The country reported 706 new coronavirus cases and 13 deaths in the last 24 hours until Thursday morning.

The number of confirmed cases now stands at 12,425 and the death toll at 199, said Prof Dr Nasima Sultana, Additional Director General of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

Later in a press release, the DGHS said 13 more COVID-19 patients died in the last 24 hours. Four of them are from Dhaka city, three from Dhaka division and four from Chattogram division.

Also read: Bangladesh’s coronavirus death toll 199

Six of them were aged above 60, four between 51 and 60, two between 41 and 50 and one between 11 and 20. The youngest victim of the day was suffering from cancer as well.

Eight of the deceased were male and five were female.

According to the government, the death rate from coronavirus is 1.5 percent.

Currently, 10,339 patients are being treated and the condition of one of them is critical. So far, 1,910 patients have recovered.

Prof Nasima said 34 labs are currently testing coronavirus samples laboratories across the country. In the last 24 hours, 5,567 samples were tested.

During this period, 104 people were taken to isolation and 2,331 others were quarantined.

Even though the government extended the general holidays, it relaxed restrictions on movement and allowed factories to reopen and shopping malls and markets to operate ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr.

Health experts say the premature move could deal a heavy blow to the country’s fight against the virus. On April 16, the health authorities declared the whole country ‘vulnerable to infection’ and imposed heavy restrictions on movement.

Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader on Thursday asked his party’s leaders and activists to “prepare” mentally as the coronavirus situation could worsen.

Also read: Prepare for worsening coronavirus situation: Quader to AL leaders

Globally, there have been 265,051 confirmed coronavirus deaths, according to Worldometer. So far, 1,301,725 people have recovered.

It said 48,211 of the currently infected patients are in serious condition.

Also read: Coronavirus cases in Bangladesh surge to 12,425: DGHS

Since it was first reported in China in December last year, coronavirus has infected 3,821,917 people globally. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the coronavirus crisis a pandemic on March 11.