The government's focus is on containing and controlling coronavirus the Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday and advised Indians to stay put wherever they are and travel only under compelling reasons. Responding to questions about IPL and other sporting events, it said the MEA's advise would be "not do it at this time but if the organisers want to go ahead, it is their decision".
Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope on Saturday said the lockdown rules will remain unchanged in the state will May 3. Tope said there was no clarity in the Centre's latest order regarding reopening of shops.
This was the sixth consecutive day when coronavirus cases increased by more than 14,000. Consequently, India has added 92,573 cases since June 20, and over 2.82 lakh this month alone since June 1.
La Liga side Valencia have said more than a third of their playing and backroom staff have tested positive for the coronavirus but that all cases were currently asymptomatic.
Vaccine inequity remains an issue in India, where less than 2 per cent of the population has received a Covid booster
'Stop showing off your star power because there is nothing called star power.' 'The power is only in the script.' 'If you are getting a good script, 'Chup chaap le lo!''
Amethi's former Congress MP Rahul Gandhi has sent five trucks each of rice and wheat besides one truck of pulses, cooking oil, spices and other material for distribution among people, said party's district unit president Anil Singh.
Most coronavirus infections are not severe and do not need hospitalisation, the office of the Principal Scientific Adviser said on Friday, prescribing home-care tips for patients.
'If it is airborne -- and we don't know till what distance it can be airborne -- then the mask becomes a definite.' 'Just social distance is not enough.' 'You need a mask in addition to social distance.'
Normally a star-studded display teeming with celebrities, the Tokyo Olympics ceremony was low-key, with fewer than 1,000 people in attendance, strict social distancing rules and signs calling on spectators to "be quiet around the venue."
"It is a matter of pride for us that India's vaccination programme has been science-born, science-driven and science-based," Modi said.
Assange is wanted in the US on the charges of conspiring with Chelsea Manning, an American activist and whistleblower, to commit computer intrusion into the Department of Defence network to steal classified documents, namely Afghan and Iraq war logs and secret Department of State cables.
People across the world, especially in India, started posting photos of the solar eclipse on social media this morning once the planetary event became visible from their cities.
A large number of American companies like Google, Uber and IBM are offering their resources to help India successfully fight the battle against the deadly coronavirus pandemic.
Results of an interim study recently published in The Lancet showed that two doses of Covaxin, also known as BBV152, had 77.8 per cent efficacy against symptomatic disease and present no serious safety concerns.
According to reports from the states, several congregation participants are yet to show up before authorities.
'We were lucky, in many ways, that we got the disease late.'
'If you don't have a strong political leadership, however much expertise a country may have, in pandemic preparedness or infectious disease, will not matter.' 'It's really about having strong political leadership, that is proactive, that prioritises taking the right action.' 'And if you don't have that, then you will have a much worse pandemic experience.'
The Paytm employee, who tested positive for the contagious disease with flu like symptoms on Wednesday, came in touch with 91 people in Gurgaon, an official said, citing his counterpart in the suburban town.
Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar will sign the agreement on behalf of India on April 22 at a high-level signature ceremony convened by the Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon.
The alleged use of the Pegasus software to spy on journalists, human rights defenders, politicians and others in a number of countries including India triggered concerns over issues relating to privacy.
The NHC said, 78 new confirmed COVID-19 cases were reported on the Chinese mainland on Monday, of which 74 were imported from abroad taking the number of overseas cases to 427.
Uber and WhatsApp on Thursday announced a partnership that will allow people in the country to book a ride via WhatsApp - a global-first initiative by the ride-hailing platform. With this integration, riders will no longer need to download or use the Uber app. Everything - from user registration, booking a ride and getting a trip receipt - will be managed within the WhatsApp chat interface, a statement said. The integration is a global-first for Uber, and it will make booking a ride as easy as sending a WhatsApp message, it added.
There is a process to be followed for EUL and pre-qualification of vaccines under which a company has to complete phase 3 trials and submit the whole data to the regulatory department of WHO which is examined by an expert advisory group," Swaminathan said.
The United States has reported the most deaths -- more than 2,05,000 -- followed by Brazil, India, Mexico and the United Kingdom.
The UK on Saturday detected two cases of the new COVID-19 variant, Omicron, according to health secretary Sajid Javid as he added four more African countries to Britain's travel red list.
Xi, also the general secretary of the ruling Communist Party of China, arrived in Wuhan, the epicentre of the virus outbreak, on Tuesday for an inspection of the epidemic prevention and control work in Hubei province and its capital city Wuhan, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
'The government says the mortality rate among patients is 2 to 3 per cent, but in doctors it is 11 per cent, which is very high.'
The Johnson and Johnson vaccine, which works with one dose instead of two, got approval on Saturday, the third vaccine cleared in the country after emergency use authorisation (EUA) was given to two-dose shots from Pfizer and Moderna in December last year.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), which monitors data related to the pandemic, said the sub-lineage known as BA.2 shows a low number of cases in the country, with the original Omicron lineage BA.1 still dominant.
... 'Or any country which has reasonable vaccine coverage.' 'The emergence of Omicron clearly proves that if we allow a virus to circulate in an unvaccinated population, it would take a form which could be a Variant of Concern, or a new variant.'
India is struggling with a second wave of the pandemic with more than 3,00,000 daily new coronavirus cases being reported in the past few days, and hospitals in several states are reeling under a shortage of medical oxygen and beds.
The total recoveries surged to 46,74,987 in the country so far.
The virus may have acquired mutations that make it more severe and infectious.
Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said the COVID-19 vaccine will be available in the next few months and it is estimated that by July-August 400-500 million doses will be made available for 25-30 crore people.
'There is a loss of camaraderie .. no one speaks unless i'ts work related .. it's like a laboratory where some rather deep scientific experiments abound.'
'Between the quiet hallways and the empty streets, there is a misleadingly peaceful atmosphere outside, that does not reflect the stress and tragedy happening every day between hospital walls.'
'The spread of COVID-19 is not increasing across Maharashtra.' 'Only Mumbai remains a concern.'
The Union health ministry on Friday said while there is no evidence to suggest that existing vaccines do not work on the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2, some of the mutations reported may decrease the efficacy of the jabs.
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