<p>The Union Health Ministry informed on Monday that 3,07,238 people, including healthcare and frontline workers, were vaccinated on Monday, the 38th day of vaccination, which was conducted across 36 states and Union Territories (UT) of the country till 6 pm.<br />
<br />
With the latest addition, the cumulative figure of vaccination has reached 1,14,24,094 in the country, the ministry informed.<br />
<br />
Of the cumulative figure, 75,40,602 beneficiaries were healthcare workers, including 11,15,542 who received their second shot which started in the country on February 13, while 38,83,492 are frontline workers.<br />
<br />
The number of first doses administered to healthcare workers is 64,25,060.<br />
<br />
The highest single-day vaccination during the ongoing vaccination drive so far was achieved on February 18, when a total of 6,58,674 beneficiaries were administered the vaccine.<br />
<br />
The ministry noted that the highest participation in the vaccination drive on Monday was seen in five states -- Uttar Pradesh (50,201), Karnataka (21,669), West Bengal (23,580), Maharashtra (22,979) and Bihar (19,501).<br />
<br />
The ministry informed that no new hospitalisation following vaccination was reported in the last 24 hours, adding that a total of 46 beneficiaries have been hospitalised so far.<br />
<br />
"Of them, 26 were discharged after treatment, one is under treatment while the remaining 19 persons have been reported dead," said Mandeep Bhandari, Joint Secretary in the Health Ministry.<br />
<br />
Hospitalisation after vaccination remains 0.0004 per cent, the ministry said.<br />
<br />
The Health Ministry also said that the total deaths recorded so far have reached 41, including two new fatalities reported in the past 24 hours. Of them, 19 reported in the hospital, while 22 deaths were recorded outside the hospital. However, no causal link between these events and the vaccines has been established so far, it added.<br />
<br />
"A 24-year-old woman from Kerala died 17 days post-vaccination with symptoms of intracranial bleeding. Her post mortem is done but report is awaited," Bhandari informed.<br />
<br />
"Another case is a 49-year-old female from Kerala who died two days after vaccination. Her case is of suspected Myocardial infarction. The postmortem has been done and the reports are awaited," he added.<br />
<br />
"No case of serious/severe AEFI or death has been attributable to vaccination till date," Bhandari clarified.</p>


The Union Health Ministry informed on Monday that 3,07,238 people, including healthcare and frontline workers, were vaccinated on Monday, the 38th day of vaccination, which was conducted across 36 states and Union Territories (UT) of the country till 6 pm.

The Union Health Ministry informed on Monday that 3,07,238 people, including healthcare and frontline workers, were vaccinated on Monday, the 38th day of vaccination, which was conducted across 36 states and Union Territories (UT) of the country till 6 pm. With the latest addition, the cumulative figure of vaccination has reached 1,14,24,094 in the country, the ministry informed. Of the cumulative figure, 75,40,602 beneficiaries were healthcare workers, including 11,15,542 who received their second shot which started in the country on February 13, while 38,83,492 are frontline workers. The number of first doses administered to healthcare workers is 64,25,060. The highest single-day vaccination during the ongoing vaccination drive so far was achieved on February 18, when a total of 6,58,674 beneficiaries were administered the vaccine. The ministry noted that the highest participation in the vaccination drive on Monday was seen in five states -- Uttar Pradesh (50,201), Karnataka (21,669), West Bengal (23,580), Maharashtra (22,979) and Bihar (19,501). The ministry informed that no new hospitalisation following vaccination was reported in the last 24 hours, adding that a total of 46 beneficiaries have been hospitalised so far. "Of them, 26 were discharged after treatment, one is under treatment while the remaining 19 persons have been reported dead," said Mandeep Bhandari, Joint Secretary in the Health Ministry. Hospitalisation after vaccination remains 0.0004 per cent, the ministry said. The Health Ministry also said that the total deaths recorded so far have reached 41, including two new fatalities reported in the past 24 hours. Of them, 19 reported in the hospital, while 22 deaths were recorded outside the hospital. However, no causal link between these events and the vaccines has been established so far, it added. "A 24-year-old woman from Kerala died 17 days post-vaccination with symptoms of intracranial bleeding. Her post mortem is done but report is awaited," Bhandari informed. "Another case is a 49-year-old female from Kerala who died two days after vaccination. Her case is of suspected Myocardial infarction. The postmortem has been done and the reports are awaited," he added. "No case of serious/severe AEFI or death has been attributable to vaccination till date," Bhandari clarified.

India: Over 3 lakh beneficiaries receive 2nd vaccine dose, tally reaches 1.14 crore

<p>A nation numbed by misery and loss is confronting a number that still has the power to shock: 500,000.</p>

<p>Roughly one year since the first known death by the coronavirus in the United States, an unfathomable toll is nearing — the loss of a half-million people.</p>

<p>No other country has counted so many deaths in the pandemic. More Americans have perished from COVID-19 than on the battlefields of World War I, World War II and the Vietnam War combined.</p>

<p>The milestone comes at a hopeful moment: New virus cases are down sharply, deaths are slowing, and vaccines are steadily being administered.</p>

<p>But there is concern about emerging variants of the virus, and it may be months before the pandemic is contained.</p>

<p>Each death has left untold numbers of mourners, a ripple effect of loss that has swept over towns and cities. Each death has left an empty space in communities across America: a bar stool where a regular used to sit, one side of a bed unslept in, a home kitchen without its cook.</p>

<p>The living find themselves amid vacant places once occupied by their spouses, parents, neighbors and friends — the nearly 500,000 coronavirus dead.</p>

<p>In Chicago, the Rev. Ezra Jones stands at his pulpit on Sundays, letting his eyes wander to the back row. That spot belonged to Moses Jones, his uncle, who liked to drive to church in his green Chevy Malibu, arrive early and chat everybody up before settling in to his seat by the door. He died of the coronavirus in April.</p>

<p>“I can still see him there,” said Jones, the pastor. “It never goes away.”</p>

<p>There is a street corner in Plano, Texas, that was occupied by Bob Manus, a veteran crossing guard who shepherded children to school for 16 years, until he fell ill in December.</p>

<p>In the Twin Cities of Minnesota, LiHong Burdick, 72, another victim of the coronavirus, is missing from the groups she cherished: one for playing bridge, another for mahjong and another for polishing her English.</p>

<p>At her empty town house, the holiday decorations are still up. There are cards lined up on the mantel.</p>

<p>“You walk in, and it smells like her,” said her son, Keith Bartram. “Seeing the chair she would sit in, the random things around the house, it’s definitely very surreal. I went over there yesterday and had a little bit of a breakdown. It’s hard to be in there when it looks like she should be there, but she’s not.”</p>

<p><b>The Spaces Left Empty</b></p>

<p>The virus has reached every corner of America, devastating dense cities and rural counties alike. By now, about 1 in 670 Americans has died of it.</p>

<p>In New York City, more than 28,000 people have died of the virus — or 1 in 295 people. In Los Angeles County, which has lost nearly 20,000 people to COVID-19, about 1 in 500 people has died of the virus. In Lamb County, Texas, where 13,000 people live scattered on a sprawling expanse of 1,000 square miles, 1 in 163 people has died of the virus.</p>

<p>Across America, the holes in communities, punctured by sudden death, have remained.</p>

<p>In Anaheim, California, Monica Alvarez looks at the kitchen in the house she shared with her parents and thinks of her father, Jose Roberto Alvarez.</p>

<p>Jose Alvarez, 67, a maintenance supervisor, worked the overnight shift until he died from the virus in July. Before he got sick, he would come home from his usual workday and prepare an early-morning meal. Monica Alvarez, beginning her workday as an accountant from her computer in the nearby dining room, would chat with him while he scrambled a plate of eggs.</p>

<p>“With his passing, we’ve rearranged some rooms in the house,” she said. “I don’t work in the dining room anymore. I’m glad for that. I’m sad, but I’m glad. It’s a reminder, being there.”</p>

<p><b>A Staggering Toll</b></p>

<p>One year ago, as the coronavirus took hold in the United States, few public health experts predicted its death toll would climb to such a terrible height.</p>

<p>At a White House briefing March 31, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top infectious disease expert in the country, and Dr. Deborah Birx, who was coordinating the coronavirus response at the time, announced a stunning projection: Even with strict stay-at-home orders, the virus might kill as many as 240,000 Americans.</p>

<p>“As sobering a number as that is, we should be prepared for it,” Fauci said at the time.</p>

<p>Less than a year later, the virus has killed more than twice that number.</p>

<p>The virus has disproportionately caused the deaths of Americans in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities, where infections spread easily among vulnerable residents: They account for more than 163,000 deaths, about one-third of the country’s total. In New Hampshire, 73% of COVID-19 deaths were linked to nursing homes through last week. In Minnesota, it was 62%.</p>

<p>The coronavirus has been especially lethal to Americans 65 and older, who account for about 81% of the country’s COVID-19 deaths.</p>

<p>One of them was a man nearly everyone called Mr. Bob.</p>

<p>Bob Manus, 79, was an unmistakable presence on the corner of Clark and Yeary in Plano, Texas. There was his black whistle, hanging around his neck on a lanyard — sharp, shrill and authoritative. A neon vest that he wore as part of his safety uniform. And his careful way with the children he guided across the street each morning and afternoon.</p>

<p>“He knew the families. He knew their dogs,” said Ann Lin, who lives nearby and walks her children to school. After Manus died of the coronavirus in January, the block changed, she said. “There’s a noticeable difference now. It’s this heaviness. And it’s a reminder of what COVID took.”</p>

<p>A group of parents has planned an honorary plaque to be erected at the spot where Manus worked.</p>

<p>“My kids were devastated,” said Sarah Kissel, the PTA president. “They went from seeing him every day to him never coming back.”</p>

<p>Manus has not yet been replaced. For now, his corner sits empty.</p>

<p>Some families have moved away from the places that are so painfully entwined with memories.</p>

<p>In April, Karlee Greer picked up her father, Michael Horton, 66, from the hospital where he had been battling the coronavirus. The doctors said he was ready to continue his recovery at home, and Greer had him stay with her family, setting him up in a bed in her daughter’s room.</p>

<p>Four days later, he died there, without warning. Even now, 10 months after her father’s death, Greer remains haunted by the space.</p>

<p>“Every time I walk into my daughter’s room, it’s like I see him there,” she said. “I see him around the whole house. I can’t stand to be there.”</p>

<p>On Friday, the family moved out, hoping that a new home would bring new memories.</p>

<p><b>‘Sad Day in Our History’</b></p>

<p>As the United States approaches 500,000 deaths from the coronavirus, there are few events in history that adequately compare.</p>

<p>The 1918 influenza pandemic is estimated to have killed about 675,000 Americans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, when the country’s population was one-third of what it is now. But it also happened at a time when influenza vaccines, antibiotics, mechanical ventilation and other medical tools did not exist yet.</p>

<p>Drew Gilpin Faust, a historian and former president of Harvard University, said medical and societal achievements in the United States had caused many Americans to believe that “we were ready for anything — that we had conquered nature.”</p>

<p>“When there were field hospitals in Central Park, and bodies piled up because there was no capacity to bury them, we were just so shocked at ourselves and had not thought this would ever happen to us,” said Faust, whose book “This Republic of Suffering” explores how Americans grappled with death after the Civil War. “That sense of mastery over nature has been so seriously challenged by this pandemic.”</p>

<p>Deaths from COVID-19 in the United States came faster as the pandemic went on. The first known death occurred in February 2020, and by May 27, 100,000 people had died. It took four months for the nation to log another 100,000 deaths; the next, about three months; the next, just five weeks.</p>

<p>Although daily deaths are now slowing, about 1,900 deaths in America are being reported each day. As of Sunday evening, the toll had reached 498,649.</p>

<p>“This will be a sad day in our history,” said Dr. Ali Mokdad, a public health researcher at the University of Washington. “Our grandchildren and future generations will look back at us and blame us for the biggest failure in facing a pandemic, in the country that’s the richest country in the world. That we allowed people to die, that we didn’t protect our vulnerable populations — Native American, Hispanic and African Americans. That we did not protect our essential workers.”</p>

<p>It will still take months to vaccinate the American public, and new, more contagious variants of the virus could quickly undo the nation’s progress and lead to another spike.</p>

<p>The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, an independent global health research center at the University of Washington, has projected that the nation could reach more than 614,000 deaths by June 1. Factors like how well people adhere to guidelines like mask-wearing and social distancing, plus the speed of vaccinations, could affect that estimate.</p>


A nation numbed by misery and loss is confronting a number that still has the power to shock: 500,000. Roughly one year since the first known death by the coronavirus in the United States, an unfathomable toll is nearing — the loss of a half-million people.

A nation numbed by misery and loss is confronting a number that still has the power to shock: 500,000. Roughly one year since the first known death by the coronavirus in the United States, an unfathomable toll is nearing — the loss of a half-million people. No other country has counted so many deaths in the pandemic. More Americans have perished from COVID-19 than on the battlefields of World War I, World War II and the Vietnam War combined. The milestone comes at a hopeful moment: New virus cases are down sharply, deaths are slowing, and vaccines are steadily being administered. But there is concern about emerging variants of the virus, and it may be months before the pandemic is contained. Each death has left untold numbers of mourners, a ripple effect of loss that has swept over towns and cities. Each death has left an empty space in communities across America: a bar stool where a regular used to sit, one side of a bed unslept in, a home kitchen without its cook. The living find themselves amid vacant places once occupied by their spouses, parents, neighbors and friends — the nearly 500,000 coronavirus dead. In Chicago, the Rev. Ezra Jones stands at his pulpit on Sundays, letting his eyes wander to the back row. That spot belonged to Moses Jones, his uncle, who liked to drive to church in his green Chevy Malibu, arrive early and chat everybody up before settling in to his seat by the door. He died of the coronavirus in April. “I can still see him there,” said Jones, the pastor. “It never goes away.” There is a street corner in Plano, Texas, that was occupied by Bob Manus, a veteran crossing guard who shepherded children to school for 16 years, until he fell ill in December. In the Twin Cities of Minnesota, LiHong Burdick, 72, another victim of the coronavirus, is missing from the groups she cherished: one for playing bridge, another for mahjong and another for polishing her English. At her empty town house, the holiday decorations are still up. There are cards lined up on the mantel. “You walk in, and it smells like her,” said her son, Keith Bartram. “Seeing the chair she would sit in, the random things around the house, it’s definitely very surreal. I went over there yesterday and had a little bit of a breakdown. It’s hard to be in there when it looks like she should be there, but she’s not.” The Spaces Left Empty The virus has reached every corner of America, devastating dense cities and rural counties alike. By now, about 1 in 670 Americans has died of it. In New York City, more than 28,000 people have died of the virus — or 1 in 295 people. In Los Angeles County, which has lost nearly 20,000 people to COVID-19, about 1 in 500 people has died of the virus. In Lamb County, Texas, where 13,000 people live scattered on a sprawling expanse of 1,000 square miles, 1 in 163 people has died of the virus. Across America, the holes in communities, punctured by sudden death, have remained. In Anaheim, California, Monica Alvarez looks at the kitchen in the house she shared with her parents and thinks of her father, Jose Roberto Alvarez. Jose Alvarez, 67, a maintenance supervisor, worked the overnight shift until he died from the virus in July. Before he got sick, he would come home from his usual workday and prepare an early-morning meal. Monica Alvarez, beginning her workday as an accountant from her computer in the nearby dining room, would chat with him while he scrambled a plate of eggs. “With his passing, we’ve rearranged some rooms in the house,” she said. “I don’t work in the dining room anymore. I’m glad for that. I’m sad, but I’m glad. It’s a reminder, being there.” A Staggering Toll One year ago, as the coronavirus took hold in the United States, few public health experts predicted its death toll would climb to such a terrible height. At a White House briefing March 31, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top infectious disease expert in the country, and Dr. Deborah Birx, who was coordinating the coronavirus response at the time, announced a stunning projection: Even with strict stay-at-home orders, the virus might kill as many as 240,000 Americans. “As sobering a number as that is, we should be prepared for it,” Fauci said at the time. Less than a year later, the virus has killed more than twice that number. The virus has disproportionately caused the deaths of Americans in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities, where infections spread easily among vulnerable residents: They account for more than 163,000 deaths, about one-third of the country’s total. In New Hampshire, 73% of COVID-19 deaths were linked to nursing homes through last week. In Minnesota, it was 62%. The coronavirus has been especially lethal to Americans 65 and older, who account for about 81% of the country’s COVID-19 deaths. One of them was a man nearly everyone called Mr. Bob. Bob Manus, 79, was an unmistakable presence on the corner of Clark and Yeary in Plano, Texas. There was his black whistle, hanging around his neck on a lanyard — sharp, shrill and authoritative. A neon vest that he wore as part of his safety uniform. And his careful way with the children he guided across the street each morning and afternoon. “He knew the families. He knew their dogs,” said Ann Lin, who lives nearby and walks her children to school. After Manus died of the coronavirus in January, the block changed, she said. “There’s a noticeable difference now. It’s this heaviness. And it’s a reminder of what COVID took.” A group of parents has planned an honorary plaque to be erected at the spot where Manus worked. “My kids were devastated,” said Sarah Kissel, the PTA president. “They went from seeing him every day to him never coming back.” Manus has not yet been replaced. For now, his corner sits empty. Some families have moved away from the places that are so painfully entwined with memories. In April, Karlee Greer picked up her father, Michael Horton, 66, from the hospital where he had been battling the coronavirus. The doctors said he was ready to continue his recovery at home, and Greer had him stay with her family, setting him up in a bed in her daughter’s room. Four days later, he died there, without warning. Even now, 10 months after her father’s death, Greer remains haunted by the space. “Every time I walk into my daughter’s room, it’s like I see him there,” she said. “I see him around the whole house. I can’t stand to be there.” On Friday, the family moved out, hoping that a new home would bring new memories. ‘Sad Day in Our History’ As the United States approaches 500,000 deaths from the coronavirus, there are few events in history that adequately compare. The 1918 influenza pandemic is estimated to have killed about 675,000 Americans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, when the country’s population was one-third of what it is now. But it also happened at a time when influenza vaccines, antibiotics, mechanical ventilation and other medical tools did not exist yet. Drew Gilpin Faust, a historian and former president of Harvard University, said medical and societal achievements in the United States had caused many Americans to believe that “we were ready for anything — that we had conquered nature.” “When there were field hospitals in Central Park, and bodies piled up because there was no capacity to bury them, we were just so shocked at ourselves and had not thought this would ever happen to us,” said Faust, whose book “This Republic of Suffering” explores how Americans grappled with death after the Civil War. “That sense of mastery over nature has been so seriously challenged by this pandemic.” Deaths from COVID-19 in the United States came faster as the pandemic went on. The first known death occurred in February 2020, and by May 27, 100,000 people had died. It took four months for the nation to log another 100,000 deaths; the next, about three months; the next, just five weeks. Although daily deaths are now slowing, about 1,900 deaths in America are being reported each day. As of Sunday evening, the toll had reached 498,649. “This will be a sad day in our history,” said Dr. Ali Mokdad, a public health researcher at the University of Washington. “Our grandchildren and future generations will look back at us and blame us for the biggest failure in facing a pandemic, in the country that’s the richest country in the world. That we allowed people to die, that we didn’t protect our vulnerable populations — Native American, Hispanic and African Americans. That we did not protect our essential workers.” It will still take months to vaccinate the American public, and new, more contagious variants of the virus could quickly undo the nation’s progress and lead to another spike. The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, an independent global health research center at the University of Washington, has projected that the nation could reach more than 614,000 deaths by June 1. Factors like how well people adhere to guidelines like mask-wearing and social distancing, plus the speed of vaccinations, could affect that estimate.

A ripple effect of loss: US COVID deaths approach 500,000

<p>Saudi Arabia on Sunday halted international flights and suspended entry through its land and sea ports for at least a week, after a new fast-spreading strain of coronavirus appeared in Britain.<br />
<br />
The kingdom is "temporarily suspending all international flights -- except in exceptional cases -- for a period of one week, which can be extended by another week," the official Saudi Press Agency said.<br />
<br />
"Entry to the kingdom through land and sea ports will also be suspended for a week, which can be extended by another week," SPA added, citing the interior ministry.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/european-countries-ban-flights-from-uk-over-new-coronavirus-variant-351191" hreflang="en">European countries ban flights from UK over new coronavirus variant</a><br />
<br />
The suspension does not apply to international aircraft currently in the kingdom, which will be allowed to leave, SPA said.<br />
<br />
The development comes after several European countries banned travel from Britain on Sunday as the UK government warned that a highly infectious new strain of the virus was "out of control".<br />
<br />
SPA said passengers who arrived in Saudi Arabia from Europe -- or any country where the new strain was detected -- starting December 8 will be required to self isolate for two weeks, and undergo testing.<br />
<br />
Neighbouring Kuwait also announced a ban on Sunday on passenger flights from Britain over the new strain of the virus.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/new-coronavirus-strain-who-appeals-for-strong-action-for-containment-in-europe-351217" hreflang="en">New coronavirus strain: WHO appeals for strong action for containment in Europe</a><br />
<br />
Alarm bells are ringing across Europe -- which last week became the first region in the world to pass 500,000 deaths from Covid-19 -- after it appeared that a more infectious strain of the virus was raging in parts of Britain.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
Last week, Saudi Arabia kicked off a three-phase Covid-19 vaccination programme, after the first shipments of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine arrived in the kingdom.<br />
<br />
Saudi Arabia has so far recorded more than 361,000 novel coronavirus cases, including more than 6,000 deaths –- the highest among the Gulf Arab states. But the kingdom has also reported a high recovery rate.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;</p>


Saudi Arabia on Sunday halted international flights and suspended entry through its land and sea ports for at least a week, after a new fast-spreading strain of coronavirus appeared in Britain.

Saudi Arabia on Sunday halted international flights and suspended entry through its land and sea ports for at least a week, after a new fast-spreading strain of coronavirus appeared in Britain. The kingdom is "temporarily suspending all international flights -- except in exceptional cases -- for a period of one week, which can be extended by another week," the official Saudi Press Agency said. "Entry to the kingdom through land and sea ports will also be suspended for a week, which can be extended by another week," SPA added, citing the interior ministry. Also read: European countries ban flights from UK over new coronavirus variant The suspension does not apply to international aircraft currently in the kingdom, which will be allowed to leave, SPA said. The development comes after several European countries banned travel from Britain on Sunday as the UK government warned that a highly infectious new strain of the virus was "out of control". SPA said passengers who arrived in Saudi Arabia from Europe -- or any country where the new strain was detected -- starting December 8 will be required to self isolate for two weeks, and undergo testing. Neighbouring Kuwait also announced a ban on Sunday on passenger flights from Britain over the new strain of the virus. Also read: New coronavirus strain: WHO appeals for strong action for containment in Europe Alarm bells are ringing across Europe -- which last week became the first region in the world to pass 500,000 deaths from Covid-19 -- after it appeared that a more infectious strain of the virus was raging in parts of Britain. Last week, Saudi Arabia kicked off a three-phase Covid-19 vaccination programme, after the first shipments of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine arrived in the kingdom. Saudi Arabia has so far recorded more than 361,000 novel coronavirus cases, including more than 6,000 deaths –- the highest among the Gulf Arab states. But the kingdom has also reported a high recovery rate.

Saudi Arabia halts international flights over new virus variant found in Britain

<p>Britain’s National Health Service began delivering shots of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine Tuesday, opening a public health campaign with little precedent in modern medicine and making Britons the first people in the world to receive an authorized, fully tested vaccine.</p>

<p>Here’s a guide to some of the basics.</p>

<p><b>Should I be concerned about the safety of the vaccine in Britain?</b></p>

<p>Britain’s drug regulator is seen as a bellwether agency, and its decisions often have influence abroad. In the case of the Pfizer vaccine, the agency has said that it did not cut any corners and undertook the same laborious process of vetting the quality, efficacy and manufacturing protocols of the vaccine — except faster than usual.</p>

<p>Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the top U.S. infectious disease expert, said last week that the British had not reviewed the vaccine “as carefully” as the United States was. But he walked back those comments the next day, saying: “I have a great deal of confidence in what the U.K. does, both scientifically and from a regulator standpoint.”</p>

<p><b>Who in Britain will get the vaccine first?</b></p>

<p>Doctors and nurses, certain people older than 80 and nursing home workers.</p>

<p>Some doctors and nurses have received invitations in recent days to sign up for appointments, with the first shots intended for those at the highest risk of severe illness. The government has indicated that people older than 80 who already have visits with doctors scheduled for this week, or who are being discharged from certain hospitals, will also be among the first to receive shots.</p>

<p>Nursing home residents, who had been designated the top priority by a government advisory body, will be vaccinated in the coming weeks once health officials start distributing doses beyond hospitals.</p>

<p>They said they were not able to do so right away because of the ultracold storage requirements of the Pfizer vaccine. The vaccine must be transported at South Pole-like temperatures, although Pfizer has said that it can be stored for five days in a normal refrigerator before being used.</p>

<p><b>How will the vaccine cards work?</b></p>

<p>British health officials released images Monday of a small, wallet-size vaccination card. It will hold a record of the date of someone’s first and second dose of the vaccine, which are supposed to be roughly a month apart.</p>

<p>While the images raised fears of a government-mandated vaccine passport program, with the cards functioning as proof of vaccination and a key to traveling and going to events, health officials have indicated that the card will not function that way.</p>

<p>They have compared it to cards already in use by the country’s National Health Service for other two-dose vaccinations and said it would be useful but not necessary for people to bring it to their second vaccination appointment. The card does not even have space for a vaccinated person’s name, making it impossible to use as proof of someone’s vaccination.</p>

<p><b>When can I return to normal life after being vaccinated?</b></p>

<p>Life will return to normal only when society as a whole gains enough protection against the coronavirus. Once countries authorize a vaccine, they’ll only be able to vaccinate a few percent of their citizens at most in the first couple months. The unvaccinated majority will still remain vulnerable to getting infected.</p>

<p>A growing number of coronavirus vaccines are showing robust protection against becoming sick. But it’s also possible for people to spread the virus without even knowing they’re infected because they experience only mild symptoms or none at all. Scientists don’t yet know if the vaccines also block the transmission of the coronavirus.</p>

<p>So for the time being, even vaccinated people will need to wear masks, avoid indoor crowds and so on.</p>

<p>Once enough people get vaccinated, it will become very difficult for the coronavirus to find vulnerable people to infect. Depending on how quickly we as a society achieve that goal, life might start approaching something like normal by the fall 2021.</p>

<p><b>If I’ve been vaccinated, do I still need to wear a mask?</b></p>

<p>Yes, but not forever. The two vaccines that will potentially get authorized this month clearly protect people from getting sick with COVID-19. But the clinical trials that delivered these results were not designed to determine whether vaccinated people could still spread the coronavirus without developing symptoms. That remains a possibility. We know that people who are naturally infected by the coronavirus can spread it while they’re not experiencing any cough or other symptoms.</p>

<p>Researchers will be intensely studying this question as the vaccines roll out. In the meantime, even vaccinated people will need to think of themselves as possible spreaders.</p>

<p><b>Will it hurt? What are the side effects?</b></p>

<p>The Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine is delivered as a shot in the arm, like other typical vaccines. The injection won’t be any different from ones you’ve gotten before. Tens of thousands of people have already received the vaccines, and none of them have reported any serious side effects. But some of them have felt short-lived discomfort, including aches and flu-like symptoms that last less than a day. It’s possible that people may need to plan to take a day off work or school after the second shot.</p>

<p>While these experiences aren’t pleasant, they are a good sign: They are the result of your own immune system encountering the vaccine and mounting a potent response that will provide long-lasting immunity.</p>

<p><b>Does the vaccine affect fertility?</b></p>

<p>There’s no evidence that it does, and there’s good reason to think that it does not.</p>

<p>Some claims have been floating around the web that coronavirus vaccines can harm a woman’s fertility. Their supposed evidence rests on the fact that most coronavirus vaccines work by creating antibodies that attack the virus’ “spike” protein, and this protein has a minor resemblance to a protein crucial for the formation of the placenta.</p>

<p>But that does not mean that the antibodies generated by coronavirus vaccines would attack a pregnant woman’s placenta. The region of the placental protein that’s similar to the spike is just too short to give the antibodies a grip.</p>

<p>What’s more, the pandemic has brought a lot of evidence against the idea that the vaccine could threaten the placenta. When people get COVID-19, they fight off the coronavirus, known as SARS-CoV-2, by generating their own supply of spike antibodies. In recent months, researchers have carried out a number of studies on pregnant women to see if COVID-19 leads to miscarriages.</p>

<p>“And the consistent message is no, SARS-CoV-2 does not seem to induce miscarriage,” said Dr. Emily Miller, assistant professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Northwestern University. “If the placenta isn’t knocked out by antibodies generated from overt infection with SARS-COV-2, it is highly unlikely that it would get knocked out after vaccination.”</p>


Britain’s National Health Service began delivering shots of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine Tuesday, opening a public health campaign with little precedent in modern medicine and making Britons the first people in the world to receive an authorized, fully tested vaccine.

Britain’s National Health Service began delivering shots of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine Tuesday, opening a public health campaign with little precedent in modern medicine and making Britons the first people in the world to receive an authorized, fully tested vaccine. Here’s a guide to some of the basics. Should I be concerned about the safety of the vaccine in Britain? Britain’s drug regulator is seen as a bellwether agency, and its decisions often have influence abroad. In the case of the Pfizer vaccine, the agency has said that it did not cut any corners and undertook the same laborious process of vetting the quality, efficacy and manufacturing protocols of the vaccine — except faster than usual. Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the top U.S. infectious disease expert, said last week that the British had not reviewed the vaccine “as carefully” as the United States was. But he walked back those comments the next day, saying: “I have a great deal of confidence in what the U.K. does, both scientifically and from a regulator standpoint.” Who in Britain will get the vaccine first? Doctors and nurses, certain people older than 80 and nursing home workers. Some doctors and nurses have received invitations in recent days to sign up for appointments, with the first shots intended for those at the highest risk of severe illness. The government has indicated that people older than 80 who already have visits with doctors scheduled for this week, or who are being discharged from certain hospitals, will also be among the first to receive shots. Nursing home residents, who had been designated the top priority by a government advisory body, will be vaccinated in the coming weeks once health officials start distributing doses beyond hospitals. They said they were not able to do so right away because of the ultracold storage requirements of the Pfizer vaccine. The vaccine must be transported at South Pole-like temperatures, although Pfizer has said that it can be stored for five days in a normal refrigerator before being used. How will the vaccine cards work? British health officials released images Monday of a small, wallet-size vaccination card. It will hold a record of the date of someone’s first and second dose of the vaccine, which are supposed to be roughly a month apart. While the images raised fears of a government-mandated vaccine passport program, with the cards functioning as proof of vaccination and a key to traveling and going to events, health officials have indicated that the card will not function that way. They have compared it to cards already in use by the country’s National Health Service for other two-dose vaccinations and said it would be useful but not necessary for people to bring it to their second vaccination appointment. The card does not even have space for a vaccinated person’s name, making it impossible to use as proof of someone’s vaccination. When can I return to normal life after being vaccinated? Life will return to normal only when society as a whole gains enough protection against the coronavirus. Once countries authorize a vaccine, they’ll only be able to vaccinate a few percent of their citizens at most in the first couple months. The unvaccinated majority will still remain vulnerable to getting infected. A growing number of coronavirus vaccines are showing robust protection against becoming sick. But it’s also possible for people to spread the virus without even knowing they’re infected because they experience only mild symptoms or none at all. Scientists don’t yet know if the vaccines also block the transmission of the coronavirus. So for the time being, even vaccinated people will need to wear masks, avoid indoor crowds and so on. Once enough people get vaccinated, it will become very difficult for the coronavirus to find vulnerable people to infect. Depending on how quickly we as a society achieve that goal, life might start approaching something like normal by the fall 2021. If I’ve been vaccinated, do I still need to wear a mask? Yes, but not forever. The two vaccines that will potentially get authorized this month clearly protect people from getting sick with COVID-19. But the clinical trials that delivered these results were not designed to determine whether vaccinated people could still spread the coronavirus without developing symptoms. That remains a possibility. We know that people who are naturally infected by the coronavirus can spread it while they’re not experiencing any cough or other symptoms. Researchers will be intensely studying this question as the vaccines roll out. In the meantime, even vaccinated people will need to think of themselves as possible spreaders. Will it hurt? What are the side effects? The Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine is delivered as a shot in the arm, like other typical vaccines. The injection won’t be any different from ones you’ve gotten before. Tens of thousands of people have already received the vaccines, and none of them have reported any serious side effects. But some of them have felt short-lived discomfort, including aches and flu-like symptoms that last less than a day. It’s possible that people may need to plan to take a day off work or school after the second shot. While these experiences aren’t pleasant, they are a good sign: They are the result of your own immune system encountering the vaccine and mounting a potent response that will provide long-lasting immunity. Does the vaccine affect fertility? There’s no evidence that it does, and there’s good reason to think that it does not. Some claims have been floating around the web that coronavirus vaccines can harm a woman’s fertility. Their supposed evidence rests on the fact that most coronavirus vaccines work by creating antibodies that attack the virus’ “spike” protein, and this protein has a minor resemblance to a protein crucial for the formation of the placenta. But that does not mean that the antibodies generated by coronavirus vaccines would attack a pregnant woman’s placenta. The region of the placental protein that’s similar to the spike is just too short to give the antibodies a grip. What’s more, the pandemic has brought a lot of evidence against the idea that the vaccine could threaten the placenta. When people get COVID-19, they fight off the coronavirus, known as SARS-CoV-2, by generating their own supply of spike antibodies. In recent months, researchers have carried out a number of studies on pregnant women to see if COVID-19 leads to miscarriages. “And the consistent message is no, SARS-CoV-2 does not seem to induce miscarriage,” said Dr. Emily Miller, assistant professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Northwestern University. “If the placenta isn’t knocked out by antibodies generated from overt infection with SARS-COV-2, it is highly unlikely that it would get knocked out after vaccination.”

UK coronavirus vaccine: Side effects, safety and who gets it first

<p>Countries of the world are in a race to develop the first vaccine, and are also pre-booking potential vaccines. Many countries are also building vaccine alliances.</p>

<p>Russia claims its vaccine will be available this week. On Tuesday India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will travel to Moscow to have a wide ranging discussion on the vaccine alliance. Moscow sounds certain that an agreement will be struck. Three days ago, Russian officials talked about setting up a production facility in India.</p>

<p>“Now the focus is on the fact that Russian production capacities will be initially used only for the Russian market. We are organising the production in India and other countries for the foreign market. Due to the perfect work of the Gamaleya institute, we see interest of not 20, not 30, but 40 countries now”, Russian welfare fund head, Kirill Dmitriyev.</p>

<p><strong>Russia the first with a vaccine</strong></p>

<p>Russia was the first country to claim that it has a vaccine that works, and is now aggressively promoting the Sputnik V.</p>

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<p>Recently, a video showed Russian defence minister taking a jab of the vaccine. Moscow still says the vaccine is safe and it works. However, scientists around the world say the trials in Russia were too small to prove the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine.</p>

<p>Two days back, Russia went public with the data. Published by medical journal the Lancet, it says that early tests show signs of an immune response. Experts are now calling for larger and randomised trials to test Sputnik V.</p>

<p>In this case, an alliance with India would certainly help Russia. India is the third largest vaccine maker in the world, and India currently has 10 vaccine candidates in development.</p>

<p>According to a report - the US, Britain, the European Union and Japan have so far secured about 1.3 billion doses of vaccines, with an option to snap up 1.5 billion more.</p>

<p>Even before a vaccine has been proved effective, more than two billion doses are already gone.</p>

<p><strong>India steps in</strong></p>

<p>South Asian countries are looking to India for help, and with its manufacturing prowess, India can get access to multiple global frontrunners. Some supplies of the Oxford vaccine will be reserved for India.</p>

<p>The Serum Institute of India that has rights to the Oxford vaccine has agreed to supply 50 percent of its stock to India. The Oxford vaccine is among the most promising candidates right now. According to the Serum Institute, it has an 80 per cent chance of working.</p>

<p>Reportedly, India is also keeping an eye on the Moderna vaccine. Also, India is developing its own vaccine called Covaxin. On September 7, it began the second phase of its clinical trials. Besides these two - India is watching eight other vaccine programmes, including German and Israeli candidates.</p>

<p>India has also pledged 15 million dollars to Gavi, the vaccine alliance created by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.</p>

<p>About 70 per cent of the vaccines used around the world are made in India. 7 billion people in the world need a vaccine for the coronavirus, and the world cannot make a vaccine without India's help.</p>


Countries of the world are in a race to develop the first vaccine, and are also pre-booking potential vaccines. Many countries are also building vaccine alliances.

Countries of the world are in a race to develop the first vaccine, and are also pre-booking potential vaccines. Many countries are also building vaccine alliances. Russia claims its vaccine will be available this week. On Tuesday India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will travel to Moscow to have a wide ranging discussion on the vaccine alliance. Moscow sounds certain that an agreement will be struck. Three days ago, Russian officials talked about setting up a production facility in India. “Now the focus is on the fact that Russian production capacities will be initially used only for the Russian market. We are organising the production in India and other countries for the foreign market. Due to the perfect work of the Gamaleya institute, we see interest of not 20, not 30, but 40 countries now”, Russian welfare fund head, Kirill Dmitriyev. Russia the first with a vaccine Russia was the first country to claim that it has a vaccine that works, and is now aggressively promoting the Sputnik V. × Recently, a video showed Russian defence minister taking a jab of the vaccine. Moscow still says the vaccine is safe and it works. However, scientists around the world say the trials in Russia were too small to prove the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine. Two days back, Russia went public with the data. Published by medical journal the Lancet, it says that early tests show signs of an immune response. Experts are now calling for larger and randomised trials to test Sputnik V. In this case, an alliance with India would certainly help Russia. India is the third largest vaccine maker in the world, and India currently has 10 vaccine candidates in development. According to a report - the US, Britain, the European Union and Japan have so far secured about 1.3 billion doses of vaccines, with an option to snap up 1.5 billion more. Even before a vaccine has been proved effective, more than two billion doses are already gone. India steps in South Asian countries are looking to India for help, and with its manufacturing prowess, India can get access to multiple global frontrunners. Some supplies of the Oxford vaccine will be reserved for India. The Serum Institute of India that has rights to the Oxford vaccine has agreed to supply 50 percent of its stock to India. The Oxford vaccine is among the most promising candidates right now. According to the Serum Institute, it has an 80 per cent chance of working. Reportedly, India is also keeping an eye on the Moderna vaccine. Also, India is developing its own vaccine called Covaxin. On September 7, it began the second phase of its clinical trials. Besides these two - India is watching eight other vaccine programmes, including German and Israeli candidates. India has also pledged 15 million dollars to Gavi, the vaccine alliance created by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. About 70 per cent of the vaccines used around the world are made in India. 7 billion people in the world need a vaccine for the coronavirus, and the world cannot make a vaccine without India's help.

Does India hold the key for global access to the coronavirus vaccine?

<p>A Canadian university may just have developed a face mask that neutralises the coronavirus in a matter of minutes.</p>

<p>According to a press release, the test conducted by researches has ascertained that wearing the particular mask deactivated the virus responsible for COVID-19 disease.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:</strong>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/worldwide-coronavirus-cases-cross-133-million-death-toll-at-578628-313407" hreflang="en">Worldwide coronavirus cases cross 13.3 million, death toll at 578,628</a></p>

<p>The mask is already in production and is made by a local manufacturer based in Quebec.</p>

<p><strong>"Deactivates the virus"</strong></p>

<p>Called TrioMed Active, the mask can reportedly “deactivate” a whopping 99 per cent of the virus in less than a minute or two.</p>

<p>Many medical professionals have recently shed light on how infected masks, or to be more precise, the outer covering of the masks may be responsible for the spread of the virus to some extent, especially if it is not disposed carefully.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/wearing-masks-can-cut-down-coronavirus-infection-risk-by-65-313450" hreflang="en">Wearing masks can cut down coronavirus infection risk by 65%</a></p>

<p>The outer layer of the mask is made by a company called i3 BioMedical Inc, which has called it a one-of-its-kind mask for its neutralising capabilities.</p>

<p>Scientists at the University of Toronto tested the mask and were impressed by the results, claiming it does what it intends to do, ie, successfully kill the virus.</p>

<p>In a company statement, the CEO of i3 BioMedical said, “The TrioMed Active Mask is the first and only respiratory protection that is scientifically proven to deactivate the virus causing COVID-19, therefore drastically reducing the risk of contamination for the wearer.</p>

<p><strong>Can kill other viruses too!</strong></p>

<p>According to Pierre Jean Messier, the CEO, the company had been working on mastering antimicrobial technology for years before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and claims to have invested millions of Dollars into its development. The mask has a shelf life of five years.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:</strong>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/a-squirrel-in-colorado-develops-bubonic-plague-authorities-issue-health-warning-313440" hreflang="en">A squirrel in Colorado develops bubonic plague, authorities issue health warning</a></p>

<p>Besides COVID-19, the mask can successfully deactivate 99 per cent of the H1N1 influenza virus.</p>

<p>The secret, lies in the material which the masks are made out. Another company from Switzerland claims to have done this by constantly providing a “positive charge” to the mask by employing specific fabrics for use, which ensures the virus is constantly being killed, if detected on the surface.</p>

<p>A team of doctors recently claimed how wearing a face mask can cut the chances of catching COVID-19 by 65 per cent.</p>


A Canadian university may just have developed a face mask that neutralises the coronavirus in a matter of minutes. According to a press release, the test conducted by researches has ascertained that wearing the particular mask deactivated the virus responsible for COVID-19 disease.

A Canadian university may just have developed a face mask that neutralises the coronavirus in a matter of minutes. According to a press release, the test conducted by researches has ascertained that wearing the particular mask deactivated the virus responsible for COVID-19 disease. Also read: Worldwide coronavirus cases cross 13.3 million, death toll at 578,628 The mask is already in production and is made by a local manufacturer based in Quebec. "Deactivates the virus" Called TrioMed Active, the mask can reportedly “deactivate” a whopping 99 per cent of the virus in less than a minute or two. Many medical professionals have recently shed light on how infected masks, or to be more precise, the outer covering of the masks may be responsible for the spread of the virus to some extent, especially if it is not disposed carefully. Also read: Wearing masks can cut down coronavirus infection risk by 65% The outer layer of the mask is made by a company called i3 BioMedical Inc, which has called it a one-of-its-kind mask for its neutralising capabilities. Scientists at the University of Toronto tested the mask and were impressed by the results, claiming it does what it intends to do, ie, successfully kill the virus. In a company statement, the CEO of i3 BioMedical said, “The TrioMed Active Mask is the first and only respiratory protection that is scientifically proven to deactivate the virus causing COVID-19, therefore drastically reducing the risk of contamination for the wearer. Can kill other viruses too! According to Pierre Jean Messier, the CEO, the company had been working on mastering antimicrobial technology for years before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and claims to have invested millions of Dollars into its development. The mask has a shelf life of five years. Also read: A squirrel in Colorado develops bubonic plague, authorities issue health warning Besides COVID-19, the mask can successfully deactivate 99 per cent of the H1N1 influenza virus. The secret, lies in the material which the masks are made out. Another company from Switzerland claims to have done this by constantly providing a “positive charge” to the mask by employing specific fabrics for use, which ensures the virus is constantly being killed, if detected on the surface. A team of doctors recently claimed how wearing a face mask can cut the chances of catching COVID-19 by 65 per cent.

University of Toronto approves mask capable of neutralising 99% of coronavirus

<p>Hong Kong reported 19 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, including 14 that were locally transmitted, as new social distancing measures came into force and as authorities warned that the risk of a large-scale outbreak remained high.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read:</strong>&nbsp;<a href="/world/beijings-hong-kong-office-warns-pro-democracy-poll-could-violate-new-security-law-313130" hreflang="en">Beijing's Hong Kong office warns pro-democracy poll could violate new security law</a></p>

<p>Wednesday's toll dropped substantially from Tuesday's 48 new cases. The city had registered a sharp increase in the number of cases in the past week with the majority of cases transmitted locally.</p>

<p>Since late January, the global financial hub has reported more than 1,500 cases and eight deaths.</p>

<p><strong>Strict measures</strong></p>

<p>Hong&nbsp;Kong&nbsp;will imposed strict new social distancing measures from midnight Tuesday, the most stringent in the Asian financial hub since the coronavirus broke out, as authorities warn the risk of a large-scale outbreak is extremely high.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="/world/hong-kong-activist-nathan-law-moves-to-uk-vows-fight-will-continue-313144" hreflang="en">Hong Kong activist Nathan Law moves to UK; vows fight will continue</a></p>

<p>The measures dictate that face masks will be mandatory for people using public transport and restaurants will no longer provide dine in services and only offer takeaway after 6 pm.</p>

<p>Both are new rules that were not implemented during the city's first and second coronavirus waves earlier this year. If a person does not wear a mask on public transport, they face a fine of HK$5,000 ($645).</p>


Hong Kong reported 19 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, including 14 that were locally transmitted, as new social distancing measures came into force and as authorities warned that the risk of a large-scale outbreak remained high.

Hong Kong reported 19 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, including 14 that were locally transmitted, as new social distancing measures came into force and as authorities warned that the risk of a large-scale outbreak remained high. Also read: Beijing's Hong Kong office warns pro-democracy poll could violate new security law Wednesday's toll dropped substantially from Tuesday's 48 new cases. The city had registered a sharp increase in the number of cases in the past week with the majority of cases transmitted locally. Since late January, the global financial hub has reported more than 1,500 cases and eight deaths. Strict measures Hong Kong will imposed strict new social distancing measures from midnight Tuesday, the most stringent in the Asian financial hub since the coronavirus broke out, as authorities warn the risk of a large-scale outbreak is extremely high. Also read: Hong Kong activist Nathan Law moves to UK; vows fight will continue The measures dictate that face masks will be mandatory for people using public transport and restaurants will no longer provide dine in services and only offer takeaway after 6 pm. Both are new rules that were not implemented during the city's first and second coronavirus waves earlier this year. If a person does not wear a mask on public transport, they face a fine of HK$5,000 ($645).

Hong Kong reports 19 new coronavirus cases, down from recent spike

<p>United Kingdom recently allowed businesses to resume activity after over three months of lockdown. As part of this move, pubs, hairdressers, and eateries have been allowed to reopen.</p>

<p>However, as experts warn of a harder second-wave of COVID-19 infections in autumn and the months following it, businesses are taking extra precautions to maintain social distancing.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/face-coverings-made-mandatory-in-shops-across-england-as-risks-of-a-second-wave-intensify-313174" hreflang="en">Face coverings made mandatory in shops across England as risks of a second-wave intensify</a></p>

<p>A pub in Cornwall, UK installed an electric fence to ensure people maintain social distancing, and that they stay away from the bartender. This comes in after a police chief from the UK had said last week, “drunk people cannot socially distance”.</p>

<p>The owner of the pub spoke to CNN and told them how it was necessary to ensure distancing among people, especially considering drunk people are more susceptible to forgetting about the virus once they’re intoxicated.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Cornwall pub installs electric fence at the bar... <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/corona?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#corona</a> <a href="https://t.co/Qi6dVHArUx">pic.twitter.com/Qi6dVHArUx</a></p>
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<p><strong>Too risky!</strong></p>

<p>The pubs had begun reopening in England just ten days ago, on July 4. Even then provisions were put in place to mandate social distancing. Additionally, all customers are required to hand over contact details in case contact tracing for COVID-19 is required.</p>

<p>According to McFadden, the pub owner, this move was necessary to “protect staff” and himself. UK today made face coverings compulsory across all supermarkets and shops, after it became the norm on public transport. However, the markets rule will come into effect only in August.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:</strong>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/worst-case-uk-winter-could-see-120000-covid-deaths-in-second-wave-313135" hreflang="en">'Worst-case' UK winter could see 120,000 COVID deaths in second wave</a></p>

<p>McFaden told CNN that he earlier intended to use a rope or a chain, but realised it would have no effect on drunk revellers.</p>

<p>However, the fence is usually turned off, but serves as a deterrent against people who may try to&nbsp; flout social distancing norms under the influence of alcohol.</p>

<p>The owner called it “the fear factor”, and claimed that it had been working very well.</p>

<p>Even though pubs can legally remain open, many have shut down in view of the increasing risk and cases in the country.</p>


United Kingdom recently allowed businesses to resume activity after over three months of lockdown. As part of this move, pubs, hairdressers, and eateries have been allowed to reopen.

United Kingdom recently allowed businesses to resume activity after over three months of lockdown. As part of this move, pubs, hairdressers, and eateries have been allowed to reopen. However, as experts warn of a harder second-wave of COVID-19 infections in autumn and the months following it, businesses are taking extra precautions to maintain social distancing. Also read: Face coverings made mandatory in shops across England as risks of a second-wave intensify A pub in Cornwall, UK installed an electric fence to ensure people maintain social distancing, and that they stay away from the bartender. This comes in after a police chief from the UK had said last week, “drunk people cannot socially distance”. The owner of the pub spoke to CNN and told them how it was necessary to ensure distancing among people, especially considering drunk people are more susceptible to forgetting about the virus once they’re intoxicated. Cornwall pub installs electric fence at the bar... #corona pic.twitter.com/Qi6dVHArUx — ɭคยгєภรɭ (@laurensl) July 13, 2020 × Too risky! The pubs had begun reopening in England just ten days ago, on July 4. Even then provisions were put in place to mandate social distancing. Additionally, all customers are required to hand over contact details in case contact tracing for COVID-19 is required. According to McFadden, the pub owner, this move was necessary to “protect staff” and himself. UK today made face coverings compulsory across all supermarkets and shops, after it became the norm on public transport. However, the markets rule will come into effect only in August. Also read: 'Worst-case' UK winter could see 120,000 COVID deaths in second wave McFaden told CNN that he earlier intended to use a rope or a chain, but realised it would have no effect on drunk revellers. However, the fence is usually turned off, but serves as a deterrent against people who may try to flout social distancing norms under the influence of alcohol. The owner called it “the fear factor”, and claimed that it had been working very well. Even though pubs can legally remain open, many have shut down in view of the increasing risk and cases in the country.

British pub installs electric fence to keep people at bay

<p>More than 120 nations in May called for an investigation into the origins of the virus at the World Health Assembly. The United States has already moved to cut ties with WHO over allegations it mishandled the outbreak and is biased toward China.</p>

<p>Under pressure, the WHO, which faced fierce criticism over its handling of the coronavirus crisis, has announced the panel that will conduct this investigation into the origins of the novel coronavirus which sparked the global pandemic.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/rebel-groups-in-myanmar-have-chinas-backing-report-312367">Also Read: Rebel groups in Myanmar have China's backing</a></p>

<p>The panel will be headed by former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark and former Liberian president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. The two get to choose the members of the panel&nbsp;for Pandemic Preparedness and Response</p>

<p>Last month, the Associated Press had reported that China delayed releasing information about the coronavirus to the WHO. The report says that there was “considerable frustration” among WHO officials because they didn’t get the information they needed in time.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/is-china-trying-to-revive-a-terrorist-group-in-pakistan-occupied-kashmir-312371">Also Read:&nbsp;Is China trying to revive a terrorist group in Pakistan occupied Kashmir?</a></p>

<p>The virus is believed to have emerged in a wholesale market in the central Chinese city of Wuhan late last year, since then closed, after jumping the species barrier from the animal kingdom to infect humans.</p>

<p>This investigation is the ultimate litmus test for the WHO and how it deals with the question of China will ultimately decide its fate and is future.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><br />
&nbsp;</p>


More than 120 nations in May called for an investigation into the origins of the virus at the World Health Assembly. The United States has already moved to cut ties with WHO over allegations it mishandled the outbreak and is biased toward China.

More than 120 nations in May called for an investigation into the origins of the virus at the World Health Assembly. The United States has already moved to cut ties with WHO over allegations it mishandled the outbreak and is biased toward China. Under pressure, the WHO, which faced fierce criticism over its handling of the coronavirus crisis, has announced the panel that will conduct this investigation into the origins of the novel coronavirus which sparked the global pandemic. Also Read: Rebel groups in Myanmar have China's backing The panel will be headed by former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark and former Liberian president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. The two get to choose the members of the panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response Last month, the Associated Press had reported that China delayed releasing information about the coronavirus to the WHO. The report says that there was “considerable frustration” among WHO officials because they didn’t get the information they needed in time. Also Read: Is China trying to revive a terrorist group in Pakistan occupied Kashmir? The virus is believed to have emerged in a wholesale market in the central Chinese city of Wuhan late last year, since then closed, after jumping the species barrier from the animal kingdom to infect humans. This investigation is the ultimate litmus test for the WHO and how it deals with the question of China will ultimately decide its fate and is future.

WHO coronavirus pandemic response probe a litmus test for the agency

<p>Are companies that claim to fight misinformation about coronavirus actually capitalising on it?&nbsp;</p>

<p>A new report reveals that major conglomerates like Google and Amazon will funnel $25 million in 2020 to websites that spread misinformation about COVID-19.&nbsp;For every fake news website that gets ad revenue, Google will $3 out of every $4. In total, this is expected to amount to over $19 million.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="/world/amazon-founder-jeff-bezos-net-worth-zooms-to-1716-billion-amid-pandemic-ex-wife-mackenzie-becomes-second-richest-woman-310132" hreflang="en">Amazon founder Jeff Bezos net worth zooms to $171.6 billion amid pandemic; ex-wife Mackenzie becomes second richest woman</a></p>

<p>Amazon will contribute almost $2 million to the fake news industry, which accounts for 7 per cent of the marketing spending that these sites receive.&nbsp;This report was recently released by the Global Disinformation Index.</p>

<p>According to its analysis between January and June in 2020, the GDI flagged 480 websites as publishers of misleading information, or very simply - fake news. Many of these ads were for mega companies like L’Oreal SA, and Canon Inc.</p>

<p>In conversation with Bloomberg, Google claimed that this report was “flawed”, for its “revenue calculations” were neither “transparent” nor “realistic”. Additionally, Google claimed to have strict policies to prevent harmful monetisation of content.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="/technology/ceos-of-apple-amazon-facebook-and-google-to-testify-in-congress-over-antitrust-issues-310090" hreflang="en">CEOs of Apple, Amazon, Facebook and Google to testify in Congress over antitrust issues</a></p>

<p>The virus, which has killed over 544,000 around the globe and infected over 11.8 million is still being studied by experts. Just today, on July 8, many scientists claimed that the virus causes long-term brain damage even in the mildest of cases. However, this lack of information may have spurred misinformation surrounding the virus.</p>

<p>Google claims that it has removed advertisements from its sites that violate its policies.</p>


Are companies that claim to fight misinformation about coronavirus actually capitalising on it? A new report reveals that major conglomerates like Google and Amazon will funnel $25 million in 2020 to websites that spread misinformation about COVID-19.

Are companies that claim to fight misinformation about coronavirus actually capitalising on it? A new report reveals that major conglomerates like Google and Amazon will funnel $25 million in 2020 to websites that spread misinformation about COVID-19. For every fake news website that gets ad revenue, Google will $3 out of every $4. In total, this is expected to amount to over $19 million. Also read: Amazon founder Jeff Bezos net worth zooms to $171.6 billion amid pandemic; ex-wife Mackenzie becomes second richest woman Amazon will contribute almost $2 million to the fake news industry, which accounts for 7 per cent of the marketing spending that these sites receive. This report was recently released by the Global Disinformation Index. According to its analysis between January and June in 2020, the GDI flagged 480 websites as publishers of misleading information, or very simply - fake news. Many of these ads were for mega companies like L’Oreal SA, and Canon Inc. In conversation with Bloomberg, Google claimed that this report was “flawed”, for its “revenue calculations” were neither “transparent” nor “realistic”. Additionally, Google claimed to have strict policies to prevent harmful monetisation of content. Also read: CEOs of Apple, Amazon, Facebook and Google to testify in Congress over antitrust issues The virus, which has killed over 544,000 around the globe and infected over 11.8 million is still being studied by experts. Just today, on July 8, many scientists claimed that the virus causes long-term brain damage even in the mildest of cases. However, this lack of information may have spurred misinformation surrounding the virus. Google claims that it has removed advertisements from its sites that violate its policies.

Survey says Amazon, Google pump millions into websites spreading misinformation about COVID-19

<p>Poonthura in Thiruvananthapuram will have strict measures in place as the state government has decided to close the borders of the suburb amid rising cases of COVID-19.<br />
<br />
With 119 COVID-19 positive cases reported of the 600 samples tested in five days, the coastal belt of Poonthura is becoming a major hotspot of coronavirus.<br />
<br />
In the backdrop of this, a high-level meeting was chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan here on Wednesday, which was attended by Chief Secretary, the Health Secretary, the Police Chief and the District Collector of Thiruvananthapuram.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="/india-news/kerala-30kg-gold-smuggling-controversy-gets-murky-cbi-customs-meeting-underway-311600" hreflang="en">Kerala: 30kg gold smuggling controversy gets murky; CBI, Customs meeting underway</a><br />
<br />
The meeting evaluated the situation and the Chief Minister has directed for immediate intervention.In the meeting, it was decided to strictly prevent people from reaching Poonthura from outside.<br />
<br />
Coastal police have been advised to stop people from reaching Poonthura by sea and the borders will be sealed. The district administration will provide all necessary assistance to the people of the region.<br />
<br />
Now, more COVID-19 tests will be conducted in the locality.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="/india-news/kerala-reports-a-highest-single-day-spike-of-211-cases-tally-nearing-5000-mark-310525" hreflang="en">Kerala reports a highest single-day spike of 211 cases, tally nearing 5000 mark</a><br />
<br />
The state government has also decided to provide free rations to each family in the three wards at Poonthura from tomorrow onwards.Currently, an enhanced triple lockdown is in place in Thiruvananthapuram city after a spike in the number of cases and authorities unable to find the source of transmission in many cases that were reported recently.<br />
<br />
The total number of positive cases in Kerala stands at 5,894 including 2415 active cases, as per the Union Health Ministry.</p>


Poonthura in Thiruvananthapuram will have strict measures in place as the state government has decided to close the borders of the suburb amid rising cases of COVID-19.

Poonthura in Thiruvananthapuram will have strict measures in place as the state government has decided to close the borders of the suburb amid rising cases of COVID-19. With 119 COVID-19 positive cases reported of the 600 samples tested in five days, the coastal belt of Poonthura is becoming a major hotspot of coronavirus. In the backdrop of this, a high-level meeting was chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan here on Wednesday, which was attended by Chief Secretary, the Health Secretary, the Police Chief and the District Collector of Thiruvananthapuram. Also read: Kerala: 30kg gold smuggling controversy gets murky; CBI, Customs meeting underway The meeting evaluated the situation and the Chief Minister has directed for immediate intervention.In the meeting, it was decided to strictly prevent people from reaching Poonthura from outside. Coastal police have been advised to stop people from reaching Poonthura by sea and the borders will be sealed. The district administration will provide all necessary assistance to the people of the region. Now, more COVID-19 tests will be conducted in the locality. Also read: Kerala reports a highest single-day spike of 211 cases, tally nearing 5000 mark The state government has also decided to provide free rations to each family in the three wards at Poonthura from tomorrow onwards.Currently, an enhanced triple lockdown is in place in Thiruvananthapuram city after a spike in the number of cases and authorities unable to find the source of transmission in many cases that were reported recently. The total number of positive cases in Kerala stands at 5,894 including 2415 active cases, as per the Union Health Ministry.

Kerala: Strict measures in place in Poonthura after surge in COVID-19 cases, borders to be sealed

<p>The first-ever online Paris fashion week clicked&nbsp;off on Monday with the world of glitzy runway shows thrown into an existential crisis by the coronavirus.</p>

<p>Brands from Christian Dior to Chanel will participate, but the 'Ah' moment on the sidelines of the runway that designers so desire, while peeping out of the slit in the curtains backstage will be lost in the digital echo.</p>

<p>In a makeover caused by the coronavirus crisis, top designers will be experimenting with online showcases to try to keep clients hooked.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/now-designer-masks-make-a-fashion-statement-299733">Also Read: Now, designer masks make a fashion statement</a></p>

<p>The pandemic has pushed the fashion industry into a soul-searching mode, reducing one of the biggest fashion shows on the planet into a clothing website.</p>

<p>“I will miss the audience, I will miss my friends,” said couturier Stephane Rolland.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Paris’s multiple fashion weeks generate some 1.2 billion euros ($1.35 billion) for the local economy every year, the federation grouping couture houses estimates. But, this year Paris has gone silent.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/gucci-terms-fashion-week-as-obsolete-to-create-seasonless-collections-twice-a-year-301063">Also Read:&nbsp;Gucci terms fashion week as 'obsolete', to create 'seasonless' collections twice a year</a></p>

<p>Paris fashion week may return to the physical runway in September for the winter display and brands are already booking venues.&nbsp;</p>

<p>However, a second wave of the virus outbreak could unthread the entire fashion calendar this year.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


The first-ever online Paris fashion week clicked off on Monday with the world of glitzy runway shows thrown into an existential crisis by the coronavirus. Brands from Christian Dior to Chanel will participate, but the 'Ah' moment on the sidelines of the runway that designers so desire, while peeping out of the slit in the curtains backstage will be lost in the digital echo.

The first-ever online Paris fashion week clicked off on Monday with the world of glitzy runway shows thrown into an existential crisis by the coronavirus. Brands from Christian Dior to Chanel will participate, but the 'Ah' moment on the sidelines of the runway that designers so desire, while peeping out of the slit in the curtains backstage will be lost in the digital echo. In a makeover caused by the coronavirus crisis, top designers will be experimenting with online showcases to try to keep clients hooked. Also Read: Now, designer masks make a fashion statement The pandemic has pushed the fashion industry into a soul-searching mode, reducing one of the biggest fashion shows on the planet into a clothing website. “I will miss the audience, I will miss my friends,” said couturier Stephane Rolland. Paris’s multiple fashion weeks generate some 1.2 billion euros ($1.35 billion) for the local economy every year, the federation grouping couture houses estimates. But, this year Paris has gone silent. Also Read: Gucci terms fashion week as 'obsolete', to create 'seasonless' collections twice a year Paris fashion week may return to the physical runway in September for the winter display and brands are already booking venues. However, a second wave of the virus outbreak could unthread the entire fashion calendar this year. (With inputs from agencies)

With no parties, first-ever virtual Paris fashion week clicks off

The coronavirus pandemic has hit hard the tourism industry of France. Paris is the most visited city in the world after Bangkok. Watch report.

Fineprint: France tourism hit by COVID-19 outbreak | Tourism industry

<p>Ever since the clash on June 15 at the Galwan Valley between the Indian and Chinese troops, Beijing has consistently declined to reveal the details of the casualties on its side, while various reports suggest that China suffered more casualties.</p>

<p>China covered-up about the Wuhan virus death toll as well. Coronavirus cases in China stand at 3869 at the moment, however,&nbsp;estimates say tens of thousands of people have died.</p>

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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>In 2012, China underreported deaths during a flood. The real figures came out in 2017 when two municipal governments in northeastern China admitted that they hid dozens of deaths.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-administration-targets-foreign-workers-places-restrictions-on-vande-bharat-mission-308035">Also Read: Trump administration targets foreign workers, places restrictions on Vande Bharat Mission</a>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;A similar story played out during the SARS outbreak. In April 2003, China's health minister initially said there were only 22 cases of SARS. Ten days later, his deputy said there were more than 300 confirmed cases and more than 400 suspected cases. The health minister was fired following the revelation.</p>

<p>A month later China reported more than 5000 cases and 275 deaths while&nbsp;a doctor who exposed the government's SARS coverup was&nbsp;put under house arrest.</p>

<p>The list of cover-ups is a long one. There's a tendency to hide the damage because local governments and officials are judged on the basis of how much good press they generate. Large numbers of casualties in natural disasters or accidents hurt the career prospects of local officials, so they tend to under-report or hide figures which breeds a culture of cover-ups.</p>


Ever since the clash on June 15 at the Galwan Valley between the Indian and Chinese troops, Beijing has consistently declined to reveal the details of the casualties on its side, while various reports suggest that China suffered more casualties.

Ever since the clash on June 15 at the Galwan Valley between the Indian and Chinese troops, Beijing has consistently declined to reveal the details of the casualties on its side, while various reports suggest that China suffered more casualties. China covered-up about the Wuhan virus death toll as well. Coronavirus cases in China stand at 3869 at the moment, however, estimates say tens of thousands of people have died. × In 2012, China underreported deaths during a flood. The real figures came out in 2017 when two municipal governments in northeastern China admitted that they hid dozens of deaths. Also Read: Trump administration targets foreign workers, places restrictions on Vande Bharat Mission A similar story played out during the SARS outbreak. In April 2003, China's health minister initially said there were only 22 cases of SARS. Ten days later, his deputy said there were more than 300 confirmed cases and more than 400 suspected cases. The health minister was fired following the revelation. A month later China reported more than 5000 cases and 275 deaths while a doctor who exposed the government's SARS coverup was put under house arrest. The list of cover-ups is a long one. There's a tendency to hide the damage because local governments and officials are judged on the basis of how much good press they generate. Large numbers of casualties in natural disasters or accidents hurt the career prospects of local officials, so they tend to under-report or hide figures which breeds a culture of cover-ups.

What breeds the culture of cover-ups in China?

<p>Is considering a genetic-manipulation origin for SARS-CoV-2 a conspiracy theory that must be censored?</p>

<p>That is the title of a <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/340924249_Is_considering_a_genetic-manipulation_origin_for_SARS-CoV-2_a_conspiracy_theory_that_must_be_censored">new scientific analysis</a> of the structure of SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic.</p>

<p>In the course of answering that question, the authors provide unequivocal evidence that SARS-CoV-2 was not naturally-occurring.</p>

<p>The theory that the Wuhan’s Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market was the first source for animal–human viral transmission, long promoted by China, some Western scientists and the media, is now totally<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/news/the-chinese-cdc-now-says-the-coronavirus-didnt-jump-to-people-at-the-wuhan-wet-market-instead-it-was-the-site-of-a-super-spreader-event/articleshow/76081634.cms"> discredited</a>, even by the Chinese Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.</p>

<p>The claim that COVID-19 is a naturally-occurring outbreak has been based, nearly entirely, on a single, but widely-cited scientific article entitled “The Proximal Origin of SAR-CoV-2,” the arguments of which are thoroughly dissected and dismantled by the authors of the present study.</p>

<p>Although China is now promoting a new “multiple origin” theory based on alleged genetic differences observed in the virus taken from a small sample of Chinese COVID-19 patients and published in <a href="https://academic.oup.com/nsr/advance-article/doi/10.1093/nsr/nwaa036/5775463">March</a> and <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2355-0">May</a>, the validity and significance of those findings are already in <a href="https://virological.org/t/response-to-on-the-origin-and-continuing-evolution-of-sars-cov-2/418">dispute</a>.</p>

<p>There remains no credible scientific evidence that the COVID-19 pandemic was naturally-occurring.</p>

<p>The evidence to the contrary, that the coronavirus responsible, SARS-CoV-2, was man-made is now substantial.</p>

<p>The most conspicuous sign of genetic manipulation is the presence of a furin polybasic cleavage site in SARS-CoV-2, a structure that is not present in any of the coronaviruses so far identified as possible recent ancestors.</p>

<p>According to the new study, the furin site was created by a genetic, nucleotide insertion that coded for amino acids proline, arginine, arginine, alanine (PRRA). The two arginines are coded by nucleotide “codons,” consisting of a sequence of three nucleotides each, CGG-CGG.</p>

<p>The codon CGG is rare. Only 5% of arginines are coded by CGG in SARS-CoV-2 or its closest identified bat coronavirus relative, RaTG13 and it is the only instance of a double CGG-CGG codon.</p>

<p>Also, the CGG-CGG insert includes a FauI restriction site, of which there are six instances in SAR-CoV-2, a “marker” used in cloning and the screening of genetic mutations.</p>

<p>Engineering of the cleavage sites can make a coronavirus more dangerous because furin is an enzyme found in multiple human organ systems.</p>

<p>Such a modification may have given SARS-CoV-2 the ability to infect cells and organs otherwise insensitive to unaltered coronaviruses.</p>

<p>Furthermore, the authors suggest that SARS-CoV-2 is a chimer, an artificially-created virus consisting of a pangolin (scaly anteater) receptor protein “spliced” onto a bat coronavirus backbone.</p>

<p>This ground-breaking article concludes:</p>

<p>“Due to the gravity of SARS-CoV-2 impact on humanity, researchers have the responsibility to carry out a thorough analysis, beyond any personal research interests, of all possible causes for SARS-CoV-2 emergence. Unfortunately, theories that consider a possible artificial origin for SARS-CoV-2 are censored by international scientific journals as they seem to support conspiracy theories. Genetic manipulation of SARS-CoV-2 may have been carried out in any laboratory in the world with access to the backbone sequence and the necessary equipment. New technologies based on synthetic genetics platforms even allow the reconstruction of viruses based on their genomic sequence, without the need of a natural isolate.”</p>

<p>Either the coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, is the product of a highly improbable and still unknown sequence of naturally-occurring coincidences or it is a laboratory creation.</p>

<p>You decide.<br />
<br />
<em>&nbsp;(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp;</em></p>


Is considering a genetic-manipulation origin for SARS-CoV-2 a conspiracy theory that must be censored? That is the title of a new scientific analysis of the structure of SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic.

Is considering a genetic-manipulation origin for SARS-CoV-2 a conspiracy theory that must be censored? That is the title of a new scientific analysis of the structure of SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic. In the course of answering that question, the authors provide unequivocal evidence that SARS-CoV-2 was not naturally-occurring. The theory that the Wuhan’s Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market was the first source for animal–human viral transmission, long promoted by China, some Western scientists and the media, is now totally discredited, even by the Chinese Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The claim that COVID-19 is a naturally-occurring outbreak has been based, nearly entirely, on a single, but widely-cited scientific article entitled “The Proximal Origin of SAR-CoV-2,” the arguments of which are thoroughly dissected and dismantled by the authors of the present study. Although China is now promoting a new “multiple origin” theory based on alleged genetic differences observed in the virus taken from a small sample of Chinese COVID-19 patients and published in March and May, the validity and significance of those findings are already in dispute. There remains no credible scientific evidence that the COVID-19 pandemic was naturally-occurring. The evidence to the contrary, that the coronavirus responsible, SARS-CoV-2, was man-made is now substantial. The most conspicuous sign of genetic manipulation is the presence of a furin polybasic cleavage site in SARS-CoV-2, a structure that is not present in any of the coronaviruses so far identified as possible recent ancestors. According to the new study, the furin site was created by a genetic, nucleotide insertion that coded for amino acids proline, arginine, arginine, alanine (PRRA). The two arginines are coded by nucleotide “codons,” consisting of a sequence of three nucleotides each, CGG-CGG. The codon CGG is rare. Only 5% of arginines are coded by CGG in SARS-CoV-2 or its closest identified bat coronavirus relative, RaTG13 and it is the only instance of a double CGG-CGG codon. Also, the CGG-CGG insert includes a FauI restriction site, of which there are six instances in SAR-CoV-2, a “marker” used in cloning and the screening of genetic mutations. Engineering of the cleavage sites can make a coronavirus more dangerous because furin is an enzyme found in multiple human organ systems. Such a modification may have given SARS-CoV-2 the ability to infect cells and organs otherwise insensitive to unaltered coronaviruses. Furthermore, the authors suggest that SARS-CoV-2 is a chimer, an artificially-created virus consisting of a pangolin (scaly anteater) receptor protein “spliced” onto a bat coronavirus backbone. This ground-breaking article concludes: “Due to the gravity of SARS-CoV-2 impact on humanity, researchers have the responsibility to carry out a thorough analysis, beyond any personal research interests, of all possible causes for SARS-CoV-2 emergence. Unfortunately, theories that consider a possible artificial origin for SARS-CoV-2 are censored by international scientific journals as they seem to support conspiracy theories. Genetic manipulation of SARS-CoV-2 may have been carried out in any laboratory in the world with access to the backbone sequence and the necessary equipment. New technologies based on synthetic genetics platforms even allow the reconstruction of viruses based on their genomic sequence, without the need of a natural isolate.” Either the coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, is the product of a highly improbable and still unknown sequence of naturally-occurring coincidences or it is a laboratory creation. You decide. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Evidence suggests genetic manipulation in COVID-19

<p><strong>By Johannes Lohse</strong></p>

<p>With coronavirus infection rates falling – and the predicted economic and welfare costs of lockdown so high – governments across the world have tentatively started lifting restrictions and reopening their economies.</p>

<p>But to do this safely and prevent the second wave of infections, policymakers need to understand the effects that lockdown measures such as closing schools or businesses – known as non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) – are having on containing the virus. This will help predict the effects of rules being eased, and also show which interventions are most effective.</p>

<p>At the moment, though, we don’t know which lockdown measures work, and testing their effectiveness is difficult. So we need to get inventive. One overlooked way of assessing them is to use randomised controlled trials (RCTs).</p>

<p><strong>The unique power of randomisation</strong><br />
<br />
When it comes to testing new medicines, there’s a broad consensus that RCTs are the gold standard. These trials compare the outcomes of randomly selected groups of people that do and do not get a treatment. Researchers can use RCTs to be confident that a new medical procedure works. The same rules should apply when testing the effectiveness of NPIs.</p>

<p>By introducing or loosening an individual control measure in some randomly selected regions but not in others, the RCT method would offer the unique opportunity to show whether or not that intervention (and not some other common factor) causes a reduction in the disease transmission. What’s more, this method gives policymakers and researchers full control over implementing changes and directly measuring outcomes, reducing the scope for errors. These are advantages not shared with many other methods.</p>

<p>And although RCTs have not gathered much attention for studying NPIs during the current pandemic, economists and other social scientists have already shown that they can be used outside of clinical medicine. For example, over the past two decades RCTs have become a popular method among behavioural and developmental economists testing which interventions are most effective in alleviating poverty.</p>

<p><strong>How an RCT would work in practice</strong></p>

<p>As an example, consider the question of reopening schools.</p>

<p>In many countries, schools are all scheduled to reopen at the same time (and at the same time as other lockdown measures are being lifted). Changing several policies all at once will make it hard to attribute any subsequent rise in infections to the removal of a specific measure.</p>

<p>Researchers in Norway have floated an alternative plan. Why not randomly split districts where opening schools is generally considered as safe into two groups? Schools in the “treatment” group would be allowed to open two or three weeks earlier than those in the “control” group (what’s known as a “phase-in” &nbsp;approach). By closely monitoring and comparing infection numbers across districts, policymakers would gain a much clearer picture of whether opening schools causes cases to rise more rapidly, and by how much.</p>

<p>This example illustrates a broader principle. RCTs could be used to answer a large spectrum of policy questions about easing or introducing new lockdown restrictions. These could range from the number of students per classroom, to the requirement to wear masks in public, to the opening of parks and beaches.</p>

<p>However, as discussed in a recent study, there are several things needed to make RCTs a successful tool for evaluating NPIs. Foremost is the ability to accurately measure and model the effects of an NPI on virus transmission, as well as the economic and psychological costs associated with either lifting or maintaining the intervention.</p>

<p><strong>RCTs can fix current errors in thinking</strong><br />
<br />
Now that several countries are beginning to lift some restrictions, political commentators are quickly giving in to the temptation of comparing infection or fatality rates between places with and without certain rules in place. However, such comparisons are easily misleading because they lack the random assignment that would show whether or not a particular measure has caused a reduction in disease transmission.</p>

<p>We would not trust a medical study that selectively treats patients based on their prior health status. And similarly, we should not place our trust in comparing fatality rates between states that have chosen to lift rules early and those that still have rules in place. Using the RCT method and lifting regulations randomly where it is safe would avoid falling into this trap.</p>

<p>Understanding which lockdown measures work is essential if we want to deal with a potential second wave of COVID-19 with more fine-grained policies that do not grind whole economies to a standstill. RCTs are the best way to identify such measures, and can help us optimally balance costs and benefits.</p>

<p>So why are policymakers reluctant to implement them more widely during this pandemic?</p>

<p>First, it would require them to admit that they do not yet know which policies work. Second, policymakers may worry that the public could perceive lifting rules randomly as unethical.</p>

<p>But in the current situation, where the optimal timing and extent of lifting or introducing different measures is unknown, such concerns may be largely unwarranted. Policymakers wouldn’t be knowingly withholding a beneficial intervention or introducing a harmful one if there are no existing reasons to believe that one policy is better than another.</p>

<p>Furthermore, if they follow a “phase-in” strategy, an intervention considered as safe would ultimately be applied to the whole population, first to the treatment group and then, after a short delay, to the control group too.</p>

<p><br />
<em>(Johannes Lohse is Lecturer in Economics, University of Birmingham)</em></p>

<p><em>(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)</em></p>

<p><em>(This article was originally published on The Conversation. <a href="https://theconversation.com/lockdown-we-need-to-experiment-with-reopenings-now-to-prevent-a-second-wave-138741">Read the original article) &nbsp;</a></em></p>


By Johannes Lohse With coronavirus infection rates falling – and the predicted economic and welfare costs of lockdown so high – governments across the world have tentatively started lifting restrictions and reopening their economies.

By Johannes Lohse With coronavirus infection rates falling – and the predicted economic and welfare costs of lockdown so high – governments across the world have tentatively started lifting restrictions and reopening their economies. But to do this safely and prevent the second wave of infections, policymakers need to understand the effects that lockdown measures such as closing schools or businesses – known as non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) – are having on containing the virus. This will help predict the effects of rules being eased, and also show which interventions are most effective. At the moment, though, we don’t know which lockdown measures work, and testing their effectiveness is difficult. So we need to get inventive. One overlooked way of assessing them is to use randomised controlled trials (RCTs). The unique power of randomisation When it comes to testing new medicines, there’s a broad consensus that RCTs are the gold standard. These trials compare the outcomes of randomly selected groups of people that do and do not get a treatment. Researchers can use RCTs to be confident that a new medical procedure works. The same rules should apply when testing the effectiveness of NPIs. By introducing or loosening an individual control measure in some randomly selected regions but not in others, the RCT method would offer the unique opportunity to show whether or not that intervention (and not some other common factor) causes a reduction in the disease transmission. What’s more, this method gives policymakers and researchers full control over implementing changes and directly measuring outcomes, reducing the scope for errors. These are advantages not shared with many other methods. And although RCTs have not gathered much attention for studying NPIs during the current pandemic, economists and other social scientists have already shown that they can be used outside of clinical medicine. For example, over the past two decades RCTs have become a popular method among behavioural and developmental economists testing which interventions are most effective in alleviating poverty. How an RCT would work in practice As an example, consider the question of reopening schools. In many countries, schools are all scheduled to reopen at the same time (and at the same time as other lockdown measures are being lifted). Changing several policies all at once will make it hard to attribute any subsequent rise in infections to the removal of a specific measure. Researchers in Norway have floated an alternative plan. Why not randomly split districts where opening schools is generally considered as safe into two groups? Schools in the “treatment” group would be allowed to open two or three weeks earlier than those in the “control” group (what’s known as a “phase-in” approach). By closely monitoring and comparing infection numbers across districts, policymakers would gain a much clearer picture of whether opening schools causes cases to rise more rapidly, and by how much. This example illustrates a broader principle. RCTs could be used to answer a large spectrum of policy questions about easing or introducing new lockdown restrictions. These could range from the number of students per classroom, to the requirement to wear masks in public, to the opening of parks and beaches. However, as discussed in a recent study, there are several things needed to make RCTs a successful tool for evaluating NPIs. Foremost is the ability to accurately measure and model the effects of an NPI on virus transmission, as well as the economic and psychological costs associated with either lifting or maintaining the intervention. RCTs can fix current errors in thinking Now that several countries are beginning to lift some restrictions, political commentators are quickly giving in to the temptation of comparing infection or fatality rates between places with and without certain rules in place. However, such comparisons are easily misleading because they lack the random assignment that would show whether or not a particular measure has caused a reduction in disease transmission. We would not trust a medical study that selectively treats patients based on their prior health status. And similarly, we should not place our trust in comparing fatality rates between states that have chosen to lift rules early and those that still have rules in place. Using the RCT method and lifting regulations randomly where it is safe would avoid falling into this trap. Understanding which lockdown measures work is essential if we want to deal with a potential second wave of COVID-19 with more fine-grained policies that do not grind whole economies to a standstill. RCTs are the best way to identify such measures, and can help us optimally balance costs and benefits. So why are policymakers reluctant to implement them more widely during this pandemic? First, it would require them to admit that they do not yet know which policies work. Second, policymakers may worry that the public could perceive lifting rules randomly as unethical. But in the current situation, where the optimal timing and extent of lifting or introducing different measures is unknown, such concerns may be largely unwarranted. Policymakers wouldn’t be knowingly withholding a beneficial intervention or introducing a harmful one if there are no existing reasons to believe that one policy is better than another. Furthermore, if they follow a “phase-in” strategy, an intervention considered as safe would ultimately be applied to the whole population, first to the treatment group and then, after a short delay, to the control group too. (Johannes Lohse is Lecturer in Economics, University of Birmingham) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL) (This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article)

Lockdowns: We need to experiment with reopenings now to prevent a second wave

<p>According to the <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/china-rules-out-animal-market-and-lab-as-coronavirus-origin-11590517508">Wall Street Journal</a>, China has now backed away from its claim that the COVID-19 outbreak originated in the Wuhan Seafood Market through transmission from animals to humans.</p>

<p>Since the onset of the pandemic, China has flooded the scientific literature with that claim, but now has been forced to admit that it is false.</p>

<p>The search for the truth has been hampered by the global media, which have been eagerly and uncritically regurgitating the Chinese Communist Party’s narrative that COVID-19 is naturally-occurring.</p>

<p>That is, while circulating in animals, a bat coronavirus mutated, perhaps through another intermediate animal host, acquiring the ability to infect humans, presumably workers in the market.</p>

<p>That argument was never scientifically viable.</p>

<p>It was already known by the end of January 2020, that the initial patients hospitalized between December 1-10, 2019 had <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)30183-5/fulltext">not visited</a> the market and bats were <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7079563/">not sold</a> there.</p>

<p>The environmental samples taken from the Wuhan Seafood Market were genetically identical to human COVID-19, largely <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.05.01.073262v1.full">ruling out</a> an intermediate host animal.</p>

<p>More importantly, the same study found that, in a side-by-side comparison of the evolutionary dynamics between COVID-19 and the coronavirus that caused the 2003 SARS-CoV pandemic, the early COVID-19 samples were already pre-adapted for human transmission to an extent similar to late epidemic SARS-CoV.</p>

<p>That is, there was no evidence of a naturally-occurring transmission from animals to humans via the Wuhan Seafood Market and no naturally-occurring human adaptation during the course of the outbreak.</p>

<p>COVID-19 was already well-adapted for human infection. That notion is scientifically supported by a structural analysis of COVID-19.</p>

<p>China claims COVID-19 originated in bats, which is probably partially correct.</p>

<p>The viral “backbone” of COVID-19 is likely from bats, but there is conclusive scientific <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-020-0820-9">evidence</a> that COVID-19’s receptor-binding domain within the spike protein is structurally closest to that of pangolins (scaly anteaters) and that its presence in COVID-19 could not have <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.04.20.052019v1">resulted</a> from a natural recombinant event or convergent evolution.</p>

<p>A pangolin-like receptor binding domain within a spike protein was probably inserted using the same bioengineering techniques used in a study published by Ralph Baric from the University of North Carolina and Zheng-Li Shi, the “<a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-chinas-bat-woman-hunted-down-viruses-from-sars-to-the-new-coronavirus1/">bat woman</a>” from the Wuhan Institute of Virology.</p>

<p>That study described the insertion of the spike protein from a newly isolated bat coronavirus (SHC014) onto the “backbone” from SARS-CoV, the coronavirus responsible for the 2003 pandemic.</p>

<p>In a December 9, 2019 <a href="https://www.zerohedge.com/health/tracing-origins-covid-19">interview</a>, Dr. Peter Daszak, President of the EcoHealth Alliance and a long-time collaborator with the Wuhan Institute of Virology, presumably referring to the Ralph Baric- Zheng-Li Shi experiments, stated “you can manipulate them in the lab pretty easily” inserting a spike protein “into a backbone of another virus.”</p>

<p>Furthermore, there is no credible scientific evidence that COVID-19’s furin polybasic cleavage site (RRAR) at the S1/S2 junction in the spike protein, a distinctive feature widely known for its ability to enhance <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6832359/">pathogenicity</a> and <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12250-020-00212-7">transmissibility </a>and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1097276520302641#bib38">not present</a> in any closely related bat coronavirus, could have evolved naturally.</p>

<p>In contrast, the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1097276520302641#bib38">methods</a> for artificially inserting such cleavage sites are well-established.</p>

<p>In 2017, Chinese scientists Xing-Yi Ge and “bat woman” Zheng-Li Shi of the Wuhan Institute of Virology <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12985-017-0766-9">found </a>the same furin polybasic cleavage site (RRAR) at the S1/S2 junction in a rat coronavirus.</p>

<p>It was Xing-Yi Ge, in 2020, who identified the furin polybasic cleavage site (RRAR) at the S1/S2 junction in COVID-19.</p>

<p>It was Zheng-Li Shi, who, in February 2020, first <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7091172/">reported</a> on the previously unknown bat coronavirus, RaTG13, which has an overall 96.2% structurally similarity to COVID-19, but the receptor-binding domain was <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-020-0820-9">significantly different</a> from COVID-19 and RaTG13 did not have a furin polybasic cleavage site.</p>

<p>It seems likely that bat coronavirus RaTG13 or something similar was used as a “backbone” to which a pangolin-like receptor binding domain within a spike protein was inserted, followed by the addition of a furin polybasic cleavage site.</p>

<p>Further human adaptation could have been achieved by sequential passage through “humanized” animal models described by Peter Daszak, used in the above-mentioned experiments by Ralph Baric and Zheng-Li Shi and <a href="https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/aalas/cm/2007/00000057/00000005/art00003">published</a> by Chinese scientists.</p>

<p>Given the overwhelming scientific evidence indicating that it is man-made, the burden of proof is now on China to prove COVID-19 is naturally-occurring.<br />
<br />
<em>(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp;</em></p>


According to the Wall Street Journal, China has now backed away from its claim that the COVID-19 outbreak originated in the Wuhan Seafood Market through transmission from animals to humans.

According to the Wall Street Journal, China has now backed away from its claim that the COVID-19 outbreak originated in the Wuhan Seafood Market through transmission from animals to humans. Since the onset of the pandemic, China has flooded the scientific literature with that claim, but now has been forced to admit that it is false. The search for the truth has been hampered by the global media, which have been eagerly and uncritically regurgitating the Chinese Communist Party’s narrative that COVID-19 is naturally-occurring. That is, while circulating in animals, a bat coronavirus mutated, perhaps through another intermediate animal host, acquiring the ability to infect humans, presumably workers in the market. That argument was never scientifically viable. It was already known by the end of January 2020, that the initial patients hospitalized between December 1-10, 2019 had not visited the market and bats were not sold there. The environmental samples taken from the Wuhan Seafood Market were genetically identical to human COVID-19, largely ruling out an intermediate host animal. More importantly, the same study found that, in a side-by-side comparison of the evolutionary dynamics between COVID-19 and the coronavirus that caused the 2003 SARS-CoV pandemic, the early COVID-19 samples were already pre-adapted for human transmission to an extent similar to late epidemic SARS-CoV. That is, there was no evidence of a naturally-occurring transmission from animals to humans via the Wuhan Seafood Market and no naturally-occurring human adaptation during the course of the outbreak. COVID-19 was already well-adapted for human infection. That notion is scientifically supported by a structural analysis of COVID-19. China claims COVID-19 originated in bats, which is probably partially correct. The viral “backbone” of COVID-19 is likely from bats, but there is conclusive scientific evidence that COVID-19’s receptor-binding domain within the spike protein is structurally closest to that of pangolins (scaly anteaters) and that its presence in COVID-19 could not have resulted from a natural recombinant event or convergent evolution. A pangolin-like receptor binding domain within a spike protein was probably inserted using the same bioengineering techniques used in a study published by Ralph Baric from the University of North Carolina and Zheng-Li Shi, the “bat woman” from the Wuhan Institute of Virology. That study described the insertion of the spike protein from a newly isolated bat coronavirus (SHC014) onto the “backbone” from SARS-CoV, the coronavirus responsible for the 2003 pandemic. In a December 9, 2019 interview, Dr. Peter Daszak, President of the EcoHealth Alliance and a long-time collaborator with the Wuhan Institute of Virology, presumably referring to the Ralph Baric- Zheng-Li Shi experiments, stated “you can manipulate them in the lab pretty easily” inserting a spike protein “into a backbone of another virus.” Furthermore, there is no credible scientific evidence that COVID-19’s furin polybasic cleavage site (RRAR) at the S1/S2 junction in the spike protein, a distinctive feature widely known for its ability to enhance pathogenicity and transmissibility and not present in any closely related bat coronavirus, could have evolved naturally. In contrast, the methods for artificially inserting such cleavage sites are well-established. In 2017, Chinese scientists Xing-Yi Ge and “bat woman” Zheng-Li Shi of the Wuhan Institute of Virology found the same furin polybasic cleavage site (RRAR) at the S1/S2 junction in a rat coronavirus. It was Xing-Yi Ge, in 2020, who identified the furin polybasic cleavage site (RRAR) at the S1/S2 junction in COVID-19. It was Zheng-Li Shi, who, in February 2020, first reported on the previously unknown bat coronavirus, RaTG13, which has an overall 96.2% structurally similarity to COVID-19, but the receptor-binding domain was significantly different from COVID-19 and RaTG13 did not have a furin polybasic cleavage site. It seems likely that bat coronavirus RaTG13 or something similar was used as a “backbone” to which a pangolin-like receptor binding domain within a spike protein was inserted, followed by the addition of a furin polybasic cleavage site. Further human adaptation could have been achieved by sequential passage through “humanized” animal models described by Peter Daszak, used in the above-mentioned experiments by Ralph Baric and Zheng-Li Shi and published by Chinese scientists. Given the overwhelming scientific evidence indicating that it is man-made, the burden of proof is now on China to prove COVID-19 is naturally-occurring. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Tracing the origins: COVID-19 is not naturally-occurring

<p>COVID-19 doesn't discriminate. It doesn't care about who you are or how famous you might be. Since early March, many big names in the entertainment industry have contracted <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/films-that-had-prominent-characters-don-masks-way-before-coronavirus-scare-300400">COVID-19</a>. While many survived, a few lost their fight to the novel virus.</p>

<p>On May 26, Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli revealed that he has recovered from COVID-19. The famed singer, who has been completely blind since the age of 12, delivered a lockdown high point on April 12, when he performed at an empty cathedral in Milan for easter.</p>

<p>The 61-year-old tested positive for the coronavirus more than a month before his headline-making concert. His wife and their 8-year-old daughter also contracted the virus in their native Italy. The singer said he didn't reveal that he was sick because he didn't want to alarm his fans, and also wanted to protect his family's privacy.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/tom-hanks-donates-plasma-to-help-in-the-fight-against-covid-19-shares-images-on-instagram-301575">Also Read: Tom Hanks donates plasma to help in the fight against Covid-19</a></p>

<p>Earlier this week, he and his wife donated blood plasma to help scientists develop a vaccine.</p>

<p>On May 11, Emmy-winning actor Tony Shalhoub also announced that he and his wife, actress Brooke Adams, had both fully recovered from coronavirus infection.</p>

<p>"It was a pretty rough few weeks, but we realise that so many other people have and had it a lot worse," he said during&nbsp;an online episode of "At Home Variety Show."&nbsp;</p>

<p>On May 11, pop singer Madonna confirmed that she had the coronavirus infection. The 61-year-old wrote, "When you test positive for anti-bodies it means you had the virus which I clearly did as I was sick at the end of my tour in Paris over 7 weeks ago along with many other artists in my show."<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/hollywood-red-carpets-look-for-coronavirus-makeover-301227">Also Read: Hollywood red carpets look for coronavirus makeover</a></p>

<p>The singer has made full recovery now and also donated $1.1 million towards the development of a COVID-19 vaccine.</p>

<p>The entertainment industry has also lost a few much-loved stars to COVID-19 this month. On May 8, magician Roy Horn died of COVID-19 complications.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The magician, who starred &nbsp;alongside Siegfried Fischbacher in a popular long-running Las Vegas act built around rare tigers, died at the age of 75</p>

<p>On May 3, the stranglers' keyboard player Dave Greenfield also passed away after testing positive for COVID-19. An announcement on the veteran British Punk Rock Band's official website said Greenfield had been admitted for heart problems, but he also tested positive for coronavirus.</p>

<p>British rapper Ty, Ben Chijioke, also died from complications due to the novel coronavirus. The Nigerian British artist was only 47. The mercury prize nominee had contracted pneumonia while recovering from the virus.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;</p>


COVID-19 doesn't discriminate. It doesn't care about who you are or how famous you might be. Since early March, many big names in the entertainment industry have contracted COVID-19.

COVID-19 doesn't discriminate. It doesn't care about who you are or how famous you might be. Since early March, many big names in the entertainment industry have contracted COVID-19. While many survived, a few lost their fight to the novel virus. On May 26, Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli revealed that he has recovered from COVID-19. The famed singer, who has been completely blind since the age of 12, delivered a lockdown high point on April 12, when he performed at an empty cathedral in Milan for easter. The 61-year-old tested positive for the coronavirus more than a month before his headline-making concert. His wife and their 8-year-old daughter also contracted the virus in their native Italy. The singer said he didn't reveal that he was sick because he didn't want to alarm his fans, and also wanted to protect his family's privacy. Also Read: Tom Hanks donates plasma to help in the fight against Covid-19 Earlier this week, he and his wife donated blood plasma to help scientists develop a vaccine. On May 11, Emmy-winning actor Tony Shalhoub also announced that he and his wife, actress Brooke Adams, had both fully recovered from coronavirus infection. "It was a pretty rough few weeks, but we realise that so many other people have and had it a lot worse," he said during an online episode of "At Home Variety Show." On May 11, pop singer Madonna confirmed that she had the coronavirus infection. The 61-year-old wrote, "When you test positive for anti-bodies it means you had the virus which I clearly did as I was sick at the end of my tour in Paris over 7 weeks ago along with many other artists in my show." Also Read: Hollywood red carpets look for coronavirus makeover The singer has made full recovery now and also donated $1.1 million towards the development of a COVID-19 vaccine. The entertainment industry has also lost a few much-loved stars to COVID-19 this month. On May 8, magician Roy Horn died of COVID-19 complications. The magician, who starred alongside Siegfried Fischbacher in a popular long-running Las Vegas act built around rare tigers, died at the age of 75 On May 3, the stranglers' keyboard player Dave Greenfield also passed away after testing positive for COVID-19. An announcement on the veteran British Punk Rock Band's official website said Greenfield had been admitted for heart problems, but he also tested positive for coronavirus. British rapper Ty, Ben Chijioke, also died from complications due to the novel coronavirus. The Nigerian British artist was only 47. The mercury prize nominee had contracted pneumonia while recovering from the virus.

Celebrities who encountered coronavirus this month

<p>In an effort to revive the coronavirus-hit tourism industry, Japan has proposed 'Go To' travel campaign under which the government will pay a portion of the domestic travel bill of the citizens.</p>

<p>The government will provide subsidies worth up to $185 per day to people going on domestic trips within the country. The proposed campaign will cost japan 1.7 trillion yen or $15.8 billion dollars.</p>

<p>Earlier, a media report said that the campaign would pay half of the tourists’ travel expenses, however, the Japan Tourism Agency has issued a clarification, saying that the initiative will only cover a portion of domestic travel expenses.</p>

<p>Japan's tourism sector, which accounts for 7 per cent of the Japanese economy, has been among the hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
Japan PM Shinzo Abe lifted the state of emergency in the country on Monday after a decline in the number of cases. Although, the country had begun to take off the restrictions since last week but the government decided to make the decision after looking at the cases in Tokyo and northern Hokkaido which were the hardest hit due to the virus.</p>

<p>As the country emerges from the virus and begins economic activity, world's third-largest economy has slipped into a recession for the first time since 2015, with fears of deflation looming over the government.<br />
<br />
<em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

<p><strong>Also watch</strong></p>

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In an effort to revive the coronavirus-hit tourism industry, Japan has proposed 'Go To' travel campaign under which the government will pay a portion of the domestic travel bill of the citizens.

In an effort to revive the coronavirus-hit tourism industry, Japan has proposed 'Go To' travel campaign under which the government will pay a portion of the domestic travel bill of the citizens. The government will provide subsidies worth up to $185 per day to people going on domestic trips within the country. The proposed campaign will cost japan 1.7 trillion yen or $15.8 billion dollars. Earlier, a media report said that the campaign would pay half of the tourists’ travel expenses, however, the Japan Tourism Agency has issued a clarification, saying that the initiative will only cover a portion of domestic travel expenses. Japan's tourism sector, which accounts for 7 per cent of the Japanese economy, has been among the hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic. Japan PM Shinzo Abe lifted the state of emergency in the country on Monday after a decline in the number of cases. Although, the country had begun to take off the restrictions since last week but the government decided to make the decision after looking at the cases in Tokyo and northern Hokkaido which were the hardest hit due to the virus. As the country emerges from the virus and begins economic activity, world's third-largest economy has slipped into a recession for the first time since 2015, with fears of deflation looming over the government. (With inputs from agencies) Also watch ×

To revive tourism, Japan plans to subsidise a portion of domestic travel expenses

<p>The economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic for Gulf states has done far more than play havoc with their revenue base and fiscal household. It has propelled massive structural change to the top of their agenda in ways that economic diversification plans had not accounted for.</p>

<p>Leave aside whether Gulf states can continue to focus on high-profile, attention-grabbing projects like Neom, Saudi Arabia’s $500 billion&nbsp;21st century futuristic city on the Red Sea.</p>

<p>Gulf rulers’ to-do list, if they want to get things right, is long and expensive without the burden of trophy projects. It involves economic as well as social and ultimately political change.</p>

<p>Transparency and accurate and detailed public reporting go to the core of these changes.</p>

<p>They also are key to decisions by investors, economists, and credit rating companies at a time when Gulf states’ economic outlook is in question. Many complain that delays in GDP reporting and lack of easy access to statistics complicates their decision-making.</p>

<p>Nonetheless, if there is one thing autocratic Gulf governments have going for themselves, beyond substantial financial reserves, it is public confidence in the way they handled the pandemic, despite the fact that they failed to initially recognize crowded living circumstances of migrant workers as a super spreader.</p>

<p>Most governments acted early and decisively with lockdowns and curfews, testing, border closures, repatriation of nationals abroad, and, in Saudi Arabia, suspension of pilgrimages.</p>

<p>To be sure, Gulf countries, and particularly Saudi Arabia that receives millions of Muslim pilgrims from across the globe each year, have a long-standing history of dealing with epidemics. Like Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan, they were better prepared than Western nations.</p>

<p>History persuaded the kingdom to ban the umrah, the lesser Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca, in late February, days before the first case of a COVID-19 infection emerged on Saudi soil.</p>

<p>Beyond public health concerns, Saudi Arabia had an additional reason to get the pandemic right. It offered the kingdom not only an opportunity to globally polish its image, badly tarnished by human rights abuses, power grabs, and the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, but also to retain religious influence despite the interruption in the flow of pilgrims to the kingdom.</p>

<p>“Saudi Arabia is still a reference for many Muslim communities around the world,” said Yasmine Farouk, a scholar of Saudi Arabia at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.</p>

<p>It also allowed Saudi Arabia to set the record straight following criticism of its handling of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in 2012 when the kingdom became the epidemic’s epicenter and in 2009 when it was hit by the H1N1 virus.</p>

<p>Saudi Arabia is also blamed for contributing to a public health catastrophe in Yemen with its frequent indiscriminate bombings.</p>

<p>A country in ruins as a result of the military intervention, Yemen has grappled for the past four years with a cholera epidemic on the kingdom’s borders.</p>

<p>Trust in Gulf states’ handling of the current pandemic was bolstered by degrees of transparency on the development of the disease in daily updates in the number of casualties and fatalities.</p>

<p>It was further boosted by a speech by King Salman as soon as the pandemic hit the kingdom in which he announced a raft of measures to counter the disease and support the economy as well as assurances by agriculture minister Abdulrahman al-Fadli that the crisis would not affect food supplies.</p>

<p>Farouk suggested that government instructions during the pandemic were followed because of “trust in the government, the expertise and the experience of the government [and] trust in the religious establishment, which actually was following the technical decisions of the government.”</p>

<p>To be sure, Farouk acknowledged, the regime’s coercive nature gave the public little choice.</p>

<p>The limits of government transparency were evident in the fact that authorities were less forthcoming with details of public spending on the pandemic and insight into available medical equipment like ventilators and other supplies such as testing kits.</p>

<p>Some Gulf states have started publishing the daily and total number of swabs but have yet to clarify whether these figures include multiple swabbings of the same person.</p>

<p>“It is likely that publics in the Middle East will look back at who was it that gave them reliable information, who was it who was there for them,” said political scientist Nathan Brown.</p>

<p>The question is whether governments will conclude that transparency will be needed to maintain public confidence as they are forced to rewrite social contracts that were rooted in concepts of a cradle-to-grave welfare state but will have to involve greater burden-sharing.</p>

<p>Gulf governments have so far said little about burden-sharing being allocated equitably across social classes nor has there been transparency on what drives investment decisions by sovereign wealth funds in a time of crisis and changing economic outlook.</p>

<p>Speaking to the Financial Times, a Gulf banker warned that the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman “needs to be careful what he spends on . . . Joe Public will be watching.”</p>

<p>Headed by Prince Mohammed, the kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund has gone on a $7.7 billion USD shopping spree buying stakes in major Western blue chips, including four oil majors: Boeing, Citigroup, Disney, and Facebook. The Public Investment Fund is also funding a bid for English soccer club Newcastle United.</p>

<p>The banker suggested that Saudi nationals would not appreciate “millionaire footballer salaries being paid for by VAT (value-added tax) on groceries.” He was referring to this month’s hiking of sales taxes in the kingdom from five to 15 per cent.</p>

<p>The fragility and fickleness of public trust were on display for the world to see in Britain’s uproar about Dominic Cummings, a close aide to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who violated lockdown instructions for personal reasons. Johnson is struggling to fight off demands for Mr Cummings’ dismissal.</p>

<p>To be sure, senior government officials and business executives in the Gulf have cautioned of hard times to come.</p>

<p>A recent Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry survey of CEOs predicted that 70 per cent of the United Arab Emirates’ companies would go out of business in the next six months, including half of its restaurants and hotels and three-quarters of its travel and tourism companies.</p>

<p>Saudi Finance Minister Mohammed Al-Jadaan warned earlier this month that the kingdom would need to take “painful” measures and look for deep spending cuts as a result of the collapse of oil prices and significantly reduced demand for oil.</p>

<p>Aware of sensitivities, Al-Jadaan stressed that “as long as we do not touch the basic needs of the people, all options are open.”</p>

<p>There was little transparency in Al-Jadaan’s statements on what the impact would be on employment-seeking Saudi nationals in a labour market where fewer migrant workers would be available for jobs that Saudis have long been unwilling to accept.</p>

<p>It was a missed opportunity considering the 286 per cent increase in the number of Saudis flocking to work for delivery services.</p>

<p>The increase was fueled by an offer by Hadaf, the Saudi Human Resources Development Fund, to pay drivers $800&nbsp;a month, as well as a newly-found embrace of volunteerism across the Gulf.</p>

<p>The surge offered authorities building blocks to frame expectations at a time when the kingdom’s official unemployment rate of 12 per cent is likely to rise.</p>

<p>It suggested a public acknowledgement of the fact that well-paying, cushy government positions may no longer be as available as they were in the past as well as the fact that lesser jobs are no less honourable forms of employment.</p>

<p>That may be the silver lining as Gulf states feel the pressure to reinvent themselves in a world emerging from a pandemic that potentially will redraw social, economic, and political maps.<br />
<br />
<em>(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp;</em><br />
&nbsp;</p>


The economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic for Gulf states has done far more than play havoc with their revenue base and fiscal household. It has propelled massive structural change to the top of their agenda in ways that economic diversification plans had not accounted for.

The economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic for Gulf states has done far more than play havoc with their revenue base and fiscal household. It has propelled massive structural change to the top of their agenda in ways that economic diversification plans had not accounted for. Leave aside whether Gulf states can continue to focus on high-profile, attention-grabbing projects like Neom, Saudi Arabia’s $500 billion 21st century futuristic city on the Red Sea. Gulf rulers’ to-do list, if they want to get things right, is long and expensive without the burden of trophy projects. It involves economic as well as social and ultimately political change. Transparency and accurate and detailed public reporting go to the core of these changes. They also are key to decisions by investors, economists, and credit rating companies at a time when Gulf states’ economic outlook is in question. Many complain that delays in GDP reporting and lack of easy access to statistics complicates their decision-making. Nonetheless, if there is one thing autocratic Gulf governments have going for themselves, beyond substantial financial reserves, it is public confidence in the way they handled the pandemic, despite the fact that they failed to initially recognize crowded living circumstances of migrant workers as a super spreader. Most governments acted early and decisively with lockdowns and curfews, testing, border closures, repatriation of nationals abroad, and, in Saudi Arabia, suspension of pilgrimages. To be sure, Gulf countries, and particularly Saudi Arabia that receives millions of Muslim pilgrims from across the globe each year, have a long-standing history of dealing with epidemics. Like Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan, they were better prepared than Western nations. History persuaded the kingdom to ban the umrah, the lesser Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca, in late February, days before the first case of a COVID-19 infection emerged on Saudi soil. Beyond public health concerns, Saudi Arabia had an additional reason to get the pandemic right. It offered the kingdom not only an opportunity to globally polish its image, badly tarnished by human rights abuses, power grabs, and the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, but also to retain religious influence despite the interruption in the flow of pilgrims to the kingdom. “Saudi Arabia is still a reference for many Muslim communities around the world,” said Yasmine Farouk, a scholar of Saudi Arabia at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. It also allowed Saudi Arabia to set the record straight following criticism of its handling of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in 2012 when the kingdom became the epidemic’s epicenter and in 2009 when it was hit by the H1N1 virus. Saudi Arabia is also blamed for contributing to a public health catastrophe in Yemen with its frequent indiscriminate bombings. A country in ruins as a result of the military intervention, Yemen has grappled for the past four years with a cholera epidemic on the kingdom’s borders. Trust in Gulf states’ handling of the current pandemic was bolstered by degrees of transparency on the development of the disease in daily updates in the number of casualties and fatalities. It was further boosted by a speech by King Salman as soon as the pandemic hit the kingdom in which he announced a raft of measures to counter the disease and support the economy as well as assurances by agriculture minister Abdulrahman al-Fadli that the crisis would not affect food supplies. Farouk suggested that government instructions during the pandemic were followed because of “trust in the government, the expertise and the experience of the government [and] trust in the religious establishment, which actually was following the technical decisions of the government.” To be sure, Farouk acknowledged, the regime’s coercive nature gave the public little choice. The limits of government transparency were evident in the fact that authorities were less forthcoming with details of public spending on the pandemic and insight into available medical equipment like ventilators and other supplies such as testing kits. Some Gulf states have started publishing the daily and total number of swabs but have yet to clarify whether these figures include multiple swabbings of the same person. “It is likely that publics in the Middle East will look back at who was it that gave them reliable information, who was it who was there for them,” said political scientist Nathan Brown. The question is whether governments will conclude that transparency will be needed to maintain public confidence as they are forced to rewrite social contracts that were rooted in concepts of a cradle-to-grave welfare state but will have to involve greater burden-sharing. Gulf governments have so far said little about burden-sharing being allocated equitably across social classes nor has there been transparency on what drives investment decisions by sovereign wealth funds in a time of crisis and changing economic outlook. Speaking to the Financial Times, a Gulf banker warned that the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman “needs to be careful what he spends on . . . Joe Public will be watching.” Headed by Prince Mohammed, the kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund has gone on a $7.7 billion USD shopping spree buying stakes in major Western blue chips, including four oil majors: Boeing, Citigroup, Disney, and Facebook. The Public Investment Fund is also funding a bid for English soccer club Newcastle United. The banker suggested that Saudi nationals would not appreciate “millionaire footballer salaries being paid for by VAT (value-added tax) on groceries.” He was referring to this month’s hiking of sales taxes in the kingdom from five to 15 per cent. The fragility and fickleness of public trust were on display for the world to see in Britain’s uproar about Dominic Cummings, a close aide to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who violated lockdown instructions for personal reasons. Johnson is struggling to fight off demands for Mr Cummings’ dismissal. To be sure, senior government officials and business executives in the Gulf have cautioned of hard times to come. A recent Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry survey of CEOs predicted that 70 per cent of the United Arab Emirates’ companies would go out of business in the next six months, including half of its restaurants and hotels and three-quarters of its travel and tourism companies. Saudi Finance Minister Mohammed Al-Jadaan warned earlier this month that the kingdom would need to take “painful” measures and look for deep spending cuts as a result of the collapse of oil prices and significantly reduced demand for oil. Aware of sensitivities, Al-Jadaan stressed that “as long as we do not touch the basic needs of the people, all options are open.” There was little transparency in Al-Jadaan’s statements on what the impact would be on employment-seeking Saudi nationals in a labour market where fewer migrant workers would be available for jobs that Saudis have long been unwilling to accept. It was a missed opportunity considering the 286 per cent increase in the number of Saudis flocking to work for delivery services. The increase was fueled by an offer by Hadaf, the Saudi Human Resources Development Fund, to pay drivers $800 a month, as well as a newly-found embrace of volunteerism across the Gulf. The surge offered authorities building blocks to frame expectations at a time when the kingdom’s official unemployment rate of 12 per cent is likely to rise. It suggested a public acknowledgement of the fact that well-paying, cushy government positions may no longer be as available as they were in the past as well as the fact that lesser jobs are no less honourable forms of employment. That may be the silver lining as Gulf states feel the pressure to reinvent themselves in a world emerging from a pandemic that potentially will redraw social, economic, and political maps. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Lessons Gulf states have learned from coronavirus pandemic

<p>In an era that is to be defined by 4th Industrial Revolution where Artificial Intelligence, Big Data and Internet of Things are increasingly expected to play major roles, having the advantage over 5G technology is likely to be a key determinant of an upcoming great power rivalry.&nbsp;</p>

<p>However, geopolitical developments during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is likely to either dampen or delay China's grand global 5G strategy that is also critical to Beijing’s Digital Silk Road plans. The relatively small group of nations led by the United States (US) that acted against Chinese plans in the pre-COVID period may expand as increasingly more nations are concerned about Beijing’s reliability due to its behaviour — involves accountability, responsibility and propaganda — during the current pandemic. &nbsp;</p>

<p>Gaining technological supremacy has been one of the key features of geopolitical rivalries in modern history, and it is no different for the ongoing US-China rivalry. Realising this, President Donald Trump has waged a global campaign against Huawei — main Chinese 5G player, other one is ZTE — since the last couple of years alleging China of 5G technology-related intellectual property theft and raised national security issues due to espionage-related concerns. Consequently, to limit Huawei’s capacity to provide 5G equipment, specifically at affordable rates, in the US and beyond, the Trump administration has announced several measures against Huawei, including the most recent one during the pandemic that restricts “Huawei’s ability to use US technology and software to design and manufacture its semiconductors abroad” as the US alleged Huawei of undermining its export control measures. &nbsp;</p>

<p>The US government has used rising anti-China sentiments during the pandemic domestically and externally to its advantage and imposed new restrictions. This new measure by the US is likely to impact Huawei’s R&amp;D work and raise its business costs substantially as chipmakers are not allowed to supply chips to Chinese company if they are based on the American technology; moreover, there are no Chinese technological alternatives at present. The measure will also impact the companies that are associated with Huawei components across the world, including the EU, thereby, damaging Huawei’s main international sales pitch, affordability. This action has attracted so much attention that the Chinese government has threatened to retaliate against American companies that have a big presence in China if the US continues with any such further measures. &nbsp;</p>

<p>While the Trump administration has been maintaining the consistent act against Huawei domestically, it has also been persuading its partners across the globe to ban Huawei in gaining access to their respective telecommunication networks. Some of its allies like Japan, Australia and New Zealand have gone forward with the US plans in banning Huawei, some like Canada and the European Union (EU) were still under discussion before the pandemic. EU member states were divided over the issue as China holds influence over several nations of the Union. Further, in disappointment to the US before the pandemic, the United Kingdom (UK) reluctantly provided limited access to Huawei some months ago. &nbsp;</p>

<p>Nonetheless, as the questions against China arise over its accountability towards the virus origins, reliability over the supply chains dependence and propaganda through global media blitzkrieg, the anti-Chinese lobby in the UK seems to have lapped up the opportunity to convince Boris Johnson administration to act against Huawei as British media suggests. The Financial Times last week reported that the UK government is making plans “to force a full phase-out of Huawei from Britain’s 5G networks” in the next three years. This is a strong shift in the UK’s approach towards Huawei in just a few months. &nbsp;</p>

<p>In the last week of January 2020, the European Commission recommended strict rules, instead of an outright ban, against any high-risk 5G suppliers including “exclusions for key assets considered as critical and sensitive”, and “strategies… to ensure the diversification of vendors”. Similarly, in February 2020, German ruling party’s members supported a position paper that called for limiting the participation of foreign vendors in 5G network rollout in a compromise as an anti-Chinese group among the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) have been piling up pressure on the Merkel administration for an outright ban of Huawei. Further, CDU’s coalition partner, Social Democratic Party, is asking for equipment suppliers’ political reliability vis-à-vis their home countries' governing system, which can dampen chances of companies like Huawei when the draft bill that asks for additional requirements from 5G network suppliers will face the parliamentary test. Handelsblatt has reported that Deutsch Telekom and Vodafone are already considering to remove Huawei equipment from the sensitive core of their networks considering domestic political preferences and rising business costs due to the US actions.&nbsp;</p>

<p>While these suggestions do not call for an outright ban as the US would have liked, they nonetheless are in favour of more stringent regulatory regime against the foreign vendors like Huawei. Moreover, it should come as no surprise if local EU 5G players like Nokia and Ericsson are prioritised over the foreign ones by EU member states as the industrial strategy under the new French-German COVID-19 recovery plan suggests. The French-German deal calls for strengthening “screening towards non-EU investors in strategic sectors”, and “accelerating the adaptation of state aid and competition rules” in the European competition policy. &nbsp;</p>

<p>Further, in sort of a policy priority, Josep Borrell Fontelles, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, recently in a column that was published in several media outlets suggested that the state-centric Chinese approach stands opposite to the “the EU’s multi-stakeholder approach based on respect for fundamental rights and freedoms” in the cyber domain; also, he called for avoiding dependence on China in strategic sectors. These developments suggest that Huawei’s access to most of the OECD market is likely to get restricted, which would limit China’s ambitions both politically and economically. &nbsp;</p>

<p>ASEAN is one region where Huawei is likely to have better run among high-value markets, except in Vietnam. While Vietnam has not banned Huawei, it claims to have developed native 5G tech through Viettel, Vietnam’s largest telecommunications company operated by the country’s defence ministry, which experts suggest provides an incentive to bypass China’s Huawei. The company has suggested that it doesn’t have plans to work with Huawei for now. The situation isn’t likely to change much as China ramps up the aggression in the South China Sea. Also, other major emerging economies like Brazil and India are yet to take a call in this regard. &nbsp;</p>

<p>India was one of the early countries to raise espionage-related concerns over Huawei almost a decade ago. While the government has allowed Huawei for trials, it is facing ambiguity over the issue as the country’s strategic community is seriously worried about national security issues. The situation is only likely to get tight due to ongoing border skirmishes at India-China border and also the Indian government’s plans to bring strong data protection law, which talks about localising data. &nbsp;</p>

<p>Moreover, there have been a couple of interesting developments over Indian 5G in the recent past. First, Airtel, which have an advocate of Huawei, has inked a $1 billion deal with Nokia — as uncertainty over Huawei’s access prevails — to modernise and expand its 4G network, which will also be used for the future 5G purposes. Second, Reliance Jio, currently India’s largest telecommunications company, claimed to have developed own in-house 5G tech. Also, Jio has proudly claimed that it is the only company in the world that doesn’t use any Chinese equipment in its 4G and 5G networks and will maintain this going forward. &nbsp;</p>

<p>All these events suggest the growing hardship for Chinese 5G plans across the world as it faces the campaign led by the US. As the geopolitics during the pandemic unravels, one should not expect the situation to get any better for Huawei; especially when China has ramped up the military aggression in the East China Sea, South China Sea, Taiwan Strait, Hong Kong and India-China border region. The international community — especially stakeholders at the receiving end of the Chinese aggression and the West that cares for international norms and human rights — is not likely to ease its stance anytime soon if the pandemic hostility prevails. &nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;<br />
<em>(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp;</em></p>


In an era that is to be defined by 4th Industrial Revolution where Artificial Intelligence, Big Data and Internet of Things are increasingly expected to play major roles, having the advantage over 5G technology is likely to be a key determinant of an upcoming great power rivalry.

In an era that is to be defined by 4th Industrial Revolution where Artificial Intelligence, Big Data and Internet of Things are increasingly expected to play major roles, having the advantage over 5G technology is likely to be a key determinant of an upcoming great power rivalry. However, geopolitical developments during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is likely to either dampen or delay China's grand global 5G strategy that is also critical to Beijing’s Digital Silk Road plans. The relatively small group of nations led by the United States (US) that acted against Chinese plans in the pre-COVID period may expand as increasingly more nations are concerned about Beijing’s reliability due to its behaviour — involves accountability, responsibility and propaganda — during the current pandemic. Gaining technological supremacy has been one of the key features of geopolitical rivalries in modern history, and it is no different for the ongoing US-China rivalry. Realising this, President Donald Trump has waged a global campaign against Huawei — main Chinese 5G player, other one is ZTE — since the last couple of years alleging China of 5G technology-related intellectual property theft and raised national security issues due to espionage-related concerns. Consequently, to limit Huawei’s capacity to provide 5G equipment, specifically at affordable rates, in the US and beyond, the Trump administration has announced several measures against Huawei, including the most recent one during the pandemic that restricts “Huawei’s ability to use US technology and software to design and manufacture its semiconductors abroad” as the US alleged Huawei of undermining its export control measures. The US government has used rising anti-China sentiments during the pandemic domestically and externally to its advantage and imposed new restrictions. This new measure by the US is likely to impact Huawei’s R&D work and raise its business costs substantially as chipmakers are not allowed to supply chips to Chinese company if they are based on the American technology; moreover, there are no Chinese technological alternatives at present. The measure will also impact the companies that are associated with Huawei components across the world, including the EU, thereby, damaging Huawei’s main international sales pitch, affordability. This action has attracted so much attention that the Chinese government has threatened to retaliate against American companies that have a big presence in China if the US continues with any such further measures. While the Trump administration has been maintaining the consistent act against Huawei domestically, it has also been persuading its partners across the globe to ban Huawei in gaining access to their respective telecommunication networks. Some of its allies like Japan, Australia and New Zealand have gone forward with the US plans in banning Huawei, some like Canada and the European Union (EU) were still under discussion before the pandemic. EU member states were divided over the issue as China holds influence over several nations of the Union. Further, in disappointment to the US before the pandemic, the United Kingdom (UK) reluctantly provided limited access to Huawei some months ago. Nonetheless, as the questions against China arise over its accountability towards the virus origins, reliability over the supply chains dependence and propaganda through global media blitzkrieg, the anti-Chinese lobby in the UK seems to have lapped up the opportunity to convince Boris Johnson administration to act against Huawei as British media suggests. The Financial Times last week reported that the UK government is making plans “to force a full phase-out of Huawei from Britain’s 5G networks” in the next three years. This is a strong shift in the UK’s approach towards Huawei in just a few months. In the last week of January 2020, the European Commission recommended strict rules, instead of an outright ban, against any high-risk 5G suppliers including “exclusions for key assets considered as critical and sensitive”, and “strategies… to ensure the diversification of vendors”. Similarly, in February 2020, German ruling party’s members supported a position paper that called for limiting the participation of foreign vendors in 5G network rollout in a compromise as an anti-Chinese group among the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) have been piling up pressure on the Merkel administration for an outright ban of Huawei. Further, CDU’s coalition partner, Social Democratic Party, is asking for equipment suppliers’ political reliability vis-à-vis their home countries' governing system, which can dampen chances of companies like Huawei when the draft bill that asks for additional requirements from 5G network suppliers will face the parliamentary test. Handelsblatt has reported that Deutsch Telekom and Vodafone are already considering to remove Huawei equipment from the sensitive core of their networks considering domestic political preferences and rising business costs due to the US actions. While these suggestions do not call for an outright ban as the US would have liked, they nonetheless are in favour of more stringent regulatory regime against the foreign vendors like Huawei. Moreover, it should come as no surprise if local EU 5G players like Nokia and Ericsson are prioritised over the foreign ones by EU member states as the industrial strategy under the new French-German COVID-19 recovery plan suggests. The French-German deal calls for strengthening “screening towards non-EU investors in strategic sectors”, and “accelerating the adaptation of state aid and competition rules” in the European competition policy. Further, in sort of a policy priority, Josep Borrell Fontelles, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, recently in a column that was published in several media outlets suggested that the state-centric Chinese approach stands opposite to the “the EU’s multi-stakeholder approach based on respect for fundamental rights and freedoms” in the cyber domain; also, he called for avoiding dependence on China in strategic sectors. These developments suggest that Huawei’s access to most of the OECD market is likely to get restricted, which would limit China’s ambitions both politically and economically. ASEAN is one region where Huawei is likely to have better run among high-value markets, except in Vietnam. While Vietnam has not banned Huawei, it claims to have developed native 5G tech through Viettel, Vietnam’s largest telecommunications company operated by the country’s defence ministry, which experts suggest provides an incentive to bypass China’s Huawei. The company has suggested that it doesn’t have plans to work with Huawei for now. The situation isn’t likely to change much as China ramps up the aggression in the South China Sea. Also, other major emerging economies like Brazil and India are yet to take a call in this regard. India was one of the early countries to raise espionage-related concerns over Huawei almost a decade ago. While the government has allowed Huawei for trials, it is facing ambiguity over the issue as the country’s strategic community is seriously worried about national security issues. The situation is only likely to get tight due to ongoing border skirmishes at India-China border and also the Indian government’s plans to bring strong data protection law, which talks about localising data. Moreover, there have been a couple of interesting developments over Indian 5G in the recent past. First, Airtel, which have an advocate of Huawei, has inked a $1 billion deal with Nokia — as uncertainty over Huawei’s access prevails — to modernise and expand its 4G network, which will also be used for the future 5G purposes. Second, Reliance Jio, currently India’s largest telecommunications company, claimed to have developed own in-house 5G tech. Also, Jio has proudly claimed that it is the only company in the world that doesn’t use any Chinese equipment in its 4G and 5G networks and will maintain this going forward. All these events suggest the growing hardship for Chinese 5G plans across the world as it faces the campaign led by the US. As the geopolitics during the pandemic unravels, one should not expect the situation to get any better for Huawei; especially when China has ramped up the military aggression in the East China Sea, South China Sea, Taiwan Strait, Hong Kong and India-China border region. The international community — especially stakeholders at the receiving end of the Chinese aggression and the West that cares for international norms and human rights — is not likely to ease its stance anytime soon if the pandemic hostility prevails. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Coronavirus impact: Geopolitical developments deepen China’s global 5G woes

<p>Setting an example to follow amid the harsh COVID-19 conditions, megastar Amitabh Bachchan on Monday shared a collage featuring celebrities covering their face.</p>

<p><strong>In pics:</strong>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/films-that-had-prominent-characters-don-masks-way-before-coronavirus-scare-300400" hreflang="en">Films that had prominent characters don masks way before coronavirus scare</a></p>

<p>The 77-year-old star put out the picture on Instagram that features celebrities including Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Hrithik Roshan, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Alia Bhatt, Tiger Shroff, and Mahendra Singh Dhoni, covering their faces. The collage also shows Big B, who is seen stretching the neck of his high neck T-shirt, only to cover his mouth.</p>

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<p>Cohering the importance of the message, the 'Don' actor didn't write any caption along with the post.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:</strong>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/vir-das-neighbour-shouts-and-sneezes-at-him-for-not-wearing-mask-comedian-shares-video-on-social-media-300849" hreflang="en">Vir Das' neighbour shouts and sneezes at him for not wearing mask, comedian shares video on social media</a></p>

<p>The post on sending the important message garnered more than 1.7 lakh likes within just 55 minutes of being posted.</p>

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<p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CAlm00_BNWp/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">Wear the mask .. an initiative by @avigowariker .. ace photographer and dear friend</a></p>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/amitabhbachchan/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;" target="_blank"> Amitabh Bachchan</a> (@amitabhbachchan) on <time datetime="2020-05-24T22:36:38+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;">May 24, 2020 at 3:36pm PDT</time></p>
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<p>The 'Baghban' star is one of the most socially active senior actors of the Indian cinema industry. He keeps his fans well posted by tweeting and sharing his personal and professional updates on social media. &nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/ayushmann-khurrana-on-his-films-being-remade-in-south-its-quite-overwhelming-and-gratifying-300855" hreflang="en">Ayushmann Khurrana on his films being remade in South: It's quite overwhelming and gratifying</a></p>

<p>Earlier, Sr Bachchan congratulated the Government of India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the success of Ayushman Bharat scheme as the number of beneficiaries under the scheme touched one crore mark.</p>


Setting an example to follow amid the harsh COVID-19 conditions, megastar Amitabh Bachchan on Monday shared a collage featuring celebrities covering their face. In pics: Films that had prominent characters don masks way before coronavirus scare The 77-year-old star put out the picture on Instagram that features celebrities including Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Hrithik Roshan, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Alia Bhatt, Tiger Shroff, and Mahendra Singh Dhoni, covering their faces.

Setting an example to follow amid the harsh COVID-19 conditions, megastar Amitabh Bachchan on Monday shared a collage featuring celebrities covering their face. In pics: Films that had prominent characters don masks way before coronavirus scare The 77-year-old star put out the picture on Instagram that features celebrities including Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Hrithik Roshan, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Alia Bhatt, Tiger Shroff, and Mahendra Singh Dhoni, covering their faces. The collage also shows Big B, who is seen stretching the neck of his high neck T-shirt, only to cover his mouth. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Amitabh Bachchan (@amitabhbachchan) on May 25, 2020 at 2:15am PDT × Cohering the importance of the message, the 'Don' actor didn't write any caption along with the post. Also read: Vir Das' neighbour shouts and sneezes at him for not wearing mask, comedian shares video on social media The post on sending the important message garnered more than 1.7 lakh likes within just 55 minutes of being posted. View this post on Instagram Wear the mask .. an initiative by @avigowariker .. ace photographer and dear friend A post shared by Amitabh Bachchan (@amitabhbachchan) on May 24, 2020 at 3:36pm PDT × The 'Baghban' star is one of the most socially active senior actors of the Indian cinema industry. He keeps his fans well posted by tweeting and sharing his personal and professional updates on social media. Also read: Ayushmann Khurrana on his films being remade in South: It's quite overwhelming and gratifying Earlier, Sr Bachchan congratulated the Government of India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the success of Ayushman Bharat scheme as the number of beneficiaries under the scheme touched one crore mark.

Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan & other celebs encourage fans to wear mask

<p>On December 9, 2019, long before the world knew anything about it, a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdYDL_RK--w">video interview</a> took place with one of the key players in the COVID-19 drama, Dr Peter Daszak, President of the EcoHealth Alliance, who inadvertently may have provided indications of its true origin.</p>

<p>Much of that discussion centred around the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS) epidemic of 2002-2004, which was believed to have <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41579-018-0118-9">originated</a> in bats, although civets may have acted as an intermediate host.</p>

<p>While circulating in animals, the SARS virus mutated, acquiring the ability to infect humans, which it was assumed to have done so, infecting workers in a Guangdong, China animal market.</p>

<p>That explanation became the narrative now being promoted by the Chinese Communist Party, the media and some Western scientists to convince the world that COVID-19 was a naturally-occurring outbreak.</p>

<p>Beginning at 27:49, Dr Daszak explains the basis of the naturally-occurring narrative and the collection of over one hundred bat coronaviruses capable of infecting humans, but untreatable with drugs or vaccines. Those coronaviruses are presumed to be stored in Chinese laboratories.</p>

<p>“So, we did a couple of things with it. So, one is around SARS. We focused on SARS coronavirus emerged from a wildlife market. And whilst the first pandemic of this century. So, it’s big event. And, so we started to trace back from the wildlife market, which species carried the virus, that came into those markets. We found that it was bats, not civets, was the original idea. So, we started looking where did they come from. And we went out to southern China. And did surveillance of bats across southern China. And we’ve now found, after six or seven years of doing this, over one hundred new SARS-related coronaviruses, very close to SARS. Some of them get into human cells in the lab. And some of them can cause SARS disease in humanized mouse models. And are untreatable with therapeutic monoclonals [antibodies] and you can’t vaccinate against them with a vaccine.”</p>

<p>At 29:51, Dr Daszak describes bioengineering of those viruses by inserting components of one coronavirus into another.</p>

<p>“Well, I think, coronavirus is a pretty good, I mean, you’re a virologist [the interviewer], you know all this stuff, but the, you can manipulate them in the lab pretty easily. Spike protein drives a lot of what happens with the coronavirus, zoonotic risk. So, you can get the sequence, you can build the protein, and we work with Ralph Baric at UNC [University of North Carolina] to do this. Insert it into a backbone of another virus, and do some work in the lab. So, you can get more predictive, when you find the sequence. You have this diversity. Now, the logical progression for vaccines is, if you are going to develop a vaccine for SARS, people are going to use pandemic SARS, but let’s try to insert these other related and get a better vaccine.”</p>

<p>In 2015, Ralph Baric from the University of North Carolina and Zheng-Li Shi, the <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-chinas-bat-woman-hunted-down-viruses-from-sars-to-the-new-coronavirus1/">“bat woman</a>” from the Wuhan Institute of Virology jointly published a <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nm.3985">scientific article</a> describing the combination of the receptor-binding spike protein from a newly isolated coronavirus (SHC014) and the “backbone” from SARS-CoV, the coronavirus responsible for the 2002-2003 pandemic.</p>

<p>That experiment produced a novel virus, chimera SHC014-MA15, which showed “robust viral replication both in vitro [cell cultures] and in vivo [animals],” using models adapted to test human infectivity.</p>

<p>The scientific consensus claims that COVID-19, like SARS, originated in bats.</p>

<p>There is conclusive scientific <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-020-0820-9">evidence</a>, however, that COVID-19’s receptor binding domain within the spike protein is structurally closest to that of pangolins (scaly anteaters), not bats, and it was the <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.04.20.052019v1">result</a> of a recombination, not convergent evolution.</p>

<p>Yet, pangolins have been<a href="https://journals.plos.org/plospathogens/article?id=10.1371/journal.ppat.1008421"> ruled out</a> as the intermediate host for COVID-19.</p>

<p>Even Dr Ralph Baric in a March 15, 2020 <a href="https://www.microbe.tv/twiv/twiv-591/">interview</a>, beginning at the 27:40 time point, stated unequivocally, that pangolins were not the source of COVID-19:</p>

<p>“Pangolins have over 3,000 nucleotide changes - no way they are the reservoir species [for COVID-19], absolutely no chance.”</p>

<p>It is, therefore, logical to conclude that the recombinant event resulting in a pangolin receptor binding domain within a bat coronavirus backbone must have occurred in a laboratory, in a manner similar to the experiment conducted by Ralph Baric and Zheng-Li Shi in 2015.</p>

<p>Furthermore, COVID-19’s S1/S2 furin polybasic cleavage site, a distinctive feature widely known for its ability to enhance <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6832359/">pathogenicity</a> and <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12250-020-00212-7">transmissibility</a> in coronaviruses, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1097276520302641#bib38">does not appear</a> in any of 45 bat, 5 human SARS, 2 civet, 1 pangolin and 1 racoon dog coronaviruses, that have S1/S2 junction structures otherwise identical or nearly identical to COVID-19.</p>

<p>There is no credible scientific evidence that the furin polybasic cleavage site evolved naturally, although the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1097276520302641#bib38">methods</a> for artificially inserting such cleavage sites are well-established.</p>

<p>It is important to note that the EcoHealth Alliance gets 80% of its funding from the U.S. government (9:22), has “been working in China for years” (19:40), and presumably uses U.S. taxpayer money to “hire technicians in labs or Ph.D. students” (12:08) in order to “teach people how to do it and give them the capacity and the tools” and “then you have really made a difference” (13:15).</p>

<p>Indeed. The EcoHealth Alliance may have really made a difference.</p>

<p><em>(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp;</em><br />
&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;</p>

<p><br />
&nbsp;</p>


On December 9, 2019, long before the world knew anything about it, a video interview took place with one of the key players in the COVID-19 drama, Dr Peter Daszak, President of the EcoHealth Alliance, who inadvertently may have provided indications of its true origin.

On December 9, 2019, long before the world knew anything about it, a video interview took place with one of the key players in the COVID-19 drama, Dr Peter Daszak, President of the EcoHealth Alliance, who inadvertently may have provided indications of its true origin. Much of that discussion centred around the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS) epidemic of 2002-2004, which was believed to have originated in bats, although civets may have acted as an intermediate host. While circulating in animals, the SARS virus mutated, acquiring the ability to infect humans, which it was assumed to have done so, infecting workers in a Guangdong, China animal market. That explanation became the narrative now being promoted by the Chinese Communist Party, the media and some Western scientists to convince the world that COVID-19 was a naturally-occurring outbreak. Beginning at 27:49, Dr Daszak explains the basis of the naturally-occurring narrative and the collection of over one hundred bat coronaviruses capable of infecting humans, but untreatable with drugs or vaccines. Those coronaviruses are presumed to be stored in Chinese laboratories. “So, we did a couple of things with it. So, one is around SARS. We focused on SARS coronavirus emerged from a wildlife market. And whilst the first pandemic of this century. So, it’s big event. And, so we started to trace back from the wildlife market, which species carried the virus, that came into those markets. We found that it was bats, not civets, was the original idea. So, we started looking where did they come from. And we went out to southern China. And did surveillance of bats across southern China. And we’ve now found, after six or seven years of doing this, over one hundred new SARS-related coronaviruses, very close to SARS. Some of them get into human cells in the lab. And some of them can cause SARS disease in humanized mouse models. And are untreatable with therapeutic monoclonals [antibodies] and you can’t vaccinate against them with a vaccine.” At 29:51, Dr Daszak describes bioengineering of those viruses by inserting components of one coronavirus into another. “Well, I think, coronavirus is a pretty good, I mean, you’re a virologist [the interviewer], you know all this stuff, but the, you can manipulate them in the lab pretty easily. Spike protein drives a lot of what happens with the coronavirus, zoonotic risk. So, you can get the sequence, you can build the protein, and we work with Ralph Baric at UNC [University of North Carolina] to do this. Insert it into a backbone of another virus, and do some work in the lab. So, you can get more predictive, when you find the sequence. You have this diversity. Now, the logical progression for vaccines is, if you are going to develop a vaccine for SARS, people are going to use pandemic SARS, but let’s try to insert these other related and get a better vaccine.” In 2015, Ralph Baric from the University of North Carolina and Zheng-Li Shi, the “bat woman” from the Wuhan Institute of Virology jointly published a scientific article describing the combination of the receptor-binding spike protein from a newly isolated coronavirus (SHC014) and the “backbone” from SARS-CoV, the coronavirus responsible for the 2002-2003 pandemic. That experiment produced a novel virus, chimera SHC014-MA15, which showed “robust viral replication both in vitro [cell cultures] and in vivo [animals],” using models adapted to test human infectivity. The scientific consensus claims that COVID-19, like SARS, originated in bats. There is conclusive scientific evidence, however, that COVID-19’s receptor binding domain within the spike protein is structurally closest to that of pangolins (scaly anteaters), not bats, and it was the result of a recombination, not convergent evolution. Yet, pangolins have been ruled out as the intermediate host for COVID-19. Even Dr Ralph Baric in a March 15, 2020 interview, beginning at the 27:40 time point, stated unequivocally, that pangolins were not the source of COVID-19: “Pangolins have over 3,000 nucleotide changes - no way they are the reservoir species [for COVID-19], absolutely no chance.” It is, therefore, logical to conclude that the recombinant event resulting in a pangolin receptor binding domain within a bat coronavirus backbone must have occurred in a laboratory, in a manner similar to the experiment conducted by Ralph Baric and Zheng-Li Shi in 2015. Furthermore, COVID-19’s S1/S2 furin polybasic cleavage site, a distinctive feature widely known for its ability to enhance pathogenicity and transmissibility in coronaviruses, does not appear in any of 45 bat, 5 human SARS, 2 civet, 1 pangolin and 1 racoon dog coronaviruses, that have S1/S2 junction structures otherwise identical or nearly identical to COVID-19. There is no credible scientific evidence that the furin polybasic cleavage site evolved naturally, although the methods for artificially inserting such cleavage sites are well-established. It is important to note that the EcoHealth Alliance gets 80% of its funding from the U.S. government (9:22), has “been working in China for years” (19:40), and presumably uses U.S. taxpayer money to “hire technicians in labs or Ph.D. students” (12:08) in order to “teach people how to do it and give them the capacity and the tools” and “then you have really made a difference” (13:15). Indeed. The EcoHealth Alliance may have really made a difference. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Tracing the origins of COVID-19

<p>It's getting evident that we have to learn to live with a looming threat of the coronavirus. Countries around the world are relaxing restriction on lockdown and opening up their economies, but social distancing norms still need to be followed.<br />
<br />
As people start getting back to their workplaces, tech companies are banking on new-age wearables that they hope will help in the fight against the highly-contagious novel coronavirus.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Various companies are now working on wristbands as a social distancing management solution. Italian startup Metawellness has introduced an electronic bracelet which informs users when they get too close to others. The device also alerts users if they have come in contact with someone who later tests positive for COVID-19.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The "labby light" bracelet starts vibrating when another person comes within a range of one metre. A similar bracelet has also been developed by the Belgian company Rombit.</p>

<p>The firm uses technologies that also work without an internet connection and this makes its digital bracelet, Romware One, more suitable for industrial environments. The solution allows employees in construction, logistics and other heavy industries to resume their work safely.</p>

<p>The American automaker Ford has also been testing wristband devices to keep ensure their workers practise social distancing. Reports suggest that this wearable could become a part of safety protocols at the Ford.</p>

<p>In China, schools are moving to temperature-tracking bracelets. The bands provide real-time temperature data that can be monitored by schools and parents via an app. If a student's temperature rises above 100-degree Fahrenheit, the bracelet will prompt their teacher to alert the police. This is China's latest use of high-tech to track its population's possible exposure to the novel coronavirus.</p>

<p>An Indian startup, Muse Wearables, is also developing a wrist-based tracker which can sense skin temperature, heart rate to help in early diagnosis of COVID-19. It’s priced at Rs 3,500, which is approximately $46.</p>

<p>While wrist bands are the most common design, some companies are also creating neck-based wearables. A number of companies across different sectors have already adopted these wearables for the safety of their employees, but it remains to be seen if these wearables would become an important part of our new normal.</p>


It's getting evident that we have to learn to live with a looming threat of the coronavirus. Countries around the world are relaxing restriction on lockdown and opening up their economies, but social distancing norms still need to be followed.

It's getting evident that we have to learn to live with a looming threat of the coronavirus. Countries around the world are relaxing restriction on lockdown and opening up their economies, but social distancing norms still need to be followed. As people start getting back to their workplaces, tech companies are banking on new-age wearables that they hope will help in the fight against the highly-contagious novel coronavirus. Various companies are now working on wristbands as a social distancing management solution. Italian startup Metawellness has introduced an electronic bracelet which informs users when they get too close to others. The device also alerts users if they have come in contact with someone who later tests positive for COVID-19. The "labby light" bracelet starts vibrating when another person comes within a range of one metre. A similar bracelet has also been developed by the Belgian company Rombit. The firm uses technologies that also work without an internet connection and this makes its digital bracelet, Romware One, more suitable for industrial environments. The solution allows employees in construction, logistics and other heavy industries to resume their work safely. The American automaker Ford has also been testing wristband devices to keep ensure their workers practise social distancing. Reports suggest that this wearable could become a part of safety protocols at the Ford. In China, schools are moving to temperature-tracking bracelets. The bands provide real-time temperature data that can be monitored by schools and parents via an app. If a student's temperature rises above 100-degree Fahrenheit, the bracelet will prompt their teacher to alert the police. This is China's latest use of high-tech to track its population's possible exposure to the novel coronavirus. An Indian startup, Muse Wearables, is also developing a wrist-based tracker which can sense skin temperature, heart rate to help in early diagnosis of COVID-19. It’s priced at Rs 3,500, which is approximately $46. While wrist bands are the most common design, some companies are also creating neck-based wearables. A number of companies across different sectors have already adopted these wearables for the safety of their employees, but it remains to be seen if these wearables would become an important part of our new normal.

Fighting coronavirus: Smart bands come to the rescue

Will the Coronavirus crisis end Nicolas Maduro's grip on power or will it make it worse? What's in store for Venezuela? WION's Palki Sharma put these questions to Venezuelan leader Juan Guaido in an exclusive conversation.

Gravitas Exclusive: Juan Guaido calls for India's help amid Covid-19 outbreak

<p>Hrithik Roshan 'Super 30' is likely to be the first Indian film to release in China after COVID-19 outbreak.<br />
<br />
'Super 30' was Hrithik's first outing of 2019 and the movie was well received at the box office. The Vikas Bahl directorial was a real-life story of the Bihar based mathematician Anand Kumar who helps students to succeed in IIT entrance exams.</p>

<p><strong>In pics:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/happy-birthday-hrithik-roshan-273334">From drab to fab, 2019 belonged to Hrithik Roshan</a></p>

<p>Shibashish Sarkar, CEO of Reliance Entertainment Group, in an interview, said, ''They had already applied for censorship of the movie in China and when the things are back to normal, it will be the first film to get censored''. Reliance Entertainment were the co-producers of the film.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/bollywood-news-hrithik-roshan-ties-up-with-ngo-to-provide-12-lakh-meals-to-daily-wage-earners-and-senior-citizens-291262">Hrithik Roshan ties up with NGO to provide 1.2 lakh meals to daily wage earners and senior citizens</a><br />
<br />
This would be Roshan's second movie to get a release in China, after 'Kaabil', which also earned good revenues.&nbsp;</p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QpvEWVVnICE" width="560"></iframe></p>

<p>Bollywood movie always performs well at the China box office, as movies like, 'Dangal', 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan' have earned big numbers at the country's box office.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
In India, the movie&nbsp;is currently streaming on Hotstar.</p>


Hrithik Roshan 'Super 30' is likely to be the first Indian film to release in China after COVID-19 outbreak. 'Super 30' was Hrithik's first outing of 2019 and the movie was well received at the box office.

Hrithik Roshan 'Super 30' is likely to be the first Indian film to release in China after COVID-19 outbreak. 'Super 30' was Hrithik's first outing of 2019 and the movie was well received at the box office. The Vikas Bahl directorial was a real-life story of the Bihar based mathematician Anand Kumar who helps students to succeed in IIT entrance exams. In pics: From drab to fab, 2019 belonged to Hrithik Roshan Shibashish Sarkar, CEO of Reliance Entertainment Group, in an interview, said, ''They had already applied for censorship of the movie in China and when the things are back to normal, it will be the first film to get censored''. Reliance Entertainment were the co-producers of the film. Also read: Hrithik Roshan ties up with NGO to provide 1.2 lakh meals to daily wage earners and senior citizens This would be Roshan's second movie to get a release in China, after 'Kaabil', which also earned good revenues. Bollywood movie always performs well at the China box office, as movies like, 'Dangal', 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan' have earned big numbers at the country's box office. In India, the movie is currently streaming on Hotstar.

Hrithik Roshan's 'Super 30' to be the first Bollywood release in China post COVID-19 outbreak

<p>American singer Luke Bryan has postponed the release of his new album, 'Born Here Live Here Die Here',&nbsp;from April 24 to August 7, the singer announced Tuesday.<br />
<br />
According to the news agency, the 'American Idol'&nbsp;judge has also pushed back the start of his 'Proud to Be Here'&nbsp;tour, that was due to kick off May 28 in Cincinnati.</p>

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<p>The tour is now scheduled to start on July 10 in Alabama and will be concluded on October 30 in Louisiana. Bryan said in a statement, alluding to the COVID-19 pandemic which has affected more than 1 million people worldwide, "What an incredibly confusing and scary time our world is facing right now, and it is important we continue to follow the guidelines we have been given and do our part to keep everyone safe."</p>

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<p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/tv/B-pdFTcgsNR/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">Last night was amazing. Hope y’all enjoyed “Most People Are Good” from my house to yours.</a></p>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/lukebryan/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;" target="_blank"> Luke Bryan Official</a> (@lukebryan) on <time datetime="2020-04-06T17:27:40+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;">Apr 6, 2020 at 10:27am PDT</time></p>
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<p>The 'Knockin Boots'&nbsp;crooner added, "With that in mind, we are choosing to stay home at this time so we can have fun sharing this music and tour with you this summer. I truly believe that music can provide all forms of emotional connections for everyone and I can't wait to get on the road and share these new songs with you soon."<br />
<br />
The openers for select dates included Musical group 'Runaway June', American country music singer Morgen Wallen and singer Caylee Hammack. And the tour was scheduled to hit arenas and amphitheatres.<br />
<br />
'Born Here Live Here Die Here'&nbsp;is Bryan's seventh studio album signed to Capitol Nashville, a division of Universal Music Group.</p>


American singer Luke Bryan has postponed the release of his new album, 'Born Here Live Here Die Here', from April 24 to August 7, the singer announced Tuesday. According to the news agency, the 'American Idol' judge has also pushed back the start of his 'Proud to Be Here' tour, that was due to kick off May 28 in Cincinnati.

American singer Luke Bryan has postponed the release of his new album, 'Born Here Live Here Die Here', from April 24 to August 7, the singer announced Tuesday. According to the news agency, the 'American Idol' judge has also pushed back the start of his 'Proud to Be Here' tour, that was due to kick off May 28 in Cincinnati. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Luke Bryan Official (@lukebryan) on Apr 7, 2020 at 2:30pm PDT × The tour is now scheduled to start on July 10 in Alabama and will be concluded on October 30 in Louisiana. Bryan said in a statement, alluding to the COVID-19 pandemic which has affected more than 1 million people worldwide, "What an incredibly confusing and scary time our world is facing right now, and it is important we continue to follow the guidelines we have been given and do our part to keep everyone safe." View this post on Instagram Last night was amazing. Hope y’all enjoyed “Most People Are Good” from my house to yours. A post shared by Luke Bryan Official (@lukebryan) on Apr 6, 2020 at 10:27am PDT × The 'Knockin Boots' crooner added, "With that in mind, we are choosing to stay home at this time so we can have fun sharing this music and tour with you this summer. I truly believe that music can provide all forms of emotional connections for everyone and I can't wait to get on the road and share these new songs with you soon." The openers for select dates included Musical group 'Runaway June', American country music singer Morgen Wallen and singer Caylee Hammack. And the tour was scheduled to hit arenas and amphitheatres. 'Born Here Live Here Die Here' is Bryan's seventh studio album signed to Capitol Nashville, a division of Universal Music Group.

Luke Bryan postpones tour, album release due to COVID-19 outbreak

World's wealthiest countries had not done enough to combat Covid-19, leaders says in the G20 summit. G20 nations pledged a united front in the fight against coronavirus and injecting USD 5 trillion into the global economy to counter the pandemic. A task force has been made in the summit, which starts working from April

World's wealthiest countries had not done enough on Covid-19- G20

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that Covid-19 outbreak is accelerating. The actual tally of the cases is different, becasue many cases are not being registered.

WHO says, Covid-19 outbreak is accelerating | Actual figure is different

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal address the people of Delhi. CM says Delhi is ready to tackle any kind of challenge. Kejriwal says we can handle 100 cases in a day and nobody will go to bed hungry.

Arvind Kejriwal briefing: Delhi's plan of action to tackle Covid-19 outbreak

<p>Following Warner Bros, Paramount Pictures has decided to defer the release of 'A Quiet Place II' due to the outbreak of coronavirus. The film was scheduled to release on March 18 but has been postponed indefinitely. <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/paramount-pictures-drops-trailer-of-upcoming-horror-flick-a-quiet-place-part-ii-271543">Watch the trailer here</a><br />
<br />
Director and producer of the film John Krasinski made the announcement on Instagram on Thursday.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
"Due to the ever-changing circumstances of what`s going on in the world around us, now is clearly not the right time to do that," Krasinski said in a posting on his Instagram account.</p>

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<p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B9ozoX0nSsn/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">AQuietPlacePart2...Take2</a></p>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/johnkrasinski/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;" target="_blank"> John Krasinski</a> (@johnkrasinski) on <time datetime="2020-03-12T14:52:04+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;">Mar 12, 2020 at 7:52am PDT</time></p>
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<p>The film's promotions were in full swing and the decision, according to trade pundits, is likely to affect the business of the film. A sequel to the 2018 thriller, the film stars Emily Blunt in the lead role.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
Earlier, Warner Bros pushed the release of 'No Time To Die' to November. It was scheduled to release earlier in April.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
Hollywood has been majorly affected amid the outbreak of the epidemic. Film shoots, promotions have all been called out due to the outbreak.&nbsp;</p>


Following Warner Bros, Paramount Pictures has decided to defer the release of 'A Quiet Place II' due to the outbreak of coronavirus. The film was scheduled to release on March 18 but has been postponed indefinitely.

Following Warner Bros, Paramount Pictures has decided to defer the release of 'A Quiet Place II' due to the outbreak of coronavirus. The film was scheduled to release on March 18 but has been postponed indefinitely. Watch the trailer here Director and producer of the film John Krasinski made the announcement on Instagram on Thursday. "Due to the ever-changing circumstances of what`s going on in the world around us, now is clearly not the right time to do that," Krasinski said in a posting on his Instagram account. View this post on Instagram AQuietPlacePart2...Take2 A post shared by John Krasinski (@johnkrasinski) on Mar 12, 2020 at 7:52am PDT × The film's promotions were in full swing and the decision, according to trade pundits, is likely to affect the business of the film. A sequel to the 2018 thriller, the film stars Emily Blunt in the lead role. Earlier, Warner Bros pushed the release of 'No Time To Die' to November. It was scheduled to release earlier in April. Hollywood has been majorly affected amid the outbreak of the epidemic. Film shoots, promotions have all been called out due to the outbreak.

'A Quiet Place Part II' release date postponed due to COVID-19 outbreak