Bangladesh
Vaccination at union level to start on Aug 7: Home Minster
The Covid-19 vaccination programme at union level will start across the country on August 7, said Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal on Tuesday.
The minister announced the government's decision while talking to reporters after a meeting held at the conference room of the Cabinet division.
“The prime minister has ordered speeding up the vaccination drive. One can get vaccinated at the union level showing his or her NID card. Vaccination centres will be set up in unions across the country before August 7,” he said.
Also read:Covid fatality rate 90% among elderly villagers, says health minister
Those who do not have any NID will be vaccinated under a special arrangement, he added.
Covid-19: Bangladesh breaks its record again, reports 258 single-day deaths
As the country battles a brutal wave of pandemic, Bangladesh logged record-high 258 Coronavirus-related deaths in 24 hours till Tuesday morning, shattering the record of 247 single-day deaths a day before.
The country has been seeing nearly 200 deaths every day for the past two weeks and breaking records of daily cases and deaths almost every other day.
Besides, 14,925 more people came out Covid positive after the test of 52,478 samples, according to a handout issued by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
The country saw the highest-ever 15,192 Covid cases on Monday.
With the new numbers, the death tally from Covid-19 reached 19,779 today while the caseload mounted to 1,194,752.
The country has been seeing nearly 9,000 cases on average every day for the past seven days.
Meanwhile, the daily test-positivity rate declined to 28.44% from Monday's 29. 82 % while the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a 5% or below rate.
Read: COVID-19 vaccination gives 97.4 pc protection from coronavirus infection
Besides, the case fatality rate rose to 1.66% during the period after remaining unchanged at 1.65% for a few days, said the DGHS.
The recovery rate rose slightly to 85.58% from Monday’s 85.50 % with 12,439 patients recovering during the 24-hour period.
Dhaka, the worst hit division, recorded the highest 84 of the deaths today, followed by 61 in Chattogram, 50 in Khulna ,21 in Rajshahi, 13 in Barishal, 11 each in Rangpur and Mymensingh and seven in Sylhet divisions.
Of them, 138 were men and 120 were women.
As per their age breakdowns, two were between 11-20, eight between 21-30, 16 between 31-40, 31 between 41-50, 54 between 51-60 and 147 were above 60, the release added.
Of the deaths, 46.53% were reported in Dhaka division so far followed by 18.37% in Chattogram and 13.20% in Khulna, making them the three worst hit regions of Covid-19 in the country.
Read: All will get Covid vaccine shots, reassures PM Hasina
Vaccination campaign to gain momentum
The Covid-19 vaccination programme at union level will start across the country on August 7, said Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal on Tuesday.
The minister announced the government's decision while talking to reporters after a meeting held at the conference room of the Cabinet division.
“The prime minister has ordered speeding up the vaccination drive. One can get vaccinated at the union level showing his or her NID card. Vaccination centres will be set up in unions across the country before August 7,” he said.
Those who do not have any NID will be vaccinated under a special arrangement, he added.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday reaffirmed her government's stance to ensure Covid-19 vaccine doses for all in any case.
Read: Vaccination at union level to start on Aug 7: Home Minster
The prime minister said she has already given directives to vaccinate the helping hands of a family, including housemaids and drivers, so that all of a family can remain protected.
The prime minister said 1.87 crore people have so far been vaccinated and all will be brought under the vaccination programme.
The prime minister said Bangladesh will produce vaccines in the future so that the people of the country do not suffer in any way.
The national vaccination campaign will now be accelerated at ward, union and upazila levels of the country as per directives of the prime minister, Maleque said while briefing reporters after attending the Cabinet meeting on Monday.
An initiative has been taken to vaccinate elderly people from the ward level as they are more reluctant about receiving it, the minister said, stressing the need for ensuring more Covid-19 tests of the samples coming from rural areas.
Another Oxygen Express to arrive in Bangladesh
Another Oxygen Express of Indian Railways has embarked on its journey to Bangladesh carrying a second tranche of 200 MT of Liquid Medical Oxygen (LMO) to help address respiratory distress.
On Tuesday morning, a train carrying 200MT LMO in 10 containers (20MT each) imported by Linde Bangladesh departed for Bangladesh from Tatanagar in India.
Read: Linde Bangladesh to continue medical oxygen import from India
This consignment will significantly augment reserves of Liquid Medical Oxygen in Bangladesh, said the Indian High Commission in Dhaka.
With this, India reaffirmed its commitment to continue to support Bangladesh in its fight against the pandemic, it said.
Read: India's Oxygen Express arrives in Bangladesh
Linde Bangladesh said Sunday, it will continue the import of medical oxygen by train to supplement its local supply with active assistance from Linde India, the governments of India and Bangladesh.
This is one of several initiatives that Linde Bangladesh has embarked on to help support the fight against the current Covid-19 crisis, including the Medical Oxygen Booths inaugurated at Khulna Medical College Hospital earlier this week, it said.
Landslide kills 5 at Cox’s Bazar Rohingya camp
Five Rohingyas including children were killed on Tuesday in a landslide triggered by heavy downpour in Ukhiya upazila of Cox’s Bazar.
The deceased were identified as Nur Nahar, 30of block-37 in Balukhali Camp-10, Shafiul Alam, 12, Dil Bahar,24 of G-38 block, her son Abdur Rahman, 4, and daughter Ayesha Siddika,2.
Two people who sustained injuries are Nur Fatema,14 and Jane Alam, 8.
Also read: Floods & landslides in India kill over 100
Upazila Nirbahi Officer Nizam Uddin said the incident occurred at Balukhali camp around 1 pm.
“So far five bodies have been recovered and the rescue operation is still on in the camp,” he said.
Many houses in eight Rohingya camps out of 34 in Ukhiya and Teknaf went under water due to heavy rain since Tuesday morning.
Also read: 36 die in landslides in western India
The worst-hit camps are Kutupalong camp-5, Balukhali camp-1, Teknaf camp-26, Jamtoli camp, Hakimpara camp-24 and 27 and Maduchara camp.
PM unveils commemorative stamp to mark Joy’s birth anniversary
Bangladesh Post Office on Tuesday released a special commemorative postage stamp, an opening day cover and a Data Card marking the 50th birth anniversary of Sajeeb Wazed Joy, grandson of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s ICT affairs adviser.
The prime minister unveiled the Tk 10-commemorative postage stamp, a Tk 10-opening day cover and a Tk five-Data Card at a simple ceremony at Ganobhaban.
Also read: PM releases commemorative stamp marking Golden Jubilee
Dhaka finds new normal amid lockdown, arrests
As the ‘strict’ lockdown rolled into its 5th straight day on Tuesday, the streets in capital Dhaka saw a higher number of private vehicles with people trying to pick up the social life amid the worsening Covid situation.
When the restrictions were reimposed just after Eid-ul-Azha, the roads in the capital had fallen silent in the first few days. Part of it was the fact that many had retreated to their home districts or villages for Eid holiday, and were yet to return.
But now things are changing fast with every passing day as the roads are becoming busier with the bustle of vehicles with many people returning to Dhaka defying the Covid restrictions and warnings by health authorities.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police on Tuesday arrested 555 people in the capital - maintaining the level from the previous two days and the traffic police department fined 497 vehicles a total of Tk 11,73,000 for violating lockdown rules.
Meanwhile, 236 people across the city were fined Tk 4,83,975 by mobile court for not following health guidelines and restrictions.
143 more dengue cases reported in 24 hrs
Health authorities reported 143 new dengue cases in the last 24 hours till Tuesday morning amid a spike in the mosquito-borne disease.
Bangladesh has been seeing over 100 dengue patients for the last four days adding worries to the country’s health services, already overburdened with growing Covid cases and fatalities.
Read: Dengue spike: 123 more patients admitted to hospital in 24 hrs
According to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), 509 patients are receiving treatment at different hospitals in the capital, while just nine patients were listed outside Dhaka.
Some 1,945 patients have been admitted to different hospitals with dengue since January - 1,433 of them have been released after recovery.
DGHS spokesman and line director Dr. Nazmul Islam suggested testing for dengue as well as corona if someone has high temperature.
He also asked to take medicine on the advice of a registered doctor only in case of treatment. If necessary, one could take treatment by contacting the hotline number of DGHS.
The DGHS reported 1,193 dengue cases and three confirmed dengue-related deaths in 2020.
Read:Dengue update: 105 more cases reported
Official figures state 101,354 dengue cases and 179 deaths were recorded in Bangladesh in 2019.
Dengue fever was first reported in Bangladesh in 2000, claiming 93 lives that year. In the years that followed, the country learned to deal with the disease much better, but it did become endemic. Fatalities almost fell to zero at one stage, before spiking again in 2018, leading to the horrific crisis the following year.
COVID-19 vaccination gives 97.4 pc protection from coronavirus infection
The COVID-19 vaccination provides protection at a rate of 97.4 per cent against coronavirus infection, said a study conducted by Apollo Hospital Group to investigate the occurrence of SARS-CoV-2 infection among the symptomatic-vaccinated healthcare workers (HCWs) and to analyze the severity of their disease, reports ANI.
Read:Vaccine inequity biggest barrier to ending pandemic: WHO chief
The study conducted on 3,235 HCW (2480 received both doses while 755 received a single dose) showed that COVID-19 infection after vaccination is primarily minor and did not lead to severe disease.
The symptomatic post-vaccination infections in these HCWs were evaluated for the study, and it was found that eighty-five of 3235 (2.63 per cent) vaccinated HCWS acquired the COVID 19 infection after vaccination during the study period.
"Of these, 65 (76.5 per cent) were fully vaccinated (FV), and 20 (23.5 per cent) were partially vaccinated (PV) and the protection rate of vaccination was 97.4 per cent," the study said.
Read:What is a COVID-19 vaccine “breakthrough” case?
The study noted that an odds ratio of acquiring infection among females was 1.84 times higher, but explained that it was "mainly because of their greater involvement in the patient care as nursing personnel. The chances of infection were the highest in the medical and nursing personnel as compared to paramedical, administrative and supporting staff." Among the HCWs studied, only two required hospitalization (0.06 per cent), none needed an intensive care unit (ICU) admission and there were no deaths.
The study further added that in all the 85 infected cases, there were mild symptoms such as cough, fever, malaise and loss of taste and smell.
Maritime ports asked to hoist cautionary signal 3
The maritime ports of Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar, Mongla and Payra have been advised to hoist local cautionary number three as a low pressure area has been formed over the North Bay and adjoining areas.
“Under its influence, deep convection is taking place and steep pressure gradient lies over the North Bay and adjoining areas,” said a Met office bulletin.
Read: Cautionary signal 3 for Bangladesh maritime ports
Squally weather may affect the maritime ports, North Bay and adjoining coastal areas, it said.
All boats and trawlers over North Bay have been advised to come close to the coast and proceed with caution until further notice.
Covid claims 46 more lives in Khulna division
Khulna division has logged 46 Covid-related deaths in the past 24 hours, health officials said on Tuesday.
According to the health director's office, 18 people died in Kushtia, nine in Khulna, four each in Chuadanga and Meherpur, two each in Bagerhat, Jashore, Narail, Magura and Jhenaidah, and one in Satkhira district.
Read: Khulna division logs 45 more deaths
The total death toll in the division has now reached 2,263, said the health officials.
Some 1,435 people tested positive for Covid-19 during the period, according to the divisional health department.
Some 89,883 cases have been detected in 10 districts of the division since the onset of Covid.
Read:Covid claims 52 more lives in Khulna division 1,165 fresh cases recorded
In Khulna division, the first case of Covid-19 was detected in Chuadanga on March 19, 2020.