The numbers do not lie: Covid-19 deaths in Bangladesh right now are still alarmingly high, and judging by the trends, we may well have a long, tough battle ahead of us.
On Sunday alone, 47 deaths were recorded from Covid-19, which is the single highest death toll in over a month. As we move forward with our pandemic management and vaccination rollout, we must be realistic, and also spread awareness among the public that the pandemic is far from over.
In recent months, many in Bangladesh have gained a false sense of safety, as though the worst is behind us. Many are simply suffering from pandemic fatigue, and are therefore eager to get back to normal life.
People can hardly be blamed for feeling this way. After all, Covid-19 has turned lives upside down, destroyed booming businesses, and sent our friends and loved ones to an early grave. But if we are to minimize the devastation that is to come, we must face the facts: Right now, the border districts in Bangladesh are danger zones, where an upward trend can be observed. In Khulna, Rajshahi, and Rangpur divisions, some districts have an infection rate of over 50%.
This is because Covid-19 has turned out to be more of a multi-headed beast than initially suspected. New variants have been found, and more may emerge in the future, throwing a curveball to our vaccination and medical care efforts. The border with India, which we have tried to close, continued to experience movement, both legal and illegal after the shutdown.
As disheartening as all this is, a year and three months into the pandemic, we simply cannot let our guard down now. All the safety measures -- face masks, sanitizing, social distancing -- that were emphasized back in March of last year are still fully applicable. Let us stay on course.
