The Covid-19 situation in Bangladesh is getting worse day by day as 78 more people died in 24 hours till Monday morning with its daily positivity rate hitting 19.27%, the highest in two months.
During the period, 4,636 new cases were detected after the tests of 24,057 samples, said a handout issued by the Directorate General of the Health Services (DGHS).
With the new numbers, the death toll in Bangladesh reached 13,626 today while the caseload rose to 856,304.
However, the mortality rate remained static at 1.59%, said the DGHS handout.
So far, 785482 people have recovered from the virus infections taking the recovery rate to 91.73%, showing a downtrend for more than a week.
Also read: Lockdown in 7 districts from Tuesday as Covid cases soar
Of the fresh cases, 1,837 were detected in Dhaka, 945 in Khulna and 799 in Rajshahi divisions, the three regions that showed the highest infections during the 24-hour period.
Of the deceased, 23 were reported in Dhaka, 15 in Rajshahi, 14 in Khulna, 11 in Chatogram, nine in Rangpur, three in Barishal, two in Sylhet and one in Mymensingh divisions.
7 districts go under emergency lockdown
The government has announced a 9-day lockdown in Narayanganj, Gazipur, Munshiganj, Manikganj, Rajbari and Gopalganj districts from Tuesday as the Covid-19 situation continues to worsen across the country.
The Cabinet Division issued a circular in this regard.
The circular said the lockdown will remain in force from 6 am on June 22 to June 30 midnight.
However, emergency services like transportation of agricultural equipment and inputs (seeds, fertilizer, insecticides, agri machinery), crops, food items, relief activities, health services, Covid-19 vaccination, water, power, gas, fire service, port activities, telephone, internet services, mass media (electronic and print), private security services, postal services and offices related to emergency services, their employees, vehicles will remain out of the purview of the restrictions, the circular added.
Covid-19: Bangladesh’s daily positivity rate hits 19.27%; 78 more die
Rolling out of Pfizer vaccine
Bangladesh on Monday started administering the first doses of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine at three centers in Dhaka to fight off Covid-19.
The vaccine is being administered first at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), Sheikh Russel Gastro-liver Institute and Kurmitola General Hospital.
In each of these centres, 120 people will be vaccinated every day from 9 am to 3 pm.
Besides, Vice-Chancellor of BSMMU Prof Dr Sharfuddin Ahmed and Director of Kurmitola General Hospital Brig Gen Jamil Ahmed inaugurated the vaccination campaign at their respective institutions in the morning.
On May 27, the government approved the emergency use of Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine in the country.
Bangladesh on Saturday started administering Sinopharm vaccine doses across the country.
The vaccination started in the capital and elsewhere in the country with 11 lakh doses of Sinopharm vaccine gifted by China, said the DGHS.
Bangladesh is now administering the 1st doses of Sinopharm and Pfizer BioNTech vaccine and also the second dose of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine. On the first day, 240 people received the first jab of Pfizer vaccine.
As of now, 5,225 people received the first dose of China’s Sinopharm vaccine, including 1,505 in the past 24 hours.
Of the Astrazeneca vaccine doses, 4,273,325 received the second shot and 5,820,015 the first one so far.
Source: United News of Bangladesh
