Staff Correspondent

In a negative development, Bangladesh has become one of the top 20 countries in the world in terms of the number of population infected with Covid-19 as the country reported 60,391 positive cases until yesterday.

Bangladesh now ranks 20th, replacing Belgium which has so far recorded 58,907 cases. The western European country detected its first coronavirus patient in February and has been recording less than 400 cases every day since mid-May, shows data.

Prof Dr Nasima Sultana, additional director general (administration) of Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) said that a total of 2,828 people tested positive for Covid-19 in the 24 hours before 2:30pm yesterday.

“With them, the total number of infection has reached 60,391,” she said.

A total of 14,088 samples were tested in 50 labs across the country during this period, Dr Nasima said.

According to DGHS, 30 people died with coronavirus between June 4 and June 5.

Meanwhile, 643 Covid-19 patients have recovered since yesterday, taking the total number of recoveries to 12,804, the DGHS official added.

Among the deceased, 23 were male and seven female, she said, adding that 11 were from Dhaka, 12 from Chattogram, three from Sylhet, two from Rajshahi, one was from Barishal and another from Rangpur division.

Of them, three were aged between 31-40, seven between 41-50, 11 within 51-60, six between 61-70, two between 71-80 and another between 81-90 years old, Dr Nasima also said.

A total of 365 people were put under isolation in the last 24 hours, she added.

Meanwhile, the National Technical Advisory Committee (NTAC) recommended that uninterrupted oxygen supply at the hospitals should be the top priority for the government.