Amid the Covid-19 pandemic raging throughout the best part of 2021, Bangladesh had to tackle myriad challenges to ensure vaccines for its citizens.

One hundred percent of the eligible population received at least one dose of coronavirus vaccine in Bagerhat’s Fakirhat, which has become the first upazila in the country to be so.

Three more cases of Omicron variant of coronavirus have been detected as the new infections continued to rise for the sixth day yesterday.

South Africa, where the Omicron variant was detected in November, said Thursday that the country's latest coronavirus wave had likely passed its peak without a significant increase in deaths and that restrictions would be eased.

Two people died from Covid-19 in 24 hours till 8am today, said a press release issued by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

Three new cases of Covid-19 Omicron variant were reported in the country today.

Four dengue patients were hospitalised in the last 24 hours till 8 am today while no dengue case was found outside Dhaka, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

U.S. health experts on Thursday urged Americans to prepare for severe disruptions in coming weeks as the rising wave of COVID-19 cases led by the Omicron variant threatened hospitals, schools and other sectors impacting their daily lives.

Eskayef Pharmaceuticals yesterday rolled out the world’s first generic version of Pfizer’s Covid pill Paxlovid, offering a highly effective defence against severe illness from the coronavirus in Bangladesh, where the majority of the population remain unvaccinated.

Millions around the world yesterday braced for drastically curtailed New Year celebrations as record coronavirus cases fuelled by the Omicron variant saw the WHO warn a Covid “tsunami” threatens to overwhelm healthcare systems.

The government will launch a countrywide special campaign up to ward level tomorrow to inoculate around three crore people with Covid-19 vaccines.

The government in India’s West Bengal state today announced a ban on all direct flights from the United Kingdom to Kolkata starting from January 3, till further notice, following a sudden rise in the number of Omicron cases.

One person died of dengue fever today and at least 31 other patients were hospitalised in 24 hours till 8 am, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

Eskayef Pharmaceuticals Limited, one of the leading drug manufacturing companies of Bangladesh, has received emergency use authorisation for a novel oral antiviral medicine for the treatment of Covid-19 -- world’s 1st generic version of Nirmatrelvir tablets co-packaged with Ritonavir tablets -- with the brand name “Paxovir”.

Seven people died from Covid-19 in 24 hours till 8am today, said a press release issued by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today directed the education ministry to continue online learning programmes if there is a rise in Covid-19 infections.

As Delhi’s total Omicron cases reached 263, the union territory's Health Minister Satyendar Jain today said people with no foreign travel history were found infected with the latest variant of Covid-19 which means “it's gradually spreading in community.”

The following is a summary of some recent studies on COVID-19. They include research that warrants further study to corroborate the findings and that has yet to be certified by peer review.

The simultaneous circulation of the Delta and Omicron variants of the coronavirus is creating a "tsunami of cases", World Health Organization (WHO) director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a news briefing on Wednesday.

The major challenges for the healthcare sector of Bangladesh in 2021 was ensuring supply of Covid vaccines, inoculating a huge chunk of the population, and making sure the infected got beds, ICU beds, and adequate oxygen.