Global Covid-19 cases exceed 135 million with 2.9 million fatalities

Over 135 million people have been infected with Covid-19 globally with the reports of 2.9 million deaths, according to data compiled by  Johns Hopkins University (JHU).

The total case count reached 135,200,019 as of Sunday while the death toll mounted to 2,926,949.

The US has logged 31,49,565 cases and the death toll from the virus climbed to 561,780 as of Sunday morning.

Brazil's Covid-19 death toll has risen to 351,334 after 2,616 new deaths were reported in the last 24 hours, the Ministry of Health reported on Saturday.

Meanwhile, the country registered 71,832 new cases, bringing the national tally to 13,445,006, the ministry said.

India has registered 13,205,926 cases and over 168,436 people have died so far from the virus in the country.

Vaccine shortage hits poor countries

As many as 60 countries, including some of the world's poorest, might be stalled at the first shots of their coronavirus vaccinations because nearly all deliveries through the global programme intended to help them are blocked until as late as June, reports AP.

COVAX – the global initiative to provide vaccines to countries lacking the clout to negotiate for scarce supplies on their own – has in the past week shipped more than 25,000 doses to low-income countries only twice on any given day. Deliveries have all but halted since Monday.

During the past two weeks, according to data compiled daily by UNICEF, fewer than two million COVAX doses in total were cleared for shipment to 92 countries in the developing world — the same amount injected in Britain alone.

On Friday, the head of the World Health Organization slammed the "shocking imbalance" in global Covid-19 vaccination.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreysus said while one in four people in rich countries had received a vaccine, only one in 500 people in poorer countries had gotten a dose.

Situation in Bangladesh

Bangladesh recorded 77 more deaths during the last 24 hours till Saturday morning, the highest one-day total since the Covid-19 pandemic hit the country.

The number of new Coronavirus cases dropped slightly to 5,343 after registering over 7,000 cases for the fifth day in the last six days until Friday, said a handout issued by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

With the new 77 deaths, the Covid-19 fatalities rose to 9,661 while the mortality rate remained static at 1.42 percent for two consecutive days.

Meanwhile, the government enforced a 7-day lockdown from April 5 to bring the situation under control keeping garment factories and offices open on condition of maintaining health protocols. Later, it allowed public transports movement in city corporation areas and reopened shops and shopping malls within a few days.

Bangladesh reported its first cases on March 8 last year and confirmed the first death from the virus 10 days later.

Vaccination drive

The vaccination campaign, launched on February 7 with doses received from the Serum Institute of India, continues across the country with experts calling for intensifying it further.

On Thursday, Bangladesh began its second phase of inoculating people against the coronavirus disease amid uncertainty around vaccine availability.

Fresh lockdown set to go

As the spread of Coronavirus has sparked alarm across the country, the government is set to issue a notification on Sunday over enforcing a fresh nationwide lockdown from 14 April in its desperate bid to stop the spread of the deadly virus.

A fresh lockdown is coming with tougher measures as the virus keeps spreading fast in the country, State Minister for Public Administration Farhad Hossain said while talking to UNB about the lockdown notification.