The southern Barisal division has logged 436 cases of the coronavirus in the 2r hours to Monday morning, the biggest single-day jump since the pandemic broke out last year.

A total of 17 deaths have been reported during the same period, according to the health authorities. 

The latest figure takes the total caseload to 19,073 while fatalities rose to 321, said Divisional Director of Health Basudeb Kumar Das.

As many as 15,265 patients have recovered so far across the division, he said.

The Covid-19 unit at Barisal city’s Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital (SBMCH)counted 11 deaths. Of them, one tested positive while the others had symptoms.  

The remaining deaths were reported from three districts -- two each from Barisal, Pirojpur and Jhalakathi.

Of the total Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours, the highest 157 were from Barisal, 100 from Jhalakathi, 83 from Pirojpur, 43 from Patuakhali, 36 from Barguna, and 16 from Bhola.

According to SBMCH, as many as 44 patients were hospitalized at the isolation ward and five others at the Covid unit in the 24 hours to 8am on Monday.

Currently, 220 patients are receiving treatment for coronavirus and symptoms related to it at the hospital,  said Zakaria Khan Swapan, a data collector of the SBMCH director’s office

Of them, 47 patients have tested positive for Covid-19 while the others are in isolation, he said.

A total of 188 samples were tested at the hospital's lab with a test positivity rate of 59.57%, added the official.