Covid-19: 10 more districts flagged 'red zones' as cases keep surging
Infection rate in the districts facing 'high-level risk' is 10% and above
Health authorities in Bangladesh have flagged 10 more districts as "red zones" due to high infection and death rates of Covid-19 and its Omicron variant.
They are -- Dhaka, Chattogram, Gazipur, Rajshahi, Jashore, Kushtia, Bogura, Dinajpur, Rangamati, Lalmonarihat, Khagrachhari, and Panchagarh.
Meanwhile, 26 more districts have been marked as "yellow zones" or at "mid-level risk," according to the latest Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) data collected between 10 January and Sunday.
The yellow zoned districts are -- Mymensingh, Khulna, Barisal, Manikganj, Sirajganj, Gopalganj, Rangpur, Jamalpur, Naogaon, Jhenaidah, Natore, Satkhira, Pirojpur, Bagerhat, Magura, Narail, Patuakhali, Kurigram, Joypurhat, Sherpur, Jhalokati, Thakurgaon, Narayanganj, Noakhali, Cox's Bazar, Moulvibazar, Faridpur, Munshiganj, Laxmipur, Shariatpur, Sylhet, and Feni.
Earlier on 12 January, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) had marked capital Dhaka and Rangamati as red zones for infection rates over 10% and Jessore, Rajshahi, Dinajpur, Lalmonirhat, Natore, Rangpur under yellow zones
With the latest development, the total of red and yellow zoned districts in the country now stands at 12 and 32 receptively.
On the other hand, 19 districts have been marked as "green zones" while the sample test rate of Bandarban district has been termed as "poor."
The risk free districts are -- Brahmanbaria, Habiganj, Narsingdi, Kishoreganj, Sunamganj, Tangail, Madaripur, Rajbari, Bhola, Netrokona, Gaibandha, Chapainawabganj, Barguna, Chuadanga, Nilphamari, Meherpur, Cumilla, Chandpur, and Pabna.
The infection rate in the districts designated as yellow zones is between 5% and 9% while in green zones the figure remains below 5%.
Amid a surge in infections, the number of daily Covid-19 cases jumped to 8,407 in the last 24 hours till 8am Tuesday.
The single-day tally surpassed 8,000 mark for the first time since 13 August last year when 8,465 people were diagnosed with the virus.
Also, the current positivity rate rose to 23.98%, from 20.88% a day ago, after 35,054 samples were tested across the country.
Besides, 10 more people died of the virus in the past 24 hours.
The new figures took the country's death toll to 28,164 and the case tally to 1,632,794.
