The scale of Covid-19 pandemic in Bangladesh looks to be overwhelming as the country added 246 fatalities to its national tally on Monday, reporting over 200 single-day fatalities for the last nine days.

The rapid rise in cases and fatalities, driven by the Delta variant, shows the worst days of the pandemic are far from over here since the pace of hospitalization across the country remains relentless.

The Covid-19 infections are at their peak now, with 14,241 new cases reported on average each day.

Bangladesh recorded 15,989 new cases on Monday after testing 53,462 samples, up from 13,862 logged on July 30.

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The country reported the highest daily Covid-19 fatality number – 258 – on July 27 and 16,230 infections the next day.

There have been 1,280,317 infections and 21,262 coronavirus-related deaths here since the pandemic began, according to the Directorate General of Health Services.

Meanwhile, the daily test positivity rate fell to 29.91% from yesterday's 29.97%, while the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a 5% or below rate.

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However, the recovery rate rose to 86.60%, and the case fatality remained unchanged at 1.65% compared to the same period.

Amid growing concerns about the highly infectious Delta variant, Dhaka division reported the highest 76 deaths, Chattogram 64, Khulna 30, Rajshahi 22, Barishal 16, Sylhet and Rangpur 14 each, and Mymensingh 10.

So far, Bangladesh has administered at least 13,459,811 doses of Covid vaccines – enough to have vaccinated around 4% of the country's population, assuming every person needs two doses.

Delta variant overtaxes stretched hospitals

After weathering the first wave of the virus, Bangladesh's health services are now stretched dangerously thin.

As more people are falling sick with Covid-19 and dying and many mourning a family member lost to the virus, hospitals in Dhaka and other cities are running out of beds.

Even patients arriving in the capital from outside are being denied admission as 64 public and private Covid dedicated hospitals in Dhaka choke.

Ambulances, private cars, CNGs and even rickshaw vans are seen carrying patients, waiting for a bed to free up.