Staff Correspondent: Dhaka, July-15,

When the lockdown restrictions were eased on one hand ahead of Eid, Bangladesh recorded its second-highest 226 Covid-19 deaths in 24 hours till Thursday morning on the other.

Besides, 12,236 fresh cases were detected during the period.

The new numbers took the country’s death tally to 17,278 and the caseload to 10,71,774, according to a handout issued by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

The fresh cases were detected after testing 46,604 samples during the period, bringing down the case positivity rate to 27. 23% from Wednesday’s 29.14%.

However, the case fatality rate remained unchanged at 1.61% during the 24-hour period.

The country saw a record number of 13,768 Covid cases on Monday and the highest-ever 230 deaths on Sunday.

So far, 905,807 people have recovered from the disease, taking the country’s recovery rate to 84.51%.

Of the deceased, 72 died in the Dhaka division, 52 in Khulna, 42 in Chattogram, 28 in Rajshahi, 13, Rangpur, 10 in Mymensingh, six in Barishal, and five died in Sylhet.

Among them, 140 were men and 86 were women.

Age breakdown: One of the deceased was between 0-10, one was between 11-20, six were between 21-30, 12 between 31-40, 36 between 41-50, 49 between 51-60, 50 were between 61-70, 44 were between 71-80, 22 were between 81-90, three were between 91-100 and two were above 100 years of age.

Vaccination drive

According to the handout, 1,32,604 people received the first dose of Sinopharm vaccine, 6,267 from Pfizer, and 39,325 from Moderna during the 24-hour period.

Expanding the vaccine eligibility target, Health Minister Zahid Maleque on Thursday said everyone above 18 years will gradually be vaccinated in Bangladesh.

“Arrangements are being made to gradually bring all citizens above 18 years under the Covid-19 vaccination program in order to revive the country's education system,” he said.  

Zahid Maleque came up with the remarks while speaking as the chief guest at a program on Covid-19 ICU Bed Expansion and inauguration of the Outpatient Department of Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH).

“At present, the government has 45 lakh doses of vaccines in stock. We’ll receive 29 lakh doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine very soon. Besides, Pfizer vaccine doses will reach the country within the next month,” he added.

“Our health sector has the capacity to store 3 crore doses of vaccine. So, there’ll be no problem in storing and distributing vaccines,” the minister said.