Dr. Anthony Fauci, the face of America’s pandemic response through two White House administrations, has tested positive for the coronavirus. The 81-year-old Fauci, who is fully vaccinated and has received two booster shots, was experiencing mild COVID-19 symptoms, according to a statement Wednesday from the National Institutes of Health. Fauci has not recently been in close contact with President Joe Biden or other senior government officials. He tested positive on a rapid antigen test. He is following public health guidelines and his doctor’s advice, and will return to work at the NIH when he tests negative, according to the statement. Fauci is Biden’s chief medical adviser and director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. He was a leading member of the White House coronavirus task force under former President Donald Trump. Read:US officials recommend shorter COVID isolation, quarantine Earlier this week, U.S. Health Secretary Xavier Becerra tested positive for the virus. It was the second time Becerra had come down with symptoms and tested positive.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa is receiving treatment for mild COVID-19 symptoms after testing positive for the disease Sunday, his office said. Ramaphosa started feeling unwell and a test confirmed COVID-19, a statement from the presidency announced. Read:South African doctors see signs omicron is milder than delta He is self-isolating in Cape Town and is being monitored by the South African Military Health Service, the statement said. He has delegated all responsibilities to Deputy President David Mabuza for the next week. Ramaphosa, 69, is fully vaccinated. The statement didn’t say whether he had been infected with the omicron coronavirus variant. Last week, Ramaphosa visited four West African countries. He and all members of his delegation were tested for COVID-19 in each of the countries during the trip. Some in the delegation tested positive in Nigeria and returned directly to South Africa. Throughout the rest of the trip, Ramaphosa and his delegation tested negative. Ramaphosa returned from Senegal on Dec. 8 Ramaphosa said his own infection serves as a caution to all people in South Africa to be vaccinated and remain vigilant against exposure, the statement said. Vaccination remains the best protection against severe illness and hospitalization, it said. People in South Africa who have had contact with Ramaphosa on Sunday are advised to watch for symptoms or to have themselves tested, it said. South Africa is currently battling a rapid resurgence driven by the omicron variant, health officials say. Read:Omicron may be driving S Africa's surge; wary world watches The country recorded more than 18,000 new confirmed cases Sunday night. More than 70% of the cases are estimated to be from omicron, according to genetic sequencing surveys. After a period of low transmission of about 200 new cases per day in early November, South Africa COVID-19 cases began rising dramatically. On Nov. 25, scientists in southern Africa confirmed the omicron variant, which has more than 50 mutations. Omicron appears to be highly transmissible and has quickly become dominant in the country. So far, the majority of cases have been relatively mild and the percentage of severe cases needing oxygen have been low, say doctors.

Unloading of goods from a ship carrying DAP fertilizer from China at Chattogram Port has been halted after 7 crew members exhibited Covid-19 symptoms.The port authorities have instructed the crew to remain in quarantine for 14 days.Chattogram Port Secretary Omar Farooq Sunday night said the body temperature of seven crew members of the MV Seren Juniper, which brought fertilizer from Nantong port of China, was found to be high.“According to the advice of the health officer of the port authority, they have been asked to stay in quarantine for 14 days,” the secretary said.In addition, the unloading of goods from the ship has been halted for the time being, he added.Port Assistant Health Officer Nurul Abshar said the ship's captain himself informed through a local shipping agent that the sailors had the Covid symptoms.Samples have been collected by sending health workers to that ship. Further step will be taken after the test results arrive, he said.

Bangladesh's civil aviation regulator has imposed restrictions on international passenger flights from 11 countries as the highly contagious Delta variant continues to devastate several countries across the world. Malaysia, Iran, Spain, Argentina, Botswana, Cuba, Cyprus, Eswatini, Georgia, Libya and Mongolia are the 11 countries under Group- A, the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) has said. However, Bangladeshi citizens from these countries who have completed a full dose of the Covid-19 vaccine before 14 days of the travel date can enter Bangladesh. Read:Two Biman chartered flights take off with stuck students, expat workers Upon arrival, they will have to undergo a mandatory 14-days home quarantine. However, if any Covid-19 symptoms are detected on arrival, they will be sent to government-authorised hospitals for further checkup and depending on the intensity of the symptoms, will be sent for isolation at government-nominated facilities at the passenger's own expense. Besides, passengers from these 11 countries who are not vaccinated or have not completed full doses of the vaccine, will not be allowed to enter Bangladesh. Read: Domestic flights to resume from Aug 6 amid relaxed lockdown However, Bangladeshi expatriates residing in these 11 countries and Bangladeshi nationals who visited there during the last 15 days, are allowed to come to Bangladesh provided that they have the special approval or authorisation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh. According to the CAAB circular, Bangladeshi seafarers or marine engineers who have signed off from ship from this group of 11 within the previous 15 days of travel to Bangladesh, can return provided they possess proper evidence about their profession and signing-off. Upon arrival in the country, in both the cases above, they will have to complete a mandatory 14-day institutional quarantine at government-nominated hotels at their own expense. Read: Domestic flights to carry intl passengers to port of departure during lockdown All incoming and outgoing passengers, except children below 10 years, must possess an RT-PCR negative certificate. The PCR test should be done within 72 hours of the flight departure time. International passenger flights will continue as per their approved time slots under the summer-2021 schedule. However, air bubble flights will remain suspended until further notice.

The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) on Thursday directed the authorities concerned to increase oxygen supply and corona beds in hospitals across the country to ensure the treatment of Covid-19 patients. Read:4 Covid patients die in Pabna hospital amid oxygen crisis The PMO also urged those who are showing Covid-19 symptoms to stay home and directed the local administration to make sure that the patients with corona symptoms are kept in isolation. The directives came from an urgent meeting held virtually with divisional commissioners and deputy commissioners to work out measures to protect the public health and ensure coordination in the ongoing government activities to check the transmission of coronavirus in the country. Read: Quader sees no oxygen crisis The PMO issued the directives at a time when Bangladesh is struggling with a catastrophic second wave of the Coronavirus leaving hospitals across the country overwhelmed with Covid-19 patients. PM’s Principal Secretary Dr Ahmad Kaikaus joined the meeting from the PMO end and presided over it. Read:Oxygen crisis: Probe committee gets more time to investigate deaths at Satkhira hospital Senior Secretary of Health Services Division Lokman Hossain Miah and PMO Secretary Md Tofazzel Hossain Miah, among others, attended the meeting.

Former army chief and BNP leader Lt Gen (retd) Mahbubur Rahman along with his wife tested positive for coronavirus on Monday. They were admitted to the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in the capital the same day, Mahbub told UNB on Tuesday. Read:BNP leader Nipun Roy freed on bail He, however, said they still have no major complications and symptoms of the virus. Mahbub, in his early 80s, urged all to pray for their speedy recovery. Read: Govt 'doing business' over Covid vaccine: BNP Mahbub’s wife, Anarkali Farhad Banu Nagina Amin, is the elder sister of BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir. After retiring from the Bangladesh Army, Mahbub had joined BNP and was elected MP with the party ticket from Dinajpur-2 seat in the eighth parliamentary election. Read:BNP's Aslam Chowdhury gets bail in two 2013 sabotage cases He was also made a member of BNP’s standing committee, the highest policymaking body of the party. Mahbub, however, quit the party and politics in September 2019 on health grounds.

Amid an alarming spike in infections and deaths in the frontier districts, Rajshahi Medical College Hospital (RMCH) recorded 13 more Covid-19 related deaths in 24 hours until 6 am on Monday. Among them, six tested positive while the rest died after showing Covid-19 symptoms at the hospital, said director of the hospital Brigadier General Shamim Yeazdani. Read: 10 more die of Covid at Rajshahi hospital Of the deceased, three are from Rajshahi, six from Chapainawabganj, three from Natore and one from Naogaon. A total of 216 people died of Covid-19 at the Corona unit of RMCH in the last 21 days till Monday. Read: Lockdown in Rajshahi extended by a week Besides, 62 people were admitted to the hospitals with Covid symptoms in the past 24 hours. With the fresh ones, 402 patients are undergoing treatment at the hospital against 309 beds.

Rajshahi Medical College Hospital (RMCH) recorded 10 more Covid-19 related deaths in 24 hours until 6 am on Sunday amid spike in infections and deaths in frontier districts. Among them, one tested Covid positive while the remaining nine died after showing Covid-19 symptoms at the hospital, said director of the hospital Brigadier General Shamim Yeazdani. Read:12 more die of Covid at Rajshahi hospital Of the deceased, seven are from Rajshahi, two from Chapainawabganj and one from Naogaon. A total of 203 people have died of Covid-19 in the Corona unit of RMCH in the last 20 days till Sunday morning. Read:Lockdown in Rajshahi extended by a week Shamim Yazdani said 58 people were admitted to the Corona unit of the hospital in 24 hours till Sunday morning. Of them, 35 are from Rajshahi, nine from Chapainawabganj, three from Natore, six from Naogaon and one from Pabna. Read: Lockdown/Lock-in: Rajshahi taken off rail network to fight surge in infections Thirty-eight people were discharged from the hospital after recovery during the period. Besides, 377 people are undergoing treatment against 309 beds at the Corona unit of the hospital which was 365 in the previous day.

Nine more Covid-19  patients died in the last 24 hours until 8 am on Wednesday in Khulna division, a top health official said. Among them, five were Covid-19 patients while the rest four died after showing Covid-19 symptoms at Khulna Corona Dedicated Hospital, said Dr Suhash Ranjan Haldar, nodal person for the corona unit. Read:Lockdown extended again: Khulna perspective With the fresh deaths, 312 people have died so far at the hospital. Besides, 139 patients are currently undergoing treatment at the hospital. Of them, 70 people are getting treatment in the red zone of the hospital, 21 in the yellow zone, 20 in ICU (intensive care unit), and 28 in HDU (high deficiency unit), said Dr Suhash. Read: Khulna Corona Hospital scrambles for space as Covid patients soar According to results collected  from the RT-PCR Lab in Khulna Medical College and Hospital, 200 people came out positive in 536 tests carried out on Tuesday night. Of them, 149 people tested positive in the sample test of 365 people in Khulna. Besides, 31 from Bagerhat, five from Jashore, five from Satkhira, six from Jhenaidah and four from Narail district tested positive for Covid-19. Read: 10 Covid patients die in Khulna division Mehdi Newaz, Vice Chancellor of Khulna Medical College, said the positivity rate is 37.31% as per  the total sample test in PCR machines. In Khulna division, the first case of Covid-19 was detected in Chuadanga on March 19, 2020.

Rajshahi Medical College Hospital (RMCH)  recorded 12 more deaths from Coronavirus infection  in 24 hours until 6 am on Tuesday. Among them, eight were Covid-19 patients while the rest four died after showing Covid-19 symptoms at the hospital, said director of the hospital Brigadier General Shamim Yeazdani. Read:Lockdown/Lock-in: Rajshahi taken off rail network to fight surge in infections Of the deceased, three were from Rajshahi, seven from Chapainawabganj, one each from Natore and Naogaon districts. A total of 148 people have died of Covid-19  in Rajshahi division in the last 15 days till Tuesday morning as situation is worsening in different border districts. Shamim Yazdani said 58 people were admitted to the Corona unit of the hospital in 24 hours till Tuesday morning. Of them, 39 are from Rajshahi, eight from Chapainawabganj, four from Natore, five from Naogaon and two from Kushtia. Read: Lockdown in two Natore municipal areas extended by a week Forty-three people were discharged from the hospital after recovery during the period.  Besides, 325 people are undergoing treatment  against 273 beds at the Corona unit of the hospital. Of them, 189 are from Rajshahi, 82 from Chapainawabganj, 17 from Natore, 26 from Naogaon, four from Pabna, six from Kushtia and one from Chuadanga. Read: 14-day lockdown in Damurhuda to contain Covid spread However, the hospital authorities are providing treatment after arranging additional beds, said Shamim. As the coronavirus situation in Rajshahi kept worsening the district administration imposed a strict lockdown from 5pm on June 4 till June 17 midnight.