The newly detected sub-variant of Omicron, the South African variant of coronavirus, can be even more contagious, warned the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). There is no alternative to abiding by the health protocols to stay safe, DGHS spokesperson Dr Md Nazmul Islam said at the daily briefing on Covid-19 situation on Wednesday. Read: DGHS shortens isolation period for Covid patients to 10 days Nazmul Islam said the sub-variant of Omicron has already been detected in 57 countries in the world. Citing various studies, the World Health Organization (WHO) stated that this sub-variant might be more contagious than before and if it is more infectious it may create greater risks, the official added. Nazmul said it is necessary to act responsibly, including following the hygiene rules, so that the number of infected people cannot increase further. The pressure on the ICU, HDU and oxygen supply in hospitals will increase with the rise in the number of patients. "We’re ready to tackle this pressure," said the official. Central oxygen lines have already been set up in 119 hospitals and more than 29,000 oxygen cylinders, 2,000 high-flow nasal cannula and 2,300 Oxygen concentrators are being used, he said. "If we look at Covid-linked deaths as per age, the highest number of deaths was reported among people of the 61-70 age group," he said. Meanwhile, as per division-wise deaths, the highest 12,451 deaths were reported in Dhaka division which is more than 43.80 per cent of the total deaths. Read: Omicron replacing Delta through community transmission: DGHS Besides, Dr Nazmul added that efforts are on to find out how many people among the deceased were vaccinated and how many not.   In January, the country reported 322 Covid-linked deaths and 73% of them were unvaccinated, said Dr Nazmul. Among the 322 deaths during the period, 234 were unvaccinated patients while 18 received the first dose, 68 the second dose and 2 the third dose, he added.

Dhaka International Trade Fair (DITF) will continue at Purbachal in compliance with health  protocols until a decision is made to close it, Commerce Ministry sources said. The National Technical Advisory Committee on Covid-19 has not yet recommended closing of the fair, it will be closed if the committee suggests it, they said. Read: Dhaka International Trade Fair kicks off at Purbachal A senior official (export wing) of the ministry told UNB on Tuesday that the number of stalls has been reduced and the authorities will ensure mask wearing by visitors and maintenance of other guidelines including physical distancing. "We have a monitoring team at the fair premises to monitor whether the visitors are following the hygiene rules. Officials of the Export Promotion Bureau have been given the responsibility of monitoring through an office order,” he added. The government is going to implement 11-point restriction across the country from Thursday (January 13) as the coronavirus infections keep rising in the country. The 26th edition of Dhaka International Trade Fair kicked off on January 1. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the fair at Bangabandhu Bangladesh-China Friendship Exhibition Center (BBCFEC) at Purbachal on the outskirts of the capital. The Ministry of Commerce and the Export Promotion Bureau have been organizing trade fairs since 1995. However, this is the first time the fair has been organised in a permanent fair complex. Read: Dhaka International Trade Fair begins Saturday in Purbachal BRTC buses have been arranged from Kuril Biswaroad to the fair venue for the convenience of general visitors. There are 30 special buses running from Kuril to the trade fair venue. The fare is Tk 30  per person. BRTC buses also run from Motijheel and Mirpur to the fair venue. A total of 23 pavilions, 27 mini pavilions, 162 stalls and 15 food stalls of different categories have been allotted to local and foreign companies in the trade fair.There were 11 foreign stalls participating in the fair.

The authorities of Islamic University in Kushtia resumed in-person classes on Monday after about 18 months of closure due to Covid-19 outbreak. The decision of resuming physical classes was taken at the university’s 263rd syndicate meeting held on the campus in October 4. Read:IU student arrested for spreading rumor on social media The classes are being held maintaining health guidelines. The university reopened all the halls for its residential students on October 9. The university authorities allowed only those students, who had received at least one dose of a Covid vaccine, to enter the halls.

The physical classes of all departments of Islamic University will resume on Wednesday after about 18 months of closure due to Covid-19 outbreak. Many students have already returned to the campus as the university authorities reopened its dormitories for the students on October 9. Read:17 IU teachers among world’s best researchers University authorities allowed only those students, who  had received  at least one dose of a Covid vaccine, to enter the halls.  The decision was taken in IU's 263rd syndicate meeting  held on the campus on October 9. All departments have already taken preparation to hold physical classes, IU treasurer Professor M Alamgir Hossain Bhuiya said. Read: IU to reopen residential halls on Oct 9 The in-person classes will be held maintaining health guidelines, he added. The university remained closed since March 18, 2020 due to the pandemic.

Older adults without heart disease shouldn't take daily low-dose aspirin to prevent a first heart attack or stroke, an influential health guidelines group said in preliminary updated advice released Tuesday. Bleeding risks for adults in their 60s and up who haven't had a heart attack or stroke outweigh any potential benefits from aspirin, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force said in its draft guidance. For the first time, the panel said there may be a small benefit for adults in their 40s who have no bleeding risks. For those in their 50s, the panel softened advice and said evidence of benefit is less clear. The recommendations are meant for people with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity or other conditions that increase their chances for a heart attack or stroke. Regardless of age, adults should talk with their doctors about stopping or starting aspirin to make sure it's the right choice for them, said task force member Dr. John Wong, a primary-care expert at Tufts Medical Center. "Aspirin use can cause serious harms, and risk increases with age,'' he said. Read: Eating chili peppers may prevent fatal heart attacks and stroke If finalized, the advice for older adults would backtrack on recommendations the panel issued in 2016 for helping prevent a first heart attack and stroke, but it would be in line with more recent guidelines from other medical groups. Doctors have long recommended daily low-dose aspirin for many patients who already have had a heart attack or stroke. The task force guidance does not change that advice. The task force previously said a daily aspirin might also protect against colorectal cancer for some adults in their 50s and 60s, but the updated guidance says more evidence of any benefit is needed. The guidance was posted online to allow for public comments until Nov. 8. The group will evaluate that input and then make a final decision. The independent panel of disease-prevention experts analyzes medical research and literature and issues periodic advice on measures to help keep Americans healthy. Newer studies and a re-analysis of older research prompted the updated advice, Wong said. Aspirin is best known as a pain reliever but it is also a blood thinner that can reduce chances for blood clots. But aspirin also has risks, even at low doses — mainly bleeding in the digestive tract or ulcers, both of which can be life-threatening. Dr. Lauren Block, an internist-researcher at Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research in Manhasset, New York, said the guidance is important because so many adults take aspirin even though they have never had a heart attack or stroke. Read: Millions should stop taking aspirin for heart health Block, who is not on the task force, recently switched one of her patients from aspirin to a cholesterol-lowering statin drug because of the potential harms. The patient, 70-year-old Richard Schrafel, has high blood pressure and knows about his heart attack risks. Schrafel, president of a paperboard-distribution business, said he never had any ill effects from aspirin, but he is taking the new guidance seriously. Rita Seefeldt, 63, also has high blood pressure and took a daily aspirin for about a decade until her doctor told her two years ago to stop. "He said they changed their minds on that,'' recalled the retired elementary school teacher from Milwaukee. She said she understands that science evolves. Wong acknowledged that the backtracking might leave some patients frustrated and wondering why scientists can't make up their minds. "It's a fair question,'' he said. ''What's really important to know is that evidence changes over time.''

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday urged all to follow the health guidelines to protect themselves from coronavirus and wear masks even after getting vaccinated. “We should follow health protocols to keep ourselves safe from Coronavirus. All, including those vaccinated, should mask up to prevent the spread of the virus,” she said. The Prime Minister came up with her renewed call while speaking at Parliament on a condolence motion. Parliament unanimously adopted a condolence motion expressing profound grief at the demise of Jatiya Party MP for reserved women seat and a presidium member of Jatiya Party Prof Masuda M Rashid Chowdhury. Speaking on the condolence motion, leader of the House and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said the demise of Prof Masuda caused a huge loss to society. “She was a very learned person…these days such a knowledgeable person is rarely seen,” she said. Hasina said she was a teacher, politician, social worker, women entrepreneur, and engaged in children and women sports with versatile qualities. Read: Take Covid-19 vaccine, follow health guidelines: PM Hasina The Prime Minister said had Prof Masuda been lived longer she could have contributed more to society. Hasina expressed her profound shock as the 11th Parliament is taking condolence motion one after another due to the deaths of its members. Jatiya Party chairman and deputy leader of the opposition GM Quader, opposition chief whip Masiur Rahman Ranga, Anisul Islam Mahmud, BNP MP Harun Ur Rashid, Jatiya Party MP Nazma Akther, AL MP Moslem Uddin Ahmed, Jatiya Party MP Lazi Firoz Rashid, AL MP Abdus Sobhan Miah, Jatiya Party MP Shamim Haider Patwary, AL MPs Syeda Johra Alauddin, Simin Hossain Rimi and Washiqua Ayesha Khan also spoke on the condolence motion. Prof Masuda M Rashid Chowdhury passed away on Monday at the age of 70. She was elected MP for the first time in 2019 from reserved seats for women in parliament.

`Faced with the mounting Covid-19 cases and hospitalization, the government has imposed restrictions alongside the existing ones on the movement of people and other activities for five days more in an effort to slow the virus transmission. The Cabinet Division issued the notification on Thursday which will remain in force from 12 am on August 5 till 12 am on August 10. Read:Lockdown breaches in Dhaka: 425 more held; over Tk13 lakh fined According to the notification, the industries and factories will remain out of the purview of the restriction while the domestic flight will be operated following health guidelines. On July 22, the Bangladesh government announced the resumption of the countrywide strict lockdown from July 23. The nationwide lockdown, first imposed for 14-days until August 5, has now been extended for another five days till August 10 amid a surge in the Delta variant of Covid-19 infections across the country. The government also asked all concerned to take measures in this regard.

The Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and its equivalent examinations maybe be held either in the second week of November or the first week of December this year maintaining health guidelines if the Covid-19 situation improves in Bangladesh. Education Minister Dipu Moni came up with the disclosure while speaking at a virtual press briefing over the SSC and HSC examinations. Read:Scientific evidence to guide decision on SSC, HSC exams: Dipu Moni “The examinations will be held with short syllabuses on three elective subjects on group basis, and 24 assignments will be given for SSC students while 30 assignments for HSC students before the examinations,” she told journalists. “No assignment will be given on Bangla, English and other compulsory subjects and the 4th subjects. The SSC examinees will be given assignments from July 18 while the HSC examinees will be given that from July 26,” she said. The minister urged the students to carry out their assignments attentively. Read: Dhaka Board suspends registration process for HSC exams When talking to journalists, Dipu said: “The Covid-19 vaccination programme is going on and the infection rate has declined in the months of November and December. As per our previous experiences, we hope that the infection rate may come down at the end of the year.” The process of filling up forms will start online after the Eid-ul-Azha, she said, adding, ““If the Covid-19 situation doesn’t improve in time, then the results of SSC and HSC will be published based on the results of the previous examinations and assignments.” Educational institutions across the country have remained shut since March last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The closure was extended several times, most recently until July 31, 2021. Read: Decision on SSC and HSC exams soon: Education Minister Last year’s HSC examinees were evaluated on the basis of their results of JSC and SSC exams, a decision which received a mixed reaction. On June 13, Dr Dipu Moni said her ministry is preparing to take SSC and HSC examinations this year with shortened syllabuses. 

Alongside the online sale of sacrificial animals, cattle markets will be set up across the country following health guidelines ahead of Eid-ul-Azha, said Local Government and Rural Development (LGRD) Minister Md Tajul Islam on Tuesday. “Eid-ul-Azha is the second biggest festival of Muslims and people’s emotion is involved in it. Last year, cattle markets were set up  amid the Covid-19 pandemic and this year the government has also decided to set up cattle markets by maintaining health protocols including social distancing,” he said. The Minister came up with the information while addressing an inter-ministerial meeting virtually over the preparations of Eid-ul-Azha. There will be one way communication in the cattle markets and the exit and entry points will be separate, said Tajul. Also read: Cattle markets open in Dhaka amid low arrival, high prices Besides, the authorities concerned will take measures to ensure that all will maintain  health guidelines at the markets , he said. All necessary tools including temperature measuring machines, hand sanitizing tools and soap must be kept at cattle markets, said the Minister. He also asked the authorities concerned to remove the waste of sacrificial animals within 24 hours. Tajul also urged people to buy cattle  online. “All necessary steps have been taken ensure buy and sale of cattle  online and necessary measures will be taken to ensure social distancing in the cattle markets. Already the government has taken steps to create awareness among people through advertisement and a guideline was issued from the Health Directorate about waste management and cattle purchase,” he said. Also read: 10 cattle markets to be set up maintaining health rules: DNCC Mayor Issuing a warning, the LGRD Minister said “No cattle market will be allowed at places that disrupt traffic movement and legal action will be taken against those who will violate the order.” He also asked the public representatives to monitor the overall situation in the cattle market. Mayors of all city corporations, senior secretaries and high official concerned of the Local Government Ministry joined the meeting.

Amid the alarming Covid situation in the country, a man was fined Tk 50,000 for bringing his nephew’s new bride by helicopter in Shariatpur Sadar upazila defying the health protocols in place for the pandemic. Abdus Salam Sardar, 48, was fined by Upazila Nirbahi Officer Mondip Ghorai for arranging a grand procession using helicopter, band party and palanquin which risked many of contracting with the Coronavirus. Also read: 60-year-old Shariatpur man dies in isolation unit According to locals, around 11am, the grand procession reached Natun Haat bridge area where a curious mass gathered to observe it. UNO Mandip Ghorai said, for causing public gathering and violating health guidelines Abdus Salam was fined under section 259 of penal code, 1860. Also read: 11 fined in Chandpur for defying health rules