Bangladesh on Wednesday witnessed 37 more Covid-19 related deaths in 24 hours until Wednesday morning.

The death tally now stands at 12,248 while the mortality rate remains static at 1.56%.

Besides, the country saw 1,608 new cases with an increased number of tests as 20,538 samples were tested during the period, said a handout of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

The infection rate rose to 7.83% from Tuesday’s 7.55%.

Also read: Govt approves proposal to import Sinofarm vaccine

The country reported 30 deaths from the virus on Tuesday and 32 on Monday.

Among the latest fatalities, 24 are men and 13 are women.

Sixteen of them were from Dhaka, 15 from Chattogram, two each from Khulna and Sylhet and one each from Mymensingh and Rangpur divisions.

Vaccination drive

In the last 24 hours, no one received the first dose of the vaccine while 64,377 have received the second dose, a figure similar to yesterday.

Also read: Dhaka requests Delhi to send vaccine to Bangladesh soon

The administering of the first dose has remained suspended since April 26. Also, the country, the prime recipient of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines, has suspended the registration for Covid-19 jabs due to vaccine shortage amid a delay in the timely arrival of shipments from India.

Bangladesh launched its vaccination drive on February 7 with Oxford-AstraZeneca doses purchased from India's Serum Institute.

Second dose running out

The second dose of Covid-19 vaccine will run out within seven to ten days, Health Minister Zahid Maleque said Monday.

Five lakh doses of Covid-19 vaccine, donated by China, arrived in Dhaka last week. The vaccine will be given to those who need it most, said the minister, adding that administering of the Chinese vaccine will begin later this month.

Also read: Bangladesh to get 106,000 doses of Pfizer vaccine on June 2: Health Ministry

“We talked to the US, China, Russia and the UK and some progress has been made. Hopefully you will get good news soon. As per contracts, we’ve got only seven million doses out of 30 million. We’re also worried about the second dose,” he added.

11 more India returnees test Covid positive

Earlier today, 11 people, who returned home from India on May 5, tested positive for Covid-19 amid a concern over the Indian variant of coronavirus.

Also read: 11 more India returnees test positive for Covid-19

All of them are now undergoing treatment at the isolation ward of Satkhira Medical College Hospital.