With the new variants of Covid-19 spreading faster than ever before in several nations, the global corona cases have now topped 183 million. According to Johns Hopkins University (JHU), the total case count and fatalities reached 183,015,891 and 3,962,894, respectively, on Saturday morning. To date, 3,128,422,118 vaccine doses have been administered across the world. The US, the world's worst-hit country in terms of cases and deaths, has so far logged 33,693,352 infections and 605,309 fatalities, respectively, as per the JHU data. READ: Global Covid cases top 182.5 million Brazil registered 1,857 more deaths from Covid-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the national death toll to 521,952, the health ministry said Friday. A total of 65,165 new infections were detected during the period, raising the total caseload to 18,687,469, the ministry said. India’s fatality toll reached 400,312, with 853 deaths in 24 hours, the federal government said on Saturday morning. Besides, 46,617 new cases were reported during this period, pushing up the national tally to 30,458,251. Situation in Bangladesh As Covid-19 cases keep surging at a breakneck speed across Bangladesh, the country reported over 100 deaths for the sixth straight day on Friday. The new number, 132 deaths, took the country's toll to 14,778. Bangladesh reported 143 deaths on Thursday, its highest-ever daily fatality from the pandemic, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). ‘Dangerous period with Delta variant’ The head of the World Health Organization says the world is in “a very dangerous period” of the Covid-19 pandemic, noting the more contagious delta variant is identified in nearly 100 countries. At a press briefing on Friday, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the delta variant, first found in India, is continuing to evolve and mutate, and it is becoming the predominant Covid-19 virus in many countries. “I have already urged leaders across the world to ensure that by this time next year, 70% of all people in every country are vaccinated,” he said, adding that would effectively end the acute phase of the pandemic. READ: Global Covid cases near 182 million He noted three billion doses of Covid jabs have already been distributed and, “it’s within the collective power of a few countries to step up and ensure that vaccines are shared.” Of the vaccine doses given globally, fewer than 2% have been in poorer countries.  Although rich countries, including Britain, the US, France and Canada, have pledged to donate 1 billion Covid-19 vaccines, WHO estimates 11 billion doses are needed to immunise the world.

Bangladesh on Friday reported its highest daily coronavirus cases since July last year. The health authorities confirmed 3,737 cases in the last 24 hours, highest since July 2 last year when the country reported 4,019 cases. On Friday, the daily infection rate rose to 13.69% from 13.26% on Thursday. Meanwhile, 33 deaths reported today pushed the country’s tally to 8,830. Twenty-six of the deaths were reported from Dhaka, six from Chattogram and one from Rajshahi. Also read: Covid-19: Bangladesh records 3-month high 34 deaths; 3,587 fresh cases The death rate is currently 1.5 percent, the Directorate General of Health Services said in a handout. So far, the government has confirmed 588,132 cases but 531,951 (90.45%) of them have recovered, including 2,057 new recoveries. The country has so far tested 4,542,030 samples – 27,299 in the last 24 hours. Bangladesh reported its first coronavirus cases on March 8 last year and the first death on the 18th of that month. The country launched a countrywide vaccination drive on Feb 7. As the daily infection rate rose, the government extended the ongoing shutdown of educational institutions and announced to reopen them in May.

Bangladesh saw a rise in its daily Covid-19 in cases in the last 24 hours till Tuesday morning as the country registered 912 new cases.