India will begin vaccinating children -- between the ages of 15 and 18 -- against Covid-19 for the first time from tomorrow amidst a surge in Covid-19 infections, including the fast-spreading Omicron, in several parts of the country.

West Bengal government today announced the reimposition of a slew of Covid-19 restrictions from tomorrow, including closing down all schools and colleges as well as cinema halls, gyms and swimming pools as daily cases of the infection rose sharply over the last one week.

One person died from Covid-19 in 24 hours till 8am today, said a press release issued by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

With a target to inoculate 3.32 crore people with the first dose of Covid-19 vaccine, the government launched a special vaccination campaign yesterday.

Vaccines remain the best public health measure to protect people from COVID-19, slow transmission, and reduce the likelihood of new variants emerging.

A spate of new studies on lab animals and human tissues are providing the first indication of why the Omicron variant causes milder disease than previous versions of the coronavirus.

Health and Family Welfare Minister Zahid Maleque today said the government has not yet made any decision on lockdown although the rate of coronavirus infection has gone up.

Four people died from Covid-19 in 24 hours till 8am today, said a press release issued by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

Amid the Covid-19 pandemic raging throughout the best part of 2021, Bangladesh had to tackle myriad challenges to ensure vaccines for its citizens.

One hundred percent of the eligible population received at least one dose of coronavirus vaccine in Bagerhat’s Fakirhat, which has become the first upazila in the country to be so.

Three more cases of Omicron variant of coronavirus have been detected as the new infections continued to rise for the sixth day yesterday.

South Africa, where the Omicron variant was detected in November, said Thursday that the country's latest coronavirus wave had likely passed its peak without a significant increase in deaths and that restrictions would be eased.

Two people died from Covid-19 in 24 hours till 8am today, said a press release issued by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

Three new cases of Covid-19 Omicron variant were reported in the country today.

U.S. health experts on Thursday urged Americans to prepare for severe disruptions in coming weeks as the rising wave of COVID-19 cases led by the Omicron variant threatened hospitals, schools and other sectors impacting their daily lives.

Eskayef Pharmaceuticals yesterday rolled out the world’s first generic version of Pfizer’s Covid pill Paxlovid, offering a highly effective defence against severe illness from the coronavirus in Bangladesh, where the majority of the population remain unvaccinated.

Millions around the world yesterday braced for drastically curtailed New Year celebrations as record coronavirus cases fuelled by the Omicron variant saw the WHO warn a Covid “tsunami” threatens to overwhelm healthcare systems.

The government will launch a countrywide special campaign up to ward level tomorrow to inoculate around three crore people with Covid-19 vaccines.

The government in India’s West Bengal state today announced a ban on all direct flights from the United Kingdom to Kolkata starting from January 3, till further notice, following a sudden rise in the number of Omicron cases.

Eskayef Pharmaceuticals Limited, one of the leading drug manufacturing companies of Bangladesh, has received emergency use authorisation for a novel oral antiviral medicine for the treatment of Covid-19 -- world’s 1st generic version of Nirmatrelvir tablets co-packaged with Ritonavir tablets -- with the brand name “Paxovir”.