An alarming surge of Covid-19 claimed 46 lives in Khulna division in 24 hours until Sunday, the highest single-day fatalities in the region, said divisional health department authorities. The new deaths pushed up the district's overall Covid fatalities to 300, said the authorities. Khulna, now the third most fatal region of the country, saw 1,304 fresh cases during the period taking the caseload to 60,564 as of Sunday. Earlier on Thursday, the division logged the highest 39 deaths in a single day. Director of divisional health office (DGHS) Dr Rasheda Sultana said 15 each died of coronavirus in Khulna and Kushtia, seven in Jashore, two each in Jhenaidah, Magura and Chuadanga and one each in Bagerhat, Satkhira and Meherpur districts during the 24-hour period. Since the confirmation of first Covid cases on March 19, the division saw 1,214 deaths while 40,218 people recovered from the disease. In Khulna district, 150 new cases were detected after testing 436 samples which is 34% of the samples tested as of now, said the DGHS. So far, 16, 387 people have contracted the disease while 11,352 recovered from it in the district. Of the 15 deceased in the district, seven died in Khulna Medical College and Hospital, six in private Gazi Medical College and Hospital and two in Khulna General Hospital’s Covid-19 wards. Also read: Khulna Division sees highest daily death toll of 32 in single day Dr Suhash Ranjan Halder from KMCH said 197 Covid patients are currently being treated at the hospital, 102 are in the red zone, 41 in the yellow zone and 20 each in ICU and HDC wards. Dr Kazi Abu Rashed, a spokesperson at Khulna General Hospital, said 65 patients are now being treated at the hospital’s Covid-19 unit. Meanwhile, Dr Gazi Mizanur Rahman of Gazi Medical Hospital said 20 of the 115 Covid patients currently admitted to the hospital are in the HDU. As these three hospitals were struggling to keep up with the pressure of soaring Covid patients, a new Covid-19 unit was opened on Saturday at specialized Shahid Sheikh Abu Naser Hospital. “In the first 24 hours of opening, 24 Covid patients were admitted until Sunday,” said spokesperson of the hospital, Dr Prakash Debnath. Also read: Lockdown-induced price hike making life in Khulna miserable Why Khulna seeing such an alarming surge? Health experts have indicated some incidents that might have caused such a severe surge in this region. Neglecting health rules during the winter as number of cases of failure to maintain proper quarantine of the India returnees infected with the Delta variant, then the Eid rush of homebound people and packed gathering in the cyclone centres during cyclone Yaas only added to the woes, they said “The cases surged following the trend of previous year at this time but this year the spike is more alarming due to the severity of the new variant,” said medical officer of Khulna Civil Surgeon Sadia Monwara Usha. “Most patients dying in hospitals are aged 60-70 years… they come to hospitals in such critical health conditions that we’ve nothing to do,” she said. Civil Surgeon Dr Niaz Mohammod said ignoring health rules is the number one cause behind the worsening Covid situation in Khulna. Also read: Khulna gasps for breath Regarding the Delta variant spread, he said, “It is not that all the Covid cases are of the same variant in this region. There’re some patients in Satkhira and Jashore who have been infected with the Delta variant.” However, Dr Rasheda Sultana Director of Khulna health office said, “Due to the new variant, it’s hard for patients to understand they could be infected with Covid-19. As they waste time seeking health services, the number of deaths rises in this region.”