Bangladesh reported 22 more coronavirus-related deaths in the last 24 hours till Thursday morning, pushing up the country's fatalities to 12,480. Besides, 1,292 more people were found positive for Covid-19 after testing 15,915 samples during the period. The daily positivity rate declined to 8.12 percent  from Wednesday’s 9.11 percent, said the Directorate General of Health Services. Read:AstraZeneca: Govt's desperate efforts yet to yield any good news Health authorities logged 17 Covid-related deaths on Wednesday, the lowest number in 68 days.The country saw 16 Covid-19 deaths on March 18 last. The fatality rate remained at 1.57% . The recovery rate stood at 92.47% as 1,291 people recovered in the last 24 hours. The overall recovery number is 7,35,157 till date. With the fresh cases, the country’s total caseload reached 7,94,985. The country has carried out 58,87,268 sample tests since reporting its first cases on March 8 last year and the first death on March 18, 2020. Vaccination drive update Bangladesh launched its vaccination drive on February 7 with Oxford-AstraZeneca doses purchased from India's Serum Institute. The administration of the first dose remained suspended since April 26. Also, the country, the prime recipient of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines, has suspended the registration for Covid-19 jabs due to vaccine shortage amid a delay in the timely arrival of shipments from India. However, the administering of the 1st dose of Chinese Sinopharm vaccine against Covid-19 began in Bangladesh on Tuesday. Cabinet body okays procurement of 1.5 cr Sinopharm vaccine The Cabinet Committee on Public Purchase on Thursday gave final approval to a proposal of the Health and Family Welfare Ministry to procure 1.5 crore Chinese Sinofarm Covid-19 vaccine. Read:Cabinet body okays proposal to procure 1.5 crore Chinese Sinopharm vaccine As per the approval, the Health Services Division of the Health and Family Welfare Ministry will procure a total of 15 million (1.5 crore) vaccine in the next three months—June, July and August. Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal presided over the Cabinet body meeting.  “Each month 5 million doses of vaccine will be imported from the Chinese firm”, Dr Shahida Aktar, additional secretary to the Cabinet Division, told reporters while briefing on the outcomes of the cabinet body meeting.  

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs has suggested the ministry keep up intensified efforts to get Oxford-AstraZeneca and China's Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccines from India, China and the United States.  The 20th meeting of the committee was held at Sangsad Bhaban on Sunday with its Chairman Faruk Khan in the chair. Committee members including Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen, Nurul Islam Nahid and M Abdul Majid were present.  It reviewed the current situation about procurement of vaccines, celebrations of 50 years of Bangladesh's Independence and other issues, said a media release.  Dr Momen on Saturday said there is nothing to be worried about the availability of vaccines, noting that the government will have enough vaccines soon from alternative sources. Also read: Nothing to be worried about vaccines: FM “I believe we'll have enough vaccines. No person should be worried about it. Vaccines will come timely and all will get it,” he said in a video message shared on his verified Facebook page. The Foreign Minister said Bangladesh is much ahead of many countries in the world in procuring vaccines and launching vaccination drives across the country. He said many European countries decided about which vaccine they should use just in April whereas in Bangladesh many people got vaccinated. Apart from China and Russia, Dr Momen said, there is much possibility to get vaccines from the US. Also read: Deal with Russia soon over Covid vaccine: Health Minister The Foreign Minister has recently written a letter to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken seeking vaccine doses for immediate and long-term needs. The government has sought immediate release of 2-4 million doses of vaccine from the US and a total of 10 to 20 million doses of vaccine for the long-term supply. The US will share up to 60 million doses of its Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine with other countries as they become available. The Foreign Minister said 5,00,000 doses of Chinese vaccine will arrive on May 12 as gift from the Chinese government. Also read: Bangladesh seeks immediate delivery of 4 mn vaccine doses from US: FM The World Health Organization (WHO) has listed the Sinopharm vaccine for emergency use, giving the green light for this vaccine to be rolled out globally. The Sinopharm vaccine is produced by Beijing Bio-Institute of Biological Products Co Ltd, subsidiary of China National Biotec Group (CNBG). Dr Momen said Russia's Sputnik V vaccine showed over 97 percent efficacy while the Chinese vaccines were taken by 100 million people without any side effects. Bangladesh has received 7 million doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine produced by Serum Institute of India (SII) through its contract. Bangladesh also received 3.3 million doses of vaccine as a bilateral partnership gift. This is the largest amount sent from India to any country.