Bangladesh registered 21 more Covid cases in 24 hours till Wednesday morning. With the new numbers, the country's total caseload rose to 2,037,208, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). However, the official death toll from the disease remained unchanged at 29,440 as no new fatalities were reported. The daily case test positivity fell to 0.62 per cent from Tuesday's 0.74 per cent as 3,404 samples were tested during the period. The mortality and recovery rates remained unchanged at 1.45 percent and 97.59 per cent, respectively, it added. Also Read: Bangladesh logs 31 more Covid cases In December last year, the country reported seven Covid-linked deaths and 540 cases. Bangladesh registered its highest daily caseload of 16,230 on July 28 in 2021 and daily fatalities of 264 on August 5 the same year.  

The overall number of Covid cases is fast approaching 534 million amid a rise in new infections in parts of the world. According to the latest global data, the total case count mounted to 534,750,202 while the death toll from the virus reached 6,318,996 on Saturday morning. The US has recorded 86,440,603 cases so far and 1,033,369 people have died from the virus in the country, the data shows. India's Covid-19 tally rose to 43,168,585 on Friday, as 4,041 new cases were registered in 24 hours across the country, showed the health ministry's latest data. Besides, 10 deaths from the pandemic registered across the country since Thursday morning took the total death toll to 524,651. Also read: Covid-19: Bangladesh reports 1 death after a week with 34 cases Situation in Bangladesh Bangladesh registered 29 new Covid cases in 24 hours till Friday morning, taking the country's total caseload to 1,953,592. The country's total fatalities remained unchanged at 29,131 as no deaths were reported during the period, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). The daily test positivity rate increased to 0.60 percent from Thursday’s 0.42 percent as 4, 787 samples were tested. The mortality rate remained unchanged at 1.49 percent. The recovery rate rose to 97.44 percent as 195 patients recovered during this period. Also read: Shanghai to ease COVID-19 control measures In May, the country reported only four Covid-linked deaths and 816 new cases while 7,356 patients recovered from the disease, according to the DGHS. Among the four deaths during the period, one was vaccinated with single dose of a Covid vaccine while three were vaccinated with two doses.    

The overall number of Covid cases is fast approaching 513 million amid a rise in new infections in parts of the world. According to Johns Hopkins University (JHU), the total case count mounted to 512,935,802 while the death toll from the virus reached 6,233,628 Saturday morning. The US has recorded 81,320,794 cases so far and 993,571 people have died from the virus in the country, the university data shows. Also read: Bangladesh reports 27 new Covid-19 cases, no death India's Covid-19 tally rose to 43,072,176 on Friday, as 3,377 new cases were registered in 24 hours across the country, showed the federal health ministry's latest data. Besides, 60 deaths across the country due to the pandemic since Thursday morning took the total death toll to 523,753. Situation in Bangladesh Bangladesh reported 30 fresh Covid cases in 24 hours till Thursday morning, taking the total caseload to 19,52,674. As per the latest government data, the country’s total fatalities remained unchanged at 29,127 as no one died during the period, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). The daily positivity rate slightly dropped to 0.63 per cent from Thursday's 0.41 per cent after testing 4,762 samples during the period. On Thursday, the number of infections was lower as 19 new cases were reported with zero deaths. Besides, the mortality rate remained unchanged at 1.49 per cent. The recovery rate rose to 97.05 per cent with the recovery of 326 more patients during the 24-hour period. In March, the country reported 85 Covid-linked deaths and 8,000 new cases while 66,639 patients recovered from the disease, according to DGHS.

The overall number of Covid cases has surged past 511 million amid a rise in new infections in parts of the world. According to Johns Hopkins University (JHU), the total case count mounted to 511,565,815 while the death toll from the virus reached 6,228,089 Thursday morning. The US has recorded 81,189,379 cases so far and 992,722 people have died from the virus in the country, the university data shows. India's Covid-19 tally rose to 43,065,496 on Wednesday, as 2,927 new cases were registered in 24 hours across the country, the federal health ministry's data shows. This is the eighth consecutive day when the number of new cases breached the 2,000-mark, after lying low for the past several months. Also read: Bangladesh must stay alert against Covid-19 infections: Minister Altogether 32 deaths have been reported across the country since Tuesday morning, taking the total death toll to 523,654. Situation in Bangladesh Bangladesh logged 23 fresh Covid-19 cases in 24 hours till Wednesday morning, taking the total caseload to 19,52,625. As per the latest government data, the country’s total fatalities remained unchanged at 29,127 as no deaths were reported during the period, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). The daily positivity rate increased to 0.47% from Tuesday’s 0.38% after testing 4,888 samples during the period. The recovery rate rose to 97.02% with the recovery of 334 more patients during the 24-hour period. In March, the country reported 85 Covid-linked deaths and 8,000 new cases while 66,639 patients recovered from the disease, according to DGHS. Also read: COVID shots still work but researchers hunt new improvements Among the 85 deaths during the period, 44 were unvaccinated patients, 11 were vaccinated with the first dose of Covid-19 vaccine, 28 with the second dose and two with the third dose. The country reported its first zero Covid-related death in a single day on November 20 last year, along with 178 infections, since the pandemic broke out in Bangladesh in March 2020. On January 28, Bangladesh logged its previous highest daily positivity rate at 33.37% reporting 15,440 cases and 20 deaths. Besides, the country registered the highest daily caseload of 16,230 on July 28 last year, while the highest number of daily fatalities was 264 on August 10 last year.

Bangladesh logged 27 fresh Covid cases in 24 hours till Friday morning, taking the total caseload to 19,52,224. As per the latest government data, the country’s total fatalities remained unchanged at 29,124 as no deaths were reported during the period. The daily positivity rate increased to 0.64 per cent from Thursday's 0.52 per cent after testing 4,212 samples during the period, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). Also read: Bangladesh logs 35 Covid cases, no deaths On Thursday, the number of infections was higher as 35 new cases were reported with no death.  Besides, the mortality rate remained unchanged at 1.49 per cent. The recovery rate rose to 96.83 per cent with the recovery of 180 more patients during the 24-hour period. In March, the country reported 85 Covid-linked deaths and 8,000 new cases while 66,639 patients recovered from the disease, according to DGHS. Among the 85 deaths during the period, 44 were unvaccinated patients, 11 were vaccinated with the first dose of Covid-19 vaccine, 28 with the second dose and two with the third dose. The country reported its first zero Covid-related death in a single day on November 20 last year, along with 178 infections, since the pandemic broke out in Bangladesh in March 2020. Also read: Covid-19: Bangladesh reports 31 news cases, zero death On January 28, Bangladesh logged its previous highest daily positivity rate at 33.37 per cent reporting 15,440 cases and 20 deaths. Besides, the country registered the highest daily caseload of 16,230 on July 28 last year, while the highest number of daily fatalities was 264 on August 10 last year.

The overall number of Covid cases has surged past 443 million as Omicron infections keep rising across the world. According to Johns Hopkins University (JHU), the total case count mounted to 443,375,197 while the death toll from the virus reached 5,988,883 Saturday morning. The US has recorded 79,249,113 cases so far and 958,095 people have died from the virus in the country, the university data shows. India's Covid-19 tally rose to 42,951,556 on Friday, as 6,396 new cases were registered in 24 hours across the country, showed the federal health ministry's latest data. Also read: France lifts Covid restrictions on Bangladesh Besides, 201 deaths from the pandemic since Thursday morning took the total death toll to 514,589. Meanwhile, Brazil, which has been experiencing a new wave of cases since January last year, registered 28,978,052 cases as of Friday, while its Covid death toll rose to 651,522. Situation in Bangladesh Bangladesh reported six more Covid-linked deaths with 604 fresh cases in 24 hours till Friday morning. The daily positivity rate slightly increased to 3.20 per cent from Thursday’s 2.91 per cent after testing 18,964 samples during the period, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). On Thursday, Bangladesh reported five more Covid-linked deaths with 657 fresh cases. The fresh numbers took the country’s total fatalities to 29,064 and the caseload to 19,46,369. Meanwhile, the mortality rate remained unchanged at 1.49 per cent. However, the recovery rate kept increasing to 94.33 per cent with the recovery of 4,403 more patients during the 24-hour period. On January 28, Bangladesh logged its previous highest daily positivity rate at 33.37 per cent reporting 15,440 cases and 20 deaths. On December 9 last year, Bangladesh logged zero Covid-related death after nearly three weeks. The country reported its first zero Covid-related death in a single day on November 20 last year, along with 178 infections, since the pandemic broke out in Bangladesh in March 2020. Besides, the country registered the highest daily caseload of 16,230 on July 28 last year, while the highest number of daily fatalities was 264 on August 10 last year.

The explosive increase in U.S. coronavirus case counts is raising alarm, but some experts believe the focus should instead be on COVID-19 hospital admissions. And those aren’t climbing as fast. Dr. Anthony Fauci, for one, said Sunday on ABC that with many infections causing few or no symptoms, “it is much more relevant to focus on the hospitalizations as opposed to the total number of cases.” Other experts argue that case counts still have value. As the super-contagious omicron variant rages across the U.S., new COVID-19 cases per day have more than tripled over the past two weeks, reaching a record-shattering average of 480,000. Schools, hospitals and airlines are struggling as infected workers go into isolation. Meanwhile, hospital admissions averaged 14,800 per day last week, up 63% from the week before, but still short of the peak of 16,500 per day a year ago, when the vast majority of the U.S. was unvaccinated. Deaths have been stable over the past two weeks at an average of about 1,200 per day, well below the all-time high of 3,400 last January. Also read: FDA paves way for Pfizer COVID-19 vaccinations in young kids Public health experts suspect that those numbers, taken together, reflect the vaccine’s continued effectiveness at preventing serious illness, even against omicron, as well as the possibility that the variant does not make most people as sick as earlier versions. Omicron accounted for 95% of new coronavirus infections in the U.S. last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Tuesday, in another indication of how astonishingly fast the variant has spread since it was first detected in South Africa in late November. Dr. Wafaa El-Sadr, director of ICAP, a global health center at Columbia University, said the case count does not appear to be the most important number now. Instead, she said, the U.S. at this stage of the pandemic should be “shifting our focus, especially in an era of vaccination, to really focus on preventing illness, disability and death, and therefore counting those.” Also read: Pfizer asks FDA to OK COVID-19 booster shots for all adults Daily case counts and their ups and downs have been one of the most closely watched barometers during the outbreak and have been a reliable early warning sign of severe disease and death in previous coronavirus waves. But they have long been considered an imperfect measure, in part because they consist primarily of laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19, not the actual number of infections out there, which is almost certainly many times higher. The daily case counts are also subject to wild swings. The number of new cases recorded on Monday topped an unprecedented 1 million, a figure that may reflect cases that had been held up by reporting delays over the holiday weekend. The seven-day rolling average is considered more reliable. Now, the value of the daily case count is being called into question as never before. For one thing, the skyrocketing increase reflects, at least in part, an omicron-induced stampede among many Americans to get tested before holiday gatherings, and new testing requirements at workplaces and at restaurants, theaters and other sites. Also, the true number of infections is probably much higher than the case count because the results of the at-home tests that Americans are rushing to use are not added to the official tally, and because long waits have discouraged some people from lining up to get swabbed. But also, case numbers seem to yield a less useful picture of the pandemic amid the spread of omicron, which is causing lots of infections but so far does not appear to be as severe in its effects. Case counts have lost relevance, said Andrew Noymer, a public health professor at the University of California, Irvine. “Hospitalizations are where the rubber meets the road,” Noymer said. “It’s a more objective measure.” He added: “If I had to choose one metric, I would choose the hospitalization data.” Even hospital numbers aren’t a perfect reflection of disease severity because they include patients admitted for other health problems who happen to test positive for the coronavirus. Keeping track of COVID-19 admissions can tell doctors something about the seriousness of the virus and also the capacity of hospitals to deal with the crisis. That, in turn, can help health leaders determine where to shift equipment and other resources. Still, health experts are not prepared to do away with case counts. “We should not abandon looking at case numbers,” said Dr. Eric Topol, head of the Scripps Research Translational Institute, “but it is important to acknowledge we’re seeing only a portion of the actual number of cases.” Ali Mokdad, a professor of health metrics sciences at the University of Washington in Seattle, said that for each new infection detected, the U.S. is missing two cases. But he said tracking the number of positive test results is still important as omicron makes its way across the land. Case numbers can point to future hot spots and indicate whether a wave of infection has peaked, Mokdad said. Also, case counts will continue to be important to people who are vulnerable because of age or health reasons and need a sense of the virus’ spread in their communities so they can make decisions about precautions, he said. Hospitals, schools and businesses need to plan for absences. “To give up on knowing if cases are going up or down, it’s flying blind. How can we as a country not know the epidemic curve for infection?” Mokdad said. If testing has lost its relevance, he said, it is because the U.S. never developed a way to consistently and reliably monitor infections. “It’s not acceptable to cover failure by changing the rules,” he said.

The overall number of global Covid cases is fast approaching 268 million amid the Omicron-driven surge. According to Johns Hopkins University (JHU), the total case count mounted to 267,794,444 while the death toll from the virus reached 5,278,886 Thursday morning. The US has recorded 49,537,175 cases to date and more than 793,188 people have died so far from the virus in the country, as per the university data. New cases in the US climbed from an average of nearly 95,000 a day on November 22 to almost 119,000 a day this week, and hospitalisations are up 25% from a month ago. The increases are due almost entirely to the delta variant, though the Omicron mutation has been detected in about 20 states and is sure to spread even more, reports AP. Deaths are running close to 1,600 a day on average, back up to where they were in October. And the overall US death toll less than two years into the crisis could hit another heartbreaking milestone, 800,000, in a matter of days. Also read: 2 members of Bangladesh women cricket team test positive for Covid-19 Brazil, which has been experiencing a new wave of cases since January, has registered 22,167,781 cases so far, while its Covid death toll rose to 616,251. India's Covid-19 tally rose to 34,656,822 on Wednesday, as 8,439 new cases were registered in 24 hours across the country, as per the federal health ministry. Besides, 195 deaths from the pandemic since Tuesday morning took the total death toll to 473,952. Situation in Bangladesh Bangladesh logged six more Covid-related deaths and 277 fresh cases in 24 hours till Wednesday morning. With the latest cases, the daily case positivity rate declined to 1.35 percent from Tuesday’s 1.45 percent, said the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). Also read: COVID-19: India's 50 pc adults fully vaccinated, Centre targets 100 pc 1st dose coverage by December 31 With the fresh numbers, the total fatalities rose to 28,016 while the caseload mounted to 15,78,288. However, the mortality rate remained static at 1.78 percent during the period. The fresh cases were detected after testing 20,644 samples, amid the growing concern over the new Omicron variant of the coronavirus. Besides, the recovery rate remained unchanged at 97.78 percent with the recovery of 296 more patients during the 24-hour period. On November 20, Bangladesh logged this year’s first zero Covid-linked death with 178 cases. Bangladesh reported the highest number of daily fatalities of 264 on August 5 this year, while the highest daily caseload was 16,230 on July 28 this year. So far, 3,96,58,932 people have fully been vaccinated in the country, while 6,56,18,894 received the first dose as of Tuesday, according to the directorate. Among them, 1,65,072 students, aged from 12-17, have fully been vaccinated, while 10,10,083 students received the first dose so far.

The overall number of Covid cases is fast approaching 250 million amid the global race to vaccinate masses against the infectious disease. According to Johns Hopkins University (JHU), the total case count mounted to 249, 502,872 while the death toll from the virus reached 5,043,945 as of Sunday morning. The US has recorded 46,461,564 cases to date and more than 754,278 people have died so far from the virus in the country, as per the university data. Brazil, which has been experiencing a new wave of cases since January, have registered 21,874,324 cases so far, while its Covid death toll rose to 609,388. India's COVID-19 tally rose to 34,344,683 on Saturday, as 10,929 new cases were registered during the past 24 hours across the country, the federal health ministry's latest data showed. Besides, as many as 392 deaths due to the pandemic have been reported since Friday morning, taking the total death toll to 460,265. Also read: FDA paves way for Pfizer COVID-19 vaccinations in young kids Situation in Bangladesh  Bangladesh logged just a single Covid-related death in 24 hours till Saturday morning, the lowest in nearly 18 months.  During the period, the country also registered 154 fresh cases, said the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). Bangladesh reported its first death from Covid-19 on March 18, 2020. The person who died during the period was a man. The fresh numbers took the total fatality to 27,891 while the country’s caseload mounted to 1,570,835. Meanwhile, the daily-case positivity rate slightly increased to 1.18 per cent from Friday’s 1.12 per cent. However, the mortality rate remained static at 1.78 per cent. The fresh cases were detected after testing 13, 072 samples, said the DGHS. Also read: Dual disaster management during COVID-19 pandemic underscored    Also, the recovery rate remained unchanged at 97.70 per cent with the recovery of 157 more patients during the period. So far, 30,521, 391people have fully been vaccinated in the country while 43,356,273 received the first dose as of Friday, according to the DGHS. Meanwhile, the campaign to vaccinate the school students of the 12-17 age group began in Dhaka on Monday. 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.

The overall number of Covid cases has surged past 248 million amid the global race to vaccinate masses against the infectious disease. According to Johns Hopkins University (JHU), the total case count mounted to 248, 041,490 while the death toll from the virus reached 5,021, 129 on Thursday morning. The US has recorded 46,252, 631 cases to date and more than 750,410 people have died so far from the virus in the country, as per the university data. Brazil, which has been experiencing a new wave of cases since January, registered 21,835,785 cases as of Wednesday, while its Covid death toll rose to 608,235. Besides, daily coronavirus cases and deaths in Russia remained at their highest numbers of the pandemic Wednesday as more regions announced extending existing restrictions in an effort to tame the country’s unrelenting surge of infections, reports AP. Also read: FDA paves way for Pfizer COVID-19 vaccinations in young kids Russia’s state coronavirus task force reported 40,443 new confirmed cases from a day earlier. It was the fifth time in seven days that the country reported more than 40,000 infections. The task force also reported a daily record of 1,189 Covid-19 deaths. According to JHU data, Russia registered 8,494,589 cases as of Thursday, with 237,619 deaths. India's Covid-19 tally rose to 34,308,140 on Wednesday, as 11,903 new cases were registered during the past 24 hours across the country, as per the federal health ministry's latest data. Besides, 311 more deaths were recorded since Tuesday morning, taking the death toll to 459,191. Also read: Dual disaster management during COVID-19 pandemic underscored    Situation in Bangladesh   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 percent from Tuesday’s 1.14 percent. However, the mortality rate remained static at 1.78 percent. 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 DGHS. Also, the recovery rate climbed to 97.70 percent, 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. 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 DGHS. Meanwhile, the campaign to vaccinate school students in the age group of 12-17 years against Covid-19 began in Dhaka on Monday.