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A month in lockdown, vaccines in human trials give hope: Covid-19 news today
A preview of the important Covid-19 news from India and world today
India completes a month in lockdown on Saturday. In this period, the country has slowed the spread of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) though many challenges still remain. Meanwhile, human trials of a vaccine developed by Oxford University has begun. An Indian company has started work on its local production so as to be ready in case the trial succeeds.
Month of lockdown impedes virus, a long battle lies ahead
On March 25, the first day of the lockdown, India had 606 cases and 10 fatalities before all transport was banned, offices and schools closed, and people told to stay indoors unless they were out for essential purchases or services. On April 24, across the country 1,408 new cases were reported and 57 more died on Friday – taking total infections to 24,404 and fatalities to 778.
Self-reliance India’s biggest lesson from Covid, says PM
The coronavirus disease pandemic (Covid-19) has offered India a valuable lesson on the importance of self-reliance and self-sufficiency, and the country, each state within it, each district within every state, and each village within every district must aspire to attain the twin goals, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday.
6 vaccines in human trials bring hope of early Covid-19 relief
Human safety trials of a coronavirus vaccine developed by Oxford University began on Thursday even as Indian company Serum Institute of India started work on making the vaccine locally so as to be ready in case the trial succeeds. This is the sixth coronavirus vaccine to enter the first phase of clinical trials, raising hopes of an antidote against the virus that continues to ravage the world.
Covid-19: What you need to know today
There’s long been a theory that the number of people infected with the Sars-CoV-2 virus, which causes Covid-19, is actually higher than that reported. What else should you know about Covid-19 today?
Central team finds lapses in Bengal’s Covid-19 response
One of the two Inter-Ministerial Central Teams sent to West Bengal to assess the on-ground situation there in terms of dealing with Covid-19 has highlighted several anomalies in its letter to West Bengal chief secretary Rajiva Sinha: a waiting period of at least five days for test results of patients in isolation wards; the possibility of dead bodies lying on beds in wards for four hours; and the lack of social distancing at hospitals.
Inspection teams rushed to Gujarat, TN & Telangana to control Covid-19 spread
The Centre is deputing interministerial to three more states -- Gujarat, Telangana and Tamil Nadu -- to probe perceived lapses in efforts to control the coronavirus disease and violations of lockdown regulations, the home ministry said on Friday, amid a bitter row with West Bengal over the alleged targeting of opposition-ruled states .
DRDO offers oxygen plants to far-flung hospitals
In its latest offering to combat the coronavirus disease, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has stepped forward to provide medical oxygen plants to hospitals in far-flung areas to generate their own oxygen supply, two government officials said on Friday.
CMs’ wishlist: Interstate transport options, funds
Chief ministers, especially of non-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ruled states, are likely to discuss inter-state transport of migrant labourers, an increase in their borrowing capacity and food for work programmes when Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets them through video-conference on Monday.
Uttarkashi official suspended for booking toddlers over quarantine violation
A government official on Covid-19 duty decided to investigate over phone a violation of home quarantine by a group of people who returned to their village in the Uttarkashi district from Haryana, and in the process booked a six-month-old and a three-year-old, resulting in widespread outrage -- and his suspension.
Promising antiviral trial hits roadblock
Remdesivir, that had been thought to be a promising antiviral drug to treat the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), was found to offer no benefits to patients or prevent death, according the draft findings of clinical trials in China that were accidentally published by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on its website on Thursday.
India, Gulf talk essentials’ supply, economic recover
Uninterrupted supply of food and essential items from India to West Asian states and the role of energy security in post-Covid-19 economic recovery figured in external affairs minister S Jaishankar’s recent conversations with his counterparts from several Middle East countries.
Kerala shuts its borders with Tamil Nadu
Last month when north Kerala district Kasaragod turned into a coronavirus hotspot, Karnataka had closed all its border points with Kerala and the latter took the inter-state issue to the Supreme Court. However, now Kerala has closed its borders with Tamil Nadu after Covid-19 cases shot up in the neighbouring state.
Covid-19 lockdown: Finance panel calls for extra support to small businesses
The advisory council of the 15th Finance Commission on Friday observed that the government needs to follow a nuanced approach in its fiscal response to fight the economic fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic and focus on designing a stimulus package as much as on the size of it.
Trump’s idea to inject disinfectant stuns world
US President Donald Trump’s inquiry over injecting people with disinfectants to guard against the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) left medical experts and scientists across the world stunned on Friday, with many issuing warnings to not introduce bleach in the body in an attempt to kill SARS-CoV-2, which causes the infectious disease.
