DHAKA, Aug 19, 2021 (BSS) – Bangladesh today reported 6,566 COVID-19 cases while the coronavirus claimed overnight 159 lives.

"The country reported 17.64 percent COVID-19 positive cases as 37,226 samples were tested in the past 24 hours, " Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) said in its routine daily statement.

In the past 24 hours, the combined figure of coronavirus in Dhaka city and upazilas of Dhaka district is 2,344 while 18 COVID-19 deaths were reported during the same period.

The official tally showed the virus killed 24,878 people and infected 14,47,210 so far, it added.  

The recovery count rose to 13,37,181 after another 10,153 patients were discharged from the hospitals during the past one day.

The DGHS statistics showed of the people infected from the beginning 92.40 percent recovered, while 1.72 percent died.

The DGHS said among the total 24,878 fatalities, 10,982 deaths occurred in Dhaka division, 4,913 in Chattogram, 1,853 in Rajshahi, 3,276 in Khulna, 843 in Barishal, 1029 in Sylhet, 1,238 in Rangpur and 744 in Mymensingh division.

It said Bangladesh’s COVID-19 confirmed cases crossed 5,000 mark on March 29, 2021, 6,000 mark on April 1, 2021, 7,000 mark on April 4, 2021, 8,000 mark on June 24, 2021, 9,000 mark on July 5, 11,000 mark July 6, 13,000 mark on July 12, 12,000 mark on July 13, 14,000 mark on July 27 and 16,000 mark on July 28.

According to month-wise statistics last year, 51 COVID-19 positive cases were detected in March 2020, 7616 in April, 39,486 in May, 98,330 in June, 92,178 in July, 75,335 in August, 50,483 in September, 44, 205 in October, 57,248 in November and 48,578 in December.

The beginning of the current year witnessed a drastic fall of coronavirus cases in the country but the trend lasted for only two months — 21,629 cases were detected in January and 11,077 in February.

After the drastic fall of COVID-19 confirmed cases, the country witnessed sharp increase of infection as 65,079 cases were reported in March, 2021 and 1,47,837 cases in April.

The country again witnessed a fall in May, 2021 as it recorded 41,408 cases. From the beginning of June, 2021, the country recorded a sharp rise with 1,12,718 cases, the DGHS said.