Roton Malo:
Followers of the Christian religion in Bangladesh as elsewhere in the world have been celebrating Easter Sunday (commemorating the resurrection of Jesus Christ) today amid the coronavirus pandemic for the second time after last year.
Most of the Churches in Bangladesh’s metropolitan cities mainly briefed their religious activities thanks to the abrupt rise of new infections in the country.
Meanwhile, Church authorities in Bangladesh were seen conducting online prayer services during the holy week.
The Easter Sunday’s Holy Mass at St Mary’s Cathedral Church of Catholic Church was live broadcast on social media platform since devotees can attend the Holy mass from home. 
Rev. Fr. Augustine Bulbul Rebeiro in his Easter Sunday sermon, urged the Christian people to listen to various directions over pandemic and maintain those to be safe from coronavirus. Fr Bulbul also said that there’s no fear as we all have a conscience and the hope given by Savior Jesus Chrust. Follow the health guidelines, he urged all the listeners to his sermons.
In Europe, the coronavirus situation changed dramatically with an alarming rise of new infections and deaths.
In Poland, the authority is struggling to cope with its highest number of new infections since the pandemic began – 60 times higher than at the start of the pandemic in spring last year – because of the rampant UK (Kent) variant of the virus, reports BBC.
In the worst affected area of Silesia, patients are being airlifted to less burdened hospitals in neighbouring provinces. The government is now trying to attract doctors from abroad.
Hungary, one of the highest Covid mortality rates in the world, with more than 21,000 coronavirus-related deaths and a third wave claiming hundreds of lives every day.
Some 400 people are currently dying every day in Ukraine’s second Covid wave and it’s proving more deadly than the first.
It’s far from clear that current lockdown measures are going to flatten the curve and relieve the mounting pressure on hospitals.
The pandemic claimed the scalp of the prime minister last week, just as Slovaks were beginning to feel the worst ravages of Covid were behind them.
Czech authorities have pleaded with people to respect Covid restrictions over Easter. The plan is for children to go back to school in a week’s time, but they say that could be jeopardised if people mingle now in big numbers.
Pope urges hope amid pandemic in Easter vigil
Pope Francis urged his coronavirus-weary flock to not lose hope even through the continued “dark months” of the pandemic as he celebrated a scaled-back Easter vigil service in St. Peter’s Basilica on Saturday, reports AP.
Due to social-distancing norms, only about 200 masked people were allowed to attend the service, which marks the period between Christ’s crucifixion and his joyous resurrection on Easter Sunday.
For the second year in a row, the Vatican cut out the traditional sacrament of baptism for a handful of adults to limit the chance of contagion. Usually a long, late-night ritual, this year’s vigil service also started earlier than usual to respect Italy’s 10 p.m. COVID-19 curfew.
But the service began in the dramatic way it always does, with the pope lighting a single candle in the darkened basilica and then sharing its flame with others until the pews slowly begin to twinkle and the basilica’s lights are turned on.
In his homily, Pope Francis said Easter offers a message of hope and new starts.
