90% of hospitalised Covid patients from villages: DG health

More than 90% of Covid-19 patients currently admitted to major hospitals in different districts are from villages across the country, said Abul Bashar Mohammed Khurshid Alam, director general of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

Many villagers are unaware that each upazila health complex has 10 beds and own oxygen supply dedicated for Covid-19 patients, which is why they are flocking to bigger hospitals in the cities, he remarked at a virtual event on Friday.

Addressing the inauguration ceremony of the Public Health Association of Bangladesh's annual conference as special guest, the DGHS director general went on to say, "I have witnessed this on my recent visits to hospitals in several districts outside Dhaka.

"Most people in the villages have yet to receive inoculations. Many of them contracted Covid-19 and delayed their visit to a hospital. The death toll is comparatively higher among rural residents due to such delayed responses."

He continued, "The government is working to ensure Covid-19 vaccines for everyone, and we have repeatedly said there is no alternative to wearing masks. We have launched mass awareness campaigns, and these campaigns will be intensified in the coming days.

"Everyone must wear a mask even if they are vaccinated."

Friday's Covid-19 update

With the latest additions, 26,432 people have so far died of the novel coronavirus and 15,10,283 have been infected till Friday, according to the DGHS.

The health authorities have administered a first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine to around 18.87 million people in the country till date. Of them, some 8.3 million have received the second dose as well.

Bangladesh reported 70 new deaths from Covid-19 in a 24-hour period till Friday 8am, which is the lowest in 75 days.  On 19 June, 67 people died of the virus in a span of 24 hours.

Following two deadly months, the country has been maintaining a single-day death toll below 100 since 28 August.  The number of daily cases has also declined during the aforementioned 24-hour period, with 3,167 people having newly tested positive for the virus.

Bangladesh reported 88 Covid-19 deaths and 3,436 infections on the previous day.

Meanwhile, the positivity rate went up slightly on Friday, having been recorded at 10.76%, up from 10.40% a day ago. The death rate however remained unchanged at 1.75%.

Among the deaths reported on Friday, 24 people died in Dhaka, 15 in Chattogram, 12 in Khulna, eight in Sylhet, four each in Rajshahi and Barishal, and three in Mymensingh division.

4,697 patients have been declared free of Covid-19 during the same 24-hour period, with a 95.52% recovery rate. The Covid-19 victims' gender breakdown shows that 17,118 of the total deceased across the country were men and 9,314 were women.

The country's maiden cases were reported on 8 March last year and the first death from the virus was reported on 18 March.

Covid committee suggests reopening schools

The National Technical Advisory Committee (NTAC) on Covid-19 has recommended reopening educational institutions across the country as the infection rate has gone down in Bangladesh, and steps have been taken to ensure vaccines for all.

After a meeting of the committee on Thursday night, NTAC Chairman Professor Mohammad Shahidullah told the media, "There is no bar to reopening educational institutions, but cautionary steps must be taken given the circumstances."

The committee will formally convey their decision to the education ministry soon, insiders have said.

On Friday, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina told parliament that measures have already been taken upon her instructions to reopen schools and colleges soon.

Meanwhile, the same day, Education Minister Dipu Moni said primary, secondary, and higher secondary educational institutions are expected to reopen from 12 September simultaneously across the country. She was attending a function in Chandpur.

There are 1.5 lakh educational institutions with 5 crore students in primary to higher education institutions in the country. Students have mostly been away from their academic activities since 17 March, when educational institutions were shut in the course of Covid-19 restrictions.

Many institutions have been conducting online classes and employing other means of distance learning during the suspension of in-person academic classes.

The government has extended the closure multiple times, saying that schools and colleges will reopen only after the Covid-19 situation improves in Bangladesh.