The number of coronavirus cases and deaths have shot up in Bangladesh, indicating a gradual worsening situation amid the ongoing nationwide restrictions enforced to curb the spread of virus.
The country recorded over 5,000 cases again in 10 weeks with 5,727 people testing positive in the last 24 hours until Wednesday morning.
The daily infection rate jumped to 20.27 per cent from Tuesday’s 19.36 per cent, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) said in a press release.
During the 24-hour period until 8:00am Wednesday, the health authorities recorded 85 deaths, highest since April 30, pushing the local tally to 13,787. The mortality rate remains 1.59 per cent.
Bangladesh reported its first cases on March 8 last year and the first coronavirus-related death on March 18 that year. So far, the country has confirmed 8,66,877 cases.
Until Wednesday, 91.31 per cent or 7,91,553 patients have recovered from the disease.
The total number of tests carried out since the pandemic broke out in the country is 64,05,075, including 28,256 in the last 24 hours. The overall infection rate also increased to 13.53 per cent.
Among the latest fatalities, Khulna division saw the highest 36 deaths, followed by 19 in Dhaka and 18 in Rajshahi.
Besides, seven died in Chattogram, three in Mymensingh, and one each in Barishal and Rangpur.
The majority of the victims (9,865) are men and the rest (3,922) are women.
Lockdown in 7 districts
In its fresh initiative, the government enforced a nine-day lockdown in seven districts since 6:00am Tuesday to curb the spread of Covid-19 infections.
Restrictions in Narayanganj, Gazipur, Munshiganj, Manikganj, Rajbari, Madaripur, and Gopalganj will end on June 30.
The government had earlier imposed restrictions on movement on April 5. They were extended until July 15 in phases.
Although the number of cases and deaths declined to some extent, the situation went downhill in recent weeks as people are still reluctant to follow basic health rules and continue to flout government-issued guidelines.
The Covid-19 situation in the bordering districts has deteriorated in recent days, prompting the local administration to enforce full-scale lockdown in some areas.
Bangladesh shut its border with India on April 26 as the neighbouring country’s coronavirus situation worsened. The closure was extended in phases until June 30.
The worsening situation in Bangladesh threatens to roll back the government’s initial success in tackling the virus’ spread.
Vaccination drive
Bangladesh on Monday started administering Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine doses while it resumed the inoculation of Sinopharm doses on Saturday.
People who have already registered are getting the jabs.
The country received 11,00,000 Sinopharm doses from China and over 1,00,000 doses of Pfizer under the Covax facility run by the WHO and Gavi, the vaccine alliance.
The countrywide vaccination drive was launched on February 7 with doses bought from Serum Institute of India Private Limited.
So far, 58,20,015 people have received the first dose of Covishield manufactured by SII since January 27. Of them, 42,76,510 have received the second shots so far, according to the health authorities.
A vaccine export halt by India had forced Bangladesh to keep administering the first dose suspended since April 26.
As many as 22,276 people received the first dose of Sinopharm vaccine until Tuesday.
Some 240 people took Pfizer shots on Monday.
