COVID-19 cases
Covid cases rising in Thakurgaon; 17 more detected
Seventeen more people have been diagnosed with coronavirus in Thakurgaon district in the past 24 hours till Sunday morning, showing a sharp rise in the number of Covid-19 cases.
Civil Surgeon Dr Mahfuzar Rahman said 17 people were found infected with the virus as per reports came from M Abdur Rahim Medical College, Dinajpur CDC, Sadar Hospital and upazila hospitals.
Read:Thakurgaon seals border areas to contain Covid
So far, 1,742 people have been found infected with the virus in the district. Of them, 1,575 people have recovered.
The death toll from the virus reached 38 in the district.
Deputy Commissioner of Thakurgaon Dr KM Kamruzzaman Selim said, “The district has been experiencing a rise in Covid-19 cases for the last several days and most of the Covid-19 cases have been reported from Baliadangi upazila, a frontier area.”
Read:7 cases of Indian Covid variant detected in Nawabganj: Doctor
According to sources at the Civil Surgeon office, three people were found infected with Covid-19 on May 29, seven on May 30, eight on May 31, 17 on June 2, 18 on June 3, two on June 4 and 17 on June 5.
Referring to the Indian variant of coronavirus, Dr Mahfuzar, said, “No Indian returnee has been found in the district so far.”
Talking about the health system in the district, the Civil Surgeon said a 50-bed corona unit has already been opened at Sadar Hospital while isolation wards at upazila health complexes have been prepared for treating Covid patients.
Read:Covid in Jashore: Movement of people restricted in 2 wards
Earlier, on Thursday, the border areas of Thakurgaon were sealed off in the wake of a sudden spike in Covid-19 cases in the district, officials said.
Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) personnel have been asked to step up vigil along the border with India to prevent the spread of the Indian Covid-19 variant, said Lt Col Md Maksud, the commanding officer of BGB-50 Thakurgaon Battalion.
Covid in Jashore: Movement of people restricted in 2 wards
The local administration has imposed a strict restriction on the movement of people in two wards of Jashore municipality following a sharp rise in Covid-19 cases.
Read: 8 Indian variant cases identified in Jashore
The local Corona prevention committee took the decision at an emergency meeting held on Saturday night over the overall Covid-19 situation in the district, said additional district magistrate Kazi Mohammad Sayemuzzaman, a member of the committee.
The residents of the two wards -- No 3 and 4 -- have been asked not to go outside their homes without any emergency reason. “Those who’ll violate the order will face legal action,” warned Sayemuzzaman.
According to health officials, they have recorded 33 new cases of Covid-19 from the two wards of the municipality till June 5, showing a significant rise in Covid-19 cases.
Read: Residents of Jashore village along 'Indiapara' worried about spread of new variant
Besides, the Abhaynagar upazila administration will impose the same restriction in ward No 5 and 6 of Nauapara municipality as the health authorities reported 18 and 11 cases respectively in these two wards.
Meanwhile, the authorities concerned have found 11 people with Covid-19 infections in No 4 Gadkhali union of Jhikargacha upazila.
Read: Separate quarantine centre for single women in Jashore
The committee also decided to identify the houses of those infected people and isolated them.
Bangladesh’s frontier districts brace for Covid ‘catastrophe’: Experts
Amid the growing Covid-19 cases, health experts fear that Bangladesh’s frontier districts await a serious healthcare crisis as most hospitals and health complexes there are ill-equipped to cope with any worsening situation.
They also voiced frustration as local administrations in different frontier districts are “buying time” in enforcing strict lockdowns and halting the inter-district transport services to control the virus locally.
They said the government should focus on preventing the spread of the virus transmission to other areas from the frontier ones and enhancing the number of hospital beds, treatment facilities, equipment, and ensuring an adequate supply of oxygen, high-flow nasal cannula and necessary medicines at hospitals and upazila health complexes in the bordering areas witnessing a surge in the virus infection rate.
Read Indian COVID variant: Why is it more deadly? How is it affecting the neighboring countries?
Covid cases are growing alarmingly in Chapainawabganj, Rajshahi, Satkhira, Khulna, Kushtia, Jashore, Naogaon and Natore since the last week of May apparently for the prevalence of the highly transmissible Indian variant.
According to a research conducted in India, one person carrying 1.617 known as the Indian variant, can infect about 406 people in just one month.
Though the government has already empowered local administrations to enforce lockdowns in the virus-affected districts, only Chapainawabganj has been put under lockdown so far.
Also read: Covid-19: Four Jashore hospitals ready to provide treatment
Jashore
Benapole land port is located in the district through which 60 to 70 passengers enter the country every day on average from India and the 'Indian variant' has already been found in some returnees from India.
The number of Covid patients is growing in the district alarmingly with around 24 percent infection rate, according to official sources.
There is a health complex in Navaran upazila, 14 km away from the land port, but it has neither any Covid unit nor adequate facilities to deal with Covid patients. Covid patients are being treated at the 250-bed Jashore General Hospital, but it has no central oxygen system. Cylinders are being used to give oxygen support to Covid patients.
Read What does it feel like to get COVID-19 after taking the vaccine?
Global Covid-19 cases cross 170 million mark
With the new variants of Covid-19 spreading faster than ever before in several nations, the global corona cases have now topped 170 million.
According to Johns Hopkins University (JHU), the total case count and fatalities surged to 170,188,075 and 3,537,835, respectively, till Monday morning.
Until date, 1,864,810,057 (1.86 billion) vaccine doses have been administered across the world.
The US, the world's worst-hit country in terms of cases and deaths, has so far logged 33,258,623 infections and 594,430 fatalities, respectively, as per the JHU data.
Brazil on Sunday reported 874 more deaths from COVID-19, raising the national count to 461,931, the Ministry of Health said.
A total of 43,520 more infections were detected, raising the nationwide tally to 16,515,120, the ministry said.
Brazil has the world's second highest COVID-19 death toll, after the United States, and the third largest caseload, following the United States and India.
Meanwhile, India has recorded 27,894, 800 cases as of Monday morning, with 325,972 fatalities.
India’s hospitals are packed with Covid-19 patients and the shortage of oxygen is only intensifying the woes of patients and their relatives.
Also read: Covid-19: 34 more die in Bangladesh as positivity rate jumps to 10.11%
Situation in Bangladesh
As the Covid-19 still remains grim in Bangladesh, it recorded 34 more Coronavirus-related deaths and 1,444 new cases in 24 hours until Sunday morning.
The latest figures pushed up the total fatalities to 12,583.
The new infections were detected after carrying out 14,277 sample tests, as the daily infection rate jumped above 10 percent once again.
Bangladesh reported its first coronavirus cases on March 8 last year and the first death on the 18th of that month.
Also read: Bangladesh extends lockdown until June 6
The government has extended the ongoing lockdown by another week until June 6 to stem the spread of Coronavirus.
On Sunday, the Cabinet Division issued a circular in this regard.
Vaccination Drive
Bangladesh kicked off its vaccination drive on February 7 with Oxford-AstraZeneca doses it acquired from the Serum Institute of India.
Bangladesh signed an agreement with Serum for 30 million doses. But a record number of cases in India has made the delivery of the doses uncertain.
However, DGHS DG Prof ABM Khurshid Alam has said that Bangladesh will get 2.1 million doses of the vaccine by early May.
In the past 24 hours, 38 people have received the first dose and 83,540 have received the second dose of Covid vaccine, according to the DGHS handout.
Also Read:Covid vaccine stock running out: DGHS
So far, a total of 72,48,829 people have received the vaccine, of which 31,06709 got their second dose.
Global Covid-19 cases hit 168 million
More than 168 million people have been found infected with the virus as Covid-19 pandemic continues to devastate countries across the world.
The total caseload reached at 168,181,146 as of Thursday morning while the death toll from the virus climbed to 3,494,001, according to the data compiled by Johns Hopkins University (JHU).
So far, 1,737, 293,414 doses of vaccines have been administered across the world.
The US, which remained the world’s worst hit country in both number of cases and deaths, has logged 33,190,016 with 591,947 fatalities.
India has been experiencing a staggering Covid-19 situation as in recent weeks the country has been counting deaths of more than 4,000 people a day.
Also read: US civil rights leader urges Biden To give 60 million Covid-19 vaccine doses to India
Amid worries over the reports of black fungus in India, the country has recorded 27, 157, 795 cases while the death toll from the virus mounted to 311,388 till date.
Brazil on Wednesday reported 2,398 more deaths from COVID-19, raising the national count to 454,429, the Ministry of Health said.
A total of 80,486 more infections were detected, raising the nationwide tally to 16,274,695, the ministry said.
Brazil has the world's second highest COVID-19 death toll, after the United States, and the third largest caseload, following the United States and India.
Situation in Bangladesh
Bangladesh logged 17 more Covid-related deaths in 24 hours until Wednesday morning, the lowest number in 68 days.
The country saw 16 Covid-19 deaths on March 18 last.
Besides, 1,497 new cases were recorded taking the total caseload to 7,93,693, said a handout of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
Also read: India to begin clinical trials for Covd-19 vaccine in children
Health authorities recorded the new cases after testing 16,434 samples in the last 24 hours.
Vaccination drive
Bangladesh launched its vaccination drive on February 7 with Oxford-AstraZeneca doses purchased from India's Serum Institute.
The administration of the first dose remained suspended since April 26.
Also, the country, the prime recipient of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines, has suspended the registration for Covid-19 jabs due to short supply of doses amid a delay in timely arrival of shipments from India.
However, the administering of the 1st dose of Chinese Sinopharm vaccine against Covid-19 began on Tuesday.
Covid-19 in Bangladesh: Positivity rate crosses 10 pc again; 40 more die
Bangladesh witnessed a sharp rise in Covid-19 cases and fatalities as it recorded 40 more deaths and 1675 cases in 24 hours until Tuesday morning.
The Covid positivity rate rose to 10.08 percent again during the period after maintaining it below 10 percent since May 15.
Read: Bangladesh reports two ‘black fungus’ cases, one suspected death
The country had been seeing below 40 deaths since May13.
Health authorities registered 1,675 new cases after testing 16,624 samples during the 24-hour period.
Besides, the mortality rate remained static at 1.57 percent, said a handout of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
With the latest figures, the total caseload reached 7,92,196 and the death tally climbed to 12,441.
Bangladesh’s recovery rate now stands at 92.50% with 1,279 recoveries during the period.
As of now, 7,32,810 people have recovered from the disease.
Eighteen of the 40 deaths recorded today were from Chattogram division while from Dhaka division. Four died in Rajshahi, three each in Khulna, Barishal, Rangpur and one in Sylhet divisions.
Bangladesh so far carried out 58,54,919 sample tests since reporting its first coronavirus cases on March 8 last year and the first death on March 18, 2020.
Worst coming in June-end
With Covid cases keep soaring in frontier districts apparently because of the highly contagious Indian variant, experts fear that Bangladesh may face the worst outbreak of the deadly virus at the end of June next.
They said if the B.1.617, known as the Indian variant, can make its way into other areas from the bordering districts, Bangladesh is likely to witness more than 20,000 cases a day in early July, raising the fatality rate sharply.
Lack of necessary oxygen supply and other healthcare facilities may aggravate the situation, according to the experts.
Terrifying scenario along border
Though the country’s average Covid positivity rate was below 10 percent till Monday, it was very high in different districts along the Indian border.
Chapainawabganj was the worst-hit district with 55 percent infection rate, forcing the local administration to enforce a 7-day strict lockdown from today.
Besides, the positivity rate was over 40 percent in Rajshahi.
The infection rate was also high in some other frontier districts like Satkhira, Jashore, Jhenaidah, Dinajpur, Meherpur, Chuadanga, Sylhet and Moulvibazar.
Talking to UNB, DGHS spokesman Robed Amin said, Covid patients with Indian variants were found in bordering districts, including Chapianwabganj, Rajshahi and Jashore. “It’s alarming news. As this variant spreads fast, the infection rate may continue to surge seriously, if people show apathy to masking up and abiding by health safety rules.
Vaccination
Bangladesh launched its vaccination drive on February 7 with Oxford-AstraZeneca doses purchased from India's Serum Institute.
The administration of the first dose has remained suspended since April 26.
Also, the country, the prime recipient of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines, has suspended the registration for Covid-19 jabs due to vaccine shortage amid a delay in the timely arrival of shipments from India.
However, the administering of the 1st dose of Chinese Sinopharm vaccine against Covid-19 began in Bangladesh on Tuesday.
New COVID-19 cases plummet to lowest levels since last June
New coronavirus cases across the United States have tumbled to rates not seen in more than 11 months, sparking optimism that vaccination campaigns are stemming both severe COVID-19 cases and the spread of the virus.
As cases, hospitalizations and deaths steadily dropped this week, pre-pandemic life in America has largely resumed. Hugs and unmasked crowds returned to the White House, a Mardi Gras-style parade marched through Alabama’s port city of Mobile, and even states that have stuck to pandemic-related restrictions readied to drop them. However, health experts also cautioned that not enough Americans have been vaccinated to completely extinguish the virus, leaving the potential for new variants that could extend the pandemic.
As the seven-day average for new cases dropped below 30,000 per day this week, Rochelle Walensky, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, pointed out cases have not been this low since June 18, 2020. The average number of deaths over the last seven days also dropped to 552 — a rate not seen since July last year. It’s a dramatic drop since the pandemic hit a devastating crescendo in January.
“As each week passes and as we continue to see progress, these data give me hope,” Walensky said Friday at a news conference.
Health experts credit an efficient rollout of vaccines for the turnaround. More than 60% of people over 18 have received at least one shot, and almost half are fully vaccinated, according to the CDC. But demand for vaccines has dropped across much of the country. President Joe Biden’s administration is trying to convince other Americans to sign up for shots, using an upbeat message that vaccines offer a return to normal life.
White House health officials on Friday even waded into offering dating advice. They are teaming up with dating apps to offer a new reason to “swipe right” by featuring vaccination badges on profiles and in-app bonuses for people who have gotten their shots.
Also read: Covid-19 vaccines: Commonwealth health ministers demand equal access for everyone
Ohio, New York, Oregon and other states are enticing people to get vaccinated through lottery prizes of up to $5 million.
Across the country, venues and events reopened after shuttering for much of the last year.
On Saturday, Karen Stetz readied to welcome what she hoped would be a good crowd to the Grosse Pointe Art Fair on Michigan’s Lake St. Clair.
With natural ventilation from the lake and mask and capacity restrictions easing, Stetz was optimistic that artists who make their living traveling a show circuit that ground to a halt last year would begin to bounce back. The event usually draws from 5,000 to 10,000 people.
“I feel like most people are ready to get out,” Stetz said by phone shortly before opening the fair. “It seems like people are eager, but it’s hard to know still. I’m sure there’s a percentage of people that are going to wait until they’re comfortable.”
Read: India suffers double blow as black fungus declared epidemic amid COVID-19 surge
In Mobile, thousands of joyful revelers, many without masks, competed for plastic beads and trinkets tossed from floats Friday night as Alabama’s port city threw a Mardi Gras-style parade. But only about a quarter of the county’s population is fully vaccinated. Many went without masks, though health officials had urged personal responsibility.
Alabama’s vaccination rate — 34% of people have received at least one dose — is one of the lowest in the country. It’s part of a swath of Southern states where vaccine uptake has been slow. Health experts worry that areas with low vaccination rates could give rise to new virus variants that are more resistant to vaccinations.
“My biggest concern is new strains of the virus and the need to remain vigilant in the months ahead,” said Boston College public health expert Dr. Philip J. Landrigan.
A medical center in Louisiana reported Friday it has identified the state’s first two cases of a COVID-19 variant that has spread widely since being identified in India. The COVID-19 variant has been classified as a “variant of concern” by Britain and the World Health Organization, meaning there is some evidence that it spreads more easily between people, causes more severe disease, or might be less responsive to treatments and vaccines. The variant has also been reported in several other states, including Tennessee, Nebraska and Nevada.
Though Landrigan said the big drop in cases nationwide was “the best news we’ve had on the pandemic” and showed that vaccines are working, he warned that people should remain vigilant for local flare-ups of new cases.
Many states have largely dropped orders to wear masks and stay distanced from other people. Meanwhile, even places such as California — the first state to issue a statewide shutdown as the virus emerged in March 2020 — prepared to remove restrictions on social distancing and business capacity next month.
State health director Dr. Mark Ghaly said Friday the decision was based on dramatically lower virus cases and increased vaccinations.
But in Vermont — the state with the highest percentage of people who have received one shot — Gov. Phil Scott has tied the lifting of restrictions to the vaccination rate. He offered to lift all remaining restrictions before a July 4 deadline if 80% of those eligible get vaccinated.
Landrigan figured it will take a nationwide vaccination rate of at least 85% to snuff out the virus. But for now, the steep drop in cases gave him hope that pandemic-level infection rates will soon be a thing of the past.
“It is getting to the point to where by the Fourth of July we might be able to declare this thing over,” he said.
Global Covid cases top 165 million
Covid-19 continues its onslaught across the world, even with mass inoculations underway. The overall number of corona cases has now topped 165 million.
The total cases and fatalities reached 165,253,588 and 3,425,648, respectively, on Friday morning, as per the latest data released by Johns Hopkins University (JHU).
The Covid-19 cases in the US, the worst-hit country in the world, have surged past 33 million now. The total caseload and deaths in the country currently stand at 33,055,801 and 588,531, respectively, as per JHU.
Also read: US civil rights leader urges Biden To give 60 million Covid-19 vaccine doses to India
India has been experiencing a precarious situation of handling the Covid-19 situation as the country has registered 26,030,674 cases with 291,365 deaths to date.
However, a Hindustan Times analysis show that some of India’s Covid-19 hotspots are on a recovery path with seven out of every 10 Indians living in the 19 Indian states and Union territories, some of which were its early epicenters, seeing an improvement.
Among the 19 are Delhi, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, some of which were ravaged by the second wave with the healthcare systems of most being overwhelmed by a rush of hospitalisations.
Brazil has the world's second-highest Covid-19 death toll, after the United States, and the third-largest caseload, following the United States and India.
The country has logged 15,898,558 cases and 444,391 deaths, as of Friday.
Also read: India to begin clinical trials for Covd-19 vaccine in children
Situation in Bangladesh
Bangladesh on Thursday reported 36 Covid-19 deaths in 24 hours, taking the national count to 12,284. The mortality rate though remains static at 1.56%.
Besides, the country saw 1,457 new cases as 19,437 samples were tested during the 24-hour period, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) said.
The infection rate fell to 7.50% from Wednesday’s 7.83%.
Also read: Covid-19: 36 more die in Bangladesh, 1,457 others infected
Vaccination drive
In the past 24 hours, not a single citizen in the country received the first dose of the vaccine. However, 53,915 people received the second dose during the period.
The administering of the first dose has remained suspended since April 26. Also, the country, the prime recipient of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, has suspended the registration for Covid-19 jabs due to an acute shortage of the same amid a delay in the timely arrival of shipments from India.
Bangladesh launched its vaccination drive on February 7 with Oxford-AstraZeneca doses acquired from India's Serum Institute.
COVID-19 cases rise to 25,228,996 in India, highest daily death toll recorded
The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in India Tuesday morning rose to 25,228,996 and the related death toll across the country stands at 278,719, India's federal health ministry said.
During the past 24 hours, 263,533 new cases and 4,329 related deaths were reported from across the country.
It is for the second time since April 21 that new COVID-19 cases reported on a daily basis have fallen below the 300,000 mark. However, the daily death toll is so far the highest.
According to ministry officials, 21,596,512 people have been discharged from hospitals after showing improvement.
Read:Glimmer of hope seen in India, but virus crisis not over yet
The number of active cases in the country right now is 3,353,765, the information released by the ministry further reads.
Meanwhile, a total of 318,292,881 samples have been tested up to Monday, the Indian Council of Medical Research said on Tuesday. Out of these tests, 1,869,223 were conducted on Monday alone.
According to the ministry, over 184 million (184,453,149) people have been vaccinated across the country since the beginning of the vaccination drive on Jan. 16 this year.
On May 1, the third phase of COVID-19 vaccinations was started for people who are 18 years and above. However, the third phase of vaccination is yet to start in many places or is going on at a slower pace in wake of the severe shortage of vaccines.
Read: Hundreds of bodies found buried along Indian riverbanks
Reports pouring in from many states said people are being turned away at the centers because of the shortage of vaccines.
The COVID-19 cases continue to spike in the country every day, as the federal government has ruled out imposing a complete countrywide lockdown on the pattern of last year contain the worsening situation. However, many states have imposed night curfews, weekend lockdowns and complete lockdowns to break the spread of infection.
Vaccine production in Bangladesh: Experts 'vehemently against private sector’s engagement'
Though local pharmaceutical companies are showing a growing interest in either procuring or manufacturing Covid vaccines, local health experts say it is the government, not the private sector that should collect or produce jabs for ensuring their quality, affordability, and accessibility.
They also voiced doubt about the capabilities of the three companies that proposed the government to manufacture Russia's Sputnik V vaccine in Bangladesh.
The analysts suggested the government assess whether the Institute of Public Health (IPH) or state-owned Essential Drugs Company Limited (EDCL) can be modernised within a short period of time to manufacture Covid vaccines.
Read Bangladesh to get 106,000 doses of Pfizer vaccine on June 2: Health Ministry
Private initiatives
Robed Amin, the spokesman of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), said three local companies -- Incepta, Unihealth and Popular pharmaceuticals -- have shown their interest in manufacturing Russia's Sputnik V vaccine.
He said the companies gave their proposals to the government for producing the same vaccine and their capabilities will be scrutinised.
Besides, the DGHS official said Renata Limited, another Bangladeshi pharmaceutical company, has sought permission from the government to import Moderna's Covid-19 vaccine and discussions are going on in this regard.
Robed said the government is also assessing the prospect of manufacturing any vaccine here either by private companies or any public institution.
Read: Will do our best to support vaccine rollout in neighbouring countries: India
Are they capable of manufacturing?
Though the three companies are talking about manufacturing vaccines, Dr Be-Nazir Ahmed, former director (Disease Control), DGHS, said he has a doubt about their capacity to do so.
He said these companies can import vaccines in bulk from Russia or China for marketing it after bottling or packaging here. “But it’ll take a plenty of time to meet the demand through importing vaccines in bulk. The government should seriously evaluate the capacities of the companies applied for permission to produce vaccines.”
Dr Be-Nazir said Incepta is currently importing tetanus vaccine in bulk from abroad and marketing it through bottling here.
Read: Covid vaccines should be declared as global public goods: PM Hasina
Prof Muzaherul Huq, a former adviser to WHO South-East Asia region, also thinks these companies are not well-equipped to manufacture the vaccine.
“Bangladeshi companies surely produce very quality medicine. But they don’t have adequate preparations and facilities to produce the Covid vaccine. As some companies are showing their interest in manufacturing it, their capacity should be properly examined.”