As Covid-19 cases keep surging at a breakneck speed across Bangladesh, the country reported more than 100 deaths for the sixth straight day until early Friday, after confirming its first fatality on March 18 last year.

The new number, 132 deaths, took the country's toll to 14,778. Bangladesh reported 143 deaths on Thursday, its highest-ever daily fatality from the pandemic, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

Also, 8,483 people were diagnosed with the disease from 30,012 sample tests in the preceding 24 hours, bringing the country's caseload since the beginning of the pandemic to 930,042. Bangladesh reported its highest single-day cases of 8,822 on Wednesday.

The country's test positivity rate reached the peak at 28.27%, which was 25.90% on Thursday and 24.87% on August 4 last year.

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Also, new infections have been averaging nearly 7,000 for the past few days – 99% of the peak. The highest daily average was reported on April 9.

Meanwhile, the fatality rate remained unchanged at 1.59%, and the recovery rate dropped to 88.75%.

Khulna division reported the highest 35 deaths, Dhaka 30, Chattogram and Rajshahi 24 each, Rangpur nine, Mymensingh six, and Barishal and Sylhet two each.

Bangladesh, battling to get a second coronavirus wave under control, entered a seven-day "strict lockdown" early Thursday.

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Dhaka city wore a deserted look on Friday – the second day of the stringent lockdown imposed by the government to tackle the rising tide of infections and fatalities.

Police arrested 550 people in the capital on Thursday and 320 on Friday for violating lockdown restrictions.

In mid-April, restrictions on activities and movement were imposed across the country as cases and fatalities rose to their highest levels since the start of the pandemic. The positivity rate fell in May but started creeping up again in June, sparking harsher restrictions.