DHAKA,  – Bangladesh today recorded 40 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) deaths and 1,877 fresh cases. The recovery count rose to 4,26,729 after another 2,884 patients were discharged from the hospitals during the period, a press release of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) said today.

“Forty more COVID-19 patients died in the last 24 hours, increasing the death toll from the pandemic to 7,129,” the release said. It said the tally of infections has surged to 49,42,09 as 1,877 new cases were confirmed in the last 24 hours.

A total of 19,054 samples were tested at 140 authorized laboratories across the country during the time.

Of the total sample tests in the past 24 hours, 9.85 percent tested positive, while 16.44 percent cases were detected from the total tests conducted so far, the release added.

Among the total infections, 86.35 percent patients have recovered, while 1.44 percent died so far since the first COVID-19 positive cases were reported in the country on March 8.