The actual Covid-19 caseload in Bangladesh at present is most definitely higher than what is being reported officially, said Health Minister Zahid Maleque yesterday -- highlighting the severity of the ongoing wave of coronavirus cases.

In the 24 hours to 8 am yesterday, the health directorate reported 12,183 fresh cases and 34 deaths from Covid-19, the highest since September 22 last year.

"I believe, the number of infected people is many times higher -- we are roaming around carelessly and letting others get infected," he said at a press conference at the Bangladesh College of Physicians and Surgeons in Dhaka.

He went on to blast those who are flocking to tourist destinations or social gatherings when Covid curbs are in place such as operating offices with half the staff.

Assuming that the symptoms would be mild if infected with the highly mutated Omicron variant, people are moving about nonchalantly and by not following the health guidelines, Maleque said.

"The perception is not right. If we take it lightly, the transmission will continue to rise."

The Omicron variant, which is driving the ongoing surge in cases after being detected on December 9 last year, has 70 times higher transmissibility than the Delta variant, the previous dominant variant.

"The Covid-19 situation is getting grimmer. Before the Omicron wave, there were only 400 to 500 patients in the hospitals, which has now crossed 2,500 to 3,000 and is increasing," Maleque added.

As of yesterday, the overall bed occupancy rate has increased to 17 percent from 5 percent on January 1, according to the Covid-19 Dynamic Dashboard of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

The intensive care unit bed occupancy rate has doubled to 24 percent from January 1, while the occupancy rate in the High Dependency Unit has increased to 27 percent from 10 percent.

Health experts, too, sounded the alarms.

"The real positivity rate is multiple times higher," Benazir Ahmed, public health expert and a member of the National Immunisation Advisory Group, told The Daily Star.

Yesterday, the positivity rate, which was about 2 percent at the turn of the year, was 28.33 percent, down from 31.30 percent the previous day. On Friday, the DGHS reported the highest ever positivity rate of 33.37 percent.

Nobody can know the reality due to the inadequate number of tests. "This has put the government in a misperception," he added.

There will be no alternative to lockdown in the long run if the positivity rate stays as high, Mushtuq Hussain, consultant of the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research, told The Daily Star.

"We are going to slip into danger if we cannot rein in the transmission now."

Omicron causes milder symptoms in those who have recently been vaccinated with both doses of the Covid-19 vaccine or got their booster shots.

But about half the population is still unvaccinated, Hussain said.

As of January 27, 35.82 percent of the population have received both the doses of the vaccine and 0.86 percent the booster dose, according to DGHS.

With the view to ramping up the booster campaign that began on December 28 last year, the government has lowered the age limit to 40, Maleque said.

Besides, all children aged 12 and above will be given the vaccines.

"We have expanded the vaccine coverage up to ward level. But many are still not getting jabbed," he said, while urging people to take the vaccine soon.

To step up vaccination, the health ministry has contacted all business and professional organisations to chalk out a special campaign for the unvaccinated, he added.

But health experts feel a lot needs to be done to curb the transmission.

"It is clear that the government is not giving enough attention to containing the virus -- 'there would be nothing serious' type mentality is intensifying the danger," Hussain said.

To stop the upward trend in transmission, the government has imposed 11-point restrictions from January 12, which include wearing masks in public places, limiting mass gatherings and banning all big social events.

"The government did not do what it meant in the 11-point directives. And the people have also taken the virus spike lightly," said Shafiun Shimul, an associate professor at the Institute of Health Economics in Dhaka University.

For instance, the government did not stop many big events like the Dhaka International Trade Fair -- seemingly proving the government's light approach to the Omicron variant.

Shimul suggested stopping all types of mass gatherings including local elections and fairs.

"The local level Covid-19 Control and Prevention committee should be activated immediately. The government has to spend on transmission control activities. The return will be multiplied," he added.

Meanwhile, the DGHS has said that the isolation period of Covid-19 infected people will be 10 days from the onset of developing symptoms.

Those who have tested positive will stay in isolation for 10 days, said Nazmul Islam, spokesperson of the DGHS, in an online bulletin yesterday.

After 10 days, if there is no symptom, the person can rejoin work and there will be no need for a second RT-PCR test.

People can take booster shots six weeks after testing positive for Covid-19, he said.