India’s daily increase in Omicron-driven Covid-19 cases crossed more than 1 lakh for the second successive day today.

Citigroup Inc (C.N) staff in the United States who have not been vaccinated against COVID-19 by Jan. 14 will be placed on unpaid leave and fired at the end of the month unless they are granted an exemption, a source familiar with the matter said on Friday.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said the Covid-19 vaccination was going on in full swing and a mass vaccination drive was launched to inoculate one crore people per month.

The government has instructed Covid-19 patients to undergo treatment in their district hospitals as it issued a set of directives to combat the recent spike in coronavirus infections and deaths.

The country yesterday recorded 5.67 percent Covid-19 daily positivity rate, the highest in the last 15 weeks.

Leaders of Bangladesh Restaurant Owners’ Association in Chattogram are worried as the government has decided that dine-in customers must show their Covid-19 vaccine certificate to get service.

The National Technical Advisory Committee for Covid-19 has recommended engaging law enforcement agencies, including operating mobile court drives, so that health guidelines are strictly followed to curb spread of Covid-19.

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).

One dengue patient was hospitalised in 24 hours till 8 am today, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

The government considers stepping up vaccine campaign, lowering the age limit for booster doses and preventing gathering of unvaccinated people at public places to contain the spike of Covid cases.

The more infectious Omicron variant of Covid-19 appears to produce less severe disease than the globally dominant Delta strain, but it should not be categorised as “mild”, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said yesterday.   

10 more Omicron cases have been detected in the country.

Nine dengue patients were hospitalised in 24 hours till 8 am today, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

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

Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam today reiterated that without two doses of Covid-19 vaccine, people will not be allowed at restaurants, shopping malls, buses, launches or planes, and that an order in this regard will be issued within a day or two.

As Covid-19 transmissions are rising due to the Omicron variant, no new national events like the UP polls should be held, Prof Dr Ahmedul Kabir, the additional director general (Administration) of the health directorate, said yesterday.

India today confirmed its first death linked to Covid-19 variant Omicron after samples of a 73-year-old man in Rajasthan’s Udaipur, who died last week, showed the presence of the variant in his body.

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has approved a testing kit for detecting the Omicron variant of the SARS-CoV-2 which will give the result in four hours, obviating the need for time-consuming genome sequencing.

India today acknowledged that Omicron has become the dominant circulating variant of Covid-19, replacing Delta strain in the country.

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