Health Desk: Bangladesh recorded 16 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) deaths and 718 fresh cases overnight. The recovery count rose to 4,68,681 after another 963 patients were discharged from the hospitals during the period, a press release of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) said on Tuesday.

“Sixteen more COVID-19 patients died in the last 24 hours, increasing the death toll from the pandemic to 7,819,” the release said.

It said the tally of infections has surged to 5,24,020 as 718 new cases were confirmed in the last 24 hours.

A total of 14,363 samples were tested at 194 authorized laboratories across the country during the time.

Of the total sample tests in the past 24 hours, 5.00 percent tested positive, while 15.48 percent cases were detected from the total tests conducted so far, the release added.

Among the total infections, 89.44 percent patients have recovered, while 1.49 percent died so far since the first COVID-19 positive cases were reported in the country on March 8.

Among the 16 deaths, 10 are male and six female, the press release said, adding one is in his 30s, one in his 50s while14 are above 60 years.

According to the division-wise data, 10 deaths took place in Dhaka division and rests are in other divisions.

Among the total 7,819 deaths, 4,326 deaths occurred in Dhaka division, 1,434 in Chattogram division, 449 in Rajshahi division, 540 in Khulna division, 239 in Barishal division, 298 in Sylhet division, 350 in Rangpur division and 183 in Mymensingh division, according to the press release.

A total of 33,85,779 samples have so far been tested since the detection of the first COVID-19 cases in the country.

The DGHS said in order to make treatment facilities easily available for the COVID-19 patients, the government has introduced telemedicine services comprising 100 physicians for round the clock in the country.

A total of 6,88,722 people have so far received healthcare services from telemedicine.

The DGHS said 2,33,63,523 people received healthcare services from hotline mobile numbers and health web portals as the government formed a group of medical professionals to provide emergency healthcare services.

To receive information and treatment facilities on COVID-19, the contact hotline and mobile numbers are 16263; 333; 10655 and 01944333222.

As of January 12, 2021, 11:11 GMT, 1,955,262 people have died so far from the COVID-19 outbreak and there are currently 91,395,117 confirmed cases in 212 countries and territories, according to Worldometer, a reference website that provides counters and real-time statistics for diverse topics.

China was the world’s first country which on January 11 reported the first death from the novel coronavirus in Wuhan, the capital of Central China’s Hubei province.