DHAKA, April 13 (Xinhua) -- Bangladesh health officials Monday confirmed an increase of 182 new COVID-19 cases during the past 24 hours, the biggest daily jump in new cases since March 8 when infected cases first appeared in the country.
Rickshaw pullers wait for customers on a road during government imposed shutdown as a preventative measure against the COVID-19 coronavirus in Dhaka on April 10, 2020. (Photo: AFP)
Health Minister Zahid Maleque told an online press briefing that "the number of cases increased to 803, with 182 more cases reported in the last 24 hours as of 8:00 a.m. local time Monday."
This is by far Bangladesh's biggest daily jump in new cases over a 24-hour period since the country announced the detection of its first three COVID-19 patients on March 8.
"Our COVID-19 death toll rose sharply to 39 Monday as we confirmed five more fatalities," Maleque said.
According to the minister, samples from 1,570 persons were tested in the last 24 hours across Bangladesh.
