Covid-19: Dhaka, Rangamati flagged as red zones 

Health authorities in Bangladesh have flagged Dhaka and Rangamati districts as "red zones" due to high infection and death rates of Covid-19 and its Omicron variant. 

Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) on Wednesday published a list categorising the different coronavirus-hit districts into three zones – red, yellow, and green – based on the severity of the pandemic.

Following the analysis of the data collected in the past seven days, total six districts have been marked as "yellow zones" while 54 others have been put under "green zone" – in a bid to stop the deadly virus from spreading further

According to official statistics, the infection rate in the capital currently stands around 12.90% and in Rangamati the figure is 10%.

Besides, border districts such as Jessore, Rajshahi, Dinajpur, Lalmonirhat, Natore, Rangpur have been declared as "yellow zones." 

Amid a surge in infections, the country on Tuesday reported over 2,000 daily Covid cases for the second day in a row. 

The health officials recorded 2,458 positive cases, up from 2,231 a day ago, in the last 24 hours till 8am on yesterday. 

Also, the positivity rate rose to 8.97% as 27,399 samples were tested across the country. Besides, two more people died of the virus during the same period. 

Each of the deaths was reported from the Chattogram and Khulna divisions. With the latest additions, the death toll reached 28,107 and the case tally climbed to 15,98,389 in the country.

Of the new cases, 1,979 were reported from Dhaka with zero deaths – 948,695 cases and 12,277 fatalities so far.

Meanwhile, in Rangamati, since March, 2020, total 4,244 people tested positive and 35 died of coronavirus.

Bangladesh reported the first Covid-19 case on 8 March 2020 and the maiden death on 18 March in the same year.