The Covid-19 pandemic continues to devastate countries across the world, as cases approach 159 million.
According to Johns Hopkins University (JHU), the total Covid caseload reached 158,616,717 while the death toll from the virus surged to 3,299,694 on Tuesday.
The US has logged 32,743,300 cases and 582,150 deaths as of Tuesday morning, and the country has expanded the use of Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine to children as young as 12, in an effort to protect them.
Brazil on Monday reported 889 more deaths from Covid-19, raising the national count to 423,229, the Ministry of Health said.
According to the ministry, Brazil now has a death rate of 201.4 per 100,000 inhabitants.
Meanwhile, 25,200 more infections were detected in the South American country, raising the nationwide tally to 15,209,990.
Brazil has the world’s second-highest Covid-19 death toll, after the United States, and the third-largest caseload, after the United States and India.
The South American country is experiencing a new wave of infections, which has resulted in an increase in cases and deaths as hospitals are overwhelmed by Covid patients.
India, which has been experiencing a new surge in Covid-19 infections and deaths for the past several days, has so far registered 22,662,575 cases with 246,116 fatalities.
Situation in Bangladesh
Bangladesh’s coronavirus fatalities are nearing another grim milestone even as deaths from the virus infection slow down.
Health authorities on Monday reported 38 more Covid-19-related deaths in 24 hours, pushing up the total number of fatalities to 11,972.
However, the mortality rate remained static at 1.54 percent for the last four days, said a handout of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
Meanwhile, 1,514 new cases were detected after testing 16,848 samples, pushing up the total case count to 7,75,027. Bangladesh has so far carried out 5,647,742 tests.
The country reported its first coronavirus cases on March 8 last year and the first death on the 18th of that month.
Extended lockdown
The government has issued a notification extending the ongoing lockdown till May 16 with six fresh directives alongside the existing ones to contain the spread of Covid-19.
According to the notification issued by the Cabinet Division, officials of all government, semi-government, autonomous and private organisations, as well as banks and financial institutions have been asked to remain at their respective workstations during the upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr holidays.
Shops and shopping malls will remain open from 10am to 8pm maintaining strict health guidelines. If any violations are seen, the shopping malls and shops will be closed instantly, says the notification.
Inter-district transport services will remain suspended though intra-district transport services resumed from Thursday. However, launch and train services will remain suspended.
Vaccination drive
Bangladesh launched its vaccination drive on February 7 with Oxford-AstraZeneca doses it acquired from India’s Serum Institute.
Bangladesh signed an agreement with Serum for 30 million doses. But a record number of cases in India has made the delivery of the doses uncertain.
India has tried to ward off its Covid crisis by ramping up the production of vaccines and banning their export, cutting off supplies to neighbours such as Bangladesh and Nepal as they struggle with infection surges.
However, DGHS DG Prof ABM Khurshid Alam recently assured that Bangladesh would get 2.1 million doses of vaccines by May.
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