Bangladesh to vaccinate 10 million in seven days
vaccine against the COVID-19 coronavirus. (File Photo)
Bangladeshextended its strict lockdown on Tuesday and announced plans tovaccinateat least10millionpeople in a week as the country battles a major COVID-19 surge.
The vaccination drive from August 7 will be led by tens of thousands of health workers at 14,000 health centres, senior minister A.K.M Mozammel Haque said.
"More than10millionpeople will be vaccinated in a week. Elderly people, workers and shopkeepers will be given the priority," Haque said.
Health ministry spokesman Maidul Islam Prodhan said there was enough stock to inoculate 12millionpeople following the arrival of vaccines from China and the US under the Covax initiative.
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The minister also said that the nationwide lockdown in place since July 1,except for a religious festival in mid-July, would be extended until August10.
Shops and public transport will resume from next week, but only vaccinated shopkeepers and transport workers would be allowed out of their homes to work, Haque said.
Bangladeshhas so far reported some 1.3millioncases and some 21,160 deaths, figures experts said are a gross undercount.