Dhaka, November 14 – Bangladesh recorded 1,531 new coronavirus cases and 14 deaths in 24 hours until Saturday morning amid apprehensions about a second deadly wave of Covid-19 this winter.
Fatalities from the virus ourbreak in the country reached 6,173 with a death rate of 1.43 percent.
The caseload rose to 430,496 as of Saturday, the Directorate General of Health Services said.
Besides, 11,795 new samples were tested in 24 hours. The daily infection rate stood at 12.98 percent and the overall rate at 17.03 percent.
Meanwhile, 1,462 people recovered in the past 24 hours. So far, 348,849 patients – 80.8 percent – have overcome it.
Bangladesh reported its first cases on March 8 and the first death on March 18.
So far, 3,234 people died in Dhaka, 1,211 in Chattogram, 377 in Rajshahi, 482 in Khulna, 206 in Barishal, 257 in Sylhet, 277 in Rangpur and 129 in Mymensingh.
Currently, 39,315 people are quarantined and 12,176 in isolation across the country.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on September 21 directed the administration to take preparations in advance to face the field-level situation if the second wave of Covid-19 hit in winter alongside a surge in cold-related diseases.
Expressing concern over the reluctance to use face masks, she also directed all concerned to take measures for ensuring the use of masks in a larger way to protect people from Covid-19 infections.
The government has also adopted a ‘no mask, no service’ policy.
Global situation
The number of confirmed Covid-19 cases exceeded 53 million globally, according to the latest tally from Johns Hopkins University.
Officially confirmed coronavirus cases reached 53,284,867 with over 1,301,021 fatalities as of Saturday.
The US has recorded 10,724,830 cases with 244,302 deaths so far amid a nationwide surge of infections that shows no sign of slowing.
The United States reported an all-time high of nearly 200,000 new cases Thursday, setting a new record for the fifth time in a week, data updated Friday by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show.
Brazil on Friday reported 456 deaths from Covid-19, raising the nationwide death toll to 164,737.
Meanwhile, the Latin American country registered 29,070 new Covid-19 cases, bringing the accumulated national caseload to 5,810,652.
Brazil has the world’s second-highest Covid-19 death toll, following the United States, and the third most Covid-19 cases, after the United States and India.
According to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University, India’s caseload now stands at 8,728,795. The country’s death toll has mounted to 128,668.
The world’s largest vaccine maker, Serum Institute of India Ltd, is ramping up production of AstraZeneca Plc’s Covid-19 vaccine candidate, aiming to have 100 million doses ready by December for an inoculation drive that could begin across India that same month. – UNB
