As the vaccination drive continues, the Covid-19 fatality rate in Bangladesh largely remained static with health authorities reporting the deaths of seven more people and infections of 256 in 24 hours till Wednesday morning. The daily-case positivity rate increased to 1.31 per cent from Tuesday’s 1.14 per cent. READ: Covid 19: Movement of tourist ships on Teknaf-St Martin's route suspended However, the mortality rate remained static at 1.78 per cent. The fresh cases were detected after testing 19,523 samples, said the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). Three of the deceased were men and two women. With the fresh numbers, the Covid-19 fatalities reached 27,880 while the caseload climbed to 1,570,238, according to the DGHS. Also, the recovery rate climbed to 97.70 per cent with the recovery of 237 more patients during the period. Forty-five Covid-related deaths were reported in the country on the 43th epidemiological week of pandemic from October 25 to 31. Thirty-nine of them did not receive any Covid vaccine while six were vaccinated. Of them, 23 had comorbidities which have declined to 12.5% from the last epidemiological week. Comorbidity means the simultaneous presence of two or more diseases or medical conditions in a patient. On March 18, 2020, Bangladesh logged its first Covid-19 related death. Vaccination drive in Bangladesh So far, 2,98,97,953 people have been fully vaccinated in the country while 4,28,14,447 received the first dose as of Tuesday, according to the DGHS. Meanwhile, the campaign to vaccinate the school students of the 12-17 age group against Covid-19 began in Dhaka on Monday. READ: Covid 19: Bangladeshi expatriate, son die in New York within 3 hours The vaccination campaign will be conducted at eight centres in the capital although it was scheduled to begin at 12 centres in the city. Other centres did not get approval due to lack of adequate facilities.

Families on Wednesday received the remains of 24 people who were killed  in the deadly fire at Hashem Food and Beverage Factory in Narayanganj . The bodies were handed over at the morgue of Dhaka Medical College and Hospital. The identities of 45 workers killed in the factory fire have been confirmed through DNA tests, officials said Tuesday. READ: Rupganj factory fire: 45 DNA-matched bodies to be handed over from tomorrow Narayanganj Deputy Commissioner (DC) Mostain Billah said some of the bodies were kept at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) morgue while the rest at Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital morgue The 24 bodies kept at Dhaka Medical College Hospital morgue were handed to families at noon and the rest which were kept at Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital morgue will be handed over in the next two days, said the Deputy Commissioner. READ: Rupganj factory fire: Owner sent to jail, his 2 sons granted bail He further said that the families of the listed 45 deceased will be given Tk 50,000 for the burial and funeral.