Over 1,000 test Covid positive for 2nd straight day
A day after showing an upward trend, the Covid-19 infection rate on Thursday decreased slightly to 5.82%
Bangladesh has reported more than 1,000 coronavirus cases for the second consecutive day since 11 January.
A day after showing an upward trend, Covid-19 infection rate on Thursday decreased slightly to 5.82%, with 1,051 people testing positive for the virus in the last 24 hours.
On Wednesday, 1018 people tested Covid-19 positive and the infection rate was 5.98% of the total tests.
Expressing concern over the rising infection rate, Health Minister Zahid Maleque said that people are not following the hygiene rules about vaccines, which is causing danger.
He was speaking to journalists after attending a programme at the National Institute of Ophthalmology in the capital on Thursday.
The minister said, "The daily infection rate in the country had come down to 2%. Now it has risen again to close to 6%. It's alarming. We have become a little reckless.
"We're not using masks properly. We are reluctant to maintain social distance. We are holding a lot of social events through which the number of infections has increased again. We have become more reckless after receiving vaccines."
Stating coronavirus has not been eradicated from the country, the health minister said, "It will take time."
He said some steps have already been taken to prevent the infection.
"Letters have been sent to the district level. The district committees will take appropriate action to limit the number of different programmes," the minister said urging people to avoid arranging programmes that are not very important.
The number of coronavirus cases in the country now stands at 554,156, said a press release issued by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
Six more deaths were confirmed in the last 24 hours, raising the country's death toll from the virus to 8,502.
Zahid Maleque said that they have already talked to different government and private hospitals so that they keep their facilities ready.
"The beds that were allotted in hospitals have been asked to be ready again. Besides, all the arrangements have been made for the treatment."
He said the third consignment of vaccines purchased from the Serum Institute of India would arrive this month.
In addition, 1.9 crore doses of Covax are expected to arrive in phases by June, the minister added.