The COVID-19 deaths, cases and positivity rate in the past week increased significantly for the second week, with the country bracing for a possible second wave of the outbreak in winter.
The Directorate General of Health Services recorded 230 COVID-19 deaths in the 38th week, ended Saturday, with a rise of 30 per cent than that in the 37th week.
In the 37th week, the number of COVID-19 deaths was 177.
The number of deaths in 38th week was also nine-week high.
The DGHS said that 36 more COVID-19 patients died in the past 24 hours ending at 8:00am on Saturday, raising the total death toll to 6,580 in the country.
In the 38th week, the COVID-19 positivity rate was recorded at 14.15 per cent, up by 3.43 per cent than in the previous week.
The positivity rate has continued to rise in the recent weeks, registering 12.06 per cent in the 36th week and 13.68 per cent in the 37th week.
The positivity rate in the 38th week was also highest in the previous 12 weeks.
The DGHS in the past week recorded 15,338 cases, the highest in the past 13 weeks.
Health experts and government high-ups have warned of a second wave of the COVID-19 outbreak in winter as the numbers of deaths and cases and positivity rate have increased in the recent days.
In the past 24 hours, the DGHS detected 1,908 cases after testing 14,012 samples, recording a 13.62 per cent positivity rate.
With the new cases, the country’s total COVID-19 cases rose to 4,60,619.
The first COVID-19 cases were detected in the country on March 8.
The DHS data showed that among the 36 new deaths in the past 24 hours, 30 died in Dhaka division, three in Khulna division and one died in each of Chattogram, Barishal and Rangpur divisions.
Twenty-three of the deceased were above 60 years of age, 10 were in between 51-60 years, one was in between 41-50 years, one was in between 21-30 years and another was in between 11-20 years.
So far, 3,75,885 COVID-19 patients have recovered in the country, including 2,209 in the past 24 hours.
The country had 78,154 active cases on Saturday.
