The number of police personnel infected with Covid-19 outnumbers other stricken professionals, like physicians, bureaucrats or journalists.
Over 85 police personnel were infected with Covid-19 in the last 24-hours across the country. A total of 1,598 police personnel were tested positive out of 14,657 samples tested for the virus, according to a tally of the Bangladesh Police Headquarters.
At least 14 more people died from coronavirus while 887 more confirmed cases were reported in the country in the last 24 hours till Sunday Prof Dr Nasima Sultana, Additional Director General of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), said at its daily online briefing. With the latest, the total number of infected has reached 14,657.
This is the highest number of infections detected throughout the country so far. Of the total infected cops, 745 are from Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP).
More than 650 physicians at both government and private hospitals got infected with coronavirus while treating patients, Bangladesh Doctors Foundation (BDF) said.
"Besides, 400 nurses were also diagnosed with coronavirus. 130 technologists and 80 ward boys were also infected while working at private and government hospitals, the BDF data shows.
At least two physicians have died from the infection.
Over 100 journalists in the country have been infected by the novel coronavirus so far, according to a report on Sunday. Of them, three journalists have died from the infection. One tested with novel coronavirus and another two died with novel coronavirus infection symptoms.
No senior government officials have so far been infected with Covid-19, according to sources.
A large number of the other infected persons are from Narayanganj, Gazipur and Dhaka district, sources at the Police Headquarters said.
Jalaluddin Khoka, 47, a constable at Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), breathed his last around 7:10pm on Saturday, according to a statement of the Police Headquarters.
With Jalaluddin Khoka, seven police men have died from the infection. So far, 147 police personnel have recovered. Besides, around 4,000 more are in isolation or quarantine.
As the Central Police Hospital in the capital's Rajarbagh is struggling to deal with the huge number of patients, the police authorities have booked a private hospital to treat its members.
Different police units are forming "special teams" to visit the Covid-19 infected force members and inquire about their health, maintaining social distancing, police source said.
