COVID-19 infection rate in Savar, on the capital’s outskirts, touched a new height this January at 29.66 percent amid the omicron situation across the world, which was come down overall at 7.62 percent last December 2021.
Although the Upazila health division has yet to confirm how much people infected with the new COVID-19 variant, Omicron or Delta, among the positive cases, as no facilities available at Upazila level yet to identify the new variant of this deadly virus. Local UH&FPO, however, claimed they noticed that most COVID cases are Omicron, as patients' symptoms.
Dr. Sayemul Huda, Upazila health and family planning officer (UH&FPO) said they now focused on inoculating students above 12 and other people, who have yet to be vaccinated as per government decision and urged people to maintain health rules as the situation may be more alarming if people ignore the importance of this situation.
According to the information of Savar Health Complex, the COVID infection rate was recorded at its highest last July 2021 at 45.81 percent, which later came down to 7.62 percent last December. Furthermore, approximately 8 lakh people in Savar were vaccinated as of Tuesday; the inoculation mission is still ongoing in order to bring everyone under the vaccination program.
Apart from that, a total of 499 samples have been collected till Wednesday, and 148 of them tested positive. As per their information, a total of 23032 samples were collected at Savar Upazila health complex since the pandemic began, and 4167 of them were tested positive, and 64 deaths were recorded from COVID-19 till last year. However, no new deaths have been reported this year.
Meanwhile, it was seen that most of the people in Savar are not maintaining prescribed health rules and wearing face masks despite the country’s health ministry issuing a notice recently to prevent coronavirus infection across the country. The scenario is also the same on public transport, the kitchen market, and other places while visiting several areas in this Upazila; as well as no visible action yet to be seen by the Upazila administration on health and safety issues.
"We are now prioritizing making people aware through campaigning, as well as multiple mobile court teams already on the field to take action, although we are focused more on making people aware than punishment, as there is no alternative without awareness", Mazharul Islam, Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) of Savar told The Bangladesh Post. Adding that, the drive to vaccinate students over 12 will continue for the next 5 days at school-college level.