Entire BD at risk of coronavirus: Govt

The government on Thursday declared that the entire Bangladesh is at risk from the coronavirus pandemic as Covid-19 patients have been detected in 43 of the 64 districts.
Prof Abul Kalam Azad, director general of the health directorate, issued a circular making the declaration, report agencies.
The authorities have put a total of 28 districts under lockdown as of Thursday evening, as the daily rate of infections and death toll continued to jump.
"Bangladesh has been declared at risk of infection under the Infectious diseases (Prevention, Control and Elimination) Act 2018," said the circular.
"It will not be possible to control the spread of the virus if physical distancing cannot be ensured," it added.
"People must stay at home to curb the spread of the virus. None should go out of home unless it is an emergency. No-one should move from one area to other areas. And none will be allowed to stay out of home from 6:00pm to 6:00am," Prof Abul Kalam Azad said in the circular.
The Health Directorate DG also warned that stern action will be taken if anyone violates the aforesaid rules.
Meanwhile, ten more people died of Covid-19 in Bangladesh in the last 24 hours as of Thursday noon, the highest single-day death toll, taking the number of fatalities to 60.
Besides, a record number of 341 people tested positive for coronavirus during the period, taking the number of such cases in the country to 1,572.
Additional Director General of Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) Dr Nasima Sultana came up with the disclosure at the daily health bulletin of the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR).
"We've collected the highest number of samples in the past 24 hours... a total of 341 people tested positive, taking the total number of patients to 1572. Among the infected people, 10 have died in the past 24 hours," she said.
"Of the 10 people who died, one was aged between 71 and 80 years, five between 61 and 70 years. Three between 51 and 60 years and another between 21 and 30 years," she added.
Among the deceased, seven are male and three female. "Six of them were from Dhaka and four from outside the capital," said Nasima.
The DGHS official further said, "We've collected 2,135 samples and tested 2,019 in the last 24 hours."
The sample collection rate is 4.0 per cent higher than that of Wednesday and the test rate is 16 per cent higher.
Dr Nasima added that 4,499 people were sent into home quarantine in the past 24 hours.
"Thirty-seven people were taken to isolation while nine released from isolation in the last 24 hours and 4,499 were sent into home quarantine during the period," she said.
Dr Nasima added that 715 people were sent to institutional quarantine in the last 24 hours.