Bangladesh registered seven more Covid-linked deaths with 1,998 cases in 24 hours till Tuesday morning amid rapid surge in new infections.

The fresh numbers took the country's total caseload to 1,982,972 and the total fatalities to 29,182, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

The daily case positivity rate rose to 16.74 per cent from Monday’s 16.51 per cent as 11,882 samples were tested during the period, said the DGHS.

All seven deceased were men. Of them, five were from Dhaka and one each from Rajshahi and Mymensingh divisions.

On Monday, the country recorded 12 Covid-linked deaths, the four months’ highest, with 2,285 new cases.

The country last reported 13 Covid-linked deaths with 368 cases while the daily positivity rate was at 2.11 per cent on March 5 this year.

The mortality rate remained unchanged at 1.47 per cent. The recovery rate declined to 96.28 per cent from Monday’s 96.36 per cent as 494 patients recovered during this period.

In June, the country reported 18 Covid-linked deaths and 20,201 new cases, according to the DGHS.

The country reported its first zero Covid death in a single day on November 20 last year, along with 178 cases, since the pandemic broke out here in March 2020.

On January 28, Bangladesh logged its previous highest positivity rate of 33.37 per cent.

The country registered its highest daily caseload of 16,230 on July 28 last year and daily fatalities of 264 on August 10 in the same year.