The total case count and deaths currently stand at 121,139,773 and 2,679,932, respectively,  according to Johns Hopkins University.

The US has registered 29,604,820 cases and 538,050 fatalities as of Thursday morning, as per the latest data released by the university.

Also Read: Global Covid-19 cases rise to 119.4 m

Deaths per day in the US have plunged to an average of just under 1,300, down from a high of about 3,400 two months ago. New cases are running at about 55,000 per day on an average after peaking at more than a quarter-million daily in early January, reports AP.

With a record number of daily Covid-19 cases, Brazil has registered 90,303 new Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours ,pushing the nationwide tally to 11,693,838, the Ministry of Health said on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, 2,648 more people have died from the disease, increasing the national death toll to 284,775, said the ministry.

The South American country has the world's second-highest Covid-19 death toll and caseload, only next to the US.

Also Read: Global Covid-19 cases hit 68.8 million

Brazil is one of the hardest-hit countries by the pandemic, experiencing another wave of infections. As of Tuesday, Brazil has vaccinated more than 14.18 million people, according to data from a consortium of media outlets.

India has reported 28,903 new infections, the highest of this year, taking the total tally to 11,438,734. According to the official data, the death toll mounted to 159,044 as 188 Covid-19 patients have died since Tuesday morning.

Situation in Bangladesh

Amid the spike in Covid-19 cases in different parts of the world, Bangladesh registered 11 more deaths and 1,865 new cases of Covid-19 in 24 hours till Wednesday morning. 

The daily tally of Covid-19 fatalities showed a downtrend on Wednesday. With the latest figures, the Covid-19 fatalities have climbed to 8,608 and the total infections to 562,752, according to a handout released by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

Bangladesh reported its first cases on March 8, 2020 and the first death on March 18 in the same year.

Is there any pandemic in Bangladesh? Who cares!

Authorities have so far tested 4,328,269 samples, including 24,275 in the past 24 hours.

Govt strengthens precautionary measures

The government is taking a tougher position to fight Covid-19 transmission, Health Minister Zahid Maleque announced on February 15.

The ministry has sent out letters to districts, directing the officials concerned to levy fines on people flouting Covid protocols, he said.

“Educational institutions were scheduled to reopen on March 30, but the closure will be extended if the infection keeps surging at the present rate,” the minister said.

“We’re concerned as the infection and the death rates of Covid-19 suddenly hiked,” he added.

Vaccination drive in Bangladesh

Bangladesh launched its nationwide Covid-19 vaccination drive on February 7.

By Tuesday, 4,580,391 people received the first dose of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine. The second dose has to be taken between 8 and 12 weeks of the first one.

The government is providing the vaccine for free. It signed an agreement with India's Serum Institute for acquiring 30 million doses of the vaccine.

The institute will provide five million doses every month between January and June.

Those who are 40 or above can register for getting the jab at www.surokkha.gov.bd as the on-spot registration system has been revoked.

Health Minister Zahid Maleque has said the age limit for getting the vaccine will be revised when more doses will be available in the country.

No suspension of vaccine use

Bangladesh does not plan to suspend the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine, despite a cascading number of countries doing so over reports of some recipients developing dangerous blood clots.

Md Abdul Mannan, Secretary, Health Care Division, has said that no unusual side-effects have been reported after taking the vaccine in Bangladesh.

“So far those who have taken the first dose of the vaccine are all in good health. So, Bangladesh has no plans to halt its vaccine drive,” he said. "I don’t see why some countries have chosen to suspend its use.”