1,699 test positive

Staff Correspondent

Sixteen patients with Covid-19 died in the 24 hours ending at 8:00am yesterday, according to a press release from the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

The total number of deaths due to this highly transmissible virus rose to 6,108 -- 1.44 percent of all cases so far.

During the same 24 hours, the DGHS reported 1,699 new cases, taking the overall number of Covid-19 cases in the country to 4,23,620.

Against a total of 13,520 tests in 114 labs over the period, the positivity rate was 12.57 percent. The overall positivity rate was 17.15 percent against all tests.

Meanwhile, a total of 1,648 patients recovered, taking the total recoveries to 341,416 with a recovery rate of 80.59 percent.

On March 8, the health directorate reported the first three Covid-19 cases in the country and the first death occurred on March 18.

On August 26, the number of confirmed cases in the country surged past the 300,000 mark while the death toll exceeded 6,000 on November 4.

Of the deceased in the 24-hour period, 15 were male.

All except one died in hospitals, according to the press release.

Two were aged between 41 and 50, two between 51 and 60 while the other 12 were above 60 years old, added the press release.