Global Covid cases near 196 million

Corona virus. Creative Commons

Dhaka, July 29 -- The overall number of global Covid cases is fast approaching the 196-million mark, as the world battles a devastating second wave of the pandemic.

According to US-based Johns Hopkins University (JHU), the total case count mounted to 195,889,920 while the death toll from the virus reached 4,186,319 on Thursday morning.

So far, 3,960,681,905 vaccine doses have been administered across the globe.

The Delta variant of Covid-19 has now been detected in 124 territories worldwide, the World Health Organization (WHO) said recently.

The US, which is the world's worst-hit country in terms of both cases and deaths, has so far logged 34,670,685 cases. Besides, 611,780 people have lost their lives in the US to date, as per the JHU data.

Brazil registered 1,344 more Covid-19 fatalities in 24 hours, raising its national death toll to 553,179, the health ministry said on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the total caseload rose to 19,797,086 after 48,013 new cases were detected during the period.

Brazil currently has the world's second-highest pandemic death toll after the United States, and the third-largest caseload after the United States and India.

The third worst-hit country, India's Covid-19 case count rose to 31,484,605 on Thursday morning and the fatalities touched 422,022.

Situation in Bangladesh

As the highly transmissible Delta variant continues to devastate the country, Bangladesh on Wednesday logged 237 coronavirus-related deaths in 24 hours.

With the new deaths, the country's fatality figures have topped 20,016. Bangladesh has been seeing nearly 200 deaths every day for the past two weeks and breaking records of daily cases and deaths almost every other day.

Besides, 16,230 more people came out Covid positive after the test of 53,877  samples during the period, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

This was the highest-ever single-day transmission after the country saw a record 15,192 Covid cases on Monday. With the new numbers, the total caseload has mounted to 1,210,982.

Vaccination campaign to gain momentum

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday reaffirmed her government's commitment to ensure Covid-19 vaccine doses for all in the country.

The prime minister said she had already given directives to vaccinate the helping hands of a family, including domestic helps and drivers, so that all the members of a family could remain protected.

The prime minister said 1.87 crore people were already vaccinated and all would be brought under the vaccination programme.

The Covid-19 vaccination programme at the union level will start across the country on August 7, said Bangladesh Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal on Tuesday.

“The prime minister has ordered speeding up the vaccination drive. One can get vaccinated at the union level showing one's NID card. Vaccination centres will be set up in unions across the country before August 7,” he said.    

Those who do not have any NID will be vaccinated under a special arrangement, he added.

Meanwhile, the government has decided to vaccinate the Rohingya refugees as part of an inclusive vaccination programme. 

Although no start date has been offered, those who are above 55 years will be considered in the first phase as per a preliminary decision.

Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen, while talking to reporters on Tuesday, said the host communities around the Rohingya camps have frequent communication with the refugees and the government wants to keep both protected as well. - UNB