Day: August 3, 2021

Bangladesh has so far received 1,643,300 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine doses from Japan with the arrival of the third consignment of 616,780 doses under the COVAX facility.

“Japan will provide 3 million (doses of AstraZeneca) in total to Bangladesh and so far dispatched 1,643,300 doses,” said Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh Naoki Ito after handing over the third consignment to Bangladesh.

The Ambassador said he is pleased that with the gift from the Japanese people, AstraZeneca’s second dose administering resumed on Monday.

The Japanese government is providing the vaccine doses through the COVAX Facility to meet the urgent needs of the Bangladeshi people who have been long waiting for the second dose of AstraZeneca vaccine.

Over 1.6 million AstraZeneca doses received from Japan

The first consignment of 245,200 doses and the second consignment of 781,320 doses arrived on July 24 and July 31 respectively, totaling 1,643,300 doses so far.

Syed Mojibul Huq, Additional Secretary to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and other high-level officials from the Government of Bangladesh and Ambassador Ito joined the handing over ceremony held at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.

The vaccine support is expected to contribute to the Bangladesh government’s efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and save people’s lives in Bangladesh, said the Japanese Embassy in Dhaka.

Japan hopes that fair, equitable and comprehensive access to vaccines will be ensured in Bangladesh and reiterates that it will stand by Bangladesh in the fight against COVID-19 and will work together to contain COVID-19 as soon as possible.

Source: United News of Bangladesh

Amid a growing concern over spike in Dengue cases, 264 new patients were hospitalized across the country in the last 24 hours till Tuesday morning.

Of the new dengue cases, 248 were reported in Dhaka while 16 were from outside the capital, said the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

According to the (DGHS), 1072 patients are currently receiving treatment at different hospitals across the country.

A vast majority of the dengue patients are from Dhaka as only 47 of them were reported being treated in hospitals outside the capital.

Some 3,446 patients have been admitted to different hospitals with dengue since January and 2,370 of them have been released after they recovered.

The outbreak of dengue fever has sparked new worries as the country’s health services are already overburdened with increasing Covid cases and fatalities.

To eradicate dengue larvae in Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) areas a control room was opened from Monday.

On Monday, Dhaka South City Corporation and Dhaka North City Corporation in separate drives filed 27 cases and fined different houses and establishments Tk 8.57 lakh for breeding Aedes larvae in the city.

Some 11 mobile courts conducted the drives in Green Road, New Eskaton, Malibagh Bazar, Phool Bagh, West Islambagh, Chawkbazar, Dhalpur, Golapbag, Amulia, Dogar, Kadamtali, South Banasree areas of the city.

The DGHS reported 1,193 dengue cases and three confirmed dengue-related deaths in 2020.

According to official statistics, 101,354 dengue cases and 179 deaths were recorded in Bangladesh in 2019.

Dengue fever was first reported in Bangladesh in 2000, claiming 93 lives that year. In the years that followed, the country learned to deal with the disease much better.

The fatalities had almost fallen to zero at one stage, before surging again in 2018, leading to the severe outbreak the following year.

Source: United News of Bangladesh

Barishal division has logged as many as 18 new Covid deaths in the past 24 hours, health officials said on Tuesday morning.

Of the deceased, seven had tested positive for Covid-19 while the remaining 11 showed symptoms of the virus infection.

Fourteen of them died at Sher-E-Bangla Medical College and Hospital (SBMCH) alone, the officials said.

Divisional Health Director Dr Basudev Kumar Das said that 494 patients have died of Covid-19 in the division so far.

On Monday, the division logged the highest Covid fatality figure at 31.

Besides, 740 people have tested positive for Covid in Barishal division in the past 24 hours.

Of the fresh Covid cases in the division, 245 have been identified in Barisal district alone. So far, 14,660 people have been infected with Covid in the district.

Some 35,367 Covid cases have been identified in the division to date, according to the officials.

According to SBMCH authorities, 55 more patients have been admitted to the hospital in 24 hours till Tuesday morning.

Moreover, 123 Covid patients are currently undergoing treatment at the corona unit of SBMCH and 204 in the isolation ward of the hospital.

Source: United News of Bangladesh

Additional regional election officer of Mymensingh ABM Saifuzzaman died of Covid-19 on Tuesday. He was 45.

“He breathed his last at 11:20am at Mymensingh Medical College Hospital,” Mymensingh regional election officer (REO) Md Shahedunnabi Chowdhury told UNB.

Saifuzzaman was admitted to the hospital on Thursday last as he tested positive for Covid-19.

He left behind wife and two daughters to mourn his death. He will be buried at his village in Atpara Upazila of Netrakona district.

With Saifuzzaman, eight EC staff died of Covid-19 and some 200 staff got infected with the virus.

Of them, four EC staff died in July.

Sylhet REO Md Israil Hossain died on July 25 while Rajnagar Upazila election officer in Moulvibazar Alif Laila on July 7 last.

Source: United News of Bangladesh

Bangladesh Medical and Research Council (BMRC) has approved in principle the clinical trials of Indian Covid-19 vaccine Covaxin in Bangladesh.

BMRC Chairman Prof Dr Syed Modasser Ali shared the information with UNB on Tuesday.

On July 18, Covaxin, a Coronavirus vaccine jointly developed by Bharat Biotech and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), got the clearance for its clinical trials in Bangladesh, he said.

Contract Research Organization (CRO) icddr,b had applied seeking permission for the clinical trials of the Indian vaccine in Bangladesh a few months ago.

After the review of necessary documents, the vaccine got clearance from the BMRC, said Dr Modasser.

He, however, said the approval of the Directorate General of Drug Administration (DGDA) will be needed to start the clinical trials of Covaxin in the country.

India has planned to facilitate its clinical trials in Bangladesh in a bid to enhance the recognition of indigenous coronavirus vaccine, Covaxin, according to Indian media reports.

India has not supplied any Covaxin doses to Bangladesh so far.

Source: United News of Bangladesh

Taking Covid jabs has been made mandatory for public movement from Aug. 11, Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque said on Tuesday urging people to get vaccinated to avoid punishment.

The minister said this while talking to reporters about the government decision of extending the ongoing lockdown till August 10.

He said, “It has been made mandatory to take Covid jabs for public movement from August 11.

Any movement without being vaccinated would be considered a punishable offense.”

As per the government decision of reopening workplaces, local shops, factories and retail outlets along with public transports from August 11, people who didn’t get Covid jabs yet were instructed to get vaccinated within the remaining days of extended lockdown.

The government is set to launch a nationwide mass vaccination drive from 14,000 vaccine centres from August 7 aimed at giving shots to one crore people in one week. Once vaccinated, the certificate will be available to download on the website and it will work as the movement pass for people, he said.

The minister warned further that anyone over the age of 18 without a vaccine found on the street after the lockdown ends will face punishment.

Source: United News of Bangladesh

Ten more people have died of Covid-19 in the past 24 hours in Chattogram, officials said on Tuesday morning.

Of the deceased, four were from the city and the remaining six belonged to different upazilas.

During this period, 1,273 more people tested positive for Covid-19 in the district, according to the officials.

A total of 3,450 samples were tested at nine public and private labs and various antigen booths in Chattogram.

So far, 85,144 people have been identified with Covid-19 of which, 994 people died in the district.

Source: United News of Bangladesh