Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday said the government has collected a total of 29,64,84,120 doses of vaccine from across the world as of April 4. She said this while replying to a tabled question from ruling party MP Morshed Alam (Noakhali-2) during PM’s question-answer session. Read: Padma Bridge to open to traffic end this year, PM informs Parliament She also informed the House that, so far over 12,80,70,948 12 people have been given first dose while 11,42,67,956 people have been given second dose Covid-19 vaccine. Besides, 1,00, 81,193 people have been given booster dose. About the cost for procuring Covid-19 vaccine, the prime minister said that it was possible to procure vaccines at a relatively cheaper price by negotiating with the countries concerned. “Since there is a non-disclosure agreement for the purchase of vaccines, it would not be appropriate to disclose the cost of vaccines or related expenses.” Replying to another question from Mamtaj Begum, she said that some 76,70,399 Bangladeshi workers went abroad from 2009-2022. “During the COVID-19 pandemic some 9,36,955 people got employment in abroad,” she said. Read: Japan: Lasting Rohingya solutions to help a free Indo-Pacific Replying to a question from Nur Uddin Chowdhury Nayan (Laxmipur-2), Hasina said an initiative has been taken to formulate a universal pension scheme to ensure financial security of the country's elderly by bringing them under sustainable and well-organised social security framework. “To this end, the enactment of a law on universal pension and the formation of an authority under that law are in process.”

Bangladesh on Tuesday administered over 66 lakh Covid vaccine doses, scripting a new record on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s birthday. Though it was the first time that such a large number of people got the Covid shot in a single day, the special nationwide drive to mark Hasina’s 75th birthday fell short of its target of inoculating 75 lakh citizens. Across eight divisions, 66,25,123 people were vaccinated, "which is a record number of jabs inoculated in Bangladesh in a single day", the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) has said. Read:Hasina’s birthday celebrated amid mass vaccination campaign Mostly Chinese Sinopharm vaccine shots were given as the first dose -- 65,69,782 people across Bangladesh were administered the jab on Tuesday. In addition, 39,111 doses of the Oxford-AstraZenecca vaccine, 11,287 doses of the Pfizer vaccine and 4 943 doses of the Moderna vaccine were administered under this special programme.

The overall number of global Covid cases is fast nearing 230 million, as the world still grapples to contain the second outbreak of the pandemic even with mass inoculations underway. The total caseload and fatalities from the virus stand at 229,513,803 and 4,707,676, respectively, as of Wednesday morning, according to Johns Hopkins University (JHU). So far, 5,962,946,306 Covid vaccine doses have been administered across the globe. Read:India to restart Covid vaccine exports to COVAX, neighbours The US has logged 42,410,289 cases and 678,405 deaths to date, according to the JHU data. Covid-19 deaths in the US have climbed to an average of more than 1,900 a day for the first time since early March, with experts saying the virus is preying largely on a distinct group: 71 million unvaccinated Americans, according to AP. Now, nearly 64% of the US population has received at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine. And yet, average deaths per day have climbed 40% over the past two weeks, from 1,387 to 1,947, according to the data. Brazil currently has the world's second-highest pandemic death toll after the United States and the third-largest caseload after the United States and India. The country has recorded 21,259,122 cases with 591,440 fatalities so far, according to its health ministry. India's Covid-19 tally rose to 33,504,534 on Tuesday, as 26,115 new cases were registered in 24 hours across the country, as per the health ministry data. Read:India warns of tit-for-tat action against UK's Covid vaccine policy Besides, as many as 252 deaths due to the pandemic were reported during the period, taking the total fatalities to 445,385. According to Times of India, the country’s Covid-19 vaccination coverage has crossed the 82 crore landmark milestone on Tuesday. The figures were released by the Indian government. Situation in Bangladesh Covid-19 claimed 26 more lives and infected 1562 others in 24 hours till Tuesday morning. The latest cases emerged after 33,375 samples were tested, showing a decline in the daily case positivity rate -- from 5.67 percent to 4.69 percent, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) said. The case positivity rate is the lowest in around six months as the country last recorded 4.98 percent daily case positivity rate on March 8 this year. According to DGHS, the fresh numbers took the country’s total Covid-19 fatalities to 27,277 on Tuesday while the caseload mounted to 1,545,800. Meanwhile, it said, the fatality rate remained static at 1.76 percent. Read:Covid’s daily positivity rate in Bangladesh falls below 5% Besides, the recovery rate also remained static with 97.34 percent on Tuesday, with the recovery of 1,603 patients during the 24-hour period. So far, 1,504,709 people have recovered from the deadly virus infections, according to the DGHS figures. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that the daily case positivity rate should remain at 5% or below for 14 days before mass unlocking.

The global Covid-19 caseload is now nearing the grim milestone of 207 million, as the highly contagious Delta variant continues to devastate several countries even though mass vaccination drives are underway. The total caseload and fatalities from the virus stood at 206,662,675 and 4,353,058 respectively, as of Sunday morning, according to Johns Hopkins University (JHU). So far, 4,645,965, 832 Covid vaccine doses have been administered across the globe, as per the university data. Read: Covid-19: Bangladesh reports 178 more deaths, 6,885 new cases The US has logged 36,631,893 cases and 621,209 deaths to date, according to the JHU data. The death toll in the United States is the highest in the world. Brazil currently has the world's second-highest pandemic death toll after the United States and the third-largest caseload after the United States and India. The South American Country has reported 20,350,142 cases with 568,788 fatalities as of Sunday morning. India's Covid-19 tally rose to 32,156,493 on Saturday as 38,667 new cases were registered during the past 24 hours across the country, showed the federal health ministry's latest data. Read: US okays Covid booster dose for those with weak immune systems Besides, as many as 478 deaths due to the pandemic since Friday morning took the total death toll to 430,732. Situation in Bangladesh With Covid-19 vaccine jabs still remaining off the peak in Bangladesh, the country reported 178 more coronavirus-related deaths and 6,885 fresh infections in 24 hours till Saturday Morning. The fresh numbers took the country’s death tally to 23,988 while the total cases mounted to 1,412,218, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). The new infections were detected after testing 33,330 samples, bringing down the case positivity rate slightly to 20.66% from Friday’s 20.88%. Read: Photos showing how hospitals in Bangladesh struggling with dengue patients amid covid surge Since the beginning of the vaccination programme, as many as 5,428,345 people have been fully vaccinated with Covid jabs while the government completed administering the first dose to 15,461,583 people, said the DGHS. People in Bangladesh are now showing more interest in receiving Covid-19 vaccine shots as 31,828,492 have registered for the vaccination so far. Getting vaccinated prevents severe illness, hospitalizations, and death; and with the Delta variant; this is more urgent than ever, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Health authorities have set a target to inoculate over 1.16 lakh city residents in the first phase, amid a devastating second wave of the Covid pandemic. The nationwide mass immunisation drive starts on August 7 and will continue till August 12. People above 18 years are eligible for getting a shot in the arm. Read: Khulna division logs 31 Covid deaths in 24 hours The mass immunisation programme will start in 31 wards of the city and there will be three centres in each ward, said Khulna City Corporation (KCC) health officer Swapan Haldar. "Only Moderna vaccine doses will be given in the city. Some 200 women and men can get the jabs from each centre daily. As per the target, some 1,16,600 people would be covered under the vaccination programme," said Swapan. Besides, centres will be opened in primary schools and the designated places selected by the councillors concerned to mitigate the huge demand for Covid vaccine doses. Read:No movement without vaccine will be allowed after Aug. 11: Minister Two vaccinators and three volunteers will be there at each centre. Already 186 vaccinators have been given training, the health officer said. The mass vaccination drive will begin at 9 am and will continue till 3 pm daily, and all eligible vaccine candidates would be asked  to maintain social distancing norms. Read:Covid vaccination reduces chances of hospitalization, mortality: IEDCR study The authorities will inform people through loudspeakers and all people have been asked to carry their NID card with them for taking vaccine doses. The government is set to launch a nationwide mass vaccination drive from 14,000 vaccine centres from August 7, aimed at giving shots to one crore people in one week.

As Bangladesh plans to begin it's mass inoculation drive from Sunday, Covid-19 vaccine doses have arrived in 14 upazilas of Chattogram.