Global Covid-19 cases top 110m

Covid-19 is still spreading around the world, despite high vaccination rate. In fact, the global coronavirus caseload has now surged past 110 million, reports UNB.

The global case count reached 110,289,988 while the death toll from the deadly virus mounted to 24,41,112 deaths on Friday morning, according to Johns Hopkins University (JHU).

The US has so far recorded 2,78,95,777 cases and 493,082 deaths, as per the data.

The US is vaccinating an average of 1.7 million Americans per day against up from under 1 million a month ago. New figures from the White House show a steady increase in the pace of vaccinations over president Joe Biden’s first month in office, the news agency said quoting AP.

India's Covid-19 tally rose to 1,09,50,201 on Friday, while the death toll mounted to 156,014, according to the figures.

Brazil registered 10,030,626 Covid-19 infections and 243,457 deaths until Friday.

Brazil ranks third in the world in Covid-19 cases, after the United States and India, and second in deaths behind the United States.

As states lift mask rules and ease restrictions on restaurants and other businesses because of falling case numbers, public health officials say authorities are overlooking potentially more dangerous Covid-19 variants that are quietly spreading through the US, reports AP.

Scientists widely agree that the US simply doesn’t have enough of a handle on the variants to roll back public health measures and is at risk of fumbling yet another phase of the pandemic after letting the virus rage through the country over the last year and kill nearly 500,000 people.

Fifteen more coronavirus-related deaths and 391 new cases were recorded in the past 24 hours until Thursday morning.

The numbers are slightly lower than Wednesday’s when the health authorities reported 16 deaths and 443 fresh cases.

So far, 542,268 Covid-19 cases have been confirmed with 8,329 fatalities, data released by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) showed.

Bangladesh reported its first cases on March 8 and the first death on 18 March.

The daily coronavirus infection rate rose to 2.68 per cent on Thursday, which was 2.67 per cent on Wednesday.

According to latest figures, the overall infection rate stood at 13.87 per cent, which was 13.97 per cent percent on Wednesday, and expected to fall further as a mass countrywide coronavirus vaccination drive is underway.

But the mortality rate remained at 1.53 per cent, said the DGHS handout.

So far, 489,932 patients (90.35 per cent) have recovered.

The authorities have tested 3,908,257 samples until Friday, 14,603 in the past 24 hours.

The government kicked off the countrywide Covid-19 vaccination drive on 7 February.

Bangladesh inked an agreement with the Serum Institute of India, the world’s largest vaccine maker, for 30 million doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine. Serum will send five million doses each month between January and June.

Five million doses arrived in January and India gifted another two million doses.

Determined to make the vaccination drive a success, the government has brought down the age of eligible recipients of the jab to 40. The doses are being provided for free.

So far, 181,546 people have received the first shot. After the first dose, the second one has to be taken within 8 to 12 weeks.