ZCZC
BSS-38
COVID-19-SITUATION-MALEQUE-LEAD
COVID-19 situation in Bangladesh largely under control: Maleque
DHAKA, May 17, 2021 (BSS) – Health and Family Welfare Minister Zahid Maleque today said coronavirus situation in Bangladesh is largely under control as the government is taking correct measures to halt the deadly virus.
“Both infection and fatality rate are gradually decreasing in the country due to timely and effective measures taken by the government,” he told a meeting at his ministry here, an official release said.
Secretary of Health Education Division Md Ali Nur, Director General of Directorate General of Health Service (DGHS) Prof Dr Abul Bashar Mohammad Khurshid Alam and senior officials of different relevant organizations, among others, were present at the meeting with Secretary of Health Service Division Lokman Hossain Mian in the chair.
Referring to the devastating situation of COVID-19 in India, he said on an average 4,000 people in India are dying every day infecting new variant of the lethal virus while three to four lakh people are being infected by the virus daily.
“New Indian variant has also affected badly Nepal… terrible situation has created there (Nepal) due to emergence of Indian new COVID-19 variant,” the health minister added.
Recently, new cases of Indian variant are found in Bangladesh, he said adding, the Indian COVID-19 variant could not spread in the country as “We have been able to identify the people, who were infected by Indian new COVID-19 variant and they have been kept in isolation”
Maleque said, “We are discussing with China, Russia and the UK about COVID-19 vaccine issue… we will get positive outcome very soon.”
Alongside purchasing of coronavirus vaccine, Bangladesh has attached priority to produce COVID-vaccine locally, he said adding some pharmaceutical companies are showing their interest to produce COVID-19 vaccines.
“Drug administration will examine production capacity of these pharmaceutical companies… the government will give approval of vaccine production to those companies, which have all kinds of manufacturing capacity,” the minister added.
BSS/PR/MMR/IJ/2000 hrs