Global Covid Cases Near 174 Million

The global Covid-19 caseload has now surpassed 173.5 million, with the world still struggling to contain the second outbreak of the virus.

The total caseload and fatalities from the virus stand at 173,538,801 and 3,734,654, respectively, as of Tuesday morning, as per the latest data released by Johns Hopkins University (JHU), reports UNB.

So far, 2,139,732,834 doses of vaccine have been administered across the globe, as per the university data.

The US has logged 33,377,632 cases and 597,946 fatalities to date, the highest death toll in the world, according to the university.

India's total tally rose to 28,909,975, with 100,636 new cases reported in the past 24 hours, said the federal health ministry.

Besides, as many as 2,427 deaths since Sunday morning pushed the overall death toll to 349,186. This is the first time in the past 45 days when daily deaths due to the pandemic dipped to below the 2,500-mark.

Brazil registered 1,010 more deaths from Covid-19 in the past 24 hours, pushing up the nationwide tally to 474,414, the health ministry said on Monday.

A total of 37,156 new infections were detected during the period, raising the caseload to 16,984,218, the ministry said.

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

Situation in Bangladesh

Amid the rising infections in frontier districts, Bangladesh on Monday reported 1,970 new Covid-19 cases in 24 hours.

The deadly virus also claimed 30 more lives during the period, pushing up the death toll to 12,869.

The total number of coronavirus cases climbed to 8,12,960 with the fresh ones.

Vaccination drive

Around 7,363 people have received the second dose of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine in the past 24 hours.

A total number of 42,16,696 people have so far got their dose of this vaccine, while the number is 58,20,015 for the first dose.

Besides, the total number of people receiving their first jab of Chinese Sinopharm vaccine reached 2,162 during the period.

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

So far, four vaccines – Oxford-AstraZeneca (Covishield), Sputnik-V, Sinopharm, and Pfizer-BioNTech – have got the approval for emergency use in Bangladesh.

Meanwhile, seven million doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca Covishield vaccine reached Bangladesh, and the governments of India and China gave 3.2 million doses and 500,000 doses of coronavirus vaccine as gifts, respectively.

However, the country, the prime recipient of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, has suspended the registration for Covid-19 jabs due to vaccine shortage amid a delay in the arrival of shipments from India.

High vaccination can help reduce risk of variants: WHO

A top World Health Organization official estimated Monday that Covid vaccination coverage of at least 80% is needed to significantly lower the risk that “imported” coronavirus cases like those linked to new variants could spawn a cluster or a wider outbreak, reports AP.

Dr Michael Ryan, WHO’s emergencies chief, told a news conference that ultimately, “high levels of vaccination coverage are the way out of this pandemic".

Many rich countries have been moving to vaccinate teenagers and children — who have lower risk of more dangerous cases of Covid-19 than the elderly or people with comorbidities — even as those same countries face pressure to share vaccines with poorer ones that lack them.