As per the latest data, the daily infection rate dropped to 4.73 percent.
The country recorded a daily infection rate of 4.90 percent on January 14, 8.29 percent on January 10, 7.52 percent on January 4, and 8.18 percent on January 1.
Country’s Covid-19 caseload stands at 527,063 with 578 new cases during the period.
The fatality rate stands at 1.49 percent, according to the Directorate General of Health Services.
So far, 3,444,007 tests, including 12,212 new ones, have been carried out.
However, 471,756 patients – 89.51 percent – have recovered so far.
The country’s infection number reached the 500,000-mark on December 20. The first cases were reported on March 8. The death toll exceeded 7,000 on December 12.
Covid-19 across the world
The worldwide Covid-19 caseload on the verge of touching 94 million on Saturday, according to Johns Hopkins University.
Also read:Bangladesh to get Covid vaccines for 4.5 crore people by May-June
The global case count reached 93,926,742 while the death toll climbed to 2,010,700.
The US, the world’s worst-hit country, crossed the grim milestone of 20 million cases on New Year’s Day.
The US’s infection tally reached 23,532,036 and fatalities stood at 392,128 early Saturday.
By mid-December, five in every 100 Americans – more than 16 million – had been infected by Covid-19.
Those numbers testify to a historic tragedy. But they do not fully capture the multitude of ways, large and small, that the virus has upended and reconfigured everyday life in the US.
Meanwhile, India reported 10,542,841 cases and 152,093 deaths until Saturday. Brazil recorded 208,246 deaths and 8,393,492 infections.
Also read:When can actually Bangladesh avail of Covid-19 vaccine?
Bangladesh in vaccine race
On January 7, the government approved the emergency use of the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine.
The approval will allow Beximco Pharmaceuticals to bring doses from the Serum Institute of India, which is manufacturing the vaccine, Mohammad Salahuddin, deputy director of the Directorate General of Drug Administration (DGDA), said.
Under the deal, Bangladesh will import 3 crore doses of SARS-Cov-2 AZD 1222 (Oxford-Astrazeneca vaccine) from Serum in the next six months.
“If everything goes well, we will get the vaccines in mid-January,” Health Minister Zahid Maleques said.
On December 28, Bangladeshi pharmaceutical company Globe Biotech got approval from the DGDA for manufacturing Covid-19 vaccine for clinical trials.
Also read:Covid-19 vaccine not a 'silver bullet': WHO
Dr Mohammad Mohiuddin, Manager of Globe Biotech Limited (Head of Quality Operation), said after completing the trials, they would start supplying vaccines following protocols.
“Hopefully, we will be able to begin clinical trials in January. It will take five months to finish. The vaccine will be available by June if we can begin the clinical trials this month.”
Bangladesh approves Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine
Bangladesh approved the emergency use of Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine on Jan 7.
This will allow Beximco Pharmaceuticals to bring doses from the Serum Institute of India Pvt Ltd, which is manufacturing the vaccine.
Also read:Is Bangladesh ready to distribute a Covid-19 vaccine?
The government signed an agreement with Serum Institute on December 13 for procuring the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine.
Under the deal, Bangladesh will import 30 million doses of the vaccine in the next six months.
“If everything goes well, then we’ll get the vaccines in mid-January,” Health Minister Maleques said.
Health minister Zahid Maleque on Thursday reassured the people that there won’t be any problem in storing and distributing Covid-19 vaccines.
Also read:Covid-19 vaccines: Bangladesh has 'limited choices'
“Bangladesh currently has the capacity to store up to 150 million vaccines. So, there won’t be any issues when 40-50 million doses come from India,” he told the media after a meeting of the ministry on vaccination and distribution.
Minister Maleque is fully prepared for the vaccination drive. “Vaccination will be carried out from the public hospitals,” he said.
“Each government hospital has been prepared to preserve 425,000 doses. Another 71,000 doses can be stored in the five-six ice freezers at the hospitals,” the minister said.