The numbers of Covid-19 deaths and confirmed cases continued to increase and the situation in the border districts kept on getting worse.

Yesterday, 47 more Covid patients died, which was the highest in more than a month, said a press release of the Directorate General of Health Services.

Fifty-eight people died from coronavirus on May 9.

In 24 hours ending at 8:00am yesterday, 2,438 more people tested positive for the virus, up from the previous day's 1,637 cases.

The overall positivity rate was 12.99 percent against 18,749 tests.

As the transmission rate keeps rising, the health officials urged people to follow the health safety guidelines strictly.

"The transmission rate has continued rising this week [till Saturday]. We have to be more careful in maintaining the health safety guidelines," Nazmul Islam, spokesperson for the DGHS, said in yesterday's virtual bulletin.

With the latest figure, the number of confirmed cases reached 6,26,922 and the death toll 13,117.

SITUATION IN BORDER DISTS

Of yesterday's 47 deaths, the highest 15 were in Dhaka division followed by nine in Chattogram, while six were in Rajshahi, eight in Khulna, four in Rangpur, two each in Sylhet and Mymensingh and one was in Barishal.

Meanwhile, two patients breathed their last with Covid-19 symptoms in Khulna Medical College Hospital yesterday.

Yesterday, the highest positivity rate was 66.07 percent in Chuadanga followed by 64.19 percent in Satkhira. Besides, the positivity rate was 53.67 percent in Rajshahi, 45.13 percent in Jhenidah and 31.41 percent in Khulna.

To contain the virus transmission, administrations in Satkhira, Khulna, Bagerhat, Natore, Rajshahi, Chapainawabganj and Kushtia have continued enforcing restriction on people's movement.

The administrations in several districts, however, struggling to refrain people from coming outside home.

"It is not possible to tackle the situation by increasing the hospital bed only; strict lockdown is the only way. People do not want to abide by the restrictions," Hussain Safayat, civil surgeon of Satkhira, told The Daily Star yesterday.

The district administration has imposed movement restrictions in Satkhira from June 5.

Members of the law enforcement agencies have set up check points on roads that connect Satkhira with Jashore and Satkhira with Khulna to prevent people's movement.

SM Mostafa Kamal, deputy commissioner of Satkhira, told this paper, "We are conducting awareness campaign. But people find it tough to abide by the restrictions."

There were 112 Covid-19 patients in Satkhira Medical College Hospital against its capacity to treat 135 patients, while 38 patients were in Sadar Hospital against its 40-bed capacity.

The Khulna Medical College Hospital authorities were struggling with 143 Covid-19 patients against its capacity to treat 100 patients.

To cope up with rush of Covid-19 patients, the KMCH authorities decided to move the Covid-19 unit to the district hospital, said Mehedi Nawaz, vice-principal of Khulna Medical College, and convener of Corona Protirodh Committee of Khulna district.

The transmission rate in Chapainawabganj keeps falling thanks to the ongoing lockdown that started from May 25.

Against 538 tests yesterday, the positivity rate was 10.59 percent. Two patients died in this border district yesterday.

In Natore, the local administration has kept Nature and Singra municipalities under lockdown.

Except emergency, no one is allowed to enter or go outside those municipalities via the main roads of the towns.

People, however, are coming outside using other roads.

The number of beds in the district hospital has been increased to 50 from 31 for Covid patients.

[Our correspondents in Satkhira, Khulna, Bagerhat, Jhenidah, Kushtia Natore, Rajshahi and Chapainawabganj contributed to this report.]