Double whammy as virus, flood hit Bangladesh

50 people die, nearly 3,000 infected due to coronavirus, while 79 die in floods

DHAKA:

Bangladesh on Monday registered 50 new deaths from the novel coronavirus, taking the total deaths to 2,668, said the country's health ministry officials.

Besides, the South Asian country recorded 2,928 Covid-19 positive cases in the past 24 hours, raising the tally of infections to 207,453, Nasima Sultana, a director at the ministry.

The nation of 165 million population tested 13,362 Covid-19 samples in some 80 labs across the country, while it tested 50-day lowest number of samples on Sunday with only 10,625 since the virus first hit the country on March 8.

The country has tested a total of 1 million samples so far, raising concern for continuous low testing despite experts calling for extending the effort to break the chain of infection.

Some 1,914 patients recovered in the past 24 hours taking, the total count to 113,558.

Meanwhile, the death toll rose to 79 in the ongoing flood in Bangladesh with 12 new fatalities in the past 24 hours, according to the country’s emergency health services centre.

And, at least 4,600 people have been affected with 585 fresh infections from water-borne diseases during three weeks of flooding in the low-lying areas of Bangladesh, it added.

The country’s northern, northeastern, and central parts witnessed two rounds of floods on June 30-July 20, and about 2.6 million people were victims in 18 districts.