Two new COVID-19 cases were detected in Sylhet, with one patient in critical condition and currently receiving treatment in the intensive care unit (ICU).
The information was confirmed by Sylhet Divisional Health Director Dr Md Anisur Rahman.
The infected individuals include an 80-year-old man and a woman. The elderly man is in more serious condition. One patient was admitted to the hospital on Friday, and the other on Sunday.
Dr Anisur Rahman said that one of the patients is from Sunamganj, while the other resides in Sylhet city. He urged the public to remain alert and cautious but not panic over the situation.
Since May, Bangladesh has seen a resurgence in COVID-19 cases, including the emergence of new variants.
A particularly transmissible new variant, NB.1.8.1, has spread in neighboring India and has now been identified in various districts across Bangladesh, including Dhaka and Chattogram.
This is the first time COVID-19 has been detected in Sylhet during this recent wave.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the new variant is spreading rapidly and may pose a heightened risk to Bangladesh.
Experts warn that the current surge could be linked to this variant.
Recent infections in Bangladesh have mostly been attributed to a newly detected strain called XFG, with the XF-C variant also present. Both are sub-lineages of the highly transmissible Omicron JN.1 variant.
Bangladesh confirmed its first COVID-19 case on March 8, 2020, and reported the first death on March 18 of the same year. The WHO officially lifted the global emergency status in May 2023.
However, recent reports of rising infections have reignited public concern.