WEB DESK
Bangladesh has reported 43 deaths and 1447 new COVID 19 infections in the country since the last 24 hours on Saturday.
This marks the highest number of deaths in a single day since May 9 when 56 people had died. The sample positivity rate also went up to 11.03 percent. The death toll due to COVID 19 in the country now stands at 12,801.
In view of the rising infection in bordering districts, strict lockdown has been imposed in 6 unions of the Noakhali district from Saturday till June 11. The Southwestern district of Satkhira also imposed a week-long lockdown in the district following a sudden increase in the COVID 19 cases which reached the positivity rate of 53 percent.
Meanwhile a controversy erupted in Bangladesh over the disclosure of the price of the Chinese made Sinopharm vaccine. Bangladesh has signed an agreement for purchase of 15 million doses of the vaccine on May 27 after which an official disclosed that the price of the vaccine was USD 10 per dose. Apparently, the same vaccine has been supplied at a higher rate to some other countries in the region. This reportedly upset China as it violated the confidentiality clause of the deal. Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen met the Chinese ambassador to Bangladesh Li Jiming on the issue.