National Economic Council (Ecnec) meeting held at NEC conference room. She attended the meeting through a videoconference from her official residence Ganobhaban. "The way Bangladesh was advancing economically we had our hopes that while celebrating Mujib Borsha in 2020 and Golden Jubilee of the Independence in 2021 we will be able to reduce the rate of poverty and put the country in a higher dignified level in the world through making it developing country. But...

Staff Reporter The global death toll from Covid-19 reached 375,526 on Tuesday morning while the confirmed cases were 6,265,496, according to the Centre for System Science and Engineering of the Johns Hopkins University. According to JHU data, Brazil has come up to the second position after US with 526,447 confirmed coronavirus cases as of Tuesday. The South American country counted 29,937 deaths from the virus till the date. Among the countries, the US has been the worst-hit with the highest recorded deaths of 105,165 patients and about 1,811,370 confirmed cases.In the US, New York State alone counted 29,917 deaths till the date. The UK has the second-highest death toll at 39,127, followed by Italy with 33,475, France 28,836 and Spain 27,127, according to Johns Hopkins University. Some countries like China and New Zealand seem to have the pandemic under control. Besides, Europe is in the process of lifting lockdown. Coronavirus cases were first reported in China December last year....

Staff Reporter The High Court on Tuesday ordered United Hospital authorities to explain the reason behind the death of five people, who died in a fire at the hospital. The hospital authorities will have to file a written statement within June 14. Separately, the court also asked the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Fire Service and Civil Defence and Rajuk authorities to submit reports in this regard. The bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim issued the order during an online hearing of a writ petition filed by two Supreme Court lawyers. Barrister Muntasir Uddin Ahmed and Advocate Niaz Mahmud stood for the petitioner while additional Attorney General Murad Reza represented the state. Barrister Muntasir said the HC asked the authorities concerned of United Hospital, Rajuk, Fire Service and Civil Defence and the IGP to submit reports of the fire incident at the isolation unit of the hospital that claimed lives of five people. Five people were killed as a fire originated from an explosion...

Total cases near 50,000 Staff Reporter 22 more corona patients died in last 24 hours in the country raising the death toll to 672. The health department on Monday confirmed the detection of another 2,381 new coronavirus patients across the country in the last 24 hours, taking the number of confirmed cases in the country to 49,534. Additional Director General of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) Prof Dr Nasima Sultana came up with the disclosure at its daily health bulletin. In the last 24 hours, 52 coronavirus testing laboratories across the country tested 11,439 samples, she added. “So far 320,369 tests have been carried out.” The detection rate of new patients on Monday has been recorded at 20.81 percent. Across the country 816 more patients made recovery, she said adding that so far 9,781 people have recovered from the disease. Against the total number of detected cases, the recovery rate is 21.39 percent and the mortality rate is 1.36 percent in country....