Bangladesh sees record COVID-19 infections

DHAKA, Bangladesh

Bangladesh on Wednesday reported a record 5,385 new COVID-19 cases, pushing the overall caseload to 611,295, the Health Ministry said.

The South Asian country confirmed more than 5,000 infections for a third consecutive day. It has seen a spike in recent weeks, which the authorities have blamed on people ignoring health guidelines.

With 52 more related deaths in the last 24 hours, the highest since August 2020, the virus-linked death toll reached 9,048.

Meanwhile, the government re-imposed a mandatory 14-day home quarantine for passengers returning from the UK, the EU, and India until further notice.

It has also ordered both public and private companies, public transport and railways to operate at 50% capacity.

Separately, the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority imposed a ban on carrying passengers by motorcycles under the ride-sharing services for at least two weeks.

While educational institutions are shut, public gatherings in highly COVID-19 infected areas are banned.

Bangladesh has vaccinated 5.32 million people since beginning its inoculation campaign last month with the Oxford-AstraZeneca shots.