Eds: Updates with details
Dhaka, June 14, (UNB) – Amid the desperate bid to procure vaccines for all, Bangladesh reported 54 Coronavirus-related deaths and 3,050 new cases in 24 hours until Sunday morning, both the highest in around a month.
The country last recorded 56 deaths on May 9 and 3031 cases on April 27.
With the new numbers, the country's total caseload stood at 8,29,972 while death toll at 13,172, according to a handout issued by the Directorate General of Health Services.
Besides, the case positivity rate today jumped again to 14.80% from Saturday’s 12.99% while the fatality rate remained static at 1.59%, showed the DGHS handout.
READ: India reports 80,834 new COVID-19 cases
New cases were detected after testing 20,602 samples during the period while the country has so far completed testing 61,95,714 samples.
However, 7,68,830 people have recovered from the infection so far, putting the recovery rate at 92.63% today.
Fourteen of the deaths recorded today were from Chattogram division while 13 deaths each from Dhaka and Rajshahi divisions.
READ: Covid-19: 12 patients die at RMCH in a single day
Also, seven died in Khulna, five in Rangpur, one each in Barishal and Mymensingh divisions.
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 42,532,526 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.
So far, four vaccines – Oxford-AstraZeneca (Covishield), Sputnik-V, Sinopharm, and Pfizer-BioNTech – have got the approval for emergency use in Bangladesh.
Vaccine procurement update
Bangladesh will soon receive 10 lakh and 800 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine soon 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.
Bangladesh, earlier sought 2 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine doses from the US for addressing Bangladesh's immediate needs but the US is yet to reply on that particular request.
Meanwhile, the second consignment of the Sinopharm vaccine, amounting to some 600,000 doses, arrived here on Sunday afternoon as a gift from the Chinese government.
READ: As COVID-19 cases wane, vaccine-lagging in USA still see risk
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.
.jpg)