The number of people testing positive for Covid-19 and dying from the virus has continued to fall in Bangladesh, the latest daily figures show.

Bangladesh added 117 new fatalities to its national tally Friday – down from 145 logged a week earlier on August 20.

The average number of Covid-related fatalities confirmed each day has dropped by more than 110 over the last three weeks, 46% of the previous peak.

The country reported below 100, 77 fatalities, on June 26, the highest fatality number – 264 – on August 5 and 10, and 16,230 infections on July 28.

Bangladesh is now seeing a sustained drop in the daily case numbers, reporting 5,059 new cases on average each day – 35% of the peak. The highest daily average was reported on August 3.

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It recorded 3,525 new cases Friday after testing 27,578 samples, down from 5,993 logged a week earlier on August 20.

The country has been experiencing a surge of Covid-related caseloads and deaths since June 2021. 

Between May and June this year, there was a 273% rise in monthly caseloads and 162% in fatalities. In July there was a 150% increase in caseloads and a 170% rise in deaths compared to the previous month, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Since the start of the Covid pandemic, Bangladesh has recorded 14,86,153 infections and 25,846 deaths, according to the Directorate General of Health Services.

In 24 hours till Friday morning, the percentage of coronavirus tests coming back positive stood at 12.78%, down from August 20's 17.18%, while the WHO recommends a 5% or below rate.

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Meanwhile, the recovery rate rose to 94.50%, and the case fatality to 1.74% compared to the same period.

Dhaka division reported the highest 40 deaths, Chattogram 37, Khulna 11, Sylhet 10, Barishal six, Rangpur five, and Mymensingh and Rajshahi four each.

The government has administered at least 25,258,519 doses of Covid vaccines – enough to have vaccinated around 7.4% of the country's population, assuming every person needs two doses.

The Covid vaccines cannot offer 100% protection but when more people are jabbed there is less opportunity for the virus to infect and spread.

Getting vaccinated prevents severe illness, hospitalisations, and death; and with the Delta variant; this is more urgent than ever, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.