Bangladesh reports first coronavirus death

Bangladesh reported first coronavirus death on Wednesday. The victim was identified as a man in his early seventies. A total of 14 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in the country so far.

Dhaka: Bangladesh reported its first fatality from coronavirus late Wednesday. A total of 14 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in the country so far, according to authorities.

The 70-year-old victim was also suffering from a combination of diabetes, hypertension, kidney and lung ailments, said sources at the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research.

The person was infected with the virus reportedly after meeting an overseas returnee and he also underwent a procedure of heart stenting. The patient had been in intensive care, said Meerjady Sabrina Flora, the Institute's Director.

Four new cases of coronavirus- three men and four women- were reported on Wednesday.

As many as 16 people who came in close contact with the infected persons have been kept in isolation while 42 others were in institutional quarantine, Flora said.

Meanwhile, in Dhaka, people were seen rushing to stores to stock up on groceries amid fears of a disruption in supplies. More customers crowded the groceries and kitchen markets in the capital's Agargaon, Mirpur and Mohakhali areas.

"The customers who had been buying 10 kg of rice at a time previously are going for 20 to 30 kg now. They are buying 2 to 3 kg lentil in place of 1 kg. We try to ration as the increased demand has already hit supplies," a store employee said.

In South Asia, India and Pakistan have also reported confirmed cases and deaths due to coronavirus virus.