New Delhi: In order to neutralize the Delta variant, Pfizer on Thursday (July 8) said it will seek US authorisation for a third dose of its COVID-19 vaccine. Pfizer’s Dr. Mikael Dolsten told The Associated Press citing the company’s study that people’s antibody levels jump five- to 10-fold after a third dose, compared to their COVID-19 vaccine’s second dose months earlier. 

Dolsten added that Pfizer plans to request the Food and Drug Administration for emergency authorization of a third dose in August, PTI quoted the report as saying. 

Delta strain, believed to have been first detected in India, is becoming dominant globally, raising concerns. 

Meanwhile, it was found that the first dose of the Pfizer or AstraZeneca ‘barely’ inhibits the Delta variant. As per researchers from France’s Pasteur Institute, in laboratory tests, blood from several dozen people given their first dose of the Pfizer or AstraZeneca vaccines ‘barely inhibited’ the Delta variant, as per the report in journal Nature, adding that full vaccination is critical.

In another study, researchers in Britain found two doses of the Pfizer vaccine are 96% protective against hospitalization with the delta variant and 88% effective against symptomatic infection.  Canadian researchers had also concurred with the study, while as per a report from Israel, protection against mild delta infection may have dipped lower, to 64%, the AP reported. 

Closer to home, India is likely to receive 3 to 4 million doses of the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccine shots through COVAX, led by the GAVI vaccine alliance and the World Health Organization (WHO), Reuters reported. The country aims to boost its vaccination drive amid the threat of a possible third COVID-19 wave. 

On the other hand, the world achieved a grom milestone as the global COVID-19 death toll surpassed the grim milestone of 4 million-mark, Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University reported. 

(With agency inputs)

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London: Over 100 scientists and medics, including Indian-origin experts, issued a joint letter on Thursday, warning the UK government against a “dangerous and unethical” experiment of ending all legal lockdown restrictions from July 19.

The 122 signatories of the letter published in “The Lancet’ medical journal include Dr Chaand Nagpaul, Council Chair for the British Medical Association (BMA), Dr Deepti Gurdasani from Queen Mary University of London, Dr Bharat Pankhania from the University of Exeter, and Professor Sunil Raina from the RP Government Medical College at Tanda in India.

The senior experts warn an exponential growth of the deadly virus will likely continue until millions more are infected, leaving hundreds of thousands with long-term illness and disability.

“The UK government must reconsider its current strategy and take urgent steps to protect the public, including children. We believe the government is embarking on a dangerous and unethical experiment, and we call on it to pause plans to abandon mitigations on July 19, 2021,” reads the letter.

Under the current plans laid out by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson earlier this week, the government will take a final decision on Monday to remove all legal requirements currently in place to mitigate the spread of coronavirus from July 19.

This will mean an end to the directive for people to work from home where possible, ensure one-metre plus social distance at gatherings and wearing face masks in all indoor settings.

Johnson has said the decision is being made because the link between a positive COVID-19 test and hospitalisations and death has been weakened due to a successful vaccination programme.

“The link between infection and death might have been weakened, but it has not been broken, and infection can still cause substantial morbidity in both acute and long-term illness” the government should delay complete re-opening until everyone, including adolescents, have been offered vaccination and uptake is high, and until mitigation measures, especially adequate ventilation (through investment in CO” monitors and air filtration devices) and spacing (by reducing class sizes), are in place in schools,” the letter warns.

Dr Deepti Gurdasani, the epidemiologist who organised the letter, described the government’s plans as unethical and unacceptable.

“The government has made a deliberate choice to expose children to mass infection, rather than protect them in schools or vaccinate them. This is unethical and unacceptable. Our young have already suffered so much in the past year, and are now being condemned to suffer the consequences of this dangerous experiment,” she said.

The intervention comes as the UK recorded another 32,551 coronavirus cases on Thursday, similar to the number on Wednesday, which marks the highest infection rate since earlier this year. The daily deaths from COVID-19 stand at 35 on Thursday after Wednesday’s 33 fatalities.

Johnson has said he wants to move from “government diktat” towards personal responsibility from July 19, dubbed “Freedom Day” as it marks an end to lockdowns within the UK Prime Minister’s “irreversible” roadmap. 

Sri Lanka were dealt a blow ahead of the ODI series against India when their batting coach Grant Flower tested positive for COVID-19.

“Batting coach of the Sri Lanka national team Grant Flower has tested positive for COVID-19. He was found to be positive during a PCR test carried out on him today when Flower showed mild symptoms of the disease,” said a statement from Sri Lanka Cricket on Thursday.

“Immediately upon identification, Flower was isolated from the rest of the team members (players and coaches) who are undergoing quarantine following their return from England,” added the statement.

He is now undergoing due medical protocols.

A new round of PCR Tests were conducted among the remaining squad members this evening.

Three England players testing positive for COVID-19 had sent alarm bells ringing as Sri Lanka and India are slated to lock horns against each other in three ODIs and three T20Is. The ODI series will commence from July 13 and it will be followed by the T20I series.

Sri Lanka last played against England in three ODIs and three T20Is and the cricketers returned to Sri Lanka on Tuesday evening. Sources within the Sri Lanka board have confirmed that England players testing positive for COVID-19 is not the reason to ask the Sri Lanka players to enter bio-bubble, they would have entered the bubble right away as India is already in the Island Nation.

“Our players will anyway go into a bubble, since India is already in the country,” the source had told ANI.

Sri Lanka failed to win a single match on their tour to England after they suffered a 3-0 defeat in T20Is and a 2-0 in the ODI series.

The second wave of coronavirus is still active in the country as every day thousands of new COVID-19 infections are being reported. Restrictions imposed by various state governments are slowly being lifted as word of caution is still out for the public.

In the midst of this, the Gujarat government has decided that the Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath will be conducted on July 12. It has been said that the Rath Yatra will be carried out following strict COVID-19 protocols.

144th Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath will be broadcast live and there will be a ban on the distribution of prasad. Elephants, troupes, and other vehicles are also not allowed during the Rath Yatra.

The Gujarat government says a curfew will be imposed on the route through which Rath Yatra will commence. The curfew will be observed from 7 am to 2 pm. It is expected that the 19 km of Rath Yatra shall be completed in five hours.

Rath Yatra will only have 5 vehicles which include 3 chariots. 60 people (20 for each chariot) along with some priests, chief priest Mahant Dilipdasjee and trustees of the temple are allowed to take part in this year’s rath yatra. Coronavirus testing will be done 48 hours prior to those participating in the chariot’s departure.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah will also be present during the Mangal Aarti. 

Last year, only a symbolic rath yatra was organised in the premises of the Lord Jagannath temple in the Jamalpur area after the Gujarat High Court denied permission for the usual public procession in the wake of the pandemic. 

(With PTI Inputs)

New Delhi: Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Thursday said the Cabinet has given its nod to Rs 23,123 crore package to boost the emergency health infrastructure in the states to tackle Covid-19.

Mandaviya further said the package approved by the Cabinet will be implemented by the Centre and states from July this year to March 2022.

This came as the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved a new scheme ‘India COVID-19 Emergency Response and Health System Preparedness Package: Phase-II’ for the fiscal year 2021-22.

READ: New Cabinet Meeting LIVE: Govt Announces Rs 23,000 Cr Health Emergency Package To Combat Covid

This scheme aims to accelerate health system preparedness for immediate responsiveness for early prevention, detection and management, with the focus on health infrastructure development including paediatric care and with measurable outcomes.

The Phase-II of the package has Central Sector (CS) and Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS) components.

The Central Sector components are as follows:

• Support would be provided to Central Hospitals, AIIMS, and other Institutions of National Importance under DoHFW (at VMMC & Safdarjung Hospital, Delhi, LHMC & SSKH, Delhi, RML, Delhi, RIMS, Imphal and NEIGRIMS, Shillong, PGIMER, Chandigarh, JIPMER, Puducherry and AIIMS Delhi (existing AIIMSs) and new AIIMSs under PMSSY) for repurposing 6,688 beds for COVID management
• National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) would be strengthened by providing Genome Sequencing machines, besides sanctioning Scientific Control room, Epidemic Intelligence Services (EIS) and INSACOG Secretariat support
• Support would be provided for the implementation of Hospital Management Information System (HMIS) in all the District Hospitals of the Country (presently, it is implemented only in 310 DHs). All district –hospitals would implement HMIS through NIC developed E-Hospital and CDAC developed E-Shushrutsoftwares. This will be the biggest impetus for the implementation of the National Digital Health Mission (NDHM) at the DHs. This support includes the support provided to the District Hospitals towards augmentation of the hardware capacity.
• Support would also be provided for expanding the National Architecture of eSanjeevani Tele-consultation platform to provide upto 5 lakhs tele-consultations per day from the present 50,000 Tele-consultations per day. This includes support to the States/UTs to enable tele-consultations with the COVID patients at the COVID Care Centres (CCCs) by strengthening Hubs for eSanjeevani Tele-consultation in all the districts of the country
• Support would also be provided for IT interventions, including strengthening the Central War room at DoHFW, strengthening Country’s COVID-19 Portal, 1075 COVID helplines and COWIN platform

Under the CSS components, the efforts are aimed at strengthening district and sub district capacity for an effective and rapid response to the pandemic. 

The states and UTs would be supported to:

• Create Paediatric units in all 736 districts and also, to establish Paediatric Centre of Excellence (PaediatricCoE) in each State/UT, (either in Medical Colleges, State Govt. Hospitals or Central Hospitals such as AIIMS, INIs, etc) for providing Tele-ICU services, mentoring and technical hand-holding to the District Paediatric units
• Augment 20,000 ICU beds in public healthcare system out of which 20% will be Paediatric ICU beds
• Provide care closer to the community due to the ingress of COVID-19 in rural, peri-urban and tribal areas, by creating pre-fabricated structures for adding additional beds at the existing CHCs, PHCs and SHCs (6-20 bedded units) and support would also be provided to establish bigger field hospitals (50-100 bedded units) depending on the needs at tier-II or Tier-III cities and district HQs
• Install 1050 numbers of Liquid Medical Oxygen Storage Tanks with Medical Gas Pipeline System (MGPS) with an aim to support at least one such unit per district
• Augment the existing feet of ambulances – 8,800 ambulances will be added under the package.
• Engage Undergraduate and postgraduate medical interns and final year MMBS, BSc, & GNM nursing students for effective COVID management
• As “Test, Isolate and Treat” and following-up COVID Appropriate Behaviour at all the times is the national strategy for effective COVID-19, support is provided to the States to maintain at least 21.5 lakhs per day
• Flexible support to the Districts for meeting the requirement of essential medicines for COVID-19 management, including the creation of buffer stock

Earlier in March last year when the country was faced with the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, Prime Minister Modi had announced a Central Sector Scheme of Rs. 15,000 crore for the “India COVID 19 Emergency Response and Health Systems Preparedness Package”, providing a critical impetus to the efforts of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the states/Union Territories, and catalysing health systems activities for pandemic management. 

ALSO READ: Newly-Inducted MoS Mahendrabhai Credits ‘Kadha, Modi’s Yoga’ For Saving Patients From COVID

Since mid-February 2021, the country is experiencing a second wave with the spread into rural, peri-urban and tribal areas. 

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Ahmedabad: The Gujarat government on Thursday (July 8) gave approval for carrying out Lord Jagannath rath yatra in Ahmedabad on July 12.

It, however, said that a curfew will be imposed on the entire yatra route to prevent COVID-19 infection from spreading.

The yatra will see limited participation while adhering to COVID-19 guidelines. The government has said that except for three chariots and two other vehicles, no other vehicle, singing troupes, akhadas, elephants or decorated trucks will be allowed during the procession.

“To stop people from gathering along the route for a glimpse of the deity, a curfew will be imposed on the entire yatra route from early morning till afternoon,” Minister of State for Home Pradeepsinh Jadeja was quoted as saying by PTI.

“This time, we have planned to complete the yatra in four to five hours. There will not be any large gathering in Saraspur for the lunch break. The curfew on the route will be lifted as soon as the chariots return in the afternoon,” he added.

Jadeja said Union Home Minister Amit Shah would perform the ‘mangla aarti’ at the temple on July 12 morning.

He requested people to watch the live telecast of the yartra on Doordarshan and other channels on TV.

Last year, only a symbolic rath yatra was organised within the premises of the Jagannath temple. The Gujarat High Court had denied permission for public procession in view of the pandemic.

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New Delhi: The UK Health Ministry sounding alarm bells recently announced that the Lambda Covid-19 strain is likely more dangerous than the ‘Delta’ variant. The ministry further stated that the variant has been detected in 30 countries in the past 4 weeks.

On Monday, the Health Ministry tweeted, “The Lambda strain was reported to have originated from Peru, the country with the highest mortality rate in the world,” reported The Star.

ALSO READ: Tokyo Olympics: Japan Declares State Of Emergency Due To Covid-19, Curbs Imposed

It further reported that the Health Ministry had linked the report by the Australian news portal news.com.au saying the Lambda strain had been detected in the United Kingdom. According to the portal, six cases of the Lambda strain have been detected in the UK to date.

However, the researchers are worried that this variant may be “more infectious than the Delta variant”, The Star reported.

Lambda accounts for nearly 82 percent of the coronavirus case samples reported during May and June in Peru, Euro News reported citing the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO).

Hasn’t been reported in India yet

While speaking to ANI, Dr Pragya Yadav, head of the National Institute of Virology’s Maximum Containment Facility, “Lambda variant has been detected in 30 countries. Lambda variant was first reported from Peru, in December 2020. The number of cases reported from this variant is increasing in different countries, indicating it to be highly transmissible. A recent study revealed that the Lambda variant is susceptible to mRNA vaccine-elicited antibodies and convalescent serum was able to neutralize the lambda variant”. 

Lambda variant behaviour

PAHO’s Regional Advisor on emerging viral diseases, Jairo Mendez, said on 30 June it had been detected in eight countries of Latin America and the Caribbean, “but sporadically in most countries”. While it is clearly the dominant strain in Peru, in Chile, it accounts for more than 31 percent of the samples from May and June, Euro News reported. Mendez further stated that there was not yet clear evidence it was a more transmissible virus.

This variant has come at a time when Europe is battling the Delta variant which was first detected in India.

According to the WHO, the Lambda variant has at least seven significant mutations in the spike protein (the Delta variant has three) which could have a range of implications, including the possibility of increased transmissibility or enhanced resistance to antibodies, created either through natural infection or vaccination. Until recently, the Lambda variant was largely concentrated in a handful of South American countries, including Ecuador and Argentina.

The Lambda variant’s behavior hasn’t been understood well so far, but a recent study carried out by research in Chile found that mutations present in the spike protein of the Lambda variant of interest confer increased infectivity and immune escape from neutralizing antibodies triggered by CoronaVac, the Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine. Even though the study was limited to just one vaccine, researchers said that massive vaccination drives that are currently underway must also be accompanied by strict genomic surveillance.

It will allow the “identification of new isolates carrying spike mutations and immunology studies aimed to determine the impact of these mutations in immune escape and vaccine breakthrough,” the study said.

“There is currently limited evidence on the full extent of the impact associated with these genomic changes, and further robust studies into the phenotype impacts are needed to better understand the impact on countermeasures and to control the spread,” the WHO said in a statement.

“Further studies are also required to validate the continued effectiveness of vaccines.”

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New Delhi: The Coronavirus pandemic has created havoc all over the world. New cases of Covid-19 are coming up every day. At the same time, many changes have also been seen due to Corona. Under these changes, a big change is also being seen in the education sector. Indeed, online education has been boosted since the Covid-19. Although doctors are saying that its disadvantages can also be seen in the coming days.

Under this online education system, children have to spend most of their time in front of a smartphone or a laptop computer. Doctors say that this can also cause myopia (nearsightedness) in children in the coming days. This affects the eyesight of the children. Doctors say that smartphones are easily available, due to which they are used more for online classes.

Also Read: IAS Success Story: Nidhi Siwach Passes UPSC Exam Amidst Failure and Marriage Pressures, Know Her Strategy

More damage due to smartphones

Doctors say smartphones can have more effects on eyesight, which can reduce vision. Smartphones should not be used for online classes. However, buying expensive gadgets is not possible for everyone. Doctors say the use of smartphones for online education causes a lot of damage.

Doctors believe that the use of large screens, laptops or computers, is more accurate for online studies. If possible, TV can also be connected for work or for studies. According to doctors, myopia (nearsightedness) can occur due to reasons like keeping the screen close to the eyes, low light in the room, small font, small screen, sitting incorrectly.

 

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Dubai: Oman on Thursday indefinitely suspended passengers flights from 24 countries, including India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, as part of the Gulf nation’s efforts to arrest the spread of the coronavirus.

The flights have been suspended until further notice, the sultanate’s official Twitter account for countering COVID-19 announced. The decision was taken as part of the country’s measures to contain the coronavirus pandemic, it said.

The other countries on the list include the UK, Tunisia, Lebanon, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Brunei, Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines, Ethiopia, Sudan, Tanzania, South Africa, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Guinea, Colombia, Argentina and Brazil.

The ban on arrivals from some of these countries has already been in place since April 24.

Oman on Wednesday reported 1,675 new cases of coronavirus, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 280,235.

The country has reported 3,356 coronavirus-related deaths so far.

New Delhi: The Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government is preparing a five-page booklet on the ‘effective COVID-19 management’, and asked party workers to reach out to people about the state’s efforts to mitigate the crisis.

UP BJP spokesperson Hero Bajpai said that the five-page booklet would help BJP party workers answer questions about the state administration’s handling of the pandemic.

“The opposition has been spreading canards on the issue of the pandemic. The work done by the government and the party needs to be publicized at the grassroots level. The information includes all that we have done for the people in the pandemic, right down to the village level. We have a lot of achievements on the national level and, at times, we tend to overlook the achievements of the state,” he said.

The booklet, titled “Corona Prabandhan ka UP Model”, has 20 sections and each section contains three bullet points.

This document will have all the information about the steps which the authorities took to tackle the second wave of COVID-19. The booklet lists out several steps including doorstep screening, treatment, aggressive testing drives, vaccination, oxygen conservation, formation of the Team 9 response group, preparations for the possible third wave, and the active involvement of state’s Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. 

This booklet is being designed by the UP government to help BJP workers counter the opposition’s allegations on ‘ineffective’ COVID-19 management. 

As per the booklet, more than 5.6 crore coronavirus tests were conducted in the state, which is more than 30 percent of its population. The government claims it increased oxygen supply from 250 metric tonnes to 1,000 metric tonnes per day, following the oxygen scarcity.

The five-page booklet also underlines the fact that the Yogi-government in the state relaxed the COVID-induced curbs for industrial units during the corona curfew and provided compensation to labourers.

All office-bearers, senior leaders, legislators, ministers, spokespersons and grassroots workers of the party have been sent this booklet and they have been asked to reach out to the people. 

It will help the BJP workers tackle the allegations made by the opposition that the government mishandled the pandemic during the second COVID-19 wave, which was in the month of April and May. 

The Samajwadi Party, the Aam Aadmi Party and the Congress had attacked the state government over “oxygen shortage and bed unavailability in hospitals” and accused it of manipulating the actual toll.

Additionally, visuals of over-burdened crematoriums and dead bodies on the banks of the Ganga were widely shared on social media.

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Olympic organisers are set to ban all spectators from the Games, the Asahi daily said on Thursday (July 8), as Japan prepared to declare a state of emergency for Tokyo that will run through its hosting of the event to curb a new wave of coronavirus infections. Organisers were set to formally reach the decision on the spectators during five-way talks between key parties to be held on Thursday evening, the newspaper said, citing people involved in the Games.

The move is the latest blow to the troubled Olympics, already delayed by a year because of the pandemic and plagued by a series of setbacks, including massive budget overruns. Medical experts have said for weeks that having no spectators at the Games would be the least risky option amid widespread public concern that the influx of thousands of athletes and officials will fuel a fresh wave of infections.

Organisers have already banned overseas spectators and have for now set a cap on domestic viewers at 50 per cent of capacity, up to 10,000 people. Anyone wanting to support athletes has been told to do so by clapping rather than cheering or singing. Public viewing sites have been cancelled and companies, wary of public opposition, have been hesitant about advertising related to the Games, adding to a subdued mood in the Japanese capital.

The evening talks are to be chaired by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach, who arrives in Tokyo on Thursday. Other participants include the Tokyo and national governments and Paralympic officials. Japan has not experienced the kind of explosive COVID-19 outbreaks seen in many other countries but has had more than 810,000 cases and 14,900 deaths.

A slow vaccine rollout has meant only a quarter of Japan’s population has had at least one COVID-19 vaccination shot. The imposition of a new state of emergency in Tokyo comes after new daily infections in the capital rose to 920 on Wednesday, the highest level since mid-May.

Japan`s economy minister Yasutoshi Nishimura, who heads the government`s coronavirus response, said the new restrictions will begin on July 12 and run through August 22.

The Games are scheduled to run from July 23 to August 8. Tokyo is currently under slightly less strict ‘quasi emergency’ curbs. Under the heightened restrictions, restaurants will be asked to stop serving alcohol, Nishimura said.

Areas neighbouring Tokyo where some Olympic events are also slated to take place, such as Chiba and Kanagawa, are set to remain under ‘quasi emergency’ through August 22.

Underscoring the last-minute nature of the preparations, organisers have presented various spectator scenarios to Olympic sponsors as late as Wednesday, according to a source familiar with the situation. Sponsors were told that in the case of a no-spectator scenario, all sports and opening and closing ceremonies will likely be carried out without fans, including tickets allocated to the sponsors.

The lack of crowds may further strain the Games’ budget, which has already blown out to an estimated $15.4 billion, with ticket revenues of around $815 million expected to take a big hit.

The organising committee did not immediately respond to an e-mail seeking comment. Until this week, officials have insisted they could organise the Games safely with some spectators, but a ruling party setback in a Tokyo assembly election on Sunday, which some allies of Suga attributed to public anger over the Olympics, had forced the change of tack, sources said.

Japan will hold a parliamentary election later this year and the government’s insistence that the Games – postponed last year as the virus spread around the world – should go ahead this year could cost it at the ballot box, they said.

New Delhi: Though the coronavirus crisis situation in India has significantly improved in recent weeks but the danger is far from over. India has recorded 45,892 new cases and 817 deaths in the past 24 hours. With this, the total case count has reached 3,07,09,557.

There are talks about the latest and highly transmissible Lambda variant that can wreak havoc if the situation is not monitored closely. However, in relief-bringing news, it’s been reported that the Lambda variant hasn’t been found in India so far. 

Here’s everything we know so far about the variant which originated in Peru and has been detected in 30 countries.

–The newly found Lambda variant in South America has been designated as the ‘variant of interest’ by the World Health Organisation.

–Public Health England has also designated the Lambda (C.37) variant as a ‘variant under investigation (VUI)’.

–The Lambda variant has been detected by South American scientists in Chile, Peru, Ecuador and Argentina.  The experts are saying that the Lambda variant has shown multiple mutations in spike protein.

–The main symptoms of this variant are high temperature, continuous cough, loss or change to your sense of smell or taste.

–There is a possibility that most people with COVID symptoms will have at least one of these symptoms.

–As one in three people with COVID does not experience symptoms, everyone is advised to get tested regularly to prevent infection.

–Four variants are listed as ‘variants of concern’ by the WHO.

–Variants of concern on the WHO watchlist include the Alpha variant first detected in the UK. Also on the variant of concern list is the Beta variant first detected in South Africa, the Gamma variant first detected in Brazil and the Delta variant first detected in India.

Chennai Metro Rail services have been running with 50 percent seating facilities from June 21 following the announcement of relaxations given by the Tamil Nadu government after a month-long lockdown in the state in the wake of the second wave of coronavirus.

However, with further relaxations of curfew in the state amid declining Covid -19 cases,  demand for metro rail services has increased in the city following which Chennai Metro Rail has announced that the trains will be operated from 5.30 am to 9 pm with effect from Thursday.

Following the announcement, the Chennai Metro Rail started its service an hour before today in order to cater to the demand and convenience of passengers.

During peak hours i.e. from 8 am to 11 pm and from 5 pm to 8 pm, the trains will run at the intervals of 5 minutes for an hour. The metro rail will be running at every 10- minutes intervals during normal commute hours.

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According to CMRL officials, it has also set up a special team to monitor Covid -19 appropriate behaviour of the passengers which includes wearing masks. 

As per the officials, so far it has levied Rs 6,800 on 34 persons who entered to metro premises without wearing a mask and without wearing it properly.  

Lucknow: Just two months after of conclusion of the Kumbh Mela before the second wave of Covid-19 swept the country, the Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government has given his approval to conduct annual Kanwar Yatra from July 25 and instructed officials to issue guidelines in this regard.

According to the sources of Hindustan Times, there will be major hurdles such as arranging Ganga water for the devotees with Uttarakhand blocking access to Haridwar.

ALSO READ: India Reports Over 45K Coronavirus Cases, 817 Deaths In Last 24 Hrs

Uttar Pradesh additional chief secretary Navneet Sehgal has informed detailed guidelines on the yatra will be issued soon. Officials have been instructed by chief minister Yogi Adityanath to coordinate with neighbouring Bihar and Uttarakhand besides ensuring that Covid guidelines are followed during the yatra.

“Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has asked to coordinate with neighbouring Bihar and Uttarakhand and ensure Covid guidelines are following during the yatra,” Sehgal told news agency PTI.

Sehgal said that detailed guidelines regarding the Yatra will be issued soon and a meeting of senior officials will be held to discuss the matter.

While officials are still trying to figure out how to coordinate with the Uttarakhand authorities after the state has cancelled the Yatra due to the pandemic. Devotees have been clearly told not to visit Haridwar for collecting Ganga water.

 There are various options being considered to make the visit successful for devotees, and one of the options is to provide water from Haridwar through tankers to the devotees in UP; while another way being considered in to persuade the devotees to collect Ganga water by staying within UP.

In the annual pilgrimage or Kanwar Yatra, devotees of Lord Shiva collect water from River Ganga (usually at Haridwar in Uttarakhand) to offer the same at Shiva temples in their respective places.

Devotees who are known as kanwariyas travel from far-off places on foot covering hundreds of kilometres on foot and visit places along the Ganga. Apart from Haridwar kanwariyas also visit Gaumukh and Gangotri in Uttarakhand and Sultanganj in Bihar.

In 2020, the pilgrimage was cancelled in Uttar Pradesh due to the pandemic restrictions.

New Delhi: Two cases of the Delta Plus variant of COVID-19 were detected in Uttar Pradesh, out of which one of the patients lost their life, IANS reported. Confirming the reports, Additional chief secretary (ACS), health and family welfare, Amit Mohan Prasad said, “The cases were identified during genome sequencing of samples in the state. Surfacing of Delta Plus virus makes Covid-19 appropriate behaviour very essential.”

Citing sources, the news agency reported that these two cases of the new Delta variant, were found in Gorakhpur and Deoria districts of eastern Uttar Pradesh. Among the two cases, the 66-year-old resident of Deoria died during treatment, while the other works as a 23-year-old resident doctor at the Baba Raghav Das Medical College, Gorakhpur.

“The elderly patient contracted infection on May 7 and was treated at home till his health deteriorated and he was shifted to the BRD Medical College, Gorakhpur. He died during the course of treatment on May 29. He had no travel history and all 27 contacts tested negative to Covid-19,” health department officials said. 

The genome sequencing of COVID-19 positive samples which were sent from Uttar Pradesh revealed two cases with the Delta Plus strain. More than 1,000 samples have been sent for genome sequencing from the state to various labs till now, as per the news agency. 

(With agency inputs)

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Covid Update: India reports 45,892 new Covid cases, 44,291 recoveries, and 817 deaths in the last 24 hours, as per Health Ministry.

Total cases: 3,07,09,557

Total recoveries: 2,98,43,825

Active cases: 4,60,704

Death toll: 4,05,028

Total vaccinated: 36,48,47,549 (33,81,671 in last 24 hrs)

The Health Ministry also informed that the active cases now constitute 1.50% of the total cases. Recovery Rate has now improved to 97.18%.

The weekly positivity rate remains below 5% and is currently at 2.37%. The daily positivity rate is at 2.42%, less than 3% for 17 consecutive days.

Testing capacity has been ramped up and 42.52cr tests total has been conducted till now. 

With the addition of 648 new cases of coronavirus, the infection count in Maharashtra’s Thane district has gone up to 5,35,916, an official said on Thursday. Besides these new cases reported on Wednesday, 11 more people also succumbed to the viral infection, raising the death toll in the district to 10,777, he said.

The COVID-19 mortality rate in the district stood at 2.01 per cent, he added. Details of recovered and under-treatment patients were not provided by the district administration.

In neighbouring Palghar district, the COVID-19 case count has gone up to 1,17,726, while the death toll has reached 2,618, another official said.

Former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister & Congress leader Virbhadra Singh passes away at 87 after battling with prolonged illness in the early hours of Thursday. He was 87. The veteran leader breathed his last at Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) here at around 4 am, senior medical superintendent Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) Dr. Janak Raj said.

“He was admitted to our hospital on April 30. He was under constant monitoring of our doctors’ team. His condition deteriorated two days back & at around 3:40 am he breathed his lasts”, Medical Superintendent Dr Janak Raj, Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital, Shimla.

He suffered from heart attack on Monday and was critical. He was in the critical care unit of IGMC.

 Virbhadra was put on ventilator under the supervision of the doctors of the cardiology department on Wednesday after he had a breathing problem, he added.

The nine-time MLA and five-time MP, Singh served as Himachal Pradesh’s chief minister for six times.

Virbhadra had tested positive for COVID-19 on June 11 for the second time in two months.

He had earlier tested positive for the disease on April 12.

Singh had returned home in Holly Lodge here on April 30 from the Chandigarh hospital after getting cured of the first infection.

However, he was admitted to IGMC within hours after reaching home, as he complained of cardiac and breathing problems. He was under treatment in the hospital ever since then.

(With agency inputs)

New Delhi: After several pictures of tourists thronging Manali went viral leading to the central government expressing concern about the violation of COVID-19 norms, the Himachal Pradesh government on Wednesday (July 7) took notice of the situation. The state government has instructed local authorities to ensure COVID-appropriate behaviour to stem the transmission of the virus, IANS reported. 

The decision was taken at a meeting presided over by Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur in Shimla. Making certain relaxations, the cabinet allowed a maximum of 200 persons in closed spaces. While in open spaces, gatherings are permitted with 50 per cent capacity of the area.

On Tuesday, Joint Secretary of Union Health Ministry, Lav Agarwal had warned that restrictions can be reimplemented if COVID-19 violation continues in hill stations. “People travelling to hill stations are not following COVID-appropriate behaviour. We can nullify the ease in restrictions again if protocols not complied with,” he was quoted as saying by ANI. 

After Centre’s rap, Thakur urged tourists to comply with COVID-19 protocols. He told ANI, “We are also a bit anxious as the tourist influx increased in the state. We welcome tourists but I urge them to follow COVID norms. They should follow social distancing and wear a mask. We have also directed hotels to follow SOP strictly.”

Among other decisions taken during the state cabinet meeting, the children who lost both parents in the pandemic will now be covered under Mukhya Mantri Bal Uddhar Yojna, enabling them to get additional monthly assistance of Rs 1,500.

The government has also given consent to increase the additional honorarium of the Accredited Social Health Activist (Asha) workers from Rs 2,000 to Rs 2,750 per month, which will benefit 7,964 workers.

The cabinet also decided to keep the schools closed for students till further orders and to continue with online study. The first-year and second-year students of graduation will be promoted to next class. The new and renewal of admissions would start in the colleges in the last week of July and the academic year would start from August 16.

(With agency inputs)

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New Delhi: The Union Health Ministry on Wednesday said the Variants of Concern (VOC) of SARS-CoV2 (Coronavirus) have been found in as many as 174 districts in 35 states and Union Territories (UTs) of the country.

The Health Ministry said the highest numbers of Variants of Concern have been reported from the districts in Maharashtra, Delhi, Punjab, Telangana, West Bengal and Gujarat.

“Variants of Concern of public health importance detected in community samples in India are Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Delta,” the Health Ministry added.

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The Health Ministry said the B.1.617 lineage, first observed in Maharashtra, was associated with the unusual rise observed in several districts of the state, adding it is now found in many states in India.

The Health Ministry further said the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) is a national multi-agency consortium of Genome Sequencing Laboratories (RGSLs) laboratories established by the Government of India on December 30, 2020.

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Stating this consortium initially had 10 laboratories, the Health Ministry added that subsequently the scope of laboratories under INSACOG was expanded and at present there are 28 laboratories under this consortium which monitor the genomic variations in SARS-CoV-2.

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Malaysia

In a bid to ease tensions with a key ally in the ruling coalition who repeatedly threatened to withdraw support, the Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin named defence minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob as his deputy on Wednesday (July 7).

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala has decided to impose more regulations based on Test Positivity Rate (TPR) and at the same time allow relaxation where TPR is low from Wednesday (July 7). A COVID-19 review meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan here on Tuesday (July 6) decided to impose restrictions based on local bodies on the basis of TPR.

“Areas below TPR 5 are included in category A, areas 5 to 10 are included in category B, and areas 10 to 15 are included in category C. Areas with a TPR above 15 will be in category D,” said a release issued by Kerala CMO. The government offices in the A and B category areas will be fully staffed and the government offices in the C category will work with 50 percent staff strength.

According to the latest TPR, 82 local bodies will be included in category A, 415 in category B, 362 in category C and 175 in category D. The meeting decided to allow restaurants and hotels in A and B to operate where they can cater home delivery and takeaway until 9:30 pm. Indoor games and gyms that do not have close physical contact can operate without AC. Ventilated hall or open area should be chosen for this.

No more than 20 people are allowed at a time.The COVID review meeting also decided to allow the accommodation in tourist areas in accordance with the standard operating procedures of the Union Ministry of Health and the guidelines of the Ministry of Tourism.

However, admission is open to those who have been vaccinated and come with an RTPCR certificate. Chief Minister also suggested that temporary employees should not be dismissed at this stage which should be strictly adhered to by all sectors. During the meeting, the Chief Minister directed the Medical Education Department to intervene and ensure an inspection system to ensure that the medical colleges are open and the food outlets there are compliant with the Covid standards.

On Tuesday (July 6) Kerala repirted14,373 new cases and 142 deaths taking the total death toll to 13,960. When 10,751 recovered as many as 1,04,105 in treatment; The total number of those recovered is 28,77,557. The overall test positivity rate is 10.9 per cent. 

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Houston: The highly contagious Delta variant has become the dominant coronavirus strain in the US, accounting for more than 51 per cent of COVID-19 infections in the country, according to new data released by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

The variant, also known as B.1.617.2, was first detected in India and is spreading quickly across the globe. In some parts of America, the delta strain accounts for more than 80 per cent of new infections, including some Midwestern states like Missouri, Kansas and Iowa.

It is already causing 74.3 per cent of infections in Western states, including Utah and Colorado, and 58.8 per cent of infections in Southern states like Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas and Oklahoma, according to CDC estimates.

“New COVID-19 infections with the Delta variant now account for 51.7 per cent of the infections. The B.1.1.7 or Alpha variant makes up for 28.7 per cent cases after remaining a dominant variant for months,” the data said.

“If ever there was a reason to get vaccinated, this is it,” Dr. Anthony Fauci told CNN on Tuesday.

The variant poses a “significant threat,” to unvaccinated people, said the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. He said the variant was not only more transmissible, but it can also cause more severe disease.

Experts believe it is expected to be the most dominant strain in the country in the coming weeks.

According to the Galveston County Health District in Texas, more than 450 adults and youth in grades 6 to 12 from the area attended a camp in Galveston County and the health District has confirmed 57 cases.

Of the 57 cases reported to date, six are breakthrough cases, the health officials said. Breakthrough cases are defined as someone becoming infected more than 14 days after their second COVID-19 vaccination.

“Knowing that there are only six people that got COVID after getting vaccinated, I think still is a very small percentage,” said Annamarie Davidson, MD, with Memorial Hermann Hospital.

The county health district said 47 cases are youth and adults 12 years and older while 10 are younger than 12 years.

In addition to these 57 confirmed cases, more than 90 people including non-Galveston County residents have self-reported to the health district that they have tested positive.

“We’re testing for the Delta variant to see if that’s the cause for it spreading so rapidly among that group. It’s a good cautionary tale for other churches considering get-togethers. Be careful, particularly when planning get-togethers for kids most of whom haven’t been vaccinated yet,” said Dr Philip Keiser.

“Throughout the country, the rates are not that great so there are a lot of susceptible children,” said Dr Catherine Troisi, an infectious diseases epidemiologist at UTHealth School of Public Health.

According to the CDC, one in five children between 12 and 15 years old are fully vaccinated. In the 16 to 17-year-old age group, approximately one in three have got the shots.

Dr Randall Olsen, who works in the genome sequencing lab at Houston Methodist where every positive COVID-19 test in the health system is analysed, said they had identified 4 delta variant cases in late April.

“We’re now at in the Houston Methodist system 48 patients infected with the Delta variant,” he said.

“It’s hard to make really strong inferences, but it does seem it’s causing more hospitalisations. It’s definitely infecting the non-vaccinated population,” he said.

Local health officials say there is growing concern about the increasing number of adults and children with the Delta variant.

“This virus has thrown every curve ball at us that we can imagine. It is absolutely here, and there is no reason to behave like it won’t behave like the other variants, like it has in other communities,” said Dr David Persse, the Chief Medical Officer for the City of Houston.

“This transmits a lot more easily, so every time the virus gets that ability to transmit earlier, the per cent of the population that needs to be immune goes up in order to slow it down through herd immunity,” he said.

The Texas Department of State Health Services says 41.9 per cent are fully vaccinated.

“The main risk that typically happens with Covid-19 that causes you to end up in the hospital are respiratory- having trouble breathing. There is a possible risk that that chance is increased with the Delta variant compared to some of the other variants,” said Dr Maria Rivera with Harris County Public Health.

Rivera said the recommendations are that any child that is over the age of two that has not been vaccinated must continue to wear a mask when they are in public places.

Dr Peter Hotez, dean of the School of Tropical Medicine at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, termed the Delta variant an ‘overwhelming concern’.

“Anyone who has not been vaccinated or previously infected and recovered, there’s a high chance their luck is about to run out. They’re about to get Delta,” Hotez said.

Texas A&M University virologist Benjamin Neuman said vaccines authorised for use in the US appear to provide protection against the Delta variant, but a large number of unvaccinated individuals in Texas remain a concern.

According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, less than half of Texans over the age of 12 (approximately 48.2 per cent) are fully vaccinated.

This low-information position makes it difficult to predict how big of a threat the Delta variant will be.

“It really depends on what’s out there, and at the moment we’re not sure. At best you might be able to get away with it, at worst it could be really bad. I think we just don’t know,” Neuman said.

“Mutation is how the virus responds to the world. It’s basically how they are able to stay in the game, how they’re able to stay competitive,” he said.

“In the Delta variant, the mutation is a change in position in its spike protein, which allows the virus to penetrate and infect healthy cells. Though a strain may have advantages over others, its spread often comes down to the activity of people,” Neuman said.

Two people standing 20 feet away from each other probably won’t transmit the virus, regardless of the variant. But if an individual is in close contact with someone who’s infected, they’re likely to be exposed and likely will catch that variant if they don’t have immunity.

Our vaccination rates are not high enough to where we can expect that this virus will go away on its own. The more unvaccinated people there are, the more opportunities for the virus to multiply,” Neuman added.

England all-rounder and stand-in skipper Ben Stokes has said that filling Eoin Morgan’s shoes for the ODI series against Pakistan will be ‘unbelievably big to fill’. Stokes was announced as the captain for the three ODIs against Pakistan after the first-choice squad reported seven COVID-19 cases – three cricketers and four back-room staff – and are now in self-isolation.

“With both Morgs (Morgan) and Jos (Buttler) unavailable, not to mention the likes of Moeen (Ali) and Rooty (Joe Root) and the rest of our first-choice squad, I knew I had to step up, and just like it was last year with the Test team, it will be a huge honour to lead this side. The last time I captained a white-ball side was in an IPL warm-up game. So, this will be new for me too, but my experience as a player should get me through, even if Morgs` shoes are unbelievably big to fill,” Stokes wrote in his column for The Mirror.

Stokes admitted to be taken completely off-guard by the announcement on Tuesday (July 6). His initial plan was to not feature in white-ball matches to prepare well for the Tests against India in August.

“Well that (COVID-19) escalated quickly! To say that I wasn’t expecting to be leading England out in a one-day match in Cardiff this week would be a huge understatement. But here we are, and duty calls. I only packed clothes for three days away from home, so there will need to be a bit of extra washing done, although I hadn’t actually received any of my new England one-day kit yet so that should all be waiting for me, I hope.”

The all-rounder added that despite nine uncapped players in the squad, the England team will field a ‘proper international-class side’.

“We might be 20 first-choice players down through isolation and injuries, but we will still be putting out a proper international-class side with plenty of experience at the highest level. I’m not sure how many countries could lose this many players and still have such quality to choose from at such short notice. We are lucky to have the strength in depth that we have in white-ball cricket, and this is just a fantastic opportunity for these players to show what they can do.”

The ODI series against Pakistan starts from Thursday (July 8) in Cardiff.

(with IANS inputs)

Even as the world is grappling with the Delta variant – first found in India and now termed as ‘variant of concern’ by the World Health Organisation (WHO) – a new variant of COVID-19 is raising concerns. The new strain, Lambda, has been detected in the UK and has been labelled by WHO as a ‘variant of interest’. This means that this strain is something to watch out for. On June 14, the WHO designated this variant, previously known as C.37, as the seventh and newest one.

WHO has mentioned, “Lambda has been associated with substantive rates of community transmission in multiple countries, with rising prevalence over time concurrent with increased COVID-19 incidence”. 

As per media reports, the UK Health Ministry has said that the variant has been detected in more than 30 countries in the past four weeks. The Lambda strain was reported to have originated from Peru. Reports say that the researchers are worried that this variant may be more infectious than the Delta variant. But there is no clear evidence of that yet and experts in the UK has said so, adding that there is no proof also of the fact that the current vaccines are ineffective against it,

Pan American Health Organization’s (PAHO) Regional Advisor on emerging viral diseases, Jairo Mendez,  had last month said that the Lambda varianthad been detected in eight countries of Latin America and the Caribbean, “but sporadically in most countries”.  Mendez, however, stated that there was not yet clear evidence it was a more transmissible virus.

The variant, which originated in Peru, has significant presence in Argentina, Chile and Ecuador as well. While no cases have been reported in India so far, experts are worried that a number of variants can enter the country, especially with the resumption of international travel.

(With Agency inputs)

 

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New York: US President Joe Biden has asked young Americans to “think twice” urging them to get vaccinated as the rise of the more transmissible Covid-19 Delta variant now accounts for 50 per cent of virus cases in many parts of the country. He said the United States is predicted to reach the mark of 160 million fully vaccinated Americans by the end of this week. 

In a statement on Tuesday, the White House said, “By the end of this week, we`ll have reached the mark of 160 million fully vaccinated Americans. And that`s a goal I set in March that I`m thrilled we`re going to hit just a few days after July the Fourth. So, we will have 160 million fully vaccinated Americans — up from roughly 3 million when we took office five months ago.”

Earlier, the Biden administration has fallen short of the July 4 COVID vaccination goal to have 70 percent of Americans at least partially vaccinated. Just over 67 percent of American adults have had at least one Covid-19 vaccine and more than 157 million Americans are fully vaccinated as of Tuesday morning, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Reiterating his plea for Americans to get vaccinated, Biden said, “Millions of Americans are still unvaccinated and unprotected. And because of that, their communities are at risk. Their friends are at risk. The people they care about are at risk. This is an even bigger concern because of the Delta variant.” 

He further said, “Study after study after study has shown that, since early May, virtually every COVID-19 hospitalization and death in the United States has been among the unvaccinated,” adding “Now we need to go to the community by community, neighborhood by neighborhood, and oftentimes, door to door — literally knocking on doors — to get help to the remaining people protected from the virus.” 

“My administration is doing everything it can to lead a whole-of-government response at the federal, state, and local levels to defeat the pandemic. But we need everyone to do their part. Millions of Americans have already done that. We have to keep it up though. We have to keep it up until we`re finished,” Biden said, adding “The best thing you can do to protect yourself and your family and the people you care about the most is get vaccinated. The best thing a community can do to protect themselves is to increase vaccination rates.” 

“So, as we shift from these centralized mass — mass vaccination sites, where we were doing thousands of people a day, we’re going to put even more emphasis on getting vaccinated in your community, close to home, conveniently at a location you’re already familiar with.” 

The US President’s statement elaborated the steps being taken as:
   
First — first thing we’re going to do: This includes 42,000 local pharmacies where folks with questions can talk to the pharmacist they know and already have done — dealt with.  These locations overwhelmingly allow you to walk in without an appointment, get the vaccination when you’re picking up your prescription or just going in to get toothpaste or something else you need from a drug store.  

Second, my team is going to place renewed emphasis on getting the vaccines to more and more family doctors and healthcare providers so more Americans can get this shot at their doctor’s office from the folks that they know and they trust the most.

Third thing we’re going to do: We’re going to step up efforts to get vaccines to your family doctors and other doctors who serve younger people so that adolescents ages 12 to 18 can get vaccinated and — as they go for back-to-school check-ups or getting ready for their physicals they need for fall sports.

Fourth, we’re also intensifying our efforts to meet people where they are, outside of their neighborhoods — pharmacies and doctor’s offices.  This includes continuing to work with employers to make vaccination shots available at work — on the worksite, if possible — or — and/or give their employees paid time off to get vaccinated at a nearby facility.

And fifth and finally, we’re sending out more mobile clinic — more mobile clinic units out there to help people at special events, summer festivals, sporting events, as well as places of worship, wherever we can find people gathered.

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