Bangladesh reported five more Covid-related deaths along with 177 fresh cases in 24 hours till Saturday morning amid the entry of its new variant, Omicron. With the latest cases, the daily-case positivity rate declined to 1.13 per cent from Friday’s 1.34 per cent, said the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). The total fatalities mounted to 28,022 while the caseload mounted to 15,78, 996, with the number of fresh cases. Read: Omicron also enters Bangladesh; first 2 cases detected Meanwhile, the mortality rate remained static at 1.77 per cent during the period. All the five latest deceased were women and four of them were from Dhaka division while another from Chattogram division. The fresh cases were detected after testing 15,632 samples. Besides, the recovery rate decreased to 97.77 per cent with the recovery of 122 more patients during the 24-hour period. On Thursday, Bangladesh again logged zero Covid-related death after nearly three weeks as the pandemic is apparently showing signs of easing. The country reported this year’s first zero Covid-related death in a single day on November 20 along with 178 infections since the pandemic broke out in Bangladesh in March 2020. Bangladesh reported the highest number of daily fatalities of 264 on August 5 this year, while the highest daily caseload was 16,230 on July 28 this year. However, some of the leading public health experts in Bangladesh have warned that the current trend of plummeting Covid-19 cases in Bangladesh could well be the obvious calm before a cataclysmic storm. Read: Omicron not ‘less dangerous’; it’s matter of time for Bangladesh to get a case: Experts Their fears centre around children below 12 who remain out of the vaccine coverage and the elderly people. These experts fear a slow pace of vaccination, waning vaccine immunity, sheer disregard for Covid-safety protocols, reopening of schools and increased travel may set the stage for another Covid wave in Bangladesh -- a trend many European countries are witnessing now. Omicron enters Bangladesh Bangladesh on Saturday reported the first two cases of Omicron variant of coronavirus. “These two infected female patients (cricketers) returned from Zimbabwe recently,” ASM Alamgir, chief scientific officer of the Institute of Epidemiology Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), told UNB. He said the Omicron patients are members of the Bangladesh Women's Cricket Team and they do not have any severe symptoms. However, the two female members of the cricket team have been kept in a hotel for isolation, he added. The two cricketers tested positive for Covid-19 on December 6. Read: Companies rethink return-to-office plans amid omicron cases The women's team recently returned home from Zimbabwe after confirming their participation in the next 50-over World Cup, which will be Bangladesh’s maiden World Cup appearance as well. No new lockdown On December 5, Health Minister Zahid Maleque ruled out any further Covid-induced lockdown in the country. “The Covid-19 situation in Bangladesh is under control now and there’s no possibility to enforce any lockdown in the country,” he said.  

Amid a global scare over the new strain of Covid-19, the overall number of coronavirus cases has surged past 269 million. According to Johns Hopkins University (JHU), the total case count mounted to 269,110,185 while the death toll from the virus reached 5,294,933 Saturday morning. The US has recorded 49,833,432 cases to date and more than 796,749 people have died so far from the virus in the country, as per the university data. Brazil, which has been experiencing a new wave of cases since January, registered 22,177,059 cases as of Friday, while its Covid death toll rose to 616,457. India's Covid-19 tally rose to 34,674,643 on Friday as 8,503 new cases were registered in 24 hours across the country, as per the federal health ministry data. Read: COVID-19: India's 50 pc adults fully vaccinated, Centre targets 100 pc 1st dose coverage by December 31 Besides, as many as 624 deaths due to the pandemic were reported since Thursday morning, taking the total death toll to 474,479. Situation in Bangladesh Bangladesh logged only one Covid-related death and 269 fresh cases in 24 hours till Friday morning. With the latest cases, the daily case positivity rate increased to 1.34 percent from Thursday’s 1.22 percent, said the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). The total fatalities mounted to 28,017 while the caseload mounted to 15,78 819, with the fresh number of cases. Meanwhile, the mortality rate remained static at 1.77 percent during the period. The fresh cases were detected after testing 20,066 samples. Besides, the recovery rate remained unchanged at 97.78 percent, with the recovery of 249 more patients during the 24-hour period. Read: Omicron brings COVID-19 vaccine inequity 'home to roost' On Thursday, Bangladesh again logged zero Covid-related death after nearly three weeks as the pandemic is apparently showing signs of easing amid the emergence of the Omicron variant. The country reported this year’s first zero Covid-related death in a single day on November 20 along with 178 infections since the pandemic broke out in Bangladesh in March 2020. Bangladesh reported the highest number of daily fatalities of 264 on August 5 this year, while the highest daily caseload was 16,230 on July 28 this year. So far, 4,20,43,323 people have fully been vaccinated in the country, while 6,62,87,396 received the first dose as of Thursday, according to the directorate. Among them, 2,07,010 students aged from 12 to 17 have fully been vaccinated, while 11,89,540 students received the first dose so far. However, some of the leading public health experts in Bangladesh have warned that the current trend of plummeting Covid-19 cases in Bangladesh could well be the obvious calm before a cataclysmic storm. Their fears centre around children below 12 who remain out of the vaccine coverage and the elderly people.

The overall number of Covid cases has surged past 256 million amid the global race to vaccinate masses against the infectious disease. According to Johns Hopkins University (JHU), the total case count mounted to 256,617,432 while the death toll from the virus reached 5,139,946 Saturday morning. The US has recorded 47,658, 708 cases to date and more than 770,671 people have died so far from the virus in the country, as per the university data. Brazil, which has been experiencing a new wave of cases since January, registered 22,003,317 cases as of Friday, while its Covid death toll rose to 612,370. India's Covid-19 tally rose to 34,489,623 on Friday, as 11,106 new cases were registered during the past 24 hours across the country, showed the federal health ministry data. Also read: COVID-19′s global death toll tops 5 million in under 2 years Besides, 459 deaths have been recorded since Thursday morning, taking the death toll to 465,082. Situation in Bangladesh Bangladesh logged seven more Covid-linked deaths and 253 fresh infections in 24 hours till Friday morning, according to the Directorate General of Health Services. Of the deceased three were men and four women, said DGHS. The daily case positivity rate increased to 1.40 from Thursday’s 1.25 percent. The fresh numbers took the total fatalities to 27,946 while the country’s caseload mounted to 15, 73,711, said DGHS. Also read: Merck agrees to let other drug makers make its COVID pill Dhaka division logged six Covid-related deaths while Chattogram division logged one during the period, it said. However, the mortality rate remained static at 1.78 percent. The fresh cases were detected after testing 18,124 samples, the directorate added. Besides, the recovery rate remained the same as 97.72 percent, with the recovery of 294 more patients during the 24-hour period.

Covid-19 in Bangladesh claimed the lives of 67 people in 24 hours until Saturday morning, the highest daily deaths in 48 days. The country last recorded 69 deaths on May 2 this year. Meanwhile, 3,057 new infections were detected after testing 16,964 samples, said a handout issued by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHs). Also read:  Covid: Bangladesh's daily positivity rate jumps to 18.59%; 54 lives lost With these, the country's death toll rose to 13,466 while the caseload to 848,027. However, the positivity rate slightly fell to 18.02% from Friday’s 18.59% while the death rate remained static at 1.59%, shows the DGHS handout. Friday’s positivity rate was the highest in two months.

Bangladesh is unlikely to see any improvement in the Covid-19 situation before June next as the country is still in the grip of its second wave, predicted by a group of local and international health experts. Using a mathematical model, Bangladesh Como Modelling Group, a group of experts from both Bangladesh and Oxford University, also projected that the country will witness a similar infection rate intermittently till the end of May while the situation may improve in June. However, some local experts think the virus is yet to reach its peak as it is spreading fast in newer areas alarmingly since many people had returned to their village homes from corona hotspots before the government enforced the lockdown. Talking to UNB, Dr Abu Jamil Faisel, a member of Bangladesh Como modelling group, said: “We’ve a projection that the current uptrend in Covid deaths and cases will continue erratically until the end of May. The situation may improve in June.” He said they think the country is going through the peak of the fresh wave of the virus. “As per our projection, there’ll be a month of plateau and the country will witness the similar infection rate for two more weeks and then it’ll start flattening.” Faisel said they projected that the infection rate will not substantially fall till the end of May. “But we couldn’t clearly project the death rate as it often fluctuates, and it depends on hospital management and some other factors. But it’s my personal assumption that the total death toll may surpass 12,000 at the end of May month.” He said they shared their projection with the government. “We’re going to update the projection as we’re working on it.” Dr Faisel, also a member of the public health expert team for the eight divisions formed by the government, said they recommended taking a coordinated and effective plan to break the cycle of the corona transmission. “Cent percent mask use must be ensured and the number of the daily tests must be increased so that the positive cases can be detected fast for putting them in isolation. We also need to focus on contact tracing,” Dr Faisel said. Also read: No risk of contracting Covid-19 due to vaccination: DGHS Besides, he said, they suggested setting up field hospitals for ensuring better patient management at the initial stage of infection. “There should be dedicated ambulances for carrying Covid patients to hospitals.” Strengthening preventive measures Meerjady Sabrina Flora, additional director general of the health directorate, said the peak of the virus depends on some factors. “If we can strictly maintain the preventive measures we’ve taken now, then we can expect to see a gradual fall in virus infection rate.” She said the number of deaths is high but not the virus death rate. “As the infection number has increased, the number of deaths has also soared.” Flora said the Coronavirus death rate was 1.53 before the fresh wave of the virus, but this has now come down to 1.43. “That means the number of deaths increased due to the rise in the number of infections.” She said there is no alternative to controlling the transmission of the virus to lower the number of deaths. “We must strengthen our preventive measures to check the virus infections.” Read Brac to launch antigen testing Saturday

As the Coronavirus infection cases keep rising in Bangladesh, 26 more deaths and 1,719 new cases were reported in 24 hours till Tuesday morning, mounting concerns among people.

The number of confirmed cases of coronavirus has climbed to 10,021 in Sylhet division, with detection of 56 fresh cases  on Saturday.