As many as 19 more people have died of Covid-related reasons at Rajshahi Medical College and Hospital (RMCH) in the past 24 hours, health officials said on Tuesday. While 11 of them were confirmed Covid-19 patients, seven showed symptoms of the virus, said hospital director Brigadier General Shamim Yeazdani. Read:Rajshahi sees 18 more Covid-19 deaths in 24 hrs Besides, one more died due to post-Covid complications during this period, he added. Of the deceased, seven were from Rajshahi, four from Chapainawabganj, five from  Natore, two from Naogaon and one from Pabna. While nine of them were men, the remaining were women. Shamim said that 47 people have been admitted to the corona unit of the hospital in the past 24 hours. On the other hand, some 30 people were discharged from the hospital after recovery during the period. Read:17 more die of Covid at Rajshahi hospital Besides, some 392 people are currently undergoing treatment in the 513-bed corona unit of the hospital. RMCH has been one of the most stretched hospitals in the country during the second wave of Covid-19, particularly since the latter part of May when the deadly Delta variant of the virus was identified in multiple samples of Rajshahi division.

As many as 21 more people have died of Covid-19 at Rajshahi Medical College and Hospital (RMCH) in the past 24 hours, health officials said on Tuesday. While 10 of them were confirmed Covid-19 patients, the remaining showed symptoms of the virus, said hospital director Brigadier General Shamim Yeazdani. Read: 22 die of Covid at Rajshahi hospital in 24 hours Of the deceased, seven were from Rajshahi, one from Chapainawabganj, three from  Natore, four from Naogaon, five from Pabna, and one from Jhenaidah district. Shamim said that 55 people have been admitted to the corona unit of the hospital in the past 24 hours. On the other hand, some 40 people were discharged from the hospital after recovery during the period. Read: 25 more die of Covid at Rajshahi hospital Besides, some 399 people are currently undergoing treatment in the 513-bed corona unit of the hospital. RMCH has been one of the most stretched hospitals in the country during the second wave of Covid-19, particularly since the latter part of May when the deadly Delta variant of the virus was identified in multiple samples of Rajshahi division.

Eighteen more Covid-related deaths have been reported at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital (RMCH) in the past 24 hours. Of the deceased, eight tested positive for Covid-19 while the remaining 10 showed symptoms of the virus, hospital authorities said on Thursday. Read:17 more die of Covid at Kushtia hospital Hospital Director Brigadier General Shamim Yazdani said that nine of the deceased were from Rajshahi district, three from Naogaon, two each from Chapainawabganj and Natore and one each from Kushtia and Pabna districts. Besides, 114 people have tested positive for corona in the past 24 hours. "A total of 429 samples were tested in two laboratories of the district during the period," he said. The positivity rate currently stands at 26.57%, which was 21.92% a day before. Read: Covid-19 response: Citibank NA Bangladesh steps forward to support communities Shamim Yazdani also said 70 people were admitted to the corona unit of the hospital in 24 hours till Thursday morning. Forty-eight people were discharged from the hospital after recovery during the period. Moreover, 485 people are currently undergoing treatment against 454 beds at the corona unit of the hospital. Among them, 20 patients are undergoing treatment in the ICU. Read:20 more die of Covid at Rajshahi hospital RMCH has been one of the most stretched hospitals in the country during the second wave of Covid-19, particularly since the latter part of May when the deadly Delta variant of the virus was identified in multiple samples in Rajshahi division.  

Eighteen more Covid-19 related deaths were reported at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital (RMCH) in the last 24 hours till Monday morning as the country continues to reel from a devastating 2nd wave of the virus. Read:13 more die of Covid at Rajshahi hospital Of the new fatalities, 12 tested positive for Covid-19, five had the symptoms but had not been tested or were not in possession of their test result, while one was receiving treatment at the unit despite a negative test result. Rapid antigen tests being used in the district can often throw up false negative results.  Director General of the hospital Brigadier General Shamim Yazdani, said eight of the patients were from Rajshahi district, three from Natore, four from Naogaon and one each from Chapainawabganj, Kushtia, and Pabna districts. Read:Rajshahi Medical sees 22 deaths in single day RMCH has been one of the most stretched hospitals in the country during the second wave of Covid-19, particularly since the latter part of May when the deadly Delta variant of the virus was identified in multiple samples in Rajshahi division.  

Serum Institute has sought indemnity against legal proceedings linked to the use of its vaccines in India as well as the government's nod to produce Russian Covid-19 jab Sputnik V in this country. "Not just Serum Institute of India (SII), all the vaccine companies should get indemnity protection against liabilities if foreign companies are granted it," a company official told the local media on Thursday. Read:India's COVID-19 tally rises to 28,441,986 Serum's demand comes in the wake of media reports that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government is planning to grant legal protection to foreign Covid vaccine makers Pfizer and Moderna. The vaccine maker has also sought permission from the country's drugs controller for a test licence to manufacture Sputnik V shots in India. "SII put up an application to the Drugs Controller General of India on Wednesday, seeking permission to manufacture Sputnik V in India," another company official told the local media. Read: India to start trials on safety, efficacy of mixing Covid vaccine doses  

Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Li Jiming has said China is ready to help Bangladesh with more medical supplies, including medical oxygen, if the situation gets worse as it is facing the second wave of Covid-19. “China is ready to offer more, if needed,” he said, recalling how Bangladesh and China helped each other in dealing with the first wave of Covid-19. Read:Chinese Embassy invites essays from Bangladeshi friends Ambassador Li said they will do whatever they can during the second wave of Covid-19 in Bangladesh. He said this pandemic unseen in a century is a global challenge, and past experience keeps reminding them that only through cooperation within the international community they can embrace victory. “Bangladesh has done what it can to fight the pandemic, and it’s my strong conviction that with the joint efforts of the people of Bangladesh and government, and the help of the international community, Bangladesh’s V-Day over Covid-19 will be just around the corner,” said the Chinese Ambassador. He made the remarks during a virtual programme organised by the Diplomatic Correspondents Association, Bangladesh (DCAB) on Monday. DCAB President Pantho Rahaman and its General Secretary AKM Moinuddin also spoke at the event. The Ambassador said it is believed that the safe and reliable Chinese vaccine will play a positive role in the construction of Bangladesh’s anti-epidemic defence line, help the people of Bangladesh to overcome the epidemic, and continue the friendship story between the two countries. He said, “The virus respects no boundary, and we’re all in this together. Solidarity and cooperation are our most powerful weapon in this war.” The envoy said China hopes all parties will take real action, provide more vaccines to developing countries, including Bangladesh, and contribute to the equitable distribution and application of vaccines across the world so that we can defeat the virus at an early date. Some 500,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccines gifted by the Chinese government to Bangladesh will arrive in Dhaka on Wednesday. Ambassador Li said it is a concrete step towards honoring President Xi Jinping’s pledge of making Covid-19 vaccines a global public good, a solid action taken by both sides towards building a community with a shared future for mankind, and a powerful measure to implement the consensus reached in the recent virtual meeting of Foreign Ministers of China, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka on Covid-19. Read:5 lakh doses of Chinese vaccine to arrive on May 12: Envoy This vaccine gift (Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine) is produced by Beijing Bio-Institute of Biological Products Co Ltd, a subsidiary of China National Biotec Group. The World Health Organization (WHO) listed the Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use, giving the green light for this vaccine to be rolled out globally. The Sinopharm product is an inactivated vaccine called SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine (Vero Cell). He said its efficacy for symptomatic and hospitalised disease was estimated to be over 79%, all age groups combined and its easy storage requirements make it highly suitable for low-resource settings. The envoy said it is also the first vaccine that will carry a vaccine vial monitor, a small sticker on the vaccine vials that change color as the vaccine is exposed to heat, letting health workers know whether the vaccine can be safely used. Last year, at China’s most trying moments, Bangladesh was among the first countries to donate medical supplies to China in a great act of valuable support. When the epidemic situation in China eased, China supported Bangladesh’s fight against the virus through various means including gifting medical supplies and sending medical experts. China offered to gift vaccines to Bangladesh in February but the Embassy did not get the EUA (Emergency Use Authorization) from the government of Bangladesh until April 30. Though facing difficulties of huge domestic demand and a tight supply of international market, China decided to give priority to ensuring that the vaccines arrive in Bangladesh as soon as possible, said the Ambassador. He said although it was the May Day holiday in China (five days), many Chinese workers worked overtime and sacrificed personal rest time to rush out these vaccines in less than two weeks. Read:Beijing wants Dhaka not to join Quad The Ambassador said it is under the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and with the great spirit of fighting the pandemic that they are able to conquer the virus. The year 2021 marks the birth centenary of the CPC which, in the days to come, will continue leading the Chinese people to work relentlessly to fight the pandemic, promote global economic recovery and defend peace, development, equity, justice, democracy and freedom which are shared values of humanity, he said.  

Hit hard again, this time by the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, Bangladesh's small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are now pinning hopes on the upcoming budget to stay afloat. Not to mention that the survival of these firms is important as they are one of the major employers in the country's economy. Ranging from short-term liquidity and tax cuts to simple compliance for availing loans and extension of debt repayment periods by at least two years, these enterprises seek an array of relief from the government to tide over the economic crisis. These leeways to SMEs, entrepreneurs say, will not only help the sector survive but also ensure the preservation of jobs. Read Speakers urge for simplifying process of stimulus fund disbursement to SMEs Kazi Sazedur Rahman, the president of Paper Cup Manufacturers' Association of Bangladesh (PCMAB), told UNB that though a slew of stimulus packages was announced by the government last year, over 80 percent of the small entrepreneurs in Bangladesh failed to reap the benefits of the same due to corruption in the system. “Though Bangladesh Bank said that over 72 percent of the stimulus packages worth Tk20,000 crore were disbursed as loans until March 31, the reality is different. Some 95 percent of the disbursed loans were availed by corporate houses through sister concerns floated overnight," said Sazedur, also the MD of KPC Industry. According to him, the SME sector has again been hit hard by the second wave of Covid. "The government has so far been very supportive of the sector, but the problem lies at the loan distribution level. Many SMEs are already out of the banking system. If more help is not extended to the sector in the coming fiscal, then many more SMEs will disappear." Also read: Central bank to support SMEs build resilience The small entrepreneurs also seek a substantial cut in the value-added tax on various items in the upcoming budget -- from the existing 15 percent to 5 percent. "Lower taxation will, in turn, benefit the economy as many SMEs don't acquire trade licenses to avoid paying 15% VAT. So, a cut in VAT will benefit both the government as well as the SMEs," Sazedur said. "Moreover, the central bank should immediately impose a moratorium on old loan repayments as it has already extended the deadline till June 30 for banks to disburse stimulus funds among businesses in the cottage, micro, small and medium enterprise (CMSME) sector. Otherwise, many defaulting entrepreneurs won't get the benefit." Read Raise threshold for financial reporting of SMEs: DCCI

Fear of the second wave of COVID-19 looms large in India as 46,951 new cases reported during the past 24 hours took the total tally to 11,646,081, according to the data issued by the federal health ministry on Monday.

Over 79.8 million people have been infected globally with coronavirus while the deaths have surged to 1.7 million, according to the Johns Hopkins University (JHU).

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday said the government is taking preparations so that children can return to their educational institutions and resume their academic activities normally.