Global Covid Cases Top 172 Million

The global Covid-19 caseload has now surged past 172 million, as the world grapples to contain the second outbreak of the pandemic even with mass inoculations underway.

As of Friday morning, the global case count and fatalities stand at 172,021,452 and 3,698,371, respectively. The latest figures have been released by Johns Hopkins University (JHU).

To date, health authorities worldwide have administered 2,007,950,521 vaccine doses, according to the university.

The US, the worst-hit country in the world, crossed 33 million confirmed cases of Covid-19 on Thursday, as per the Johns Hopkins data.

To be specific, coronavirus cases in the US have reached 33,326,054. Covid-19 deaths, on the other hand, have surged to 596,401.

Brazil on Thursday reported 2,078 more deaths from Covid-19, taking the nationwide tally to 469,784, the Ministry of Health said.

A total of 83,391 new infections were detected during the period, raising the caseload to 16,803,472, the ministry said.

Brazil has the world's second-highest Covid-19 death toll, after the United States, and the third-highest caseload and the United States and India.

Besides, India’s total caseload reached 28,574,350 on Friday, while the death toll from the virus mounted to 340,719, according to the country's Health Ministry.

Situation in Bangladesh

Bangladesh on Thursday recorded 30 new coronavirus-related deaths and some 1,687 fresh cases in 24 hours.

Health authorities detected the new cases after testing 16,982 samples during the period. The number of tests has also increased over the past one week.

With the new cases, the country's total caseload has risen to 8,05,980, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

The new deaths have pushed up the fatality count to 12,724.

Bangladesh reported its first coronavirus cases on March 8 last year and the first death on the 18th of that month.

Lockdown in districts

Due to the recent rise in Covid infections in the bordering districts, district administrations have imposed lockdowns in Rajshahi, Khulna, Satkhira and parts of Naogaon districts to break the transmission of the deadly virus.

District administrations have been given the authority to enforce lockdown in their areas if the Covid-19 situation deteriorates there. 

Vaccination drive 

Bangladesh launched its vaccination drive on February 7 with Oxford-AstraZeneca doses bought from India's Serum Institute.

The administration of the first dose of the vaccine 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 arrival of shipments from India.

However, recently two other vaccines, Russia's Sputnik V and China's Sinopharm, got approval from the Directorate General of Drug Administration (DGDA) for emergency use in Bangladesh.

The administering of the first doses of the Sinopharm vaccine started on Tuesday.

Bangladesh has also received a 1 lakh-plus Pfizer vaccine.