Bangladesh has recorded its highest single-day coronavirus fatalities and new cases in weeks as the Covid-19 situation hardly shows any sign of improvement with the people still reluctant to follow health guidelines.
The health authorities confirmed 44 deaths in a 24-hour period until 8:00am on Tuesday – highest since May 10 this year. The local death tally now stands at 12,913, the Directorate General of Health Services said in a press release.
Meanwhile, 2,322 new cases, highest in 40 days, pushed up the caseload to 8,15,282.
The daily infection rate stood at 12.12 per cent – highest since April 28 this year. It is the fifth consecutive day that the infection rate stayed in the double-digit range.
Currently, the overall infection rate is 13.4 per cent.
So far, 60,86,207 samples have been tested, including 19,165 in the 24-hour period.
The mortality rate stands at 1.58 per cent.
A total of 2,062 patients have recovered from coronavirus in the 24-hour period, taking the overall recovery rate to 92.64 per cent.
Covid guidelines being ignored
People have been reluctant to follow the basic health safety guidelines since the beginning of the virus outbreak in Bangladesh in March last year.
A strict months-long ‘general holiday’, as the government called it, helped stem the outbreak but flouting the health rules could undo the country’s achievements in fighting the virus.
A rising number of cases in recent weeks forced the government to impose another weeks-long restriction on movement since April 5 this year. It has been extended until June 16 as the situation did not improve.
Despite the worsening situation, people continue to travel, throng entertainment spots and other places showing utter disregard for safety.
There are apprehensions that the coronavirus situation could deteriorate further if people continue to ignore health rules such wearing masks, washing hands regularly and maintaining physical distance from others.
Inoculation drive on
Bangladesh launched its countrywide vaccination drive on February 7 with doses bought from India’s Serum Institute.
So far, 58,20,015 people have been administered the first dose of Covishield, the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine manufactured by SII, since January 27.
Of them, 42,23,178 received the second shots until Monday, according to the health authorities.
A vaccine export halt by India forced Bangladesh to keep administering the first dose suspended since April 26.
So far, 2,162 people have received China’s Sinopharm jabs. Another 6,00,000 doses of the vaccine are scheduled to arrive from China as a gift.
