The Covid-19 situation in Bangladesh keeps worsening as 50 new deaths and 3,319 infections were recorded in 24 hours till 8 am Tuesday.

The positivity rate fell slightly to 14.27% on Tuesday from Monday’s 14.80%, said a handout issued by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

Bangladesh recorded more than 50 deaths on May 9 this year and over 3,000 cases on April 27.

With the new figures, the country’s death toll now stands at 13,222 while the caseload at 833,291.

During the period, the fatality rate remained static at 1.59%, shows the DGHS handout.

The fresh cases were detected after testing 23,265 samples during the period, while the country so far tested 6,218,979 samples.

As of now, 771,073 people have recovered from Covid infections, putting the country’s recovery rate at 92.53%.

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Rajshahi and Khulna divisions recorded the highest 15 deaths today, while Dhaka and Chattogram divisions recorded six deaths each; Sylhet and Mymensingh divisions three deaths each and Barishal and Rangpur divisions one death each.

Vaccination Drive

Bangladesh, the prime recipient of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines, has suspended the registration for Covid-19 vaccination due to jab shortage amid a delay in the arrival of shipments from India.

Some 4,257,499 people got the second dose of this vaccine while the number is 58,20,015 for the first one.

Besides, the total number of people receiving their first jab of Chinese Sinopharm vaccine is 2,162.

However, Bangladesh will start administering Sinopharm and Pfizer vaccine doses from June 19, said Health Minister Zahid Maleque today.

The health minister earlier said Pfizer vaccine shots will be given at four centres in Dhaka to those who have already registered.

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The Directorate General of Drug Administration (DGDA) today approved Janssen Covid-19 vaccine for emergency use in the country.

In a handout, the DGDA said that people aged 18 or above can be inoculated with Janssen vaccine doses.  

This is the sixth Covid-19 vaccine to get DGDA nod for emergency use, but it is the first single-dose jab approved in the country.

The other approved vaccines are: Covishield produced by Serum Institute of India, Sputnik V of Generium Joint Stock Company of Russia, Sinopharm from Beijing Institute of Biological Products Co. Ltd of China, Pfizer vaccine manufactured by Pfizer Manufacturing Belgium NV, and Coronavac produced by Sinovac Life Sciences Ltd of China.

Vaccine procurement update

Bangladesh will soon receive 10 lakh and 800 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine under COVAX facility, said Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Friday.

Bangladesh Ambassador to the US conveyed the message of this development to the Foreign Minister.

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Bangladesh earlier sought 2 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine doses from the US for addressing its immediate needs but the US is yet to reply to that particular request.

Meanwhile, the second consignment of the Sinopharm vaccine, amounting to some 600,000 doses, arrived here on Sunday as a gift from the Chinese government.

Two special flights of Bangladesh Air Force were sent to transport 6 lakh Sinopharm vaccine doses and other medical supplies from China.

Just nine days after the arrival of the first batch of 500,000 doses of gifted vaccine in Bangladesh, China announced the provision of the second batch of gift doses to Bangladesh.

Bangladesh has also received 100,620 doses of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine on June 1.

Also, seven million doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca Covishield vaccine have already reached Bangladesh and India.