COVID-19 patients
Bangladesh sees rise in Covid infections; 41 more die
Amid the growing trend in both the Coronavirus infections and fatalities, Bangladesh logged 41 more deaths, pushing up the death toll to 12,660.
Besides, health authorities detected 1,765 new cases after testing 18,250 samples during the period.
The country’s daily death record remained below 40 since May 25 while it stayed below 50 since May 9.
With the new cases, the total caseload rose to 8,02,305, said a handout of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
The daily infection rate slightly increased to 9.47 percent from Monday’s 9.41 percent while the mortality rate remained static at 1.58 percent.
The country has so far tested 59,65,763 samples.
Read:Covid: WHO renames UK and other variants with Greek letters
The DGHS handout says 92.50% of the people infected till now have recovered, including 1,779 who tested negative during the period.
Bangladesh reported its first Coronavirus cases on March 8 last year and the first death on the 18th of that month.
Bangladesh loses 31 more lives to Covid-19
Covid-19 claimed 31 more Covid deaths, including 10 each in Dhaka and Chattogram divisions, in the past 24 hours till Friday morning, pushing up the country's fatalities to 12,511.
Also, 1,358 people came out positive in 14,606 tests carried out during the same period, taking the country's caseload to 796,343.
The daily positivity rate rose to 9.30% from Thursday's 8.12%, said the Directorate General of Health Services.
Read: COVID-19: Bangladesh to receive over 1 lakh Pfizer vaccine on Sunday
The fatality rate remained static at 1.57% and the recovery rate stood at 92.45%.
The country has carried out 5,901,874 sample tests so far after reporting its first cases on March 8 last year and the first death on the 18th of the month.
Vaccination drive
The administration of the first doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine has remained suspended in Bangladesh since April 26.
Also, the country, the prime recipient of Oxford-AstraZeneca shots, has suspended the registration for Covid-19 jabs due to vaccine shortage amid a delay in the timely arrival of shipments from India.
However, recently two other vaccines, Russia's Sputnik V and China's Sinopharm, got approval from the Directorate General of Drug Administration (DGDA) for emergency use in Bangladesh.
Read:Cabinet body okays proposal to procure 1.5 crore Chinese Sinopharm vaccine
The administering of the first doses of the Sinopharm vaccine started Tuesday.
Bangladesh launched its vaccination drive on February 7 with Oxford-AstraZeneca doses bought from India's Serum Institute.
Bangladesh to receive 1 lakh-plus Pfizer vaccine Sunday
A flight of Qatar Airlines carrying a consignment of 100,620 doses of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine will arrive in Bangladesh Sunday.
On Thursday, Bangladesh approved the emergency use of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine.
Cabinet body okays procurement of 1.5 crore Sinopharm vaccine
The Cabinet Committee on Public Purchase Thursday gave final approval to a proposal of the health ministry to procure 1.5 crore Chinese Sinofarm Covid-19 vaccine.
As per the approval, the Health Services Division will procure a 1.5 crore vaccine in the next three months – June, July and August.
Read: Bangladesh approves emergency use of Pfizer vaccine
"Each month 5 million doses of vaccine will be imported from the Chinese firm," Dr Shahida Aktar, additional secretary to the Cabinet Division, told reporters.
Covid vaccination to get priority in budget FY22
A massive vaccination of the population for protection against Covid-19 infection will be the major focus of the Tk602,880 crore budget of the fiscal year 2021-2022. There will be a Tk10,000 crore special allocation for facing the impacts of Covid-19.
Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal will place the budget in Parliament on June 3.
'Bangladesh to see worst Covid outbreak by 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 Covid-19 at the end of June next.
They said if the Indian variant can make its way into other areas from the bordering districts, Bangladesh is likely to witness more than 20,000 daily cases in early July, raising the fatality rate sharply.
Read: Bangladesh braces for worst Covid outbreak by June-end: Experts
Lack of necessary oxygen supply and other healthcare facilities may aggravate the situation, according to the experts.
They suggested putting the frontier districts, particularly where the virus infection rate has already gone up, under strict lockdowns like Chapainawabganj and halting inter-district public transport services to contain the virus locally.
Bangladesh records lowest Covid deaths in over two months
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).
The Covid-19 positivity rate declined to 9.11 percent from Tuesday’s 10.08 percent while the mortality rate remained static at 1.57 percent, the handout said.
Health authorities recorded the new cases after testing 16,434 samples in the last 24 hours.
With 1,056 recoveries in the past 24 hours, the country's recovery rate now stands at 92.46.
As of now, 7,33,866 people have recovered from the disease.
Eight of the 17 deaths recorded today are from Chattogram and five are from Dhaka divisions.
Also read: Bangladesh braces for worst Covid outbreak by June-end: Experts
One each died in Khulna, Barishal, Mymensingh and Sylhet divisions.
The country so far carried out 58,71,353 sample tests since reporting its first coronavirus cases on March 8 last year and the first death on March 18, 2020.
3,350 Bangladeshis return through Benapole since Apr 26; 17 test Covid positive
Despite travel restrictions and locked borders, 3,350 Bangladeshis returned through Benapole land port since April 26.
Seventeen of these India returnees have tested positive for Covid-19, said Benapole immigration officials.
Utpal Roy, medical officer of Benapole immigration health department, said people returning from India are being sent to 14-day mandatory quarantine.
Those who are already infected or getting infected later are being sent to the red zone of Jashore General Hospital’s Corona Unit, said the medical officer.
Benapole port immigration sources said most of the returnees went to India for treatment and are returning with special permission from the Deputy High Commission of Bangladesh in Kolkata.
Some of the returnees said Bangladeshis would not have gone to India for treatment if our health service was developed enough.
Officer-in-Charge of Benapole immigration check post Ahsan Habib said everyday Bangladeshis are returning from India with NOC and Indians stuck in Bangladesh are following the same procedure.
Bangladesh’s border with India has remained shut since April 26 as the number of cases soared in the neighbouring country. But the movement of cargoes has remained unaffected.
Bangladeshi citizens currently travelling to India for treatment and having visas with validity for less than 15 days are allowed to enter Bangladesh through only Benapole, Akhaura and Burimari land ports after taking permission from Bangladesh Missions in New Delhi, Kolkata, and Agartala and with Covid-negative certificates.
Passengers' movement through Indo-Bangla land ports to remain shut till May 31
The government has extended restrictions on the movement of passengers through land ports with India, up to May 31, as India's surge in coronavirus cases continues.
Although borders with India will remain closed to people, goods will continue to cross.
Also read: Bangladesh detects first case of Indian Coronavirus strain
However, Bangladeshi citizens, stranded in India, could enter through Benapole, Akhaura, Burimari Darshana, Hili, and Sonamasjid.
The general movement of people between Bangladesh and India, through all the other land ports, will remain suspended.
Also read: Bangladesh loses 26 more lives to Covid, toll reaches 12,310
Railroads will be encouraged for the export and import of goods between the two countries during this period.
Bangladesh citizens now stranded in India, who qualifies and are willing to return to the country, will have to submit a Covid-19 negative certificate with QR code (RT-PCR) to obtain a no-objection certificate from Bangladesh missions in New Delhi, Kolkata, and Agartala, the Bangladesh Assistant High Commission in Tripura's Agartala India said Friday.
Also read: Shutting border with India: Experts praise it as prudent decision
Earlier, the government closed the border with India for 14 days with effect from April 26 but cargoes carrying goods were allowed to operate as usual.
Later on May 8, the border suspension was extended for 14 more days.
icddr,b donates essential medical supplies to DMCH for treating critically ill COVID patients
The icddr,b handed over essential supplies containing medical equipment and medicine to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) for the treatment of critical COVID-19 patients on Wednesday.
This is part of a grant agreement between icddr,b and the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation to strengthen icddr,b Dhaka Hospital’s capacity to provide COVID-19 treatment to its staff, and also supporting a healthcare facility serving underprivileged people in Dhaka city.
The medical supplies comprised of three units of High Flow Nasal Cannula (HFNC), 20 units of HFNC accessories, three units of patient monitor, 170 vials of broad-spectrum antiviral medication Remdesivir, and 100 vials of anticoagulant injection, all of which are aimed at reinforcing DMCH’s COVID-19 response.
The handover ceremony took place at DMCH and was attended by icddr,b’s Head, Hospitals Dr Baharul Alam and Brigadier General Md Nazmul Haque, Director, DMCH.
Dr Alam said, “The coronavirus pandemic has led to strained healthcare systems not only in Bangladesh but around the world. Many thanks to the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation for extending their support in strengthening our capacities in treating more patients with quality care.
“I am also thankful to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for the support it provides by treating referral patients requiring multidisciplinary care sent from icddr,b Dhaka Hospital,” he added.
Brig Gen Haque said, “icddr,b and Dhaka Medical College Hospital have close cooperation in relation to patient care. We are grateful for the generosity of the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation and icddr,b for their support of live-saving equipment and medicines. These will certainly boost our treatment effort by many folds.”
Dr Alauddin Al-Azad, Deputy Director, Dr Md Khalequzzaman Khan, Deputy Director, Dr Md Ashraful Alam, Assistant Director, Dr Halima Sultana Haque, Assistant Director, Dr Ashrafun Nahar, Assistant Director, Dr Md Saad Ullah, Senior Store Officer of Dhaka Medical College Hospital and Shihab Uddin Ahmed, Senior Manager, Hospital, of icddr,b were also present at the handover ceremony.
Covid-19: Bangladesh again sees steep rise in deaths, new cases
Bangladesh on Wednesday witnessed 37 more Covid-19 related deaths in 24 hours until Wednesday morning.
The death tally now stands at 12,248 while the mortality rate remains static at 1.56%.
Besides, the country saw 1,608 new cases with an increased number of tests as 20,538 samples were tested during the period, said a handout of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
The infection rate rose to 7.83% from Tuesday’s 7.55%.
Also read: Govt approves proposal to import Sinofarm vaccine
The country reported 30 deaths from the virus on Tuesday and 32 on Monday.
Among the latest fatalities, 24 are men and 13 are women.
3 India returnee students test Covid positive
Three Bangladeshi students, who returned home from India through the Burimari land port, have tested positive for coronavirus.
Lalmonirhat Civil Surgeon Dr Nirmalendu Roy on Sunday said samples collected from the students would be sent to Dhaka for tests to find out if they had been infected by the Indian variant.
The students have been kept in institutional quarantine under the supervision of the district administration at a hotel in Burimari.
Also read: Bangladesh sees only 363 new Covid cases as sample testing falls amid Eid
Patgram Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md Saifur Rahman said the students are doing well.
“Their samples will soon be sent to IEDCR for testing,” he said.
Bangladesh has kept all its borders with India shut since April 26 as the neighbouring country grapples with the new variant of the virus that has infected millions and claimed thousands of lives.
Also read: Bangladesh extends lockdown until May 23
Many Bangladeshi students and patients got stuck in India during the border closure. But they are being allowed to return home with the approval of the authorities concerned and on condition of undergoing mandatory quarantine after entering the country.
Until Sunday afternoon, 202 people returned through the Burimari land port.
Of the returnees, 83 are currently staying in quarantine at five residential hotels and 101 are in Lalmonirhat Sadar Hospital.
Also read: DGHS urges holidaymakers to return to Dhaka after 14 days
Thirty-five of them were released by the upazila administration after they tested negative for the virus.
ICU at BSMMCH hamstrung by lack of staff, equipment
More than 20 lac people live in nine upazilas of Faridpur district. The 517-bed Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical College Hospital (BSMMCH) located in the district headquarter acts as the major treatment hub for these people, as well as the people of some nearby districts.
But Covid-19 patients are not getting proper services in the ICU unit of the hospital, due to shortage of necessary medical equipment and inadequate number of doctors, even though the authorities claim that they are giving their best efforts.
The hospital is expected to have 24 doctors across two shifts for the 16-bed ICU unit but there are 9 doctors only. Besides, only ten out of 16 ICU beds have monitors running and ventilators work for eight, complained the hospital authority.
Read 'Sadaqa can be Islamic response to pandemic'
Juthika Biswas, a nurse at the ICU ward, said, "The most vulnerable coronavirus infected-patients are treated in this ward. It is hard to cope up with the small number of staff we have, we are still trying our level best.”
The number of patients in Covid unit is increasing day by day. Due to the poor number of doctors and the lack of necessary equipment their treatment is being hampered.
According to the Faridpur Civil Surgeon's Office, in the second wave of Covid-19 the total number of infected people in the district has been 9568 of which 137 patients have died.
Read Birdem shuts ICU after detecting coronavirus patients
Despite all the odds, the staff of BSMMCH corona ward have been serving the patients at the risk of their own lives.
BSMMCH ICU ward in-charge Dr. Ananta Kumar Biswas, referring to various problems at the hospital, said the pressure of Covid-19 positive patients in the ICU ward is very high compared to the number of doctors. Where 24 doctors are needed, there are only 9. The situation is the same in other wards as well.
"In this situation if we’re provided with doctors, high flow nasal canals, monitors and ventilators, we can deal with any situation," he claimed.
Read DGHS urges holidaymakers to return to Dhaka after 14 days
BSMMCH Director Dr. Saiful Islam said, "I have sent a letter to the ministry asking for more doctors and equipment for the large number of patients during this pandemic."
Covid-19: 22 more lives lost, lowest daily deaths in 7 weeks
Covid-19 claimed 22 more lives in Bangladesh in the past 24 hours until Saturday morning which is the lowest daily deaths in nearly two months.
The country saw 26 Covid deaths on Friday and 31 on Thursday.
With the latest deaths logged today, the official Covid-related death count in the country reached 12,124.
However, the mortality rate remained unchanged at 1.55%, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
The country witnessed a sharp drop in the number of new cases as the tests have declined dramatically.
Only 261 infections were logged in the last 24 hours after examining 3,758 samples during the period.
The number of daily cases has been decreasing since the beginning of May, falling below 2,000.
Besides, the number of tests fell below 20, 00 on May 7 and has been on the wane since.
Also read: Covid-19: Ongoing lockdown to be extended until May 23
The country also confirmed 779,796 Covid-19 cases in total, says the DGHS handout.
The daily infection rate dropped to 6.95% from Friday's 10.82%, while the recovery rate stood at 92.52%.
Bangladesh has so far carried out 5,702,286 tests since reporting the first Covid-19 cases on March 8 last year and the first death from the virus on the 18th of the month.
The country experienced a surge in Covid-19 cases in April, recording its highest single-day cases of 7,626 on April 7. It witnessed over 100 deaths during April 16-19 and on April 25.
Lockdown extended till May 23
The government is going to extend the ongoing lockdown for another week until May 23 to stem the spread of Covid-19.
“The ongoing restrictions will be extended for another week and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has given approval to it. A notification will be issued on Sunday,” State Minister for Public Administration Farhad Hossain told UNB on Friday.
The nationwide lockdown, imposed on April 5 to break the chain of Covid-19 infections and fatalities, has been extended several times to limit public movement and contain the surge in daily infections.
Also read: Global Covid cases approach 162 million
Vaccination drive
In late January, countries including Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka started receiving vaccine doses through donations from India and other countries and commercial deals.
Bangladesh launched its vaccination drive on February 7 with Oxford-AstraZeneca doses purchased from India's Serum Institute.
The government signed an agreement with Serum for 30 million doses. But India temporarily halted exports of vaccines on March 24 to prioritise domestic requirements, following an explosion in Covid cases and fatalities in the country.
The move has left the region with a serious shortage of vaccines.
The administering of the first dose in Bangladesh 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.
5 lakh Chinese vaccine doses arrive
Bangladesh on Wednesday received 5 lakh doses of China's Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine as a gift.
Also read: 500 thousand doses of China’s gifted vaccine arrive in Bangladesh
The development came after the WHO listed the Sinopharm vaccine for emergency use, giving a nod for it to be rolled out globally.
Initially reluctant Bangladesh approved the Chinese jabs along with Russia's Sputnik vaccine as the second wave of the pandemic hit the country with dwindling vaccine stock.