Bangladesh reported 37 more deaths due to Coronavirus infection and 2459 fresh infections over the last 24 hours since Saturday afternoon.On Friday, Abdul Hye the younger brother of the President of Bangladesh also succumbed to Coronavirus. He is among several high profile and prominent people in the country who have died due to Coronavirus since the first case was reported on March 8.

Briefing media virtually, Addl. Director-General of Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) Dr. Nasima Sultana informed that the death toll in the country has now gone up to 2618.The total number of infected people in the country as on Sunday stands at 2,04,524 which shows an infection rate of about 20 percent among the people tested for Coronavirus infection.The recovery rate in the country has slowly gone up to 54.59 percent.

In the meanwhile, the official news agency BSS reported that Bangladesh Medical Research Council (BMRC) on Sunday granted ‘ethical approval’ for the final phase-3 human trial of a COVID-19 vaccine being developed by a Chinese private sector company Sinovac Biotech Ltd.

Director of the BMRC Dr. Mahmood Uz-Jahan told BSS that clinical trials will be conducted on healthcare professionals at seven designated hospitals in Dhaka.

However, he said that the approval will further require endorsement from the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

In other report, ICT ministry of Bangladesh will partner with Facebook to spread the messages regarding prevention of Coronavirus spread in the country. State Minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmad Palak inaugurated this campaign on Friday. Inaugurating the campaign Zunaid Ahmad Palak said that the campaign with Facebook will share information about social distancing, preventive measures and national helpline numbers to spread awareness among people.
 

The countries from the US to South Africa to Australia are struggling to hold down rising cases of the coronavirus, as global deaths from COVID-19 surged past 601,549 in a sign of how far off the world remains from a return to normalcy.

The United States tops the list with 140,119 deaths, followed by 78,772 in Brazil and 45,358 in the United Kingdom and 38,888 in Mexico.The number of confirmed infections worldwide has passed 14.2 million, out of which 3.7 million are in the United States.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson had hoped that the country may return to normal by Christmas, but scientists have cast their doubt and opined that without a vaccine, normal life may be a long way off.