Covid-19 positivity rate hops to 20.88%

Bangladesh found 20.88 per cent Covid-19 positive cases among the tested samples on Monday while 10 people died during the period, according to the report of Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

Testing 31,980 samples in 855 laboratories, the health department found 6,676 corona positive cases while 10 people died of the viral disease in 24 hours till 8am yesterday.

On December 1, Bangladesh recorded 2.43 per cent positive cases when daily death toll was also very less. Four people died then.

With the latest statistics, the total death toll hits 28,154 and infections 16,24,387 since the country had recorded the first Covid infection on March 8, 2020 and the first death on March 18, 2020.

Of the latest 10 deaths, seven were reported in Dhaka, two in Chattogram and the remaining one was in Barishal, according to the DGHS data.

Six of the dead were female and four male. The recovery rate from Covid-19 is 95.62 per cent while the death rate is 1.73 per cent.

80 per cent Delta-infected

DGHS Director General Professor ABM Khurshid Alam in a press briefing on Monday said both variants—Delta and Omicron—of Covid-19 are spreading in Bangladesh. Omicron is spreading faster in Dhaka while the Delta variant is higher in other districts.

He asserted that among the infected people 80 per cent here are caught by the Delta variant though globally Omicron is now raging. 69 per cent Omicron-infected in Dhak. Health Minister Zahid Maleque said Omicron accounts for 69 per cent of the new Covid-19 cases in the capital.

Speaking to the media at the Secretariat the minister urged everyone to comply with the health rules and maintain social distancing.

The health minister fears that if the current trend continues, the hospitals will not be able to accommodate anymore patients.

80 per cent Covid-19 victims unvaccinated

DGHS Director General Professor ABM Khurshid Alam said of the dead, 80 per cent are not vaccinated.

“I will request all to get vaccines and maintain health guidelines as much as possible,” he said.

No lockdown

Additional Director General (Planning and Development) Meerjady Sabrina Flora said they have no plan right now to impose any lockdown considering the socio-economic reality of the country.

She asked people to stop arranging social events with huge public gathering.

Replying queries she said children who are not enrolled in any school and workers in different sectors will be given vaccines through local administration.

She added that those who have no registration, their National Identity Cards or birth certificates can help them get vaccines from any vaccination centres.

Oxygen capacity increased

DGHS Additional Director General (Administration) Ahmedul Kabir said recently they have extended central oxygen supply in 30 more hospitals raising the total number to 118.

“Now we have capacity to supply 250 metric tonnes of oxygen daily which was highest 170 metric tonnes last year,” according to Kabir.

Booster dose age limit revised to 50yrs

Health Minister Zahid Maleque said Bangladesh has cut down the age limit for administering the third or booster dose of the coronavirus vaccine to those aged 50 and over.

“Initially, the age limit was set at 60 years, but we have decided to bring it down. The prime minister has cleared it.”

Bangladesh started to administer booster shots from December 28 last year for people aged at least 60 years and frontline fighters.

Those who have received the second dose at least six months ago are eligible for the third shot.