DHAKA,  – Bangladesh today recorded the highest number of 101 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) deaths for the second consecutive day since its first detection on March 8 last year while 3,473 fresh cases were reported during the period.

“The tally of infections has surged to 7,15, 252 as 3,473 new cases were confirmed in the last 24 hours,” Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) said in its routine daily statement.

A total of 101 COVID-19 patients died in the last 24 hours increasing the death toll from the pandemic to 10,283.

It said 21.46 percent of the 16,185 samples collected in 24 hours were tested positive while the infection rate was only 2.30 percent just on February 8 this year as during the late winter season, the rate started decreasing sharply.

The samples were tested at 257 authorized medical laboratories across the country during the time as the government put in efforts to increase the number of testing centers gradually with resurgence of the pandemic.

The recovery count rose to 60,88,15 after another 5,907 patients were discharged from the hospitals during the past one day. The DGHS statistics showed of the people infected from the beginning 85.12 percent recovered, while 1.44 percent died.