Dhaka: Bangladesh has registered 11 more fatalities from the novel coronavirus in a daily count, raising the death toll to 250.

The tally of confirmed cases surged to 16,660 on the back of 969 positive tests in the 24 hours to 8 am Tuesday, according to government data.

The recovery count also rose to 3,147 after another 245 COVID-19 patients were released from hospitals in the same period, DGHS Additional Director General Nasima Sultana said in a media briefing on Tuesday.

A total of 6,773 samples were tested at 38 authorised labs across the country during that period, she added.

Globally, over 4.17 million people have been infected by the novel coronavirus and 286,355 have died, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.

Infections have been reported in more than 210 countries and territories since the first cases were identified in China in December 2019.

Among the latest deaths in Bangladesh, seven were men and four women. In terms of their ages, one was between 81 and 90, two between 71 and 80, five between 61 and 70 while three were between 51 and 60 years old.

Bangladesh reported its first cases of COVID-19 on Mar 8. As the outbreak intensified over the following next weeks, the government enforced a nationwide shutdown of schools, offices and public transport to slow the spread of the disease.

However, the country has gradually begun reopening with the government loosening some of the lockdown restrictions to kickstart economic activities on a limited scale.

Nevertheless, Nasima urged citizens to continue adhering to the practice of social distancing by sheltering in place as much as possible while wearing masks and avoiding gatherings when outside.

She also recommended incorporating vitamin C and mineral-rich foods such as fruits and green vegetable into the regular diet, particularly of the elderly, expecting mothers and children, to boost the body's natural defences to fight the disease.

https://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/2020/05/12/bangladesh-s-coronavirus-death-toll-hits-250-case-count-surges-to-16660