Bangladesh has closed all schools and colleges for two weeks to counter an “alarming” rise in Covid-19 infections, just four months after ending a 1-1/2 year school closure imposed due to the coronavirus.

The south Asian country has reported 11,434 new cases, the biggest single-day jump since August 9, pushing the positivity rate to 28.5 per cent.

“We are seeing an uptick in infections in schools and colleges. This is really alarming,” Health Minister Zahid Maleque told reporters.