Covid-19 vaccination
Mass inoculation to restart Monday with Sinopharm, Tuesday with Moderna: DGHS
Mass inoculation for Covid-19 will restart from Monday (July 12) with Chinese vaccine Sinopharm in district and upazila hospitals and from Tuesday (July 13) with COVAX’s Modera jabs in municipal hospitals, said the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) Sunday.
Line director of the vaccine deployment committee, Professor Dr Shamsul Haque announced the news during the regular Covid-19 bulletin of the DGHS.
By Sunday Moderna doses will reach vaccine centres across the country, while Sinopharm doses were sent Saturday to all the municipal centres, he said.
Also read: Massive vaccination to begin in July: PM
The additional stock has been ensured for sending to districts and upazilas, said Dr Shamsul Haque, mentioning that all the preparation for mass inoculation has been completed.
As from Monday and the next day, people across the country will start getting shots again, it can be said that mass inoculation for Covi-19 resumed, he added.
Dr Haque said the 1 lakh doses of Pfizer vaccine so far received will be administered at the seven hospitals of Dhaka and after that Moderna vaccine doses will be administered in these hospitals.
Also read: Registration for Covid vaccination to restart Thursday
In the other 40 Covid-19 vaccination centres of the city, Sinopharm vaccine shots will be administered till Monday and after that Moderna shots will be administered in those hospitals, he added.
Soon a decision will be taken on the urgent vaccination needs of the students who want to go abroad for study as a conversation with the Prime Minister is ongoing, said the line director of the vaccine deployment committee.
Until now expatriate workers were being vaccinated in seven centres of Dhaka, but from Monday they will be able to receive the shots from any medical college of the country, said Dr Shamsul.
Registration for Covid vaccination to restart Thursday
Amid the deteriorating coronavirus situation, the government is going to resume the countrywide mass registration for receiving Covid-19 jabs from Thursday (July 8), said the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) on Tuesday.
“The registration process will resume for all from Thursday morning,” Prof Dr Mizanur Rahman, Director (MIS) of the DGHS, told UNB.
“Currently, the registration is ongoing only in three categories on a priority basis. As the mass registration process resumes, all the categories will be available for registering through the Surokkha app as before,” he said.
Earlier, on June 30, Dr Shamsul Haque, member secretary of the Vaccine Deployment Committee, also made the same announcement at a virtual press briefing arranged by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
He said the Sinopharm jabs will be administered at 40 centers in Dhaka city and at all district hospitals from 8am to 3pm every day as in the past.
Also read: Bangladesh’s Covid catastrophe worsens; 163 more lives lost
Dr Haque said the vaccine will also be given at Bangladesh Institute of Tropical and Infectious Diseases (BITID) in Chattogram and Saidpur Sadar Hospital during the same period.
He said those who got registered earlier but could not receive the vaccines will be given the Sinopharm jabs now while the medical and university students and those who are on the priority lists can get registered for the vaccine. “Everyone will get an SMS from a vaccination centre after the registration and all must receive the vaccine at that centre accordingly. “In this case, the vaccine card and NID card must be brought for receiving the vaccine.”
Dr Haque said the Covid vaccination centers will remain out of the purview of the lockdown. “Those who have vaccine cards will be able to go to the relevant centre showing it.”
He said the expatriate workers who stay in countries where the Sinopharm vaccine is accepted also can receive the vaccine at the centers both in Dhaka and outside. “But no one will get the vaccine without registration.”
Also read: Chinese firms working with Bangladeshi partners for vaccine co-production
Besides, Dr Haque said, the Pfizer vaccine will also be administered at seven centers--Dhaka Medical College and Hospital, Salimullah Medical College and Hospital, Mugda Medical College Hospital, Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College and Hospital, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, Kurmitola General Hospital, and Sheikh Russel National Gastroliver Institute and Hospital—in the capital.
He said the outbound expatriate workers who are not allowed to return to their workplaces without getting Pfizer vaccine can only receive the vaccine at the seven centers as per the list from the Manpower Export Promotion Bureau.
Dr Haque said those who are supposed to receive Sinopharm jabs from these centres will have to go to alternative centres.
UAE becomes world’s most vaccinated nation against COVID-19: Bloomberg's Vaccine Tracker
The United Arab Emirates leads the world, with enough vaccinations to cover 72.1 percent of its population and has overtaken Seychelles to become the world's most vaccinated nation, according to Bloomberg's Vaccine Tracker.
The UAE has so far administered 15.5 million doses, enough to cover 72.1 percent of its population based on a two-dose regimen. The UAE tests more people per capita than most nations and has one of the lowest fatality rates in the world.
In a statement, Abdul Rahman bin Mohammad bin Nasser Al Owais, Minister of Health and Prevention, said that this new global achievement adds to the country’s success and record of achievements in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic, noting that it is an international recognition of the success of the National Vaccination Campaign, launched by the UAE, which is continuing to achieve its objectives.
Also read: Europe in vaccination race against COVID-19′s delta variant
"The proactive vision of the country’s leadership enabled us to address the challenges posed by COVID-19. Today, the UAE is the world’s most vaccinated country," he added. He also highlighted the efforts of the national health sector, which is keen to provide diverse types of vaccines to all segments of the community, as well as the community's awareness about the importance of being vaccinated.
Al Owais stressed that the National Vaccination Campaign is continuing in all emirates of the country, along with the adherence to relevant precautionary measures, which represent the foundations of the national efforts aimed at achieving recovery and ensuring the return to normalcy.
Medical teams and front-liners are working as one team, upon the directives of the UAE’s leadership, to achieve recovery from the pandemic, he added, affirming that the UAE is a unique global model of combating the COVID-19 pandemic, and has received widespread international appreciation, underscoring the community’s confidence in the procedures adopted by the UAE Government.
Also read: COVAX calls for equal recognition of all approved vaccines
He also noted the importance of the community’s awareness of, and adherence to, precautionary measures to maintain the gains achieved by the country and protect its members.
Bloomberg Vaccine Tracker is the most up-to-date and comprehensive tally of vaccinations around the globe.
Ensure dignified repatriation of Rohingyas: Hasina to global community
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday renewed her call to the global community to ensure the dignified repatriation of Rohingyas as they are posing a big security threat to Bangladesh as well as the region.
"We’ve sheltered them on humanitarian grounds but such a huge population can't be lodged for an indefinite period… I request the world community to assist us in dignified and peaceful repatriation of the Rohingyas," she said.
Read: Rohingya vaccination depends on arrival of vaccines from COVAX
The Prime Minister made the call in her pre-recorded speech at the three-day 'IX Moscow Conference on International Security'.
She said Bangladesh has been hosting more than a 1.1 million Forcibly Displaced Myanmar Nationals- Rohingyas for about four years. "They’re posing a huge security threat to Bangladesh as well as the region," she added.
Hasina said it goes without saying that conflicts among states give rise to intrastate security problems.
Sinopharm doses reach Sylhet, Sherpur, Chattogram
Some 37,200 doses of China-made Sinopharm vaccine arrived in Sylhet on Friday for resuming the second phase of the Covid-19 vaccination program.
Premananda Mandal, Civil Surgeon of Sylhet, received the vaccines on Friday morning.
The vaccines are stored at a temperature of 2 to 6 degrees centigrade in the EPI Cold Storage at the Civil Surgeon's Office.
Jahidul Islam Sumon, chief health officer of the Sylhet City Corporation in charge of vaccination activities in the Sylhet metropolitan area, said the vaccination program will start around 9-10 am on Saturday at Sylhet Osmani Medical College Hospital.
He said no instructions have been received so far for conducting vaccination at other centers in Sylhet.
On Saturday, the vaccination program will be inaugurated by vaccinating the students of Osmani Medical College.
Students would be vaccinated after showing voter ID cards or college ID cards, he added.
Also read: Pfizer, Sinopharm shots to start June 19: Health Minister
In Sunamganj, Civil Surgeon Dr Shamsuddin received six thousands doses of Sinopharm vaccine on Friday.
According to the government's policy, the vaccination program will be conducted at Sunamganj Sadar Hospital in the second phase from Saturday.
He further said the 6,000 doses will be given only in Sadar and if more vaccines arrive later, they will be given in every upazila.
Meanwhile in Sherpur, Civil Surgeon Dr AKM Anwarul Rauf received 12,000 doses of Sinopharm vaccine the same day.
The vaccination drive in the district will also resume at Sherpur General Hospital from Saturday.
In Chattogram, 91,200 doses of the vaccine arrived in the third phase.
Chattogram District Civil Surgeon Sheikh Fazle Rabbi received the vaccines on Friday.
Also read: Second consignment of Sinopharm vaccine arrives
Vaccination drive may resume from Saturday or Sunday at Chattogram Medical College and Hospital (CMCH), if the government directs, said the Civil Surgeon.
This time there will be only one center for vaccination in every district except the capital Dhaka. The vaccination drive will be conducted at a medical college hospital in a district where there is a medical college hospital, and at a general hospital in a district where there is no medical college hospital.
Besides, health workers and police personnel, students of government and private medical and dental colleges, students of government nursing and midwifery, students of dormitory halls of government universities, officers and employees working on important national projects, expatriate workers, cleaners, those who engaged in burial of bodies and who were excluded from vaccination before and citizens of other countries who are working here will be vaccinated on a priority basis.
Meanwhile, on Friday afternoon, while exchanging views with local people's representatives at his residence in Garpara, Manikganj, Health and Family Welfare Minister Zahid Malek said the country has not yet fully started the vaccination drive.
The minister said, "We hope to get vaccinated soon. We will get the vaccine from China and Russia. We will also get vaccines from the agreement with India which have not been delivered yet."
He further said, "Immediately after vaccination a person is not protected, it takes a month."
Also read: Sinopharm begins shipment of its vaccine to Bangladesh
The health minister also said Delta variant has also spread in our country. Its transmission capacity is 50 percent higher.
"So, this is the time we have to follow the health protocols, we have to protect ourselves, we have to protect the family, we have to protect the country," he added.
The government halted administering the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine on April 26 considering the dwindling stock of its jabs.
Also, registration for the Covid-19 vaccination remained suspended amid uncertainty over the availability of promised vaccine doses from India's Serum Institute.
However, the mass vaccination of Covid-19 is expected to resume in July next as the government is making all-out efforts to collect vaccines, said Principal Secretary Dr Ahmad Kaikaus Thursday. "The government has allotted a fund of Tk14,000 crore for the procurement of vaccines as it’s an all-out effort to ensure Covid jabs for all."
The government has so far approved the emergency use of Oxford-AstraZeneca, Sinopharm (China), Sputnik-V (Russia), Pfizer-BioNTech (USA/Germany) and Crona Vac (China) vaccines.
Korean envoy seeks jabs for all foreign investors in Bangladesh
All foreign investors and business people working in Bangladesh should get equal treatment under the country’s Covid-19 vaccination program, South Korean Ambassador in Dhaka Lee Jang-keun said on Wednesday.
Ambassador Lee said this will be in line with the government’s policy to promote business-friendly environment.
Read: Korea to provide $700 mn of EDCF loan to Bangladesh
He hoped that all foreign investors will be eligible for vaccinations as soon as the vaccine supply becomes normal in Bangladesh.
Speaking at a virtual discussion, the ambassador pointed out that despite the growth of overall trade volume, bilateral trade between Dhaka and Seoul has remained static at $1.7 billion for the past decade.
In order to realize the full bilateral commercial potentials he called for fostering a business-friendly environment, including addressing the challenges in tax and tariff policy, repatriation of profit, and streamlining administrative procedures.
The Embassy of Bangladesh in Seoul hosted the virtual discussion on “Bangladesh and ROK: Trade and Investment Opportunities”.
Read:S Korea pledges $200mn to provide vaccines in lower-income countries
University students to be vaccinated for reopening dorms: UGC
The University Grants Commission (UGC) on Tuesday decided to vaccinate university students as soon as possible so that their dormitories could be reopened.
The decision was taken at a virtual meeting chaired by Education Minister Dr Dipu Moni. The vice-chancellors of public universities and officials of the Education Ministry and UGC took part in the meeting.
As per the instructions of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, all the university students would be vaccinated on priority basis starting with residential ones.
Also read: Bangladesh sees rise in Covid infections; 41 more die
The meeting decided to permit all the public and private universities to conduct online and direct examinations at their respective university campuses.
The academic councils of the respective universities would take the final decisions regarding the online and direct examinations following the UGC instructions.
Also read: Take exams but don’t reopen halls: UGC
Dorms will be reopened making it sure that all the students are vaccinated and the academic activities of the universities are run regularly, said a UGC media release.
The universities were asked to prepare a Recovery Plan according to their capacity and the social reality so that the damage caused to the students during the pandemic could be minimised, the release added.
India's COVID-19 tally rises to 27,369,093
India's COVID-19 tally reached 27,369,093 on Thursday, with 211,298 new cases added during the past 24 hours, said the federal health ministry.
Besides, as many as 3,847 deaths since Wednesday morning took the death toll to 315,235.
Read:Vaccine inequality in India sends many falling through gaps
There are still 2,419,907 active cases in the country, as there was a decrease of 75,684 cases in the past 24 hours. The number of daily active cases has been on the decline over the past few days, after a continuous surge since mid-April.
A total of 24,633,951 people have been cured and discharged from hospitals so far across the country, showed the latest data from the federal health ministry.
So far over 202 million (202,695,874) vaccination doses have been administered to the people across the country.
A total of 1,885,805 vaccine doses were given on Wednesday alone.
Read: Sputnik V production starts in India; 100 million doses to be produced annually
Presently the third phase of COVID-19 vaccination is going on, covering all people aged 18 years and above. Though, an acute shortage of vaccines is being felt across the country.
Meanwhile, the federal government has ramped up COVID-19 testing facilities across the country.
As many as 336,969,353 tests were conducted till Wednesday, out of which 2,157,857 tests were conducted on Wednesday alone, said the latest data issued by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Thursday.
India COVID-19 tally rises to 26,530,132, daily deaths fall below 4,000
India's COVID-19 tally rose to 26,530,132 with 240,842 new cases registered in the past 24 hours, said the federal Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Sunday.
Besides, as many as 3,741 deaths since Saturday morning took the death toll to 299,266. After two days, the number of daily deaths has once again fell below-4,000 mark.
There are still 2,805,399 active cases in the country, with a decrease of 118,001 cases in the past 24 hours. The number of daily active cases has been on the decline over the past few days, after a continuous surge since mid-April.
Read:Covid-19: Why ‘world’s pharmacy’ India is short on shots
A total of 23,425,467 people has been cured and discharged from hospitals so far across the country.
In a bid to curb the COVID-19 cases' graph, most of the states in the country have imposed night curfews and partial or complete lockdowns.
India's nationwide vaccination drive was kicked off on Jan. 16, and over 195 million vaccination doses (195,004,184) have been administered to the people across the country.
A total of 1,604,542 vaccine doses were given on Saturday alone.
Presently the third phase of COVID-19 vaccination is going on, covering all people aged 18 years and above. Though, an acute shortage of vaccines is being felt across the country.
Read:India suffers double blow as black fungus declared epidemic amid COVID-19 surge
Meanwhile, the federal government has ramped up COVID-19 testing facilities across the country, as over 328 million tests have been conducted so far.
As many as 328,607,937 tests were conducted till Saturday, out of which 2,123,782 tests were conducted on Saturday alone, said the latest data issued by the Indian Council of Medical Research on Sunday.
Three types of vaccines are being administered to the people in India, including the Covishield, the Covaxin, and the Russia-made Sputnik-V.
COVID-19 cases rise to 24,372,907 in India, death toll reaches 266,207
The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in India rose to 24,372,907 and the death toll reached 266,207 on Saturday morning, India's federal health ministry said.
During the past 24 hours, 326,098 new cases and 3,890 related deaths were reported across the country.
According to the ministry, 20,432,898 people have been discharged from hospitals after showing improvement.
Read: India widens gap between two doses of Covishield to 12-16 weeks
The number of active cases in the country is 3,673,802, according to the ministry.
Meanwhile, a total of 313,017,193 samples have been tested across the country, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said Saturday. Out of these tests, 1,693,093 were conducted on Friday alone.
According to the ministry, 18,0457,579 people have been vaccinated across the country since the beginning of the vaccination drive on Jan. 16.
On May 1, the third phase of COVID-19 vaccinations was started for people who are 18 years old and above. However, the third phase of vaccination is yet to start in many places or is going on at a slower pace in wake of the severe shortage of vaccines.
The confirmed cases continue to spike in the country every day, and the federal government has ruled out imposing a complete countrywide lockdown on the pattern of last year to contain the worsening situation. However, many states have imposed night curfews, weekend lockdowns and complete lockdowns to break the spread.
Read: India to begin Covaxin vaccine trials for children
A top scientific adviser to the Indian government, K Vijay Raghavan recently warned the country would face a third wave of the pandemic.
Currently, India is fighting a deadly second wave of COVID-19, and the shortage of essential medical supplies including medical oxygen has emerged as a key challenge for the government.