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Covid-19: Positivity rate falls to 5.58%, 5 more die
Bangladesh logged five more Covid-linked deaths with 1,298 fresh cases in 24 hours till Wednesday morning as the positivity rate and the number of deaths continue to decline.
The daily positivity rate further declined to 5.58 per cent from Tuesday’s 6.77 per cent after testing 23,092 samples during the period, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
On Tuesday, Bangladesh reported 16 more Covid-linked deaths with 1,595 fresh cases.
Read: Pre-departure Covid test no longer needed for UAE-bound passengers
The fresh numbers took the country’s total fatalities to 28,995 while the caseload to 19,38,135.
Among the new deceased, four were men and another woman. All the five deaths were reported in Dhaka division.
Meanwhile, the mortality rate remained unchanged at 1.50 per cent.
However, the recovery rate rose to 91.82 per cent with the recovery of 8,072 more patients during the 24-hour period.
Among 146 people who died from February 14 to February 20, 97 were men and 49 women, the DGHS mentioned.
Besides, comorbidities among the deceased declined to 6.2 per cent this week compared to the previous one. Comorbidity means the simultaneous presence of two or more diseases or medical conditions in a patient.
Read: India records 15,102 new COVID-19 cases, tally rises to 42,867,031
On January 28, Bangladesh logged its earlier highest daily positivity rate at 33.37 per cent reporting 15,440 cases and 20 deaths.
On December 9 last year, Bangladesh again logged zero Covid-related death after nearly three weeks as the pandemic was apparently showing signs of easing.
The country reported first zero Covid-related death in a single day on November 20 last year along with 178 infections since the pandemic broke out in Bangladesh in March 2020.
Besides, the country registered the highest daily caseload of 16,230 on July 28 last year, while the highest number of daily fatalities was 264 on August 10 last year.
Khaleda receives third dose of Covid vaccine
BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia received the third dose of Covid-19 vaccine at Sheikh Russel Gastroliver Institute and Hospital on Wednesday.
She took the Pfizer shot as her booster dose at the hospital in the city’s Mohakhali area around 4:45pm.
Like the previous doses, the BNP chief was given the booster shot in her vehicle amid the gathering of huge BNP leaders and activists.
“Madam (Khaleda) received a Pfizer vaccine shot as her booster dose though she was earlier given the two doses of Moderna vaccine,” her personal doctor AZM Zahid Hossain told UNB.
The BNP chief left her Gulshan residence at around 4:10am and reached the hospital around 20 minutes later.
READ: Khaleda conferred with 'Mother of Democracy' award
A good number of BNP leaders and activists gathered at the hospital before her arrival there.
As the BNP chief reached the hospital premises, her followers took a position there surrounding her vehicle. They chanted slogans demanding Khaleda’s complete release from jail.
Earlier on July 19 last year, Khaleda took the first dose of Moderna Covid-19 vaccine while the second dose of the same vaccine on August 18 at the same hospital.
On April 11, the 76-year-old BNP chief tested positive for Covid-19 and she was admitted to Evercare Hospital on April 27.
She tested negative for Covid-19 on May 8, 27, days after she had been infected with the deadly virus.
Later, the BNP chief registered online through Surokkha website for getting the vaccine on July 8.
Khaleda, a 76-year-old former prime minister, has been suffering from various ailments, including liver cirrhosis, arthritis, diabetes, kidney, lung and eye problems.
She was last admitted to Evercare Hospital in Dhaka on November 13 last year where she was diagnosed with liver cirrhosis.
READ: Khaleda returns home from hospital
On February 1, she returned home after an 81-day stay in the hospital as she was suffering from inertial bleeding caused by the liver cirrhosis problem.
Amid the coronavirus outbreak, the government temporarily freed Khaleda Zia from jail through an executive order suspending her sentences on March 25 last year with conditions that she will stay in her Gulshan house and will not leave the country.
Good news for Bangladesh citizens! Govt finally going to announce universal pension plan
Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal has said the government will introduce a universal general pension scheme for all citizens of the country, including expatriates. The finance minister said this while briefing reporters on the outcomes of the two consecutive meetings of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs and Cabinet Committee on Public Purchase. Mustafa Kamal said a government authority will be formed soon and the scheme will come into operation within the next six months to one year.
Read: Not aware of any proposal to raise the fertilizer price: Finance Minister Under the pension programme, he said, every citizen of the country, aged 18-50, will get back his monthly deposit along with the same amount of government contribution. “Initially, the scheme will be optional for a citizen, but later it'll be mandatory for everyone.” He said the idea of introducing the pension scheme was mentioned in the last national budget. “That’s why it doesn’t require further approval in the budget.” Describing the pension pattern, the finance minister said the citizens will deposit a certain amount of money after every three months.
Khaleda to receive third dose of Covid vaccine today
BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia will receive the third dose of Covid-19 vaccine at Sheikh Russel Gastroliver Institute and Hospital on Wednesday afternoon.
She is scheduled to leave her Gulshan residence around 3pm for the hospital to receive the vaccine shot, said her media wing member Sayrul Kabir Khan.
“Madam (Khaleda) got SMS to take the third or booster dose of the Covid vaccine. All arrangements have been made so that she can receive it smoothly in the afternoon," her personal doctor AZM Zahid Hossain told UNB.
Earlier on July 19 last year, Khaleda took the first dose of Moderna Covid-19 vaccine while the second dose of the same on August 18 at the same hospital.
On April 11, the 76-year-old BNP chief tested positive for Covid-19 and she was admitted to Evercare Hospital on April 27.
She tested negative for Covid-19 on May 8, 27, days after she had been infected with the deadly virus.
Read: BNP leaders upset over Khaleda’s recovery: Dr Hasan
Later, the BNP chief registered online through Surokkha website for getting the vaccine on July 8.
Khaleda, a 76-year-old former prime minister, has been suffering from various ailments, including liver cirrhosis, arthritis, diabetes, kidney, lung and eye problems.
She was last admitted to Evercare Hospital in Dhaka on November 13 last year where she was diagnosed with liver cirrhosis.
On February 1, she returned home after an 81-day stay in the hospital as she was suffering from inertial bleeding caused by the liver cirrhosis problem.
Her medical board members said Khaleda immediately needs to go abroad for better treatment of her liver cirrhosis problem.
On behalf of her family, Khaleda's younger brother, Shamim Iskander, submitted an application to the Home Ministry on November 11 urging the government to allow her to go abroad for better treatment.
The government still did not dispose of the application while the ministers are saying the BNP chief has no scope to go abroad until she files a fresh application returning to jail.
Read: Khaleda conferred with 'Mother of Democracy' award
Amid the coronavirus outbreak, the government temporarily freed Khaleda Zia from jail through an executive order suspending her sentences on March 25 last year with conditions that she will stay in her Gulshan house and will not leave the country.
PM urges Biman to take steps to improve services
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday asked Biman Bangladesh Airlines to take effective measures to provide world class passenger and cargo services making it more profitable.
“For effective and skilled ground handling system we want to create a separate unit. For this training and manpower is needed," she said while addressing the Golden Jubilee anniversary programme of the national carrier.
She saie the separate unit is needed as soon as possible so that the government could provide appropriate manpower there for ensuring better passenger services.
The programme was held at Balaka Building of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. The prime minister joined the programme virtually from her official residence Ganobhaban.
She asked the Biman authority to take steps for better ground handling.
Hasina said that she wants Biman will internationally conduct its cargo services with its own planes.
Read: D8 has huge potential to develop as a strong economic block, says PM
“This would bring profits for Biman. At least procurement of two cargo planes is urgently needed, I think that, if you take initiative properly right now, it would be possible to do so,” she said.
Biman will be more profitable if its cargo service continues, she added.
In this regard she said that establishment of communication along with cargo service with the neighbouring countries is urgently needed.
“There is no need to seek profit in all routes,” she said.
The PM said that the cargo handling and flight handling will be of international standard.
“Passengers must not suffer after getting down from planes. You have to give special attention in this matter,” she directed.
Youth stabbed to death in Dhaka
A young man was allegedly stabbed to death by assailants at Mirpur in Dhaka on Tuesday night.
The victim was identified as Zahid, 25, son of Md Hanif of Muslim Camp in the capital's Pallabi area. He was a fish trader by profession.
Two others who sustained injuries in the attack have been identified as Muhammad Kamran, 23, and Kamran, 21.
Read: Five die in Chandpur road accident
Police said the assailants attacked the three around 10.30pm in front of Mirpur Bangla School where they were waiting, leaving Zahid seriously injured.
Zahid was rushed to the emergency department of Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH), where doctors declared him dead around 12.15am.
The body has been kept at the hospital morgue for an autopsy, said Bachchu Mia, inspector at the DMCH police outpost.
Biman's golden jubilee: Hasina unveils special postage stamp
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday released a special commemorative postage stamp, an opening day cover and a data card marking the golden jubilee of national carrier Biman Bangladesh Airlines.
She unveiled the Tk 10 commemorative postage stamp, the Tk 10 opening day cover and the data card worth Tk 5 at a ceremony in Ganobhaban, her official residence in Dhaka.
Read: National strategy soon for smooth graduation from LDC: PM Hasina
Hasina received a souvenir from Biman on it’s 50th anniversary.
Dhaka is world's most polluted city
Dhaka has once again topped the list of world cities with the worst air quality.
The capital's air quality index (AQI) was recorded at 190 around 12am Wednesday.
India’s Delhi and Dubai occupied the next two spots, with AQI scores of 182 and 168, respectively.
An AQI between 101 and 200 is considered 'unhealthy', particularly for sensitive groups.
Similarly, an AQI between 201 and 300 is said to be 'poor', while a reading of 301 to 400 is considered 'hazardous', posing serious health risks to residents.
AQI, an index for reporting daily air quality, is used by government agencies to inform people how clean or polluted the air of a certain city is, and what associated health effects might be a concern for them.
Read: Urban noise pollution, wildfires among biggest emerging environmental threats: UN
In Bangladesh, the AQI is based on five criteria pollutants -- Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2 and Ozone.
Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy during winter and improves during monsoon.
A report by the Department of Environment (DoE) and the World Bank in March 2019 pointed out that the three main sources of air pollution in Dhaka "are brick kilns, fumes from vehicles and dust from construction sites".
With the advent of winter, the city’s air quality starts deteriorating sharply due to the massive discharge of pollutant particles from construction works, rundown roads, brick kilns and other sources.
Air pollution consistently ranks among the top risk factors for death and disability worldwide. Breathing polluted air has long been recognised as increasing a person’s chances of developing heart disease, chronic respiratory diseases, lung infections and cancer, according to several studies.
Read: Government to implement an action plan for sustainable plastic management: Environment Minister
As per the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year, largely as a result of increased mortality from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer and acute respiratory infections.
Global Covid cases surpass 427 million
The overall number of Covid cases has surged past 427 million as Omicron infections keep rising across the globe.
According to Johns Hopkins University (JHU), the total case count mounted to 427,358,056 while the death toll from the virus reached 5,904,723 Wednesday morning.
The US has recorded 78,642,385 cases so far and 938,938 people have died from the virus in the country, the university data shows.
India's Covid-19 tally rose to 42,851,929 Tuesday, as 13,405 new cases registered in 24 hours across the South Asian country, as per the federal health ministry's latest data.
Read: More virus rules fall as CDC hints at better times ahead
Besides, 235 more deaths since Monday morning took the death toll to 512,344.
Meanwhile, Brazil, which has been experiencing a new wave of cases since January last year, registered 28,353,689 cases as of Wednesday, while its Covid death toll rose to 645,665.
Covid Situation in Bangladesh
Bangladesh logged 16 more Covid-linked deaths with 1,595 fresh cases in 24 hours till Tuesday morning as the positivity rate and cases continue to decline.
The daily positivity rate further declined to 6.77% from Monday’s 6.94% after testing 23,422 samples during the period, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
On Monday, Bangladesh reported nine more Covid-linked deaths with 1,951 fresh cases.
The fresh numbers took the country’s total fatalities to 28,990 and the caseload to 19,36,837.
Read: Follow health guidelines strictly at educational institutions: Minister
Among the new deceased, seven were men and nine women.
Eight of the deaths were reported in Dhaka division, three in Chattogram, two in Rajshahi and one each in Khulna, Sylhet and Rangpur divisions.
Meanwhile, the mortality rate remained unchanged at 1.50%.
However, the recovery rate slightly rose to 91.47% with the recovery of 8,357 more patients during the 24-hour period.
On January 28, Bangladesh logged its earlier highest daily positivity rate at 33.37% reporting 15,440 cases and 20 deaths.
On December 9 last year, Bangladesh again logged zero Covid-related death after nearly three weeks as the pandemic was apparently showing signs of easing.
The country reported its first zero Covid-related death in a single day on November 20 last year along with 178 infections since the pandemic broke out in Bangladesh in March 2020.
Besides, the country registered the highest daily caseload of 16,230 on July 28 last year, while the highest number of daily fatalities was 264 on August 10 last year.
Realme to launch world's fastest charging technology in MWC
realme recently announced the launch of the world's fastest smartphone charging technology on Feb 28 at the MWC 2022.
As one of the first to launch 125W charging technology, realme will make a step ahead to the future with world's fastest smartphone charging.
Under the go premium strategy, realme will invest 70% of R&D resources on innovation, and charging technology, said a media release.
Realme has been consistently invested for the fastest and most efficient charging experience possible. It believes that the new charging technology is the next step forward to charge smartphones in a shorter time.