Bangladesh surpasses China in COVID-19 deaths as toll tops 4,750

Bangladesh has recorded 1,812 new cases of the coronavirus in a daily count, taking the tally of infections to 339,332.

The death toll climbed to 4,759 after 26 fatalities were registered in the 24 hours to 8 am Monday, the government said.

China, the initial epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak, has counted 4,734 deaths since December 2019, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. China on Monday reported 10 new coronavirus cases in the mainland for Sept 13, the same as a day earlier, the health authority said.

The number of daily recoveries in Bangladesh outpaced new infections in the same period as another 2,512 patients overcame the disease through treatment at home and in hospital care. It brings the total to 243,155.

A total of 14,216 samples were tested at 94 authorised labs across the country in the last 24 hours, with a positivity rate of 12.75 percent, according to data released by the health directorate.

The official figures put the recovery rate at 71.66 percent, while the mortality rate stands at 1.40 percent following the latest deaths of 22 men and four women.

Globally, over 29 million people have been infected by the novel coronavirus and 924,127 have died, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.

Infections have been reported in more than 210 countries and territories since the first cases were identified in China in December 2019.