Global Covid death toll crosses 5.0m

The global death toll from Covid-19 has now crossed five million even with mass inoculations underway the world over.

The global Covid fatality figures and the total case count stand at 5,005,401 and 247,123,213, respectively, as of Tuesday morning, according to Johns Hopkins University (JHU).

The global death toll from Covid-19 topped five million, less than two years into a crisis that has not only devastated poor countries but also humbled wealthy ones with first-rate healthcare systems, reports AP.

The US has logged 46,089,514 cases and 746,982 deaths to date, according to the university data. The death toll in the United States is the highest in the world, which reached 700,000 on October 2.

Brazil, which has been experiencing a new wave of cases since January, registered 21,814,693 cases as of Monday, while its Covid death toll rose to 607,922.

India's Covid-19 tally rose to 34,285,814 on Monday, as 12,514 new cases were registered in 24 hours across the country, as per the health ministry data.

Besides, as many as 251 deaths due to the pandemic since Sunday morning took the total death toll to 458,437.

Situation in Bangladesh

Bangladesh reported two Covid-related deaths, the lowest this year, and another 214 cases of infections in 24 hours till Monday morning.

On March 18, 2020, Bangladesh logged its first Covid-19 related death.

However, the daily case positivity rate declined to 1.08 per cent from Saturday’s 1.22 per cent.

The fresh cases were detected after testing 19,734 samples, said the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

With the fresh numbers, the Covid-19 fatality figures reached 27,870 while the caseload climbed to 1,569,753, according to the DGHS.

On the 43th epidemiological week of the pandemic from October 25 to 31, 45 covid-related deaths were reported in the country.

Of them, 39 did not receive any Covid vaccine while six were vaccinated. And of them, 23 had comorbidities.

However, the mortality rate remained unchanged at 1.78 per cent.

Also, the recovery rate remained unchanged at 97.70 per cent, which is the highest since the pandemic started its onslaught in the country.

In the 24-hour period, 202 more patients have recovered from the virus infection.

Student Vaccination

The campaign to vaccinate school students of the 12-17 age group against Covid-19 began in Dhaka on Monday.

Health Minister Zahid Maleque and Education Minister Dipu Moni inaugurated the vaccination campaign at Motijheel Ideal School and College while the drives in other centres in the city will start on Tuesday.

The vaccination campaign will be conducted at eight centres in the capital although it was scheduled to begin at 12 centres in the city. Other centres did not get approval due to lack of facilities.

Vaccination drive in Bangladesh

So far, 29,237,863 people have been fully vaccinated in the country while 42,154, 848 received the first dose.

On January 27, Prime Minister Hasina launched the Covid-19 vaccination programme at Kurmitola General Hospital through a videoconference.

The government rolled out a countrywide mass Covid-19 vaccination drive on February 7 vaccinating people, aged 55 and above, in the first phase.

On July 29, the government lowered the minimum age limit for taking Covid-19 jabs to 25 from 30 years in a bid to give a boost to the lagging vaccination rates in the country.

Earlier, on July 19, the government lowered the age limit from 35 to 30 for vaccine registration.