Bangladesh recorded 88 coronavirus-related deaths in the last 24 hours until Friday morning as the country grapples to tackle the second wave of the virus.

The health authorities also reported 3,629 new cases, said the Directorate General of Health Services in a handout.

The coronavirus death toll now stands at 10,869 with the mortality rate slightly rising to 1.47 percent after staying at 1.46 for the last two days.

Meanwhile, the daily infection rate fell to 14 percent from Thursday’s 14.63 percent.

Between April 16 and 19, the country recorded over 100 deaths breaking previous daily records. Bangladesh saw 91, 95 and 98 Covid-related deaths on April 20, 21 and 22 respectively.

Bangladesh reported its first coronavirus cases on March 8 last year and the first death on the 18th of that month.

Also read: Covid-19: Bangladesh sees 98 more deaths, 4014 new infections

Health authorities have so far confirmed 739,703 cases. Among them, 647,674 people - 87.56 percent of all patients – have recovered.

1,823 coronavirus deaths in April

April has been the deadliest month since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic with 1,823 deaths and 124,935 new cases recorded in the last 23 days.

The virus claimed 568 lives in January this year, 281 in February and 638 in March.

Dhaka division remains the worst-hit region, recording most of the deaths – 6,345 or 58.38 percent.

Fifty three of the 88 deaths reported today are from Dhaka division and 18 from Chattogram. Three each were reported in Rajshahi, Khulna, Sylhet, Rangpur, and five in Mymensingh divisions.

Bangladesh has so far tested 5,303,008 samples, including 25,896 in the last 24 hours.

Also read: Covid situation in Bangladesh unlikely to improve before June: Experts

Covid situation may improve in June

A rise in infection prompted the government to go for lockdown from early April but it turned out to be lax. From April 11, the government imposed a ‘strict lockdown’ and extended it to April 28.

On Friday, the government said shopping malls would be opened from April 25.

Meanwhile, a group of experts from both Bangladesh and Oxford University said that the country will witness the similar infection rate intermittently till the end of May while the situation may improve in June.

The possibility was projected in a mathematical model used by Bangladesh Como Modelling Group.

Vaccination campaign

A countrywide vaccination drive, launched on Feb 7, is underway.

Also read: Nothing to worry about vaccine stock: FM

Bangladesh signed an agreement with the Serum Institute of India Pvt Ltd for 30 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine. But a record number of cases in India has made the delivery of the vaccine doses uncertain.

Foreign Minister AK Momen on Thursday assured the people that there will be adequate doses.

So far, 5,778,686 people have received the first dose and 1,967,975 have got their second jab, according to official figures.