Besides, nine people were diagnosed with COVID-19 during the period, taking the total of number of such cases in the country to 70, said IEDCR director Prof Meerjady Sabrina Flora in an online briefing.

"In the last 24 hours, two more people died.  One of them is 90 and another 68 years’ old.  Both had underlying health conditions," she said.

Dr Flora also mentioned that the total number of cases in Bangladesh is now 70.
UNB File Photo

She said 553 samples were collected in 24 hours of which 443 samples tested.  “Nine new people have been infected.  Of these, eight have been identified at the IEDCR and another outside Dhaka."

Prof Flora further said five of the newly-infected patients are family members of previously identified patients.
 
"Five have previously come in contact with persons suffering from coronavirus which means they’re family members of previously identified patients. Two others came from overseas.  The search is on to identify the sources of infection of the remaining two," she said.
 
Dr Flora added that two of the newly-infected patients are children aged around 10. 
 
"Three of them are aged around 20 to 30, two around 50 to 60, one around 60 to 70 and another around 90," she added. 
 
Four new patients have made full recovery and returned home while the total number of recovered patients is now 30.  
 
"Among 32 people currently under treatment, 12 are taking treatment from home and 20 are hospitalised, Prof Flora added. 

 
DGHS Director Dr Abul Kalam Azad acknowledged that traces of community transmission are being found on a limited scale. 
 
"We’ve found clusters of patients in limited area like Shibchar in Madaripur but these clusters are few in numbers," he said. 
 
Dr Azad mentioned that 136 people were tested in IEDCR in the past 24 hours while rest tested outside Dhaka. 
 
"We’ve 64,410 PPEs in stock...we expect to receive additional  one lakh test kits on Wednesday," he said.
 
 The global death toll from coronavirus jumped to 59,203 on Saturday.

It has so far infected 1,117,918 people around the world, according to Worldometer.

Coronavirus, first reported in China in December last year, is affecting 205 countries and territories around the world and two international cruise ships.