Coronavirus News Highlights: Global COVID-19 death toll passes 650,000

Food ordering and delivery platform Swiggy on Monday said it is laying off 350 employees as part of the realignment exercise it started in May on account of the impact of COVID-19 pandemic.
Swiggy in May had laid off 1,100 employees across grades and functions in cities and head office as part of its exercise to realign resources to create capacity in higher potential areas with the optimism of the business attaining pre-COVID levels in the near-term.
"However, with the industry still only having recovered to about 50 percent of its peak, we have to, unfortunately, go ahead with this final realignment exercise, which will result in the net loss of 350 jobs," Swiggy said in a statement.
The company is concluding the exercise it began late May and there are no plans for any further restructuring.

Click here to read the full story

Global coronavirus death toll passes 650,000, according to AFP tally

Germany to impose coronavirus tests on travellers from risk zones. (AFP)

US President Donald Trump's national security adviser Robert O'Brien has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, but there is no risk of exposure to Trump or Vice President Mike Pence, the White House said in a statement.

"He has mild symptoms and has been self-isolating and working from a secure location off site. There is no risk of exposure to the President or the Vice President. The work of the National Security Council continues uninterrupted," according to the statement.

The White House has said staff is regularly tested for the virus, and O'Brien is the most senior official to be found positive amid the pandemic.

Click here to read the full story

West Bengal's COVID-19 case tally rises to 60,830 with 2,112 fresh cases today. The total number of active and discharged cases in the state is 19,502 and 39,917 respectively; death toll 1,411.

1,033 COVID-19 cases and 39 deaths reported in Mumbai today; 1,706 patients recovered and discharged. Total positive cases rise to 1,10,129 including 81,944 patients recovered and discharged and6,129 deaths.

Andaman reported its first COVID-19 death. Mr Alphonse a r/o junglighat revenue field staffs diedof corona. He diedat GB Panth Hospital in Port Blair today.

22 deaths and 1,052 COVID-19 cases reported in the last 24 hours. Gujarat's case tally rises to 56,874 including 13,146 active cases 41,380 cured/discharged and 2,348 deaths.

227 deaths and 7,924 fresh COVID-19 cases reported in the state today. The total number of positive cases in the state is now 3,83,723 including 2,21,944 recovered cases and 1,47,592 active cases.

Tech giant Google is planning to keep the work-from-home option open for its employees till as late as July next year, The Wall Street Journal has reported quoting sources.
This comes at a time when the number of coronavirus cases across the world continue to surge, especially in the United States, where around 70,000 new infections are being recorded daily.
Earlier this year, CEO Sundar Pichai had said the company would gradually resume work at its various offices, on a rotation basis, starting July. He had said, "Beginning July 6, assuming external conditions allow, we’ll start to open more buildings in more cities.
This will give Googlers who need to come back to the office—or, capacity permitting, who want to come back—the opportunity to return on a limited, rotating basis (think: one day every couple of weeks, so roughly 10 percent building occupancy)."

Click here to read the full story

India is often referred to as ‘the pharmacy of the world’ and this has been proved true especially in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic when India continued to export critical life-saving medicines to the countries.

Three bulk drug parks will be developed in the country in partnership with the states at Rs 3,000 crores. 4 medical device parks will also be developed with a government grant of Rs. 100 crores for one park,Minister of State for Chemicals andFertilizers Mansukh Mandviya added.

9 deaths and789 new COVID-19 cases reported today, taking the total number of positive cases in the state to 28,589 including 19,791 recovered cases and 7978 active cases.

Due to complete lockdown in West Bengal on 29th July, it has been decided that Howrah-Mumbai CSMT special which was earlier rescheduled to leave Howrah on 29th July will short originate from Rourkela at 2:11 am on 30th July.