WHO reports over 5,150 COVID-19 cases in Cox’s Bazar

WHO reports over 5,150 COVID-19 cases in Cox’s BazarUNB

The World Health Organisation (WHO) reports over 5,150 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Cox’s Bazar since earlier in the year when the first case was detected in the district, reports UNB.

This includes 336 cases from among the Rohingyas living in the 34 camps in Cox’s Bazar, says UNHCR.

So far, 71 host community members and nine Rohingyas have died of the highly infectious disease.

Testing rates for the Rohingya community averaged over 100 tests a day in October.

The COVID-19 treatment services put in place by the authorities and humanitarian agencies in Cox’s Bazar continue to have sufficient capacity to support patients with required medical assistance.

In UNHCR-supported facilities, nearly 470 people from both the Rohingyas and host communities have so far received treatment in two Severe Acute Respiratory Infection Isolation and Treatment Centres (SARI ITCs) in Ukhiya and Kutupalong and also in an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) that UNHCR established at Sadar Hospital, the District’s principal healthcare facility.

The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases identified in the camps in Cox’s Bazar in October has decreased. In October, 55 new cases of COVID-19 were detected.

Detection and tracing continue to be a high priority, and UNHCR and other agencies are working with refugee Community Health Volunteers (CHV) from the camps to help identify further cases.

The CHV volunteers provide targeted counselling on testing to Rohingyas identified with COVID-like symptoms and support referrals.

On average, during the reporting period, over 100 tests were conducted on a daily basis in the camps.

Community-based surveillance mechanisms continue to be one of the most effective ways to identify cases.

Over 21,700 refugees have been referred to health services by CHVs since they started their surveillance for COVID-19 in June.

UNHCR-supported SARI ITCs in Ukhiya and Kutupalong as well as an ICU in the local district hospital have provided some 469 patients from the camps and the host community with support and care to date.

As of 31 October, nearly 344 patients were successfully treated and discharged.

The facilities continue to have sufficient capacity to deal with the number of cases identified. Twenty additional beds for patients with severe COVID-19 symptoms have been added to Sadar District Hospital in Cox’s Bazar.