DHAKA, – Bangladesh today recorded 153 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) deaths, the highest number in a single day since its first detection on March 8 last year while it recorded 8,661 fresh cases during the same period, the second highest in a day.

“The country reported 28.99 percent COVID-19 positive cases, the highest in a single day as 29,879 samples were tested in the past 24 hours while the second highest positivity rate was 28.27 on July 2 ,” Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) said in its routine daily statement.

The official tally showed the virus killed 15,065 people and infected 9,44,917 so far, it added. The recovery count rose to 8,33,897 after another 4,698 patients were discharged from the hospitals during the past one day.

The DGHS statistics showed of the people infected from the beginning 88.25 percent recovered, while 1.59 percent died.