COVID-19 patients
Global Covid-19 cases top 146 million
More than 146 people have been found infected with Covid-19 globally with 3.09 million fatalities on Sunday, according to the Johns Hopkins University (JHU).
The total case count reached at 146, 091,986 while the death toll from the virus climbed to 3,096, 579 as of Sunday.
The US has now surpassed 32 million confirmed cases of Covid-19, according to data collected by Johns Hopkins University.
Coronavirus cases nationwide reached 32,044,976 on Sunday. Covid-19 related deaths now total more than 571,922.
Brazil registered 3,076 more Covid-19-related deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing its death toll to 389,492, the country's Ministry of Health reported on Saturday.
According to the ministry, another 71,137 new cases were registered, bringing the country's caseload to 14,308,215.
Brazil is currently ranked second in the world in the number of deaths from Covid-19, surpassed only by the United States, and third in the world in the number of cases, behind the United States and India.
Also read: Covid situation in Bangladesh unlikely to improve before June: Experts
India has logged 16,610,481 cases while the death toll from the virus mounted to 189, 544.
Situation in Bangladesh
Bangladesh recorded 83 more Covid-related deaths in 24 hours until Saturday morning, raising the total fatalities to 10,952.
Bangladesh’s coronavirus fatalities crossed 10,000 on April 15 and the death tally reached near 11,000 within 10 days as the country finds it hard to deal with the pandemic.
With the latest figure, the mortality rate rose to 1.48 percent from Friday’s 1.47 percent, the Directorate General of Health Services said in a handout.
Also read: India records world's highest single-day spike in Covid cases
Besides, 2,697 new cases were detected during the period after examining 20,571 samples.
Bangladesh reported its first coronavirus cases on March 8 last year and the first death on the 18th of that month.
With the news cases, the total caseload reached 742,400 while the total number of recoveries is 653,151, including 5477 in the last 24 hours.
The surge in Covid infections prompted the government to go for a lockdown from early April but it turned out to be lax and loose. From April 11, the government imposed a ‘stricter lockdown’ and later extended it up to April 28.
On Friday, the government allowed shopping malls to reopen from April 25.
Vaccination campaign
Launched on February 7, a vaccination drive is underway across Bangladesh with the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine.
Bangladesh signed an agreement with the Serum Institute of India Pvt Ltd for 30 million doses of the vaccine. But a record number of cases in India has made the delivery of the vaccine doses uncertain.
On Thursday, Foreign Minister AK Momen assured people that there will be adequate doses of the vaccine.
So far, 5,778,686 people have received the first dose and 1,967,975 have got their second jab, according to official figures.
Covid-19: Bangladesh records 88 deaths, 3629 new cases
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.
Not possible to increase bed number so often: Minister
It will not be possible to increase the number of beds all too often to accommodate the growing Covid-19 patients, Health Minister Zahid Maleque said on Thursday.
“We’ve managed to tackle 10 times more patients this time as we raised the number of beds from 2,500 to 7,000 in a short period of time, but it’s not possible to do it so frequently,” the minister said.
Zahid Maleque came up with the remark while addressing a virtual discussion arranged on the occasion of National Nutrition Day.
Also read: DNCC Market Hospital to get 200 new ICU beds: Health Minister
To avoid the ‘third’ wave of the Coronavirus pandemic, people of the country must be more conscious, Zahid Maleque.
The second wave of Coronavirus hit the country as people failed to follow the health protocols properly, the minister said, adding: “We must become more aware to escape the third wave of the deadly virus.”
Currently, the second wave of Coronavirus is underway which is much deadlier compared to the first one, Maleque said.
Also read: Covid-19 surge lays bare another crisis: Scant ICU beds and specialists
“Now we must detect the cause behind the emergence of the second wave. We’ve restricted social functions, public gatherings and rallies to contain the virus,” he said.
The infection rate will come down if the restrictions are followed properly for a few days, he hoped.
Covid situation in Bangladesh
Ninety-eight more people died of Covid-19 in 24 hours until Thursday morning amid a sharp rise in the number of deaths from the deadly virus.
Also read: Covid-19: Bangladesh sees 98 more deaths, 4,014 new infections
The virus also infected 4,014 others during the period, the Directorate General of Health Services said in a handout.
With the latest figure, the mortality rate remained at 1.46 percent while the infection rate declined to 14.63 percent from Wednesday’s 15.07 percent.
Oxygen tank leak claims 22 lives in India Covid hospital
At least 22 Covid-19 patients on ventilator at a government hospital in the western Indian state of Maharashtra died on Wednesday after their oxygen supply ran out following leakage of the life-supporting gas from a tanker, officials said.
The tanker was brought to Zakir Hussain Municipal Hospital in the state's Nashik district to replenish the oxygen cylinders at the medical facility for continuous supply to the 150-plus Covid-19 patients on life support.
"As per current information, 22 people have died due to interrupted supply of oxygen at Zakir Hussain Municipal Hospital in Nashik," district collector Suraj Mandhare told the media.
Local TV channels aired footage of oxygen leaking from the tanker stationed outside the hospital and firefighters trying their best to stop the leak by spraying water.
Also Read: Indian capital gasps for oxygen
Maharashtra's Health Minister Rajesh Tope said that the interrupted supply of oxygen could be linked to the deaths of the patients in the hospital and promised action against any negligence on part of the authorities concerned following a "free and fair probe".
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to social media to offer his condolences to the families of the deceased. "The tragedy at a hospital in Nashik because of oxygen tank leakage is heart-wrenching. Anguished by the loss of lives due to it," he tweeted.
State Minister and son of Maharashtra Chief Minister Udhav Thackeray's son Aaditya also called the accident "extremely unfortunate". We all share in the grief of all these families. This unfortunate incident will be thoroughly investigated," he tweeted.
The leakage of the life-supporting gas comes at a time when several Indian states are facing an acute shortage of oxygen cylinders. UNB also reported on Tuesday that several hospitals in the national capital were left with just a few hours of oxygen.
Also read: 5 dead in fire at India's Covid vaccine facility
Last week, India became the second worst-affected country in the world in terms of Covid cases. On Tuesday, India reported as many as 259,170 new cases and 1,761 fatalities in 24 hours, the highest daily death toll since the pandemic broke out in 2020.
India's Covid tally and death toll currently stand at 1,53,21,089 and 1,80,530, respectively, according to the country's Health Ministry.
Covid-19 Second Wave: Maleque seeks further steps against transmission
Health Minister Zahid Maleque has said that Dhaka North City Corporation kitchen market in Mohakhali will be turned into a makeshift hospital dedicated for novel coronavirus patients.
“It will have around 50 ICU beds and above 1000 Covid patients can be tretated at the hospital,” said the minister.
Moreover, three specialized public hospitals -National Institute of Mental Health, National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases and National Institute of Kidney Diseases and Urology, will also open units dedicated for coronavirus patients with 100 beds each.
Also read: Bangladesh reports record number of 5,358 new daily Covid cases; 52 deaths
He came up with this information while talking to the reporters at a a meeting with the owners of private hospitals this evening.
Zahid Maleque reaffirmed that the ministry is doing everything in its power to curb the ‘dramatic’ rise in Covid-19 cases.
“Additional 2500 bed will be increased in the hospitals of the capital to treat Covid-19 patients within a very short time. Moreover, central oxygen line has been provided to 90 hospitals,” he said.
Also read: Don’t be panicked about possible second wave of Covid-19: Minister
The minister also urged people to consider Covid hospitals adjacent to Dhaka city to reduce pressure on the capitals’ hospitals.
“There are similar medical facilities in Gazipur, Manikganj and some other districts around Dhaka. Patients can be admitted to those hospitals,” he said.
The minister said that if the authorities fail to do anything about the source of the massive spread of Covid-19 cases, then it would be impossible to bring the situation under control even if they turn the entire Dhaka city into hospitals.
Also read: Vaccine drive to continue with AstraZeneca shot: Health Secretary
“People are visiting tourist destinations, attending weddings and social events without maintaining any health guidelnes. If this continues, then it will not be possible to curb the spread of Covid-19.”
The minister said the steps taken by the health authorities were effective in restricting Covid-19 in Bangladesh which resulted in lower cases in February. But people became lethargic afterwards, which was the main reason for increase in coronavirus cases.
The minister expressed his concern by saying if the situation goes beond the authorities control, then it would be very difficult to bring life back to normal.
France to announce new virus restrictions in Paris region
France is set to announce new coronavirus restrictions on Thursday, including a potential lockdown in the Paris region and in the north of the country, as the number of COVID-19 patients in intensive care units spikes.
Major European nations suspend use of AstraZeneca vaccine
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Dubai orders hospitals to cancel surgeries amid virus surge
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Global coronavirus death toll hits 2 million
The global death toll from COVID-19 topped 2 million Friday, crossing the threshold amid a vaccine rollout so immense but so uneven that in some countries there is real hope of vanquishing the outbreak, while in other, less-developed parts of the world, it seems a far-off dream.