As the country battles a brutal wave of pandemic, Bangladesh logged record-high 258 Coronavirus-related deaths in 24 hours till Tuesday morning, shattering the record of 247 single-day deaths a day before. The country has been seeing nearly 200 deaths every day for the past two weeks and breaking records of daily cases and deaths almost every other day. Besides, 14,925 more people came out Covid positive after the test of 52,478 samples, according to a handout issued by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). The country saw the highest-ever 15,192 Covid cases on Monday. With the new numbers, the death tally from Covid-19 reached 19,779 today while the caseload mounted to 1,194,752. The country has been seeing nearly 9,000 cases on average every day for the past seven days. Meanwhile, the daily test-positivity rate declined to 28.44% from Monday's 29. 82 % while the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a 5% or below rate. Read: COVID-19 vaccination gives 97.4 pc protection from coronavirus infection Besides, the case fatality rate rose to 1.66% during the period after remaining unchanged at 1.65% for a few days, said the DGHS. The recovery rate rose slightly to 85.58% from Monday’s 85.50 % with 12,439 patients recovering during the 24-hour period. Dhaka, the worst hit division, recorded the highest 84 of the deaths today, followed by 61 in Chattogram, 50 in Khulna ,21 in Rajshahi, 13 in Barishal, 11 each in Rangpur and Mymensingh and seven in Sylhet divisions. Of them, 138 were men and 120 were women. As per their age breakdowns, two were between 11-20, eight between 21-30, 16 between 31-40, 31 between 41-50, 54 between 51-60 and 147 were above 60, the release added. Of the deaths, 46.53% were reported in Dhaka division so far followed by 18.37% in Chattogram and 13.20% in Khulna, making them the three worst hit regions of Covid-19 in the country. Read: All will get Covid vaccine shots, reassures PM Hasina Vaccination campaign to gain momentum The Covid-19 vaccination programme at union level will start across the country on August 7, said Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal on Tuesday. The minister announced the government's decision while talking to reporters after a meeting held at the conference room of the Cabinet division. “The prime minister has ordered speeding up the vaccination drive. One can get vaccinated at the union level showing his or her NID card. Vaccination centres will be set up in unions across the country before August 7,” he said.     Those who do not have any NID will be vaccinated under a special arrangement, he added. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday reaffirmed her government's stance to ensure Covid-19 vaccine doses for all in any case. Read: Vaccination at union level to start on Aug 7: Home Minster The prime minister said she has already given directives to vaccinate the helping hands of a family, including housemaids and drivers, so that all of a family can remain protected. The prime minister said 1.87 crore people have so far been vaccinated and all will be brought under the vaccination programme. The prime minister said Bangladesh will produce vaccines in the future so that the people of the country do not suffer in any way. The national vaccination campaign will now be accelerated at ward, union and upazila levels of the country as per directives of the prime minister, Maleque said while briefing reporters after attending the Cabinet meeting on Monday. An initiative has been taken to vaccinate elderly people from the ward level as they are more reluctant about receiving it, the minister said, stressing the need for ensuring more Covid-19 tests of the samples coming from rural areas.