Bangladesh witnessed a sharp rise in Covid-19 cases and fatalities as it recorded 40 more deaths and 1675 cases in 24 hours until Tuesday morning.
The Covid positivity rate rose to 10.08 percent again during the period after maintaining it below 10 percent since May 15.
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The country had been seeing below 40 deaths since May13.
Health authorities registered 1,675 new cases after testing 16,624 samples during the 24-hour period.
Besides, the mortality rate remained static at 1.57 percent, said a handout of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
With the latest figures, the total caseload reached 7,92,196 and the death tally climbed to 12,441.
Bangladesh’s recovery rate now stands at 92.50% with 1,279 recoveries during the period.
As of now, 7,32,810 people have recovered from the disease.
Eighteen of the 40 deaths recorded today were from Chattogram division while from Dhaka division. Four died in Rajshahi, three each in Khulna, Barishal, Rangpur and one in Sylhet divisions.
Bangladesh so far carried out 58,54,919 sample tests since reporting its first coronavirus cases on March 8 last year and the first death on March 18, 2020.
Worst coming in June-end
With Covid cases keep soaring in frontier districts apparently because of the highly contagious Indian variant, experts fear that Bangladesh may face the worst outbreak of the deadly virus at the end of June next.
They said if the B.1.617, known as the Indian variant, can make its way into other areas from the bordering districts, Bangladesh is likely to witness more than 20,000 cases a day in early July, raising the fatality rate sharply.
Lack of necessary oxygen supply and other healthcare facilities may aggravate the situation, according to the experts.
Terrifying scenario along border
Though the country’s average Covid positivity rate was below 10 percent till Monday, it was very high in different districts along the Indian border.
Chapainawabganj was the worst-hit district with 55 percent infection rate, forcing the local administration to enforce a 7-day strict lockdown from today.
Besides, the positivity rate was over 40 percent in Rajshahi.
The infection rate was also high in some other frontier districts like Satkhira, Jashore, Jhenaidah, Dinajpur, Meherpur, Chuadanga, Sylhet and Moulvibazar.
Talking to UNB, DGHS spokesman Robed Amin said, Covid patients with Indian variants were found in bordering districts, including Chapianwabganj, Rajshahi and Jashore. “It’s alarming news. As this variant spreads fast, the infection rate may continue to surge seriously, if people show apathy to masking up and abiding by health safety rules.
Vaccination
Bangladesh launched its vaccination drive on February 7 with Oxford-AstraZeneca doses purchased from India's Serum Institute.
The administration 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.
However, the administering of the 1st dose of Chinese Sinopharm vaccine against Covid-19 began in Bangladesh on Tuesday.