DHAKA,– Bangladesh today recorded 23 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) deaths and 1,203 fresh cases overnight. The recovery count rose to 2,91,365 after another 1,453 patients were discharged from the hospitals during the period, a press release of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) said today.

“Twenty-three more COVID-19 patients died in the last 24 hours, increasing the death toll from the pandemic to 5,500,” the release said.

It said the tally of infections has surged to 3,77,073 as 1,203 new cases were confirmed in the last 24 hours. A total of 10,859 samples were tested at 109 authorized laboratories across the country during the time.

Of the total sample tests in the past 24 hours, 11.08 percent tested positive, while 18.29 percent cases were detected from the total tests conducted so far, the release added.

Among the total infections, 77.27 percent patients have recovered, while 1.46 percent died so far since the first COVID-19 positive cases were reported in the country on March 8. Among the 23 deaths, 15 are male and eight female, the press release said, adding, two are in their 40s, five in their 50s while 16 are above 60 years.

According to the division-wise data, 19 deaths took place in Dhaka division and rests are in other divisions. Among the total 5,500 deaths, 2,790 deaths occurred in Dhaka division, 1,111 in Chattogram division, 359 in Rajshahi division, 447 in Khulna division, 193 in Barishal division, 235 in Sylhet division, 250 in Rangpur division and 115 in Mymensingh division, according to the press release.

A total of 20,61,528 samples have so far been tested since the detection of the first COVID-19 cases in the country.

The DGHS said in order to make treatment facilities easily available for the COVID-19 patients, the government has introduced telemedicine services comprising 100 physicians, for round- the-clock in the country.

A total of 4,58,325 people have so far received healthcare services from telemedicine.

The DGHS said 2,15,93,691 people received healthcare services from hotline mobile numbers and health web portals as the government formed a group of medical professionals to provide emergency healthcare services.

To receive information and treatment facilities on COVID-19, the contact hotline and mobile numbers are 16263; 333; 10655 and 01944333222.

As of October 10, 2020, 10:10 GMT, 1,073,388 have died so far from the COVID-19 outbreak and there are 37,155,642 currently confirmed cases in 212 countries and territories, according to Worldometer, a reference website that provides counters and real-time statistics for diverse topics.

China was the world’s first country which on January 11 reported the first death from the novel coronavirus in Wuhan, the capital of Central China’s Hubei province.