Vaccines slow global Covid caseload rise, deaths near 4m

Notwithstanding mass inoculation across the world Covid-19 continues to spread, with the global corona caseload surging past the 182 million marks.

The total caseload and fatalities stand at 182,138,802 and 3,945,583, respectively, as of Thursday morning, according to Johns Hopkins University (JHU). 

So far, 3,043,868,565 vaccine doses have been administered across the globe.

The US, which is the world's worst-hit country in terms of both cases and deaths, has so far logged 33,665,047 cases, according to JHU.

Besides, 604,717 people have lost their lives in the US to date.

Brazil’s death toll reached 518,066 while the total caseload stood at 18,557, 141.

Brazil has the world's second-highest Covid-19 death toll, after the United States, and the third-largest caseload, following the United States and India.

India's Covid-19 tally rose to 30,362,848 on Wednesday, as 45,951 new cases were registered during the past 24 hours.

The death toll mounted to 398,454 as 817 deaths were recorded since Tuesday morning.

Situation in Bangladesh
Health authorities recorded 8,822 more Covid-19 cases in Bangladesh in 24 hours until Wednesday morning, the highest figure since the pandemic hit the country.

During the period, the country lost 115 more lives to Covid, raising the death toll to 14,503, said a handout issued by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

The country’s daily positivity rate rose to 25.13 per cent from Tuesday’s 23.57 per cent.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh’s Covid fatality rate remained static at 1.59 per cent.

The new numbers pushed the country’s caseload to 9,13,258, said the DGHS handout.

Bangladesh has been seeing an alarming spike in Covid-19 deaths and cases that prompted the government to decide to enforce a strict lockdown from Thursday.

The government has issued a notification imposing restrictions on the movement of people and other activities for seven days from Thursday.

The Cabinet Division issued the notification on Wednesday which will remain in force from 6:00am on July 1 till 12:00am on July 7. 

According to the gazette, all the government non-government, autonomous and private offices will remain closed during the period. 

All modes of public transport, including those of road, river, railway and air, will remain suspended during the lockdown. All the shopping malls and markets will also remain closed.