Special drive for 2nd dose starts today

The number of new cases increased slightly with 2,710 infections recorded in the 24 hours till 8:00am yesterday.

The previous day, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) reported 2,430 new cases.

Yesterday, the positivity rate was 9.82 percent against 27,595 tests, up slightly from the previous day's rate of 9.66 percent.

Over the duration, a total of 65 Covid-19 patients died across the country, five fewer than the number recorded the previous day.

The total number confirmed cases has now risen to 15,17,166 and the total number of deaths to 26,628.

The overall death rate is 1.76 percent and the positivity rate .16.69 percent.

Of the deceased, 32 were male and 33 female.

Dhaka division accounted for the highest number of deceased with 17 during that period followed by 13 in Chattogram. Ten each died in Khulna and Sylhet, six in Rajshahi, four in Rangpur, three in Barishal and two in Mymensingh.

Due to the massive transmission of Delta variant, the country witnessed a higher number of Covid-19 cases and deaths from June, which peaked in July.

Since early August, the transmission of Delta variant and deaths of Covid-19 patients have been declining.

SPECIAL VACCINATION

DRIVE RESUMES TODAY

The special mass vaccination Covid-19 campaign for the second dose will begin today.

The mass vaccination campaign will be held from September 7-12, said member secretary of Covid-19 Vaccine Management Taskforce Committee of the health directorate, at an online briefing on Sunday.

"Those who got the first shot between August 7 and 12, will receive the second doses from the same centres," Shamsul Alam said.

From August 7-12, around 34 lakh people got the first dose of the Sinopharm vaccine in a special campaign carried out at around 14,000 vaccination centres across the country.

The campaign discontinued largely because of shortage of vaccine doses.