DHAKA,  – Bangladesh recorded eight novel coronavirus (COVID-19) deaths and 585 fresh cases overnight. The recovery count rose to 4,97,797 after another 873 patients were discharged from the hospitals during the period, a press release of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) said today.

“Eight more COVID-19 patients died in the last 24 hours, increasing the death toll from the pandemic to 8,416,” the release said. It said the tally of infections has surged to 54,68,01 as 585 new cases were confirmed in the last 24 hours. A total of 13,570 samples were tested at 216 authorized laboratories across the country during the time.

Of the total sample tests in the past 24 hours, 4.31 percent tested positive, while 13.48 percent cases were detected from the total tests conducted so far, the release added. Among the total infections, 91.04 percent patients have recovered, while 1.54 percent died so far since the first COVID-19 positive cases were reported in the country on March 8.

Among eight deaths, four are male and four female the press release said, adding two are in his 40s, three in his 50s while three are above 60 years. According to the division-wise data, four deaths took place in Dhaka division. Among the total 8,416 fatalities, 4,712 deaths occurred in Dhaka division, 1,544 in Chattogram division, 478 in Rajshahi division, 560 in Khulna division, 253 in Barishal division, 310 in Sylhet division, 363 in Rangpur division and 196 in Mymensingh division, according to the press release.

A total of 40,57,597 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.

It added that 2,37,55,964 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 March 01, 2021, 10:47 GMT, 2,544,254 people have died so far from the COVID-19 outbreak and there are currently 114,738,603 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.