27 dead in fire at Baghdad hospital for Covid-19 patients

At least 27 people were killed and 46 injured in a fire on Saturday at a hospital in south-east Baghdad that had been equipped to house Covid-19 patients, medical sources at three nearby hospitals said.
25 April 2021, 01:37 AM

83 Covid-19 deaths, 2,697 infections in 24 hours

Eighty-three people have died from Covid-19 during 24 hours (till 8am today), according to a press release issued by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
24 April 2021, 10:22 AM

'Will hang' anyone obstructing oxygen supply: Delhi High Court

The Delhi High Court today said if any official at the central, state, or local administration was obstructing picking up or supply of oxygen, then it would "hang" that person.
24 April 2021, 09:13 AM

Serum Institute has no right to halt vaccine supply after Bangladesh paid in advance: Papon

Seram Institute of India (SII) has no right to halt vaccine supply after receiving payment in advance, Nazmul Hasan Papon, managing director of Beximco Pharmaceuticals, said today.
24 April 2021, 08:52 AM

Prof AKM Shamsuzzaman of NILMRC dies from Covid-19

Prof Abul Khair Mohammad Shamsuzzaman, director of the National Institute of Laboratory Medicine and Referral Centre (NILMRC), passed away with Covid-19 at a Dhaka hospital this morning.
24 April 2021, 06:58 AM

Former Star news editor Yamin Bakht passes away

The Daily Star's former news editor, Yamin Bakht, passed away at United Hospital this morning. He was 62.
24 April 2021, 06:43 AM

Odisha closes border with West Bengal amid fear of new Covid-19 variant in India

The government of the eastern Indian state of Odisha has sealed its land border with adjacent West Bengal where the reported presence of a triple mutant variant of Covid-19 has caused concerns.
24 April 2021, 05:02 AM

US ends J&J Covid-19 vaccine pause; shots to resume immediately

The United States can immediately resume use of Johnson & Johnson's Covid-19 vaccine, top health regulators said on Friday, ending a 10-day pause to investigate its link to extremely rare but potentially deadly blood clots.
24 April 2021, 04:24 AM

Covid-19 vaccine access: 2 million people sign petition urging Biden to back patent waiver

The US and a handful of other big countries have blocked negotiations at the World Trade Organization involving a proposal spearheaded by India and South Africa that would temporarily waive the intellectual property rights of pharmaceutical companies to allow developing countries to produce vaccines.
24 April 2021, 02:38 AM

EU to shortly sign world's largest vaccine deal with Pfizer

The European Commission said it expects to seal the world's biggest vaccine supply deal within days, securing up to 1.8 billion doses of Pfizer's Covid-19 vaccine for the next few years as a debate rages over unfair access to shots for the world's poorest people.
24 April 2021, 02:28 AM

UK PM Johnson says he is looking at Covid-19 help for India

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that he was looking at what he could do to help India, where the coronavirus pandemic is entering a deadly new phase with which its health services are struggling to cope.
24 April 2021, 02:19 AM

Covid-19: BRAC to start rapid antigen tests in Dhaka, Ctg from tomorrow

BRAC will launch antigen-based Covid-19 rapid tests tomorrow which will allow potential coronavirus patients to get results quicker than the RT-PCR tests which are used widely in the country.
23 April 2021, 13:52 PM

88 Covid-19 deaths reported in 24 hours

Eighty-eight people have died from Covid-19 in 24 hours (till 8am today), according to a press release issued by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
23 April 2021, 10:35 AM

J&J Covid-19 vaccine expected to be imported to India by July

Johnson & Johnson's single-shot Covid-19 vaccine is expected to be imported to India for "fill and finish" by June or July, financial daily Mint reported on Friday, citing ANI.
23 April 2021, 08:50 AM

13 Covid-19 patients die in fire at Maharashtra hospital

At least 13 Covid-19 patients died in a fire which broke out at the intensive care unit of a hospital in Palghar district of western Indian state of Maharashtra today, police said.
23 April 2021, 04:31 AM

EU preparing legal case against AstraZeneca over vaccine shortfalls - sources

The European Commission is working on legal proceedings against AstraZeneca after the drugmaker cut COVID-19 vaccine deliveries to the European Union, sources familiar with the matter said.
22 April 2021, 19:10 PM

Covid-19 vaccine: Dhaka agrees to Beijing’s proposal to set up emergency storage facility

Bangladesh, in principle, has agreed to a Chinese proposal to set up an "Emergency Covid-19 Vaccine Storage Facility" to ensure quick supply of vaccines among the South Asian countries during emergency.
22 April 2021, 18:39 PM

Covid-19 vaccine delivery by drones: India gives green signal for feasibility study

India’s Civil Aviation Ministry and Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) tonight gave conditional exemption to Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to conduct a feasibility study on Covid-19 vaccine delivery using drones.
22 April 2021, 17:00 PM

Covid-19 surge: Modi and Mamata scrap West Bengal campaign visits

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today said they were cancelling their poll rallies in the state, which is in the midst of assembly elections, in view of the surge in Covid-19 cases.
22 April 2021, 13:41 PM

98 Covid-19 deaths reported in 24 hours

Ninety-eight people have died from Covid-19 in 24 hours (till 8am today), according to a press release issued by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
22 April 2021, 10:54 AM