Dhaka: Thirty-four people have died from coronavirus infections in the last 24 hours, Dr Nasima Sultana, additional director general (administration) of DGHS, said during a briefing. The death toll now stands at 1,695 and the death rate at 1.27 percent.

Three thousand five hundred and four people have tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 24 hours.

With this, the current infection rate is 23.12 percent and the total number of infections in the country is 1,33,978.

The total infection rate so far stands at 18.81 percent.

Bangladesh remains the 17th worst affected country in the world in terms of the number of cases. The position is one step ahead of that of South Africa and one step behind of France, according to worldometer.info.

A total of 15,157 samples were tested in 58 labs across the country in the last 24 hours, Dr Nasima said.

Meanwhile, 1,185 COVID-19 patients have recovered in the last 24 hours, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) said today.

The total number of recoveries has reached 54,318 and the current recovery rate is 40.54 percent.

A total of 726 people were put under isolation in the last 24 hours.

Among the deceased, 32 were male and two female while 13 were from Dhaka, 10 from Chattogram, four from Rajshahi, one from Khulna, four from Sylhet and two were from Rangpur division.

Of them, one was between 21-30 years old, one within 31-40, six within 41-50, six between 51-60, 13 between 61-70 and seven were 71-80 years old, Dr Nasima also said.

A 13-member advisory committee under the leadership of DGHS is working behind the zoning programme, the DGHS official said.

Identifying red zones, yellow zones or green zones based on levels of risk is a continuous process, she said adding that the system is not permanent.

"No area has been declared as red zone permanently. It is being implemented temporarily in some areas across the country," she said.

In Dhaka, concerned ministry has been sent letter regarding experimental implementation of red zone in specific places of Wari.

Red zone is also being implemented in East Rajabazar area based on the guidelines of the advisory committee.

The 13-member committee is chaired by the DG of DGHS. It also has members from officials of Dhaka divisional commissioner's office, a2i, Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), Centre for Injury Prevention and Research, Bangladesh (CIPRB) and other organisations, she also said.

https://www.thedailystar.net/coronavirus-deadly-new-threat/news/COVID-19-34-die-3504-infected-1185-recover-24-hours-1921305