Coronavirus News Highlights: Today is the 334th day since India implemented a nationwide lockdown to help curb the novel coronavirus pandemic. India's total tally of COVID-19 cases surpassed 1.10 crore with 14,199 new infections being reported in a day,while active cases registered an increase for the fifth consecutive day, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Monday. The total coronavirus cases have increased to 1,10,05,850, while the death toll increased to 1,56,385 with 83 daily new fatalities, the data updated at 8 am showed. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 1,06,99,410 which translates to a national COVID-19 recovery rate of 97.22 percent and the case fatality rate stands at 1.42 percent. Active coronavirus infections in the country increased to 1,50,055 which comprises 1.36 percent of the total caseload, the data stated. India's COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 30 lakh on August 23, 40 lakh on September 5 and 50 lakh on September 16. It went past 60 lakh on September 28, 70 lakh on October 11, crossed 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20 and surpassed the one-crore mark on December 19. According to the ICMR, 21,15,51,746 samples have been tested up to February 21 with 6,20,216 samples being tested on Sunday. Globally, more than 10.94 crore people have been infected by the coronavirus and 24.16 lakh have died so far. India, along with many countries, has granted emergency use authorization for COVID-19 vaccines and has started the process of vaccinating healthcare workers and high-risk groups. India's regulator has granted restricted emergency use approval for two vaccines -- Covishield and Covaxin. More than 89 lakh people have been given the COVID-19 vaccine in India so far.
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Coronavirus LIVE Updates | A day that will live in infamy: US nears 500,000th COVID-19 death
The United States on Mondayclosed in on the staggering milestone of 500,000 COVID-19 deathsjust over a year to the day since the coronavirus pandemicclaimed its first known U.S. victims in Santa Clara County,California.
The country had recorded more than 28 million COVID-19 casesand 499,510 lives lost as of Monday morning, according to aReuters tally of public health data, although daily deaths andhospitalizations have fallen to the lowest level since beforethe Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Gujarat records 315 new COVID-19 cases, 272 recoveries
Gujarat registered 315 new cases of coronavirus in the last 24 hours, taking the tally to 2,67,419 on Monday, the state health department said.
With the death of one more coronavirus patient, in Ahmedabad, during the day, the toll rose to 4,406, said a release by the department.
It said 272 patients also recovered from the infection, taking the tally of discharged people to 2,61,281.
Gujarat''s rate of recovery has gone up to 97.70 per cent, said the release.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Mumbai cops to fine people without masks Rs 200
Mumbai police is now authorised to penalise people Rs 200 for not wearing masks in public as mandated under COVID-19 norms, an official said on Monday.
"Dear Mumbaikars, Mumbai Police is now authorised to issue challans to offenders not wearing a mask too. Every time we fined you for not wearing a helmet or seatbelt it was alway to remind you the value of your life & safety. Same for masks. Please take care. You matter to us," the metropolis'' police said in a tweet.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Haryana records 106 new COVID-19 cases
Haryana recorded 106 fresh COVID-19 infections on Monday which took the total number of cases in the state to 2,69,836, a health department bulletin said.
The death toll remained unchanged at 3,042 as no fresh deaths were reported, it said.
Of the fresh cases, 23 were reported from Gurgaon and 14 from Faridabad, among other districts.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Maharashtra COVID-19 tally below 6,000 after 3 days; no death in MMR
Maharashtra reported 5,210 fresh COVID-19 infections on Monday, after logging over 6,000 cases for three days in a row, even as the Mumbai region, which has seen a bulk of states fatalities, did not report even a single death during the day, the health department said.
The state -- which has witnessed an upsurge in COVID- 19 cases since February 10 -- reported 6,112 infections last Friday (February 19).
It reported 6,281 and 6,971 new cases on Saturday (Feb 20) and Sunday (Feb 21), respectively.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | India's active cases cross 1.5-lakh mark again as infections surge in some state
India's COVID-19 tally surpassed1.10 crore on Monday with 14,199 new infections while the number of active cases increased for the fifth consecutive day and went past 1.5 lakh after a gap of 17 days, according to the Union Health Ministry data.
The total number of coronavirus cases in the country stands at 1,10,05,850. The death toll increased to 1,56,385 with 83 new fatalities, the data updated at 8 am showed. India added 4,421 active COVID-19 cases on Monday, the biggest jump since November 26.
Coronavirus in Madhya Pradesh LIVE Updates | Madhya Pradesh:
Home Department asks collectors of Bhopal, Indore, Hoshangabad, Betul, Siwni, Chhindwara, Balaghat, Barwani, Khandwa, Khargone, Burhanpur, Alirajpur & districts bordering Maharashtra to convene meeting of district crisis management committees over COVID-19.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan:
Karnataka govt has taken the decision that only those with a negative RT-PCR test certificate will be allowed to enter Karnataka. DGP of Karnataka has assured that vehicles carrying essential items could be exempted from this requirement.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Ten people in Bengaluru apartment found infected with COVID-19
A COVID-19 alert has been sounded in a apartment after ten people were found positive for the coronavirus, officials said on Monday.The 10 cases at the SJR Watermark Apartments, comprising nine blocks housing 1,500 people, were found between February 15 and 22, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (city city corporation) Commissioner N Manjunath Prasad said in a statement.Based on the finding, six contagious blocks have been declared as containment zone by the BBMP, the officer said. He said nine mobile teams were deployed today and 500 RT-PCR samples taken and results expected by tomorrow.Sanitisation has been carried out in the apartment premises and a health team with four doctors has been deployed.Earlier, an apartment in Bengaluru became a COVID hotspot after 103 people were found infected.They were home quarantined as a majority of them were young and asymptomatic.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | BMC:
14,100 people penalised on 21st February and a fine of Rs 28.20 Lakhs collected from them during face mask enforcement drive. A total of 16,02,536 people penalised till yesterday and a fine of Rs 32,41,14,800 collected from them in total.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Manohar Agnani, Addl Secy, Union Health Ministry:
There are 4 states which have done less than 50% coverage of healthcare workers for the first dose - Nagaland, Punjab, Chandigarh and Puducherry.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Manohar Agnani, Addl Secy, Union Health Ministry:
There are 10 more states which have done more than 50% coverage of frontline workers as far as the first dose coverage is concerned - Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Tripura, Odisha, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh, UP, Jharkhand, Jammu and Kashmir & Haryana.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Manohar Agnani, Addl Secy, Union Health Ministry:
In addition to these four, there are 8 states which have done more than 75% of healthcare workers - Bihar, Tripura, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Manohar Agnani, Addl Secy, Union Health Ministry:
There are 4 states & UTs which include Lakshadweep, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh & Rajasthan which have done more than 75% coverage of healthcare workers & frontline workers in terms of the first dose.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | French Riviera to go into weekend lockdown over Covid
The French Riviera will go into lockdown for the next two weekends to contain Covid-19 which has been spreading faster in the tourist hotspot than elsewhere in France, the region's top official said on Monday.Controls at airports and at the land border the southern Alpes-Maritimes region shares with Italy would be tightened over the next two weeks, prefect Bernard Gonzalez said, and stores larger than 5,000 metres square (54,000 square feet) would be closed.The coastal city of Nice, the region's capital and France's fifth-biggest city, has been recording 700 positive cases per 100,000 inhabitants, three times the national average.Residents will be allowed to go out for one hour daily so long as they stay within a radius of five kilometres (three miles) from their homes during the lockdown which will start at 6:00 pm on Fridays and end at 6:00 am on Mondays.France has avoided imposing a third nationwide lockdown to fight the virus, in contrast with some of its neighbours, in what analysts see as a risky gamble by President Emmanuel Macron to allow the economy to gain some steam.Currently mainland France has a nightly curfew beginning at 6:00 pm. The only part of the country with a complete lockdown in place is the Indian Ocean island of Mayotte where the measure has been in effect since February 5. The curfew has been credited with keeping a lid on infection rates but government spokesman Gabriel Attal said Saturday the latest trends were "not good".After a slow start, France's vaccination campaign has gained some momentum with more than 2.5 million people receiving a first dose and, of those, over 1.1 million a second dose. (AFP)
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Hyderabad as vaccine capital further bolstered: Minister K T Rama Rao
Telangana Industries Minister K T Rama Rao on Monday said Hyderabad''s position as the ''vaccine capital of the world'' was further bolstered following the COVID-19 pandemic. He said it is a matter of pride that the world is looking towards the country and Hyderabad, the capital city of Telangana state. The visit of foreign envoys from different countries and that of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ''Genome Valley'' in the city is testimony to the cluster''s significance in the global context, he said. Genome Valley is an organised cluster for life-sciences R&D with a number of companies located there. "Our dream and vision of growing the life-sciences industry in Telangana to over USD 100 billion looks plausible and we remain committed to it," he said while speaking at the inauguration of BioAsia, an annual biotechnology and life- sciences forum, organised by the government of Telangana. Life-sciences sector in the state has attracted new investments to the tune of about Rs 3,700 crore in the last one year with an employment potential for around 14,000 people, Rama Rao said. Meanwhile, Bharat Biotech CMD Krishna Ella said the city would contribute significantly to vaccine production and related areas in the future. A substantial chunk of vaccine production involving different reputed companies comes from the city, he said. However, it does not get much publicity, he said.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Manohar Agnani, Addl Secy, Union Health Ministry:
1,14,24,094 vaccinations done till 6 pm today. Vaccination for healthcare workers is 75,40,602, incl 1st dose to 64,25,060 & 2nd to 11,15,542. Similarly, a total of 38,83,492 frontline workers have been covered with the first dose.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Amit Shah reviews COVID-19 situation as some states report spike in cases
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday reviewed the COVID-19 situation in the country in the wake of sudden spike in cases in a few states.The review meeting was also attended by Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan, Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla and top officials of the two ministries.The home minister took stock of the coronavirus situation in the country, particularly in the states which have witnessed a spike in cases recently, a home ministry official said.The ongoing vaccination drive and the steps needed to check further spread of the virus were discussed in the meeting, the official said.The possible assistance to be offered to the affected states was also discussed in the meeting, another official said.There have been reports of sudden spike in the number of COVID-19 cases in states such as Maharashtra, Kerala, Punjab, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh.
Coronavirus in Nagaland LIVE Updates | Health Minister S Pangnyu Phom:
Nagaland did not report any fresh COVID-19 case today.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Dr Amit Malakar, COVID Nodal Officer, Indore:
The death rate is still less than 1.6%. In Indore, we have reported 7 deaths in the month of Feb. We have sent around 100 positive samples from Indore to NCDC, Delhi & NIV Pune to identify the strain.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Dr Amit Malakar, COVID Nodal Officer, Indore:
Reason behind recent increase in COVID cases in Indore includes causal & careless behaviour of people. I've seen that people are not wearing masks and not using sanitiser.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates |
Researchers at Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research, Bhopal develop low cost AI-powered monitoring system to prevent spread of COVID-19 on campus.
Coronavirus in Andhra Pradesh LIVE Updates |
Andhra Pradesh reported 41 new COVID-19 cases and 71 recoveries in the last 24 hours, as per State Health Department. Total cases: 8,89,339, Total recoveries: 8,81,582, Active cases: 5,90, Death toll: 7,167 (no death in last 24 hours).
Coronavirus in Haryana LIVE Updates |
Classes for students of std 3 to 5 to resume from 24th February. Classes will be held from 10 am to 1.30 pm every day.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Dubai’s Emirates seeks key role in global vaccine delivery
The belly of the Emirates plane that touched down in Dubai early Sunday from Brussels was stuffed with precious cargo: tens of thousands of doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.The arrival was part of an effort by the Middle East’s biggest airline to pivot from shuttling people to shipping cargo — and grabbing a central role in the global vaccine delivery race.As the coronavirus pandemic continues to clobber the aviation industry, the disaster has hit long-haul carriers like Emirates hardest. So the airline is ferrying around the very substance it hopes will get passengers back into its seats and revive the flagging travel sector.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | ITBP Director General SS Deswal receives the first shot of COVID-19 vaccine at ITBP headquarters in New Delhi
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | COVID-19 surge: Restrictions in place in Nagpur till March 7
Maharashtra minister Nitin Raut on Monday said strict restrictions have been set in place in Nagpur district in view of a recent surge in COVID-19 cases.Speaking to reporters after chairing a review meeting, the district guardian minister said schools, colleges and coaching classes will remain shut from Tuesday till March 7, while major markets will not open on Saturdays and Sundays during this period.Marriage halls will be non-operational from February 25 to March 7, and social, political, cultural events will also not be permitted, he added.The district administration has been directed to ramp up COVID-19 testing to tackle the surge.As on Sunday, Nagpur had a COVID-19 tally of 1,43,133 and an active caseload of 5,997. (PTI)
Coronavirus in Delhi LIVE Updates
|Delhi reports 128 new COVID-19cases, 157 recoveries and 1 death in the last 24 hours. Total cases: 6,38,028, Total recoveries: 6,26,086, Death toll: 10,901, Active cases: 104.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | German pupils return to schools despite rising infections
Hundreds of thousands of German pupils returned to schools and kindergartens for the first time in two months on Monday, despite fears of a third coronavirus wave fuelled by the British variant. Schools and daycare centres reopened in 10 German regions, including the capital Berlin and the most populous state North-Rhine Westphalia. Most schools are limiting the return to pupils attending primary classes one to three. Class sizes have also been halved, alongside other precautions such as mask-wearing and airing out rooms, but critics have questioned whether the timing is right for the reopenings. In discussions with party colleagues on Monday, Chancellor Angela Merkel reportedly mooted plans for a step-by-step relaxation of measures in areas such as social contact, schools and restaurants and culture. Merkel argued that relaxation measures should be strongly tied to testing, according to participants in the meeting. Yet experts are warning that Germany could be at the start of a third coronavirus wave, as case numbers have begun to rise again in recent days. On Monday, the nationwide seven-day incidence rate returned to 61 cases per 100,000 people after sinking to almost 50 in the past weeks. (AFP)
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Philippines approves Chinese jab but health workers to miss out
The Philippines' drug regulator gave emergency approval Monday to the Chinese-made Sinovac coronavirus vaccine, with the first doses set to arrive this week -- but health workers will not get the jab due to its comparatively low efficacy.CoronaVac is the third vaccine approved for emergency use in the country, but so far none have been delivered and President Rodrigo Duterte's government is under fire over the delayed rollout. Beijing has agreed to donate 600,000 doses, which will arrive in the next three to five days, officials said -- despite misgivings over its safety and effectiveness. "It is decided... that the benefit of using the vaccine outweighs the known and potential risks," said Eric Domingo, head of the Food and Drug Administration.The CoronaVac can be given to "clinically healthy" adults aged 18 to 59, but was not recommended for frontline health workers or the elderly, he said. (AFP)
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Delhi HC seeks AAP govt stand on pleas to vaccinate prisoners before they surrender
The Delhi High Court on February 22 sought response of the AAP government on two pleas seeking vaccination of all the prisoners who were out on bail or parole before they surrender so as to prevent the spread of COVID-19 infection inside prisons.A bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh issued notice to the Delhi government seeking its stand on the pleas by March 26 and also asked it to take action on the issue "immediately".Delhi government standing counsel (criminal) Rahul Mehra assured the bench that "there was nothing to worry about as everything is under control". He also told the court that there has been "no outbreak of COVID-19 in the jails".The bench directed the government to indicate in its affidavit steps it has already taken and what it proposes to take. The court also remarked that the pleas appeared to be an excuse to keep the prisoners who were out on bail, parole or furlough, out for a longer duration.The bench said when committing a crime or offence, such persons should know what all could happen when they are sent to jail by the courts. (PTI)
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Karnataka Health Minister Dr. K Sudhakar:
Marshals will be deployed in marriage halls to ensure Covid guidelines are followed. Not more than 500 people are allowed in a gathering and face mask is compulsory for all.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates |
Kalaburagi dist admn issues travel advisory in the wake of rising COVID-19cases. Five check posts set up at Karnataka-Maharastra border in the district. Travellers from Maharashtra, who enter Karnataka through the border at Afzalpura & Aland have to sumbit RT-PCR negative test.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Non-adherence to COVID-19 norms behind surge in infections in Punjab: Health officials
With Punjab witnessing an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases, health officials on Monday ascribed the upswing to people not adhering to safety guidelines like wearing masks and maintaining social distancing.According to the state health department data, Punjab has recorded daily cases between 200 and 350 for the last several days.It added almost 5,000 cases in a period of 21 days starting February 1. The number of active cases on February 21 stood at 3,019 as against 2,101 on February 1, an increase of 44 per cent, the data showed."People are not following COVID-19 safety precautions like wearing masks and maintaining social distancing which is the main reason behind the surge in cases in the state," said Rajesh Bhaskar, Punjab''s nodal officer for COVID-19.Officials stressed that people should shed the casual approach.They said some students and teachers testing positive for coronavirus in Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar, Ludhiana and other districts has also contributed to the infection tally.Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar has the highest number of active cases in the state at 583, according to health department data.When the COVID-19 pandemic first hit the country last year, SBS Nagar had emerged as one of the hotspots. However, later the authorities successfully managed to contain infections.Punjab Health Director G B Singh said, "We have sent a team of experts to SBS Nagar to see why the cases are on the rise in the district."The state health department has also sent some samples for genome testing to the Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, Delhi to check for the possibility of another strain of the virus, he said. (PTI)
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | UK's lockdown easing will start on March 8, PM's office says
Lockdown measures will start to be rolled back in England on March 8 because the criteria which guides easing is currently being met, Prime Minister Boris Johnson's office said on Monday. Children's return to school will be the priority, Johnson said.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Odisha's COVID-19 caseload climbs to 3,36,705, death toll at 1,914
Odisha''s COVID-19 tally on Monday mounted to 3,36,705 after 69 people tested positive for the virus, even as three districts were declared coronavirus- free, a health department official said. Of the new cases, 41 were reported from quarantine centres and the remaining were detected during contact tracing.
Three districts Ganjam, Kandhamal and Nabarangpur have turned "coronavirus free" as no active cases exist there, he said.
The state''s COVID-19 death toll remained unchanged at 1,914 as no fresh fatalities were reported since Friday, he said, adding, 53 other coronavirus patients have also died due to comorbidities. Odisha now has 631 active cases, while 3,34,107 patients have recovered. The state has conducted over 81.89 lakh sample tests, including 22,138 on Sunday.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Vaccination starts without rush in Australia, parts of Asia
Australia started its COVID-19 inoculation program on Monday, days after its neighbor New Zealand, with both governments deciding their pandemic experiences did not require the fast tracking of vaccine rollouts that occurred in many parts of the world. Other countries in the Asia-Pacific region that have dealt relatively well with the pandemic either only recently started vaccinating or are about to, including Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Singapore.
Catherine Bennett, an epidemiologist at Australia’s Deakin University, said countries that do not face a virus crisis benefit from taking their time and learning from countries that have taken emergency vaccination measures such as the United States. “We’ve now got data on pregnant women who are vaccinated. Natural accidents, like incorrect dosing, happen in a real world rollout,” Bennett said. “All of those things are really valuable insights.”
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | National positivity rate at 5.20%
India has registered a record in the number of COVID-19 cumulative tests, with over 21.15 crore samples tested, the Union Health Ministry said on Monday.
The country''s national positivity rate is pegged at 5.20 per cent. Progressive countrywide expansion in testing infrastructure has played a crucial role in the steep rise of testing numbers, the ministry underlined.
With 2393 testing labs in the country including 1,220 government laboratories and 1,173 private laboratories, the daily testing capacity has got a substantial boost. "India's cumulative national positivity rate is presently pegged at 5.20 per cent," the ministry said. A total of 6,20,216 tests were conducted in a span of 24 hours. "The number of beneficiaries being tested per million every day has shown a consistent and progressive increase. India''s tests per million stand at 1,53,298.4 as on date," the ministry highlighted.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | 36% rise in active COVID-19 cases in Mumbai since February 8, says BMC
Amid a spike in coronavirus infection in parts of Maharashtra, Mumbai has witnessed 36.38 per cent rise in the active COVID-19 cases since February 8, as per the city civic body. Careless attitude of citizens, allowing the general public to travel in local trains and opening of various other commercial activities were among reasons behind the current surge in COVID-19 cases here, civic officials said.
The country's financial capital reported 5,335 active COVID-19 cases on February 8, and the number went up to 7,276 on Sunday, according to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation''s (BMC) data. Notably, on February 8, the city had recorded its lowest average growth rate of COVID-19 cases at 0.12 per cent and the highest average doubling rate of 574 days, as per the statistics.
At present, Mumbai's average growth rate of COVID-19 cases is 0.20 per cent and the average doubling rate is 346 days, according to the data. Though the daily COVID-19 cases have been rising in the city, the number of fatalities remained low, around three to five every day, as per the data. According to BMC officials, the surge in daily cases started in the second week of February.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | UK PM Boris Johnson to say all schools in England to open March 8
U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson will announce that all schools in England will reopen from March 8, as he sets out how the national coronavirus lockdown will be lifted gradually over the coming months. Along with the reopening of schools to all pupils, people will be allowed to meet one-on-one to sit down for a coffee or picnic outdoors, and after-school activities outside can restart from the same date, officials said.
In a statement to Parliament, Johnson will say more social contact will be allowed from March 29, when outdoor gatherings of either six people or two households can take place, including in private gardens, and sports such as tennis and soccer can resume. “This is a cautious, slow and deliberate reopening," Vaccines Minster Nadhim Zahawi told Sky News on Monday. “We have to be careful, we want it to be sustainable."
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Amid COVID spike in Maharashtra, Sharad Pawar cancels all public events
NCP president Sharad Pawar on Monday said he has cancelled all his scheduled public engagements in view of the recent rise in COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra. On Sunday, Maharashtra reported 6,971 new coronavirus cases, raising the state's infection tally to 21,00,884. The state also reported 35 fatalities due to COVID-19 on Sunday, taking the toll to 51,788, as per official data. Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday said in view of the rising COVID-19 cases, religious, social and political gatherings will be prohibited in the state from Monday.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | UK to share more data on COVID transmission today, says vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi
Britain vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi on Monday said that the United Kingdom will share more data on coronavirus transmission later today. Zahawi's comments came ahead of a government announcement on a path out of lockdown. Earlier today, the Britain vaccines minister said that the evidence indicates that vaccines are proving effective at cutting the transmission of coronavirus. "Suffice to say the evidence looks good," Nadhim Zahawi was quoted as saying by news agency Reuters when asked if vaccines were effective at cutting infections and hospitalisations.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Testing increased at Delhi airport for new COVID-19 variant
As the new travel rules for international arrivals kick-in today, the testing labs at Indira Gandhi International Airport have a monumental task in hand. Union Health Ministry had announced the stringent approach to detect new Covid-19 variant and made it mandatory for identified high-risk countries, the United Kingdom (UK), Middle East, and Europe shall have to self-paid confirmatory molecular tests on arrival will be mandatory.
"The Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) shall be valid w.e.f. from February 22," MoHFW in the guidelines said. According to a report in news agency ANI, the testing process has suddenly increased about 10-fold; earlier about 500-700 international passengers were being tested per day, the lab is now staring at 7,000 plus numbers. The operations team comprising data entry operators and sample collection technicians had to be increased 10 folds to handle the large inflow of passengers from the UK, Europe, and the Middle East.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Karnataka closes borders with Kerala again
With the Karnataka government reinstating stricter control of transit passengers from Kerala in view of increasing COVID-19 positive cases, people here bound to Mangaluru and other parts of Dakshina Kannada for various purposes including medical needs and studies are in a fix again. Long queues of vehicles could be seen in the border areas since morning as Karnataka authorities sealed many roads including national highways and restricted entry only for those with Covid-19 negative certificates.
The Dakshina Kannada authorities sealed all borders from Monday except four to cross over, sources said. According to Karnataka officials at the borders, those who wish to enter have to produce Covid-19 negative certificate through an RT-PCR test taken 72 hours prior to their cross over time. Health and police personnel are on duty at the four borders, viz.Talapady in Mangalore taluk, Saradka in Bantwal, Nettanige-Mudnuru in Puttur taluk and Jalsoor in Sullia, to verify and allow people's entry into Karnataka.
The residents in and around Kasaragod, the northernmost district of Kerala, have been thronging Mangaluru in Karnataka for decades for treatment at the speciality hospitals there. While Mangaluru is just about 10 to 50 kms from anywhere from Kasaragod, the nearest available facility is in Kannur, which is as far as 100 km. People in and around Kasaragod had struggled a lot during the initial days of the lockdown when the Karnataka authorities restricted movement of people into their territory. Strict guidelines on producing medical certificates to get an entry for the critically ill-patients had also turned out to be a nightmare for follow-up treatments during those days.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Schools and colleges to remain shut till March 7 in Nagpur amid COVID spike
Following a spurt in coronavirus in Maharashtra's Nagpur city, schools, colleges, and coaching classes will remain closed till March 7 , Power Minister Nitin Raut announced on Monday. Raut, who is the guardian minister of Nagpur city, also said that main markets will remain shut on weekends. However, hotels and restaurants can run with 50% capacity. Marriage halls will also be closed till 7 March from 25 February, Raut added while speaking to reporters.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Germany damps hopes for easing COVID-19 curbs as contagion rates rise
Germany needs to further slow the spread of the coronavirus before the government can consider additional steps to loosen restrictions on Europe’s largest economy, the country’s health minister said. Children in 10 of Germany’s 16 states are returning to schools and daycares for the first time in weeks on Monday, and authorities will need to evaluate the impact of the move before considering whether other curbs can be eased, Jens Spahn said on Sunday.
“Once we have firm footing, we can take another step" after reopening schools and daycares, he said in an interview with ARD television. Germany’s contagion rate reached 61 per 100,000 people over seven days on Monday, the highest level in more than a week and the latest evidence that a steady decline since a peak before Christmas has ground to a halt. The number of infections is still above the target of 50 that Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government has determined to be manageable.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Combined vaccination and physical distancing may prevent future COVID-19 surges, study finds
A combination of robust vaccination programmes and strict physical distancing rules may be enough to prevent recurring peaks of COVID-19 without greatly restricting the mobility of people, according to a modelling study. The findings, published in the journal Nature Human Behaviour, can help policy-makers and public health authorities to identify appropriate levels of intervention to keep COVID-19 outbreaks in check over time.
The study used anonymised mobile phone geolocation data with epidemiological and coronavirus case data from China to model the potential impact of vaccination and physical distancing on virus transmission. Researchers from the University of Southampton, UK, and The Chinese University of Hong Kong predicted the effect of different combinations of interventions on low, medium and high density cities in the country.
They said the impact of physical distancing in containing future resurgences of COVID-19 depends greatly on the intensity of measures, population density, and the availability of vaccines across geographical areas and time. The researchers set out to gain a greater understanding of the relationship between these factors. They predict that in most cities, vaccination programmes and physical distancing combined will be enough to contain virus resurgence without the need to enforce stay-at-home restrictions.
In the study, containment was defined as maintaining a low transmission rate, or ''R'' number below one, which means one infected person will not spread the virus to more than one person. The researchers noted that cities with medium and high density populations will need both vaccination and distancing to prevent future intense waves of COVID-19, until herd immunity is reached.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | UK PM Boris Johnson eyes lockdown end as COVID-19 vaccines reach one-third of adults
Prime Minister Boris Johnson is set Monday to start unwinding England's third and -- he hopes -- final coronavirus lockdown, as a quickening UK-wide inoculation drive relieves pressure on hard-hit hospitals. In a statement to parliament, Johnson is expected to confirm the reopening of all English schools on March 8 in the first big step towards restoring normal life, nearly a year after he imposed the first stay-at-home order.
The Conservative prime minister, who was accused of acting too late and relaxing curbs too early last year, says he will lay out a "cautious but irreversible" plan to ensure no more lockdowns. "Today I'll be setting out a roadmap to bring us out of lockdown cautiously," he said in a Downing Street release, ahead of his House of Commons appearance and a televised news conference later on February 22. "Our priority has always been getting children back into school which we know is crucial for their education as well as their mental and physical well-being, and we will also be prioritising ways for people to reunite with loved ones safely."
