To a growing chorus of U.S. politicians and scientists, she is the key to whether the world will ever learn if the virus behind the devastating COVID-19 pandemic escaped from a Chinese lab. To the Chinese government and public, she is a hero of the country’s success in curbing the epidemic and a victim of malicious conspiracy theories.

Shi Zhengli, a top Chinese virologist, is once again at the centre of clashing narratives about her research on coronaviruses at a state lab in Wuhan, the city where the pandemic first emerged.

The idea that the virus may have escaped from a lab had long been widely dismissed by scientists as implausible and shunned by others for its connection with former President Donald Trump. But fresh scrutiny from the Biden administration and calls for greater candour from prominent scientists have brought the theory back to the fore.

Scientists generally agree that there is still no direct evidence to support the lab leak theory. But more of them now say that the hypothesis was dismissed too hastily, without a thorough investigation, and they point to a range of unsettling questions.

Some scientists say Shi conducted risky experiments with bat coronaviruses in labs that were not safe enough. Others want clarity on reports, citing U.S. intelligence, suggesting that there were early infections of COVID-19 among several employees of the Wuhan Institute of Virology.

Shi has denied these accusations and now finds herself defending the reputation of her lab and, by extension, that of her country. Reached on her cellphone last week, Shi said at first that she preferred not to speak directly with reporters, citing her institute’s policies. Yet she could barely contain her frustration.

“How on earth can I offer up evidence for something where there is no evidence?” she said, her voice rising in anger during the brief, unscheduled conversation. “I don’t know how the world has come to this, constantly pouring filth on an innocent scientist,” she wrote in a text message.

In a rare interview over email, she denounced the suspicions as baseless, including the allegations that several of her colleagues may have been ill before the outbreak emerged.

The speculation boils down to one central question: Did Shi’s lab hold any source of the new coronavirus before the pandemic erupted? Shi’s answer is an emphatic no.

But China’s refusal to allow an independent investigation into her lab, or to share data on its research, make it difficult to validate Shi’s claims and has only fueled nagging suspicions about how the pandemic could have taken hold in the same city that hosts an institute known for its work on bat coronaviruses.

Those in favor of the natural origins hypothesis, though, have pointed to Wuhan’s role as a major transportation hub as well as a recent study that showed that just before the pandemic hit, the city’s markets were selling many animal species capable of harboring dangerous pathogens that could jump to humans.

The Chinese government has given no appearance of holding Shi under suspicion. Despite the international scrutiny, she seems to have been able to continue her research and give lectures in China.

The stakes in this debate extend into how scientists study infectious diseases. Some scientists have cited the lab leak scenario in pushing for greater scrutiny of “gain of function” experiments that, broadly defined, are intended to make pathogens more powerful to better understand their behaviour and risks.

Many scientists say they want the hunt for the virus’ origins to transcend politics, borders and individual scientific achievements.

“This has nothing to do with fault or guilt,” said David Relman, a microbiologist at Stanford University and co-author of a recent letter in the journal Science, signed by 18 scientists, that called for a transparent investigation into all viable scenarios, including a lab leak.

The letter urged labs and health agencies to open their records to the public.

“It’s just bigger than anyone scientist or institute or any one country — anybody anywhere who has data of this sort needs to put it out there,” Relman said.

‘Transparency matters.’

Many virologists maintain that the coronavirus most likely jumped from an animal to a human in a setting outside a lab. But without direct proof of a natural spillover, more scientists and politicians have called for a full investigation into the lab leak theory.

Proponents of a lab investigation say that researchers at Shi’s institute could have collected — or contracted — the new coronavirus from the wild, such as in a bat cave. Or the scientists may have created it, by accident or by design. Either way, the virus could then have leaked from the laboratory, perhaps by infecting a worker.

China has sought to influence investigations into the virus’ origin, while promoting its own unproven allegations.

Beijing agreed to allow a team of World Health Organization experts to visit China but limited their access. When the WHO team said in a report in March that a lab leak was extremely unlikely, its conclusion was seen as hasty. Even the head of the WHO, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said: “I do not believe that this assessment was extensive enough.”

Last month, President Joe Biden ordered intelligence agencies to investigate the origin question, including the lab theory. On Sunday, the leaders of the world’s wealthiest large democracies, at the Group of 7 summit, urged China to be part of a new investigation into the origins of the coronavirus. Biden told reporters that he and other leaders had discussed access to labs in China.

“Transparency matters across the board,” Biden said.

‘Scientists have a motherland.’

In less polarized times, Shi was a symbol of China’s scientific progress, the “Bat Woman” at the forefront of research into emerging viruses.

She led expeditions into caves to collect samples from bats and guano, to learn how viruses jump from animals to humans. In 2019, she was among 109 scientists elected to the American Academy of Microbiology for her contributions to the field.

“She’s a stellar scientist — extremely careful, with a rigorous work ethic,” said Dr. Robert C. Gallo, director of the Institute of Human Virology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

The Wuhan Institute of Virology employs nearly 300 people and is home to one of only two Chinese labs that have been given the highest security designation, Biosafety Level 4. Shi leads the institute’s work on emerging infectious diseases, and over the years, her group has collected over 10,000 bat samples from around China.

Under China’s centralized approach to scientific research, the institute answers to the Communist Party, which wants scientists to serve national goals.

“Science has no borders, but scientists have a motherland,” Xi Jinping, the country’s leader, said in a speech to scientists last year.

Shi herself, though, does not belong to the Communist Party, according to official Chinese media reports, which is unusual for state employees of her status. She built her career at the institute, starting as a research assistant in 1990 and working her way up the ranks.

Shi, 57, obtained her Ph.D. from the University of Montpellier in France in 2000 and started studying bats in 2004 after the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, which killed more than 700 people around the world. In 2011, she made a breakthrough when she found bats in a cave in southwestern China that carried coronaviruses that were similar to the virus that causes SARS.

“In all the work we do, if just once you can prevent the outbreak of an illness, then what we’ve done will be very meaningful,” she told CCTV, China’s state broadcaster, in 2017.

But some of her most notable findings have since drawn the heaviest scrutiny. In recent years, Shi began experimenting on bat coronaviruses by genetically modifying them to see how they behave.

In 2017, she and her colleagues at the Wuhan lab published a paper about an experiment in which they created new hybrid bat coronaviruses by mixing and matching parts of several existing ones — including at least one that was nearly transmissible to humans — in order to study their ability to infect and replicate in human cells.

Proponents of this type of research say it helps society prepare for future outbreaks. Critics say the risks of creating dangerous new pathogens may outweigh potential benefits.

The picture has been complicated by new questions about whether U.S. government funding that went to Shi’s work supported controversial gain-of-function research. The Wuhan institute received around $600,000 in grant money from the U.S. government, through an American nonprofit called EcoHealth Alliance. The National Institutes of Health said it had not approved funding for the nonprofit to conduct gain-of-function research on coronaviruses that would have made them more infectious or lethal.

Shi, in an emailed response to questions, argued that her experiments differed from gain-of-function work because she did not set out to make a virus more dangerous but to understand how it might jump across species.

“My lab has never conducted or cooperated in conducting GOF experiments that enhance the virulence of viruses,” she said.

‘Speculation rooted in utter distrust.’

Concerns have centred not only on what experiments Shi conducted but also on the conditions under which she did them.

Some of Shi’s experiments on bat viruses were done in Biosafety Level 2 labs, where security is lower than in other labs at the institute. That has raised questions about whether a dangerous pathogen could have slipped out.

Ralph Baric, a University of North Carolina expert in coronaviruses who signed the open letter in Science, said that although a natural origin of the virus was likely, he supported a review of what level of biosafety precautions were taken in studying bat coronaviruses at the Wuhan institute. Baric conducted NIH-approved gain-of-function research at his lab using the information on viral genetic sequences provided by Shi.

Shi said that bat viruses in China could be studied in BSL-2 labs because there was no evidence that they directly infected humans, a view supported by some other scientists.

She also rejected recent reports that three researchers from her institute had sought treatment at a hospital in November 2019 for flulike symptoms, before the first COVID-19 cases were reported.

“The Wuhan Institute of Virology has not come across such cases,” she wrote. “If possible, can you provide the names of the three to help us check?”

As for samples that the lab held, Shi has maintained that the closest bat virus she had in her lab, which she shared publicly, was only 96% identical to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 — a vast difference by genomic standards. She rejects speculation that her lab had worked on other viruses in secret.

Shi’s research on a group of miners in Yunnan province who suffered severe respiratory disease in 2012 has also drawn questions. The miners had worked in the same cave where Shi’s team later discovered the bat virus that is close to SARS-CoV-2. Shi said that her lab did not detect bat SARS-like coronaviruses in the miners’ samples and that she would publish more details in a scientific journal soon; her critics say she has withheld information.

“This issue is too important not to come forward with everything you have and in a timely and transparent manner,” said Alina Chan, a postdoctoral research fellow at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard who also signed the Science letter.

Many scientists and officials say China should share employees’ medical records and the lab’s logs of its experiments and its viral sequence database to evaluate Shi’s claims.

Shi said she and the institute had been open with the WHO and with the global scientific community.

“This is no longer a question of science,” she said on the phone. “It is speculation rooted in utter distrust.”

‘I have nothing to fear.’

The pandemic was a moment that Shi and her team had long braced for. For years, she had warned of the risks of a coronavirus outbreak, building up a stock of knowledge about these pathogens.

In January 2020, as Shi and her team worked frantically, they were exhausted but also excited, said Wang Linfa, a virologist at the Duke-National University of Singapore Medical School who was in Wuhan with Shi at the time.

“All the experiences, reagents and the bat samples in the freezer were finally being used in a significant way globally,” said Wang, Shi’s collaborator and friend for 17 years.

Shi published some of the most important early papers on SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19, which scientists around the world have relied on.

But soon, the speculation about Shi and her lab began to swirl. Shi, who is known among friends for being blunt, was baffled and angry — and sometimes let it show.

In an interview with Science magazine in July, she said that Trump owed her an apology for claiming the virus came from her lab. On social media, she said people who raised similar questions should “shut your stinky mouths.”

Shi said what she saw as the politicization of the question had sapped her of any enthusiasm for investigating the origins of the virus. She has instead focused on COVID vaccines and the features of the new virus, and over time, she said, has calmed down.

“I’m sure that I did nothing wrong,” she wrote. “So I have nothing to fear.”

To a growing chorus of U.S. politicians and scientists, she is the key to whether the world will ever learn if the virus behind the devastating COVID-19 pandemic escaped from a Chinese lab.

To a growing chorus of U.S. politicians and scientists, she is the key to whether the world will ever learn if the virus behind the devastating COVID-19 pandemic escaped from a Chinese lab. To the Chinese government and public, she is a hero of the country’s success in curbing the epidemic and a victim of malicious conspiracy theories. Shi Zhengli, a top Chinese virologist, is once again at the centre of clashing narratives about her research on coronaviruses at a state lab in Wuhan, the city where the pandemic first emerged. The idea that the virus may have escaped from a lab had long been widely dismissed by scientists as implausible and shunned by others for its connection with former President Donald Trump. But fresh scrutiny from the Biden administration and calls for greater candour from prominent scientists have brought the theory back to the fore. Scientists generally agree that there is still no direct evidence to support the lab leak theory. But more of them now say that the hypothesis was dismissed too hastily, without a thorough investigation, and they point to a range of unsettling questions. Some scientists say Shi conducted risky experiments with bat coronaviruses in labs that were not safe enough. Others want clarity on reports, citing U.S. intelligence, suggesting that there were early infections of COVID-19 among several employees of the Wuhan Institute of Virology. Shi has denied these accusations and now finds herself defending the reputation of her lab and, by extension, that of her country. Reached on her cellphone last week, Shi said at first that she preferred not to speak directly with reporters, citing her institute’s policies. Yet she could barely contain her frustration. “How on earth can I offer up evidence for something where there is no evidence?” she said, her voice rising in anger during the brief, unscheduled conversation. “I don’t know how the world has come to this, constantly pouring filth on an innocent scientist,” she wrote in a text message. In a rare interview over email, she denounced the suspicions as baseless, including the allegations that several of her colleagues may have been ill before the outbreak emerged. The speculation boils down to one central question: Did Shi’s lab hold any source of the new coronavirus before the pandemic erupted? Shi’s answer is an emphatic no. But China’s refusal to allow an independent investigation into her lab, or to share data on its research, make it difficult to validate Shi’s claims and has only fueled nagging suspicions about how the pandemic could have taken hold in the same city that hosts an institute known for its work on bat coronaviruses. Those in favor of the natural origins hypothesis, though, have pointed to Wuhan’s role as a major transportation hub as well as a recent study that showed that just before the pandemic hit, the city’s markets were selling many animal species capable of harboring dangerous pathogens that could jump to humans. The Chinese government has given no appearance of holding Shi under suspicion. Despite the international scrutiny, she seems to have been able to continue her research and give lectures in China. The stakes in this debate extend into how scientists study infectious diseases. Some scientists have cited the lab leak scenario in pushing for greater scrutiny of “gain of function” experiments that, broadly defined, are intended to make pathogens more powerful to better understand their behaviour and risks. Many scientists say they want the hunt for the virus’ origins to transcend politics, borders and individual scientific achievements. “This has nothing to do with fault or guilt,” said David Relman, a microbiologist at Stanford University and co-author of a recent letter in the journal Science, signed by 18 scientists, that called for a transparent investigation into all viable scenarios, including a lab leak. The letter urged labs and health agencies to open their records to the public. “It’s just bigger than anyone scientist or institute or any one country — anybody anywhere who has data of this sort needs to put it out there,” Relman said. ‘Transparency matters.’ Many virologists maintain that the coronavirus most likely jumped from an animal to a human in a setting outside a lab. But without direct proof of a natural spillover, more scientists and politicians have called for a full investigation into the lab leak theory. Proponents of a lab investigation say that researchers at Shi’s institute could have collected — or contracted — the new coronavirus from the wild, such as in a bat cave. Or the scientists may have created it, by accident or by design. Either way, the virus could then have leaked from the laboratory, perhaps by infecting a worker. China has sought to influence investigations into the virus’ origin, while promoting its own unproven allegations. Beijing agreed to allow a team of World Health Organization experts to visit China but limited their access. When the WHO team said in a report in March that a lab leak was extremely unlikely, its conclusion was seen as hasty. Even the head of the WHO, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said: “I do not believe that this assessment was extensive enough.” Last month, President Joe Biden ordered intelligence agencies to investigate the origin question, including the lab theory. On Sunday, the leaders of the world’s wealthiest large democracies, at the Group of 7 summit, urged China to be part of a new investigation into the origins of the coronavirus. Biden told reporters that he and other leaders had discussed access to labs in China. “Transparency matters across the board,” Biden said. ‘Scientists have a motherland.’ In less polarized times, Shi was a symbol of China’s scientific progress, the “Bat Woman” at the forefront of research into emerging viruses. She led expeditions into caves to collect samples from bats and guano, to learn how viruses jump from animals to humans. In 2019, she was among 109 scientists elected to the American Academy of Microbiology for her contributions to the field. “She’s a stellar scientist — extremely careful, with a rigorous work ethic,” said Dr. Robert C. Gallo, director of the Institute of Human Virology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. The Wuhan Institute of Virology employs nearly 300 people and is home to one of only two Chinese labs that have been given the highest security designation, Biosafety Level 4. Shi leads the institute’s work on emerging infectious diseases, and over the years, her group has collected over 10,000 bat samples from around China. Under China’s centralized approach to scientific research, the institute answers to the Communist Party, which wants scientists to serve national goals. “Science has no borders, but scientists have a motherland,” Xi Jinping, the country’s leader, said in a speech to scientists last year. Shi herself, though, does not belong to the Communist Party, according to official Chinese media reports, which is unusual for state employees of her status. She built her career at the institute, starting as a research assistant in 1990 and working her way up the ranks. Shi, 57, obtained her Ph.D. from the University of Montpellier in France in 2000 and started studying bats in 2004 after the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, which killed more than 700 people around the world. In 2011, she made a breakthrough when she found bats in a cave in southwestern China that carried coronaviruses that were similar to the virus that causes SARS. “In all the work we do, if just once you can prevent the outbreak of an illness, then what we’ve done will be very meaningful,” she told CCTV, China’s state broadcaster, in 2017. But some of her most notable findings have since drawn the heaviest scrutiny. In recent years, Shi began experimenting on bat coronaviruses by genetically modifying them to see how they behave. In 2017, she and her colleagues at the Wuhan lab published a paper about an experiment in which they created new hybrid bat coronaviruses by mixing and matching parts of several existing ones — including at least one that was nearly transmissible to humans — in order to study their ability to infect and replicate in human cells. Proponents of this type of research say it helps society prepare for future outbreaks. Critics say the risks of creating dangerous new pathogens may outweigh potential benefits. The picture has been complicated by new questions about whether U.S. government funding that went to Shi’s work supported controversial gain-of-function research. The Wuhan institute received around $600,000 in grant money from the U.S. government, through an American nonprofit called EcoHealth Alliance. The National Institutes of Health said it had not approved funding for the nonprofit to conduct gain-of-function research on coronaviruses that would have made them more infectious or lethal. Shi, in an emailed response to questions, argued that her experiments differed from gain-of-function work because she did not set out to make a virus more dangerous but to understand how it might jump across species. “My lab has never conducted or cooperated in conducting GOF experiments that enhance the virulence of viruses,” she said. ‘Speculation rooted in utter distrust.’ Concerns have centred not only on what experiments Shi conducted but also on the conditions under which she did them. Some of Shi’s experiments on bat viruses were done in Biosafety Level 2 labs, where security is lower than in other labs at the institute. That has raised questions about whether a dangerous pathogen could have slipped out. Ralph Baric, a University of North Carolina expert in coronaviruses who signed the open letter in Science, said that although a natural origin of the virus was likely, he supported a review of what level of biosafety precautions were taken in studying bat coronaviruses at the Wuhan institute. Baric conducted NIH-approved gain-of-function research at his lab using the information on viral genetic sequences provided by Shi. Shi said that bat viruses in China could be studied in BSL-2 labs because there was no evidence that they directly infected humans, a view supported by some other scientists. She also rejected recent reports that three researchers from her institute had sought treatment at a hospital in November 2019 for flulike symptoms, before the first COVID-19 cases were reported. “The Wuhan Institute of Virology has not come across such cases,” she wrote. “If possible, can you provide the names of the three to help us check?” As for samples that the lab held, Shi has maintained that the closest bat virus she had in her lab, which she shared publicly, was only 96% identical to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 — a vast difference by genomic standards. She rejects speculation that her lab had worked on other viruses in secret. Shi’s research on a group of miners in Yunnan province who suffered severe respiratory disease in 2012 has also drawn questions. The miners had worked in the same cave where Shi’s team later discovered the bat virus that is close to SARS-CoV-2. Shi said that her lab did not detect bat SARS-like coronaviruses in the miners’ samples and that she would publish more details in a scientific journal soon; her critics say she has withheld information. “This issue is too important not to come forward with everything you have and in a timely and transparent manner,” said Alina Chan, a postdoctoral research fellow at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard who also signed the Science letter. Many scientists and officials say China should share employees’ medical records and the lab’s logs of its experiments and its viral sequence database to evaluate Shi’s claims. Shi said she and the institute had been open with the WHO and with the global scientific community. “This is no longer a question of science,” she said on the phone. “It is speculation rooted in utter distrust.” ‘I have nothing to fear.’ The pandemic was a moment that Shi and her team had long braced for. For years, she had warned of the risks of a coronavirus outbreak, building up a stock of knowledge about these pathogens. In January 2020, as Shi and her team worked frantically, they were exhausted but also excited, said Wang Linfa, a virologist at the Duke-National University of Singapore Medical School who was in Wuhan with Shi at the time. “All the experiences, reagents and the bat samples in the freezer were finally being used in a significant way globally,” said Wang, Shi’s collaborator and friend for 17 years. Shi published some of the most important early papers on SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19, which scientists around the world have relied on. But soon, the speculation about Shi and her lab began to swirl. Shi, who is known among friends for being blunt, was baffled and angry — and sometimes let it show. In an interview with Science magazine in July, she said that Trump owed her an apology for claiming the virus came from her lab. On social media, she said people who raised similar questions should “shut your stinky mouths.” Shi said what she saw as the politicization of the question had sapped her of any enthusiasm for investigating the origins of the virus. She has instead focused on COVID vaccines and the features of the new virus, and over time, she said, has calmed down. “I’m sure that I did nothing wrong,” she wrote. “So I have nothing to fear.”

China’s ‘bat woman,’ at the center of a pandemic storm, speaks out

The recruitment for the clinical trial of the country's first indigenously-developed COVID-19 vaccine, Covaxin, among children in the age group of 6-12 years will begin at the AIIMS here from Tuesday. This will be followed by the clinical trial of children in the age group of 2-6 years.

The enrolment of children volunteers aged 12-18 years at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) has been completed and they have been given the first dose of Covaxin.

"The recruitment process for the clinical trial of Covaxin among children in the age group of 6-12 years will begin from Tuesday," Dr Sanjay Rai, Professor at the Centre for Community Medicine at the AIIMS, told PTI.

The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) had granted permission for conducting the Phase 2/3 clinical trial of Bharat Biotech's Covaxin among children aged two to 18 years on May 12.

The trial is to be conducted in three parts -- 175 volunteers each in the groups aged 12-18, 6-12 and 2-6 years. In the trial, the vaccine will be given by the intramuscular route in two doses on day 0 and day 28.

Covaxin, indigenously developed by Bharat Biotech in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), is being used in adults in the country's ongoing COVID-19 vaccination drive. The clinical trials will evaluate the safety, reactogenicity and immunogenicity of the vaccine in children.

The government recently cautioned that even though COVID-19 has not taken a serious shape among children till now, its impact can increase among them if there is a change in the virus behaviour or epidemiology dynamics and said preparations are being strengthened to deal with any such situation.

A national expert group has been formed to review COVID-19 cases in children and approach the pandemic in a renewed way to strengthen the country's preparedness, NITI Aayog Member (Health) V K Paul had told a press conference. The group has examined signs that were not available four-five months before, he had said.

The recruitment for the clinical trial of the country's first indigenously-developed COVID-19 vaccine, Covaxin, among children in the age group of 6-12 years will begin at the AIIMS here from Tuesday.

The recruitment for the clinical trial of the country's first indigenously-developed COVID-19 vaccine, Covaxin, among children in the age group of 6-12 years will begin at the AIIMS here from Tuesday. This will be followed by the clinical trial of children in the age group of 2-6 years. The enrolment of children volunteers aged 12-18 years at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) has been completed and they have been given the first dose of Covaxin. "The recruitment process for the clinical trial of Covaxin among children in the age group of 6-12 years will begin from Tuesday," Dr Sanjay Rai, Professor at the Centre for Community Medicine at the AIIMS, told PTI. The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) had granted permission for conducting the Phase 2/3 clinical trial of Bharat Biotech's Covaxin among children aged two to 18 years on May 12. The trial is to be conducted in three parts -- 175 volunteers each in the groups aged 12-18, 6-12 and 2-6 years. In the trial, the vaccine will be given by the intramuscular route in two doses on day 0 and day 28. Covaxin, indigenously developed by Bharat Biotech in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), is being used in adults in the country's ongoing COVID-19 vaccination drive. The clinical trials will evaluate the safety, reactogenicity and immunogenicity of the vaccine in children. The government recently cautioned that even though COVID-19 has not taken a serious shape among children till now, its impact can increase among them if there is a change in the virus behaviour or epidemiology dynamics and said preparations are being strengthened to deal with any such situation. A national expert group has been formed to review COVID-19 cases in children and approach the pandemic in a renewed way to strengthen the country's preparedness, NITI Aayog Member (Health) V K Paul had told a press conference. The group has examined signs that were not available four-five months before, he had said.

Recruitment for clinical trial of Covaxin in 6-12 age group to start at AIIMS from Tuesday

Many physical acts of socialisation like hugs, handshakes, and everything in between have become less pleasant for people as coronavirus restrictions are loosened.&nbsp;

According to the Wall Street Journal, event hosts in the United States are using coloured accessories to help guests indicate their comfort level around a physical touch to foster better respect for people's 'physical touch' boundaries.&nbsp;

Aside from public events, several workplaces have begun to use the red-yellow-green system to better support individuals who work in person.&nbsp;

The red-yellow-green accessories are just one of many pandemic-era gadgets designed to make individuals feel more at ease during face-to-face gatherings. 
Other developments include custom-made directive signs that warn people to keep a safe distance from someone.&nbsp;

People visiting the functions and offices are encouraged to wear a new pandemic-era accessory: colourful wristbands or stickers that indicate whether they want others to get physically close to them or stay as far away as possible.&nbsp;

The code is shown on a plastic display sign that looks like a traffic light:

Red denotes 'no touch' with 'no exceptions' 
Yellow denotes 'elbow only' 
Green means 'Hugs welcome'

(With inputs from agencies)

Many physical acts of socialisation like hugs, handshakes, and everything in between have become less pleasant for people as coronavirus restrictions are loosened.

Many physical acts of socialisation like hugs, handshakes, and everything in between have become less pleasant for people as coronavirus restrictions are loosened. According to the Wall Street Journal, event hosts in the United States are using coloured accessories to help guests indicate their comfort level around a physical touch to foster better respect for people's 'physical touch' boundaries. Aside from public events, several workplaces have begun to use the red-yellow-green system to better support individuals who work in person. The red-yellow-green accessories are just one of many pandemic-era gadgets designed to make individuals feel more at ease during face-to-face gatherings. Other developments include custom-made directive signs that warn people to keep a safe distance from someone. People visiting the functions and offices are encouraged to wear a new pandemic-era accessory: colourful wristbands or stickers that indicate whether they want others to get physically close to them or stay as far away as possible. The code is shown on a plastic display sign that looks like a traffic light: Red denotes 'no touch' with 'no exceptions' Yellow denotes 'elbow only' Green means 'Hugs welcome' (With inputs from agencies)

The new normal: US offices and events introduce pandemic colour coding

The daily COVID-19 count in India remained below the one-lakh mark for the fourth consecutive day with the country reporting 91,702 fresh cases, while the daily positivity rate dropped to 4.49 per cent, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Friday.

With the fresh cases, the total tally of cases has climbed to 2,92,74,823.

The COVID-19 death toll climbed to 3,63,079 with 3,403 daily deaths, the data updated at 8 am showed

The active cases further declined to 11,21,671 comprising 3.83 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has improved to 94.93 per cent.

A net decline of 46,281 cases has been recorded in the COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours.

Also, 20,44,131 tests were conducted on Thursday taking the total cumulative tests conducted so far for detection of COVID-19 in the country to 37,42,42,384.

The daily positivity rate was recorded at 4.49 per cent . It has been less than 10 per cent for the 18th consecutive day, the ministry said, adding the weekly positivity rate has also declined to 5.14 per cent.

Recoveries continue to outnumber daily new cases for the 29th consecutive day. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 2,77,90,073, while the case fatality rate has increased to 1.24 per cent, the data stated.

The daily COVID-19 count in India remained below the one-lakh mark for the fourth consecutive day with the country reporting 91,702 fresh cases, while the daily positivity rate dropped to 4.

The daily COVID-19 count in India remained below the one-lakh mark for the fourth consecutive day with the country reporting 91,702 fresh cases, while the daily positivity rate dropped to 4.49 per cent, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Friday. With the fresh cases, the total tally of cases has climbed to 2,92,74,823. The COVID-19 death toll climbed to 3,63,079 with 3,403 daily deaths, the data updated at 8 am showed The active cases further declined to 11,21,671 comprising 3.83 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has improved to 94.93 per cent. A net decline of 46,281 cases has been recorded in the COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours. Also, 20,44,131 tests were conducted on Thursday taking the total cumulative tests conducted so far for detection of COVID-19 in the country to 37,42,42,384. The daily positivity rate was recorded at 4.49 per cent . It has been less than 10 per cent for the 18th consecutive day, the ministry said, adding the weekly positivity rate has also declined to 5.14 per cent. Recoveries continue to outnumber daily new cases for the 29th consecutive day. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 2,77,90,073, while the case fatality rate has increased to 1.24 per cent, the data stated.

India adds 3,403 Covid deaths, new cases remain below 100,000 in last 24 hours

Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi conveyed condolences on the lives lost in Nepal due to COVID-19 and said that Pakistan stands with Nepal in its efforts to deal with the virus.

Foreign Minister Qureshi said this during his conversation with Ambassador of Nepal, Tapas Adhikari, in his office on Wednesday.

According to the statement issued by Pakistan Foreign Affairs, the entire spectrum of bilateral relations was discussed during the meeting.

Commending the effective measures taken by Nepal to contain the virus, the Foreign Minister said, Pakistan stands with Nepal in its efforts to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic and will extend all possible support in this context.

Qureshi conveyed his felicitations to Raghubir Mahaseth on the assumption of the office of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs.

"Foreign Minister also expressed gratitude for the assistance extended by the Government of Nepal for the smooth evacuation of stranded Pakistani nationals from Nepal on 31 May 2021,” said the statement.

The Ambassador thanked the Pakistan Government for the&nbsp;COVID-19&nbsp;related assistance and further expressed his desire to work for the bilateral relations.

Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi conveyed condolences on the lives lost in Nepal due to COVID-19 and said that Pakistan stands with Nepal in its efforts to deal with the virus.

Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi conveyed condolences on the lives lost in Nepal due to COVID-19 and said that Pakistan stands with Nepal in its efforts to deal with the virus. Foreign Minister Qureshi said this during his conversation with Ambassador of Nepal, Tapas Adhikari, in his office on Wednesday. According to the statement issued by Pakistan Foreign Affairs, the entire spectrum of bilateral relations was discussed during the meeting. Commending the effective measures taken by Nepal to contain the virus, the Foreign Minister said, Pakistan stands with Nepal in its efforts to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic and will extend all possible support in this context. Qureshi conveyed his felicitations to Raghubir Mahaseth on the assumption of the office of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs. "Foreign Minister also expressed gratitude for the assistance extended by the Government of Nepal for the smooth evacuation of stranded Pakistani nationals from Nepal on 31 May 2021,” said the statement. The Ambassador thanked the Pakistan Government for the COVID-19 related assistance and further expressed his desire to work for the bilateral relations.

Pakistan stands with Nepal to fight COVID-19 pandemic, says Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi

Singapore has found the Delta variant of the coronavirus to be the most prevalent among local cases of variants of concern (VOCs), according to health ministry data, highlighting its level of infectiousness.

There were 449 local cases with VOCs as of May 31, of which 428 were the Delta variant first detected in India and nine of the Beta variant first identified in South Africa, the health ministry said in an emailed statement on Wednesday.

Singapore authorities first reported the presence locally of the Delta variant in early May.

The Delta variant is stoking concern of a major spike in infections in other countries where it has been found, such as the United Kingdom, potentially delaying reopening plans after the rollout of vaccines in many regions.

Singapore performs viral genomic sequencing for all confirmed COVID-19 cases, unlike some countries that typically sequence a smaller proportion of their infections.

A recent rise in cases, including those linked to the Delta variant, prompted Singapore to tighten curbs on social gatherings last month. It reported 476 domestically transmitted cases during May.

Infections have been falling since, with only 2 cases on Wednesday, the lowest since early May, ahead of possible easing of measures after June 13. Singapore's mass vaccination programme is in full swing.

The city-state has reported more than 62,000 coronavirus cases overall, domestically transmitted and imported, with 34 deaths.

Singapore has found the Delta variant of the coronavirus to be the most prevalent among local cases of variants of concern (VOCs), according to health ministry data, highlighting its level of infectiousness.

Singapore has found the Delta variant of the coronavirus to be the most prevalent among local cases of variants of concern (VOCs), according to health ministry data, highlighting its level of infectiousness. There were 449 local cases with VOCs as of May 31, of which 428 were the Delta variant first detected in India and nine of the Beta variant first identified in South Africa, the health ministry said in an emailed statement on Wednesday. Singapore authorities first reported the presence locally of the Delta variant in early May. The Delta variant is stoking concern of a major spike in infections in other countries where it has been found, such as the United Kingdom, potentially delaying reopening plans after the rollout of vaccines in many regions. Singapore performs viral genomic sequencing for all confirmed COVID-19 cases, unlike some countries that typically sequence a smaller proportion of their infections. A recent rise in cases, including those linked to the Delta variant, prompted Singapore to tighten curbs on social gatherings last month. It reported 476 domestically transmitted cases during May. Infections have been falling since, with only 2 cases on Wednesday, the lowest since early May, ahead of possible easing of measures after June 13. Singapore's mass vaccination programme is in full swing. The city-state has reported more than 62,000 coronavirus cases overall, domestically transmitted and imported, with 34 deaths.

COVID-19: Singapore finds delta most prevalent among coronavirus variants locally

Despite the relaxation of lockdown restrictions for the summer, a YouGov poll finds that one-third of UK citizens prefer to "stay at home" and avoid social contact.&nbsp;

The United Kingdom has eased restrictions on its economic and social interactions, but the spread of the Covid version, which first appeared in India, threatens the entire easing of prohibitions.&nbsp;

Most coronavirus rules will be removed in the final step of the planned exit from lockdown on June 21, allowing bars and restaurants to reopen at full capacity and nightclubs to reopen for the first time since the pandemic began last spring.&nbsp;

It has been revealed that 33 per cent of Brits are still choosing to stay at home and completely avoid social contact while only 17 per cent say that they would socialise just once a week.&nbsp;

A total of 15 per cent claimed that they planned to meet friends about twice a week, while 9 per cent said that they would meet friends thrice a week.

Wales has the maximum number of residents, a total of 40 per cent, who choose to stay at home. This is even after the country eased lockdown restrictions on May 17.&nbsp;

Age was seen as a major factor in triggering eagerness to socialise and interact with friends. Only 15 per cent of 18–24-year-olds claimed that they would avoid social interactions as compared with 32 per cent of 25–49-year-olds and 42 per cent of 50–64-year-olds.

The research comes after Sir David King of Independent SAGE urged the government to delay easing lockdown by a period of a few weeks as cases soar in the UK.

(With inputs from agencies)

Despite the relaxation of lockdown restrictions for the summer, a YouGov poll finds that one-third of UK citizens prefer to "stay at home" and avoid social contact.

Despite the relaxation of lockdown restrictions for the summer, a YouGov poll finds that one-third of UK citizens prefer to "stay at home" and avoid social contact. The United Kingdom has eased restrictions on its economic and social interactions, but the spread of the Covid version, which first appeared in India, threatens the entire easing of prohibitions. Most coronavirus rules will be removed in the final step of the planned exit from lockdown on June 21, allowing bars and restaurants to reopen at full capacity and nightclubs to reopen for the first time since the pandemic began last spring. It has been revealed that 33 per cent of Brits are still choosing to stay at home and completely avoid social contact while only 17 per cent say that they would socialise just once a week. A total of 15 per cent claimed that they planned to meet friends about twice a week, while 9 per cent said that they would meet friends thrice a week. Wales has the maximum number of residents, a total of 40 per cent, who choose to stay at home. This is even after the country eased lockdown restrictions on May 17. Age was seen as a major factor in triggering eagerness to socialise and interact with friends. Only 15 per cent of 18–24-year-olds claimed that they would avoid social interactions as compared with 32 per cent of 25–49-year-olds and 42 per cent of 50–64-year-olds. The research comes after Sir David King of Independent SAGE urged the government to delay easing lockdown by a period of a few weeks as cases soar in the UK. (With inputs from agencies)

COVID-19: One-third of British people prefer to stay indoors, reveals a new survey

The overall global Covid-19 caseload has topped 173.5 million, while the deaths have surged to more than 3.73 million, according to Johns Hopkins University. 
 
In its latest update on Tuesday morning, the University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed that the current global caseload and death toll stood at 173,538,801 and 3,734,654, respectively. 
 
The US continues to be the worst-hit country with the world`s highest number of cases and deaths at 33,377,632 and 597,946, respectively, according to the CSSE. 
 
In terms of infections, India follows in second place with 28,909,975 cases. 
 
The other worst countries with over 3 million cases are Brazil (16,984,218), France (5,775,535), Turkey (5,293,627), Russia (5,076,543), the UK (4,538,399), Italy (4,233,698), Argentina (3,977,634), Germany (3,710,342), Spain (3,707,489) and Colombia (3,593,016), the CSSE figures showed. 
 
In terms of deaths, Brazil comes second with 474,414 fatalities. 
 
Nations with a death toll of over 100,000 are India (349,186), Mexico (228,838), the UK (128,841), Italy (126,588), Russia (122,073) and France (110,224).

The overall global Covid-19 caseload has topped 173.5 million, while the deaths have surged to more than 3.73 million, according to Johns Hopkins University. In its latest update on Tuesday morning, the University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed that the current global caseload and death toll stood at 173,538,801 and 3,734,654, respectively.

The overall global Covid-19 caseload has topped 173.5 million, while the deaths have surged to more than 3.73 million, according to Johns Hopkins University. In its latest update on Tuesday morning, the University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed that the current global caseload and death toll stood at 173,538,801 and 3,734,654, respectively. The US continues to be the worst-hit country with the world`s highest number of cases and deaths at 33,377,632 and 597,946, respectively, according to the CSSE. In terms of infections, India follows in second place with 28,909,975 cases. The other worst countries with over 3 million cases are Brazil (16,984,218), France (5,775,535), Turkey (5,293,627), Russia (5,076,543), the UK (4,538,399), Italy (4,233,698), Argentina (3,977,634), Germany (3,710,342), Spain (3,707,489) and Colombia (3,593,016), the CSSE figures showed. In terms of deaths, Brazil comes second with 474,414 fatalities. Nations with a death toll of over 100,000 are India (349,186), Mexico (228,838), the UK (128,841), Italy (126,588), Russia (122,073) and France (110,224).

Global Covid-19 caseload tops 173.5 million

Lifting restrictions too quickly might be disastrous for individuals who aren't vaccinated, WHO Director Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has stated, citing increased global transmission of COVID-19 variants of concern, including the Delta variant that was originally found in India.

"However, many countries do not have that option due to a lack of COVID-19 vaccines," he noted.&nbsp;

"We see two-track pandemic; many countries still face an extremely dangerous situation, while those with highest vaccination rates are starting to talk about ending restrictions, but they must be eased cautiously, with viral circulation and response capacities," he added.

The overall global Covid-19 caseload has topped 173.5 million, while the deaths have surged to more than 3.73 million, according to Johns Hopkins University.

In its latest update on Tuesday morning, the University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed that the current global caseload and death toll stood at 173,538,801 and 3,734,654, respectively.

The US continues to be the worst-hit country with the world`s highest number of cases and deaths at 33,377,632 and 597,946, respectively, according to the CSSE.

In terms of infections, India follows in second place with 28,909,975 cases.

(With inputs from agencies)

Lifting restrictions too quickly might be disastrous for individuals who aren't vaccinated, WHO Director Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has stated, citing increased global transmission of COVID-19 variants of concern, including the Delta variant that was originally found in India.

Lifting restrictions too quickly might be disastrous for individuals who aren't vaccinated, WHO Director Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has stated, citing increased global transmission of COVID-19 variants of concern, including the Delta variant that was originally found in India. "However, many countries do not have that option due to a lack of COVID-19 vaccines," he noted. "We see two-track pandemic; many countries still face an extremely dangerous situation, while those with highest vaccination rates are starting to talk about ending restrictions, but they must be eased cautiously, with viral circulation and response capacities," he added. The overall global Covid-19 caseload has topped 173.5 million, while the deaths have surged to more than 3.73 million, according to Johns Hopkins University. In its latest update on Tuesday morning, the University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed that the current global caseload and death toll stood at 173,538,801 and 3,734,654, respectively. The US continues to be the worst-hit country with the world`s highest number of cases and deaths at 33,377,632 and 597,946, respectively, according to the CSSE. In terms of infections, India follows in second place with 28,909,975 cases. (With inputs from agencies)

Lifting curbs too soon can be disastrous for those who aren't vaccinated: WHO

According to a serosurvey conducted by the State Government, nearly 23 % of the tested samples had IgG antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 Virus, the infection that causes COVID-19. 
 
The state-wide survey was conducted in April this year, across all districts of the state, except Chennai. 
 
Based on 765 clusters, with each consisting of 30 individuals, the samples were taken at random from a village (in rural areas) or a street (in an urban area).&nbsp;

Completed under the supervision of Dr T.S. Selvavinayagam, Director of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, this survey showed that 5316 individuals of the total 22904 participants had antibodies. While the overall seroprevalence across the state was 23%, it was found to be highest in the districts adjoining Chennai - Tiruvallur (49%), Chengalpattu (43%) and Kanchipuram (38%). The lowest seroprevalence was seen at Nagapattinam District (9%).&nbsp;

Notably, the first such state-wide serosurvey conducted in Oct-Nov 2020 had revealed 31% seropositivity, which is much higher than the latest one. Back then, 6995 samples out of 22690 were found to have developed antibodies.&nbsp;

However, the Government attributes the decrease in seroprevalence to the fact that the first survey was conducted a month after the peak of the first wave, which occurred in August. In the case of the second survey, it was conducted close to the start of the second wave in Tamil Nadu. The possibility of antibodies weaning in the five-month interval between November 2020 and April 2021 is also said to be a factor, based on studies published in International journals.&nbsp;

Other factors are that vaccination coverage till March was meant to cover only the vulnerable population (above the age of 45), whereas other age groups we unvaccinated. It was also observed that there were no variants of SARS CoV -2 during the first serosurvey, whereas several variants were detected in the community during hr subsequent survey.&nbsp;

Despite Tamil Nadu reporting more than 1/5th of India’s daily COVID-19 cases and the highest for any state in the country, the state is seeing a declining trend and an appreciable higher vaccination rate. Hence, a third sero survey is proposed to be carried out between July and August this year.

According to a serosurvey conducted by the State Government, nearly 23 % of the tested samples had IgG antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 Virus, the infection that causes COVID-19.

According to a serosurvey conducted by the State Government, nearly 23 % of the tested samples had IgG antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 Virus, the infection that causes COVID-19. The state-wide survey was conducted in April this year, across all districts of the state, except Chennai. Based on 765 clusters, with each consisting of 30 individuals, the samples were taken at random from a village (in rural areas) or a street (in an urban area). Completed under the supervision of Dr T.S. Selvavinayagam, Director of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, this survey showed that 5316 individuals of the total 22904 participants had antibodies. While the overall seroprevalence across the state was 23%, it was found to be highest in the districts adjoining Chennai - Tiruvallur (49%), Chengalpattu (43%) and Kanchipuram (38%). The lowest seroprevalence was seen at Nagapattinam District (9%). Notably, the first such state-wide serosurvey conducted in Oct-Nov 2020 had revealed 31% seropositivity, which is much higher than the latest one. Back then, 6995 samples out of 22690 were found to have developed antibodies. However, the Government attributes the decrease in seroprevalence to the fact that the first survey was conducted a month after the peak of the first wave, which occurred in August. In the case of the second survey, it was conducted close to the start of the second wave in Tamil Nadu. The possibility of antibodies weaning in the five-month interval between November 2020 and April 2021 is also said to be a factor, based on studies published in International journals. Other factors are that vaccination coverage till March was meant to cover only the vulnerable population (above the age of 45), whereas other age groups we unvaccinated. It was also observed that there were no variants of SARS CoV -2 during the first serosurvey, whereas several variants were detected in the community during hr subsequent survey. Despite Tamil Nadu reporting more than 1/5th of India’s daily COVID-19 cases and the highest for any state in the country, the state is seeing a declining trend and an appreciable higher vaccination rate. Hence, a third sero survey is proposed to be carried out between July and August this year.

Tamil Nadu: COVID-19 antibodies detected in 23% samples of second sero survey; third survey from July-August

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday lauded Indian scientists developing a made-in-India vaccine against COVID and boosting other measures to fight the pandemic within a year of its outbreak.

Addressing a meeting of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Society via video conferencing, he cited India's experience in the previous century to say that it used to wait for years to lay its hands on innovations achieved abroad, but its scientists are now working shoulder to shoulder with their counterparts outside.

They are working at the same quick pace, he said. Noting that the world is grappling with the biggest challenge in a century, the prime minister praised the scientific community, saying it is perhaps unprecedented that vaccines were prepared within a year.

On the occasion, Modi reiterated his call for an "Aatmanirbhar Bharat" (Self-reliant) and strong India, saying the COVID-19 crisis may have slowed its pace but our resolve remains the same.

India wants to be self-reliant in a number of sectors, ranging from agriculture to astronomy, disaster management to defence technology, vaccine to virtual reality, and biotechnology to battery technology, he asserted.

He said that India is now showing the way to the world in sustainable development and clean energy, and is playing an important role in progress in other countries with its role in software and satellite development.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday lauded Indian scientists developing a made-in-India vaccine against COVID and boosting other measures to fight the pandemic within a year of its outbreak.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday lauded Indian scientists developing a made-in-India vaccine against COVID and boosting other measures to fight the pandemic within a year of its outbreak. Addressing a meeting of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Society via video conferencing, he cited India's experience in the previous century to say that it used to wait for years to lay its hands on innovations achieved abroad, but its scientists are now working shoulder to shoulder with their counterparts outside. They are working at the same quick pace, he said. Noting that the world is grappling with the biggest challenge in a century, the prime minister praised the scientific community, saying it is perhaps unprecedented that vaccines were prepared within a year. On the occasion, Modi reiterated his call for an "Aatmanirbhar Bharat" (Self-reliant) and strong India, saying the COVID-19 crisis may have slowed its pace but our resolve remains the same. India wants to be self-reliant in a number of sectors, ranging from agriculture to astronomy, disaster management to defence technology, vaccine to virtual reality, and biotechnology to battery technology, he asserted. He said that India is now showing the way to the world in sustainable development and clean energy, and is playing an important role in progress in other countries with its role in software and satellite development.

PM Narendra Modi lauds Indian scientists for developing vaccine against COVID-19

India announced on Thursday 134,154 new COVID-19 infections over the past 24 hours, while deaths from the coronavirus rose by 2,887.

According to data from the health ministry, the country's total COVID-19 caseload now stands at 28.4 million, while total fatalities are at 337,989.

The death toll due to the viral disease has climbed to 3,37,989 with 2,887 more people succumbing to it, while the number of active COVID-19 cases was recorded below 2 million for the third consecutive day, according to the ministry's data updated at 8 am.

Also, 21,59,873 tests were conducted on Wednesday to detect COVID-19, taking the total number of such tests conducted so far in the country to 35,37,82,648, while the daily positivity was recorded at 6.21 per cent.

It has been less than 10 per cent for 10 consecutive days now, the ministry said.

The weekly positivity rate has declined to 7.66 per cent.

The number of active cases has reduced to 17,13,413, accounting for 6.02 per cent of the total number of cases, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has improved to 92.79 per cent.

A net decline of 80,232 cases was recorded in the COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours, the ministry said.

Recoveries continued to outnumber the fresh cases for the 21st day in a row.

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease has surged to 2,63,90,584, while the case fatality rate has gone up to 1.19 per cent, the data showed.

The country crossed the grim milestone of 20 million coronavirus cases on May 4 this year.

India announced on Thursday 134,154 new COVID-19 infections over the past 24 hours, while deaths from the coronavirus rose by 2,887. According to data from the health ministry, the country's total COVID-19 caseload now stands at 28.

India announced on Thursday 134,154 new COVID-19 infections over the past 24 hours, while deaths from the coronavirus rose by 2,887. According to data from the health ministry, the country's total COVID-19 caseload now stands at 28.4 million, while total fatalities are at 337,989. The death toll due to the viral disease has climbed to 3,37,989 with 2,887 more people succumbing to it, while the number of active COVID-19 cases was recorded below 2 million for the third consecutive day, according to the ministry's data updated at 8 am. Also, 21,59,873 tests were conducted on Wednesday to detect COVID-19, taking the total number of such tests conducted so far in the country to 35,37,82,648, while the daily positivity was recorded at 6.21 per cent. It has been less than 10 per cent for 10 consecutive days now, the ministry said. The weekly positivity rate has declined to 7.66 per cent. The number of active cases has reduced to 17,13,413, accounting for 6.02 per cent of the total number of cases, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has improved to 92.79 per cent. A net decline of 80,232 cases was recorded in the COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours, the ministry said. Recoveries continued to outnumber the fresh cases for the 21st day in a row. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease has surged to 2,63,90,584, while the case fatality rate has gone up to 1.19 per cent, the data showed. The country crossed the grim milestone of 20 million coronavirus cases on May 4 this year.

India records 2,887 more Covid fatalities; active cases below 2 million for third straight day

Chinese authorities have registered 15 new locally transmitted Covid-19 cases in Guangdong province, the National Health Commission said on Thursday. 
 
Besides, there were also nine new imported cases, according to the Commission. 
 
Of them, three were reported in Shanghai, two each in Guangdong and Sichuan, and one each in Beijing and Fujian, reports Xinhua news agency. 
 
No new suspected cases or new deaths related to Covid were reported in the mainland, it added. 
 
With the new cases, China`s overall infection tally has increased to 91,170, while the death toll stood at 4,636.

Chinese authorities have registered 15 new locally transmitted Covid-19 cases in Guangdong province, the National Health Commission said on Thursday. Besides, there were also nine new imported cases, according to the Commission.

Chinese authorities have registered 15 new locally transmitted Covid-19 cases in Guangdong province, the National Health Commission said on Thursday. Besides, there were also nine new imported cases, according to the Commission. Of them, three were reported in Shanghai, two each in Guangdong and Sichuan, and one each in Beijing and Fujian, reports Xinhua news agency. No new suspected cases or new deaths related to Covid were reported in the mainland, it added. With the new cases, China`s overall infection tally has increased to 91,170, while the death toll stood at 4,636.

China reports 15 new locally transmitted Covid cases

The regional centre of southern China, Guangzhou is grappling with new coronavirus cases once again, with many restrictions that have been announced in the major city.

Some are citing it to be another wave of the pandemic in China as new clusters emerge and the outbreak becomes bigger. The number of cases is expected to grow as the city of Guangzhou is at the heart of the most-populous built-up metropolitan area in mainland China.

Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong province, is facing several new locally transmitted confirmed COVID-19 cases.&nbsp; 
 
Watch | Wuhan virus lab leak theory: Why China has blocked access to Yunnan mine

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The region reported 24 new coronavirus cases on the mainland for June 1, versus 23 a day earlier, the country's health authority said.

Of the new infections, 14 were imported, the National Health Commission said in a statement. The 10 local cases were all reported in southern Guangdong province.&nbsp;

The Chinese National Health Commission also said that the State Council inter-departmental task force for COVID-19 response has dispatched a work team to Guangdong Province to guide the region's efforts in curbing local COVID-19 breakout.

In May, 50 locally transmitted COVID-19 cases have been reported in multiple provinces, said Mi Feng, spokesperson for the National Health Commission at a press conference in Beijing.

There were no new deaths.

Seven of the ten confirmed cases in Guangdong province were found in the capital city of Guangzhou, and three in the city of Foshan.

Between May 21 and June 1, Guangzhou, the hub of China's latest local virus outbreak, reported 41 locally confirmed cases.

In addition, China reported 19 new asymptomatic patients, whom it does not define as confirmed cases, up from 15 a day before.&nbsp;

China had 91,146 confirmed COVID-19 cases as of June 1, with the death toll remaining unchanged at 4,636.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, the coronavirus lab leak theory has been gaining more traction, with circumstantial evidence growing about the Wuhan lab.&nbsp;

The outskirts of China could have a link to the Wuhan lab.

According to a report, in April 2012, six miners had fallen ill. They had gone inside a mine in China's Yunnan province and when they came out, they had a pneumonia-like illness and three of them died of the illness.

The regional centre of southern China, Guangzhou is grappling with new coronavirus cases once again, with many restrictions that have been announced in the major city.

The regional centre of southern China, Guangzhou is grappling with new coronavirus cases once again, with many restrictions that have been announced in the major city. Some are citing it to be another wave of the pandemic in China as new clusters emerge and the outbreak becomes bigger. The number of cases is expected to grow as the city of Guangzhou is at the heart of the most-populous built-up metropolitan area in mainland China. Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong province, is facing several new locally transmitted confirmed COVID-19 cases. Watch | Wuhan virus lab leak theory: Why China has blocked access to Yunnan mine The region reported 24 new coronavirus cases on the mainland for June 1, versus 23 a day earlier, the country's health authority said. Of the new infections, 14 were imported, the National Health Commission said in a statement. The 10 local cases were all reported in southern Guangdong province. The Chinese National Health Commission also said that the State Council inter-departmental task force for COVID-19 response has dispatched a work team to Guangdong Province to guide the region's efforts in curbing local COVID-19 breakout. In May, 50 locally transmitted COVID-19 cases have been reported in multiple provinces, said Mi Feng, spokesperson for the National Health Commission at a press conference in Beijing. There were no new deaths. Seven of the ten confirmed cases in Guangdong province were found in the capital city of Guangzhou, and three in the city of Foshan. Between May 21 and June 1, Guangzhou, the hub of China's latest local virus outbreak, reported 41 locally confirmed cases. In addition, China reported 19 new asymptomatic patients, whom it does not define as confirmed cases, up from 15 a day before. China had 91,146 confirmed COVID-19 cases as of June 1, with the death toll remaining unchanged at 4,636. Meanwhile, the coronavirus lab leak theory has been gaining more traction, with circumstantial evidence growing about the Wuhan lab. The outskirts of China could have a link to the Wuhan lab. According to a report, in April 2012, six miners had fallen ill. They had gone inside a mine in China's Yunnan province and when they came out, they had a pneumonia-like illness and three of them died of the illness.

Fresh COVID-19 outbreak rattles China, cluster grows in Guangzhou

The coronavirus pandemic has severely affected children's rights worldwide, with young people risking a "generational catastrophe" if governments do not act, a rights group said in an annual survey Thursday.

Millions of children have missed out on education because of Covid-19 restrictions while there will be a long term impact in terms of their physical and mental health, Dutch NGO KidsRights said as it launched its annual ranking.

The survey ranks Iceland, Switzerland and Finland as best for children's rights and Chad, Afghanistan and Sierra Leone as the worst, out of a total of 182 countries.

Marc Dulleart, founder and chairman of KidsRights, said that the effects of the pandemic on children had "unfortunately exceeded our predictions at the outset last year".

"Apart from patients of the coronavirus, children have been hardest hit, not directly by the virus itself, but fundamentally failed through the deferred actions of governments around the world," he said.

"Educational recovery is the key to avoiding generational catastrophe," Dulleart added.

The group said schools for more than 168 million children have been closed for almost a full year, with one in three children worldwide unable to access remote learning while their schools were shut.

An additional 142 million kids fell into material poverty as the global economy was hit by the pandemic, while 370 million kids missed out on school meals.

KidsRights paid tribute to Manchester United and England footballer Marcus Rashford for his campaign to extend free school meals.&nbsp;

It also hailed Bangladesh for taking over a national TV channel for homeschooling and praised Belgium and Sweden for trying to keep schools open.

Meanwhile, 80 million children under the age of one could miss out on routine vaccination for other diseases because of disruption to healthcare systems, it said.

The report said there was also an "astonishing increase" in domestic violence during lockdowns, with children often the victims.&nbsp;

KidsRights included Palestine on its list for the first time, placing it in the 104th position due to a focus on healthcare despite difficult circumstances.

However, as in previous years, it gave low scores to Britain, Australia and New Zealand, due to a lack of legal protection for children relative to their wealth.

Britain and New Zealand were ranked at 169 and 168 respectively, below North Korea, Syria, Iraq, and Sudan, and just ahead of Eritrea.

Austria and Hungary also fell heavily due to discrimination.&nbsp;

The survey uses UN data to measure how countries measure up to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

The coronavirus pandemic has severely affected children's rights worldwide, with young people risking a "generational catastrophe" if governments do not act, a rights group said in an annual survey Thursday.

The coronavirus pandemic has severely affected children's rights worldwide, with young people risking a "generational catastrophe" if governments do not act, a rights group said in an annual survey Thursday. Millions of children have missed out on education because of Covid-19 restrictions while there will be a long term impact in terms of their physical and mental health, Dutch NGO KidsRights said as it launched its annual ranking. The survey ranks Iceland, Switzerland and Finland as best for children's rights and Chad, Afghanistan and Sierra Leone as the worst, out of a total of 182 countries. Marc Dulleart, founder and chairman of KidsRights, said that the effects of the pandemic on children had "unfortunately exceeded our predictions at the outset last year". "Apart from patients of the coronavirus, children have been hardest hit, not directly by the virus itself, but fundamentally failed through the deferred actions of governments around the world," he said. "Educational recovery is the key to avoiding generational catastrophe," Dulleart added. The group said schools for more than 168 million children have been closed for almost a full year, with one in three children worldwide unable to access remote learning while their schools were shut. An additional 142 million kids fell into material poverty as the global economy was hit by the pandemic, while 370 million kids missed out on school meals. KidsRights paid tribute to Manchester United and England footballer Marcus Rashford for his campaign to extend free school meals. It also hailed Bangladesh for taking over a national TV channel for homeschooling and praised Belgium and Sweden for trying to keep schools open. Meanwhile, 80 million children under the age of one could miss out on routine vaccination for other diseases because of disruption to healthcare systems, it said. The report said there was also an "astonishing increase" in domestic violence during lockdowns, with children often the victims. KidsRights included Palestine on its list for the first time, placing it in the 104th position due to a focus on healthcare despite difficult circumstances. However, as in previous years, it gave low scores to Britain, Australia and New Zealand, due to a lack of legal protection for children relative to their wealth. Britain and New Zealand were ranked at 169 and 168 respectively, below North Korea, Syria, Iraq, and Sudan, and just ahead of Eritrea. Austria and Hungary also fell heavily due to discrimination. The survey uses UN data to measure how countries measure up to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Children risk 'generational catastrophe' from COVID-19: Watchdog

India rose to the challenges posed by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Centre and State governments patiently fought the virus, said Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday.&nbsp;

While speaking at the virtual inauguration of nine oxygen plants in Ahmedabad, the Union Home Minister noted several steps taken by the government to overcome one of the largest challenges in the second wave - the ten-fold increase in oxygen demand.&nbsp;

"Under normal circumstances, the country used to produce about 1000 MT of oxygen. Within a month, the demand increased to 10,000 MT. It was a huge challenge to meet this 10-fold increase in demand, but under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Centre and State rose to the challenge and started our fight against this," he said.&nbsp;

"The production of industrial oxygen was paused in plants across the country and were diverted towards medical oxygen. Cryogenic tankers were in the country were limited but we brought in from across the world and oxygen was transported in trains. About 15,000MT has been transported by train," he added.&nbsp;

He also said that after the first wave, 162 PSA plants were approved from the PM CARES fund by the Prime Minister, along with an additional 1,051 plants.

"Along with this, 100 more PSA plants were also initiated by other ministries. In the coming days, work to set up 300 more will also be started," he said.&nbsp;

Shah also lauded efforts by the armed forces, Railways and scientists.

"Thanks to their efforts, this pandemic is receding slowly and demand for oxygen has come down as well. The number of recoveries is higher than new cases," he said.&nbsp;

The nine oxygen plants inaugurated by Amit Shah will be operated by the Vallabh Youth Organization. Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani was also present at the virtual event.

India rose to the challenges posed by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Centre and State governments patiently fought the virus, said Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday.

India rose to the challenges posed by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Centre and State governments patiently fought the virus, said Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday. While speaking at the virtual inauguration of nine oxygen plants in Ahmedabad, the Union Home Minister noted several steps taken by the government to overcome one of the largest challenges in the second wave - the ten-fold increase in oxygen demand. "Under normal circumstances, the country used to produce about 1000 MT of oxygen. Within a month, the demand increased to 10,000 MT. It was a huge challenge to meet this 10-fold increase in demand, but under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Centre and State rose to the challenge and started our fight against this," he said. "The production of industrial oxygen was paused in plants across the country and were diverted towards medical oxygen. Cryogenic tankers were in the country were limited but we brought in from across the world and oxygen was transported in trains. About 15,000MT has been transported by train," he added. He also said that after the first wave, 162 PSA plants were approved from the PM CARES fund by the Prime Minister, along with an additional 1,051 plants. "Along with this, 100 more PSA plants were also initiated by other ministries. In the coming days, work to set up 300 more will also be started," he said. Shah also lauded efforts by the armed forces, Railways and scientists. "Thanks to their efforts, this pandemic is receding slowly and demand for oxygen has come down as well. The number of recoveries is higher than new cases," he said. The nine oxygen plants inaugurated by Amit Shah will be operated by the Vallabh Youth Organization. Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani was also present at the virtual event.

India rose to challenges posed by COVID-19, fought patiently: Amit Shah

The Indian biotechnology and biopharmaceuticals company Serum Institute of India has applied for a regulatory licence to manufacture Russia's Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine, in addition to the AstraZeneca PLC and Novavax Inc vaccines it already produces.

From June onwards, the Serum Institute expects to produce 100 million Covishield vaccines per month. Meanwhile, the SII is developing the Novavax vaccine, which is awaiting FDA approval in the United States.

India has received approximately 3 million doses of the Sputnik V vaccine from Russia, making it the third and largest shipment of imported COVID-19 vaccinations. The dosage had landed at Hyderabad Airport in Telangana on a specially chartered cargo. 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

The Indian biotechnology and biopharmaceuticals company Serum Institute of India has applied for a regulatory licence to manufacture Russia's Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine, in addition to the AstraZeneca PLC and Novavax Inc vaccines it already produces.

The Indian biotechnology and biopharmaceuticals company Serum Institute of India has applied for a regulatory licence to manufacture Russia's Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine, in addition to the AstraZeneca PLC and Novavax Inc vaccines it already produces. From June onwards, the Serum Institute expects to produce 100 million Covishield vaccines per month. Meanwhile, the SII is developing the Novavax vaccine, which is awaiting FDA approval in the United States. India has received approximately 3 million doses of the Sputnik V vaccine from Russia, making it the third and largest shipment of imported COVID-19 vaccinations. The dosage had landed at Hyderabad Airport in Telangana on a specially chartered cargo. (With inputs from agencies)

COVID-19: Serum Institute of India seeks approval to make Russia's Sputnik V vaccine

Even as the world remains delicately placed when it comes to the COVID-19 crisis, the Americas and Europe have shown the maximum number of cases, followed by Southeast Asia and the Eastern Mediterranean, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) data.&nbsp; 
 
The data showed that the Americas reported 67,594, 259 cases, with Europe registering 54,400, 840 cases followed by South East Asia at 32,075,662.

Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City will be testing the entire population as cases surge. The city has also undergone a lockdown.&nbsp;

Vietnam's envoy Pham Sahn Chau told WION, "Vietnam is facing the 4th COVID-19 wave within 18 months of the inception of the&nbsp;pandemic. In the previous wave, we only got 1600 cases, but from 27th April until now, we have near 4000 cases, basically 150-200 cases a day".

The new wave has led to surges in countries like Malaysia, Nepal, Bahrain, but South America seems to be a new hot spot with Argentina, Chile, Colombia, and Paraguay witnessing surges. The majority of these countries have declared lockdown, and the Copa America football tournament has been moved out of Argentina due to the surge.

Slovenia's envoy to India, Dr Marjan Cencen told WION, that the second wave "saw many more infections" and "people started to understand what is going on" since the virus was not seriously taken, adding, "the virus is still unpredictable".

While India has the second-largest number of COVID-19 confirmed cases, the numbers are coming down. India reported 134,000 daily new cases in the last 24 hours, which is less than 200,000 daily new cases for the last seven consecutive days.&nbsp;

New Delhi is also working on the vaccination, with authorities administering more than 220 million vaccine doses under the National Covid Vaccination Drive.

Even as the world remains delicately placed when it comes to the COVID-19 crisis, the Americas and Europe have shown the maximum number of cases, followed by Southeast Asia and the Eastern Mediterranean, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) data.

Even as the world remains delicately placed when it comes to the COVID-19 crisis, the Americas and Europe have shown the maximum number of cases, followed by Southeast Asia and the Eastern Mediterranean, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) data. The data showed that the Americas reported 67,594, 259 cases, with Europe registering 54,400, 840 cases followed by South East Asia at 32,075,662. Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City will be testing the entire population as cases surge. The city has also undergone a lockdown. Vietnam's envoy Pham Sahn Chau told WION, "Vietnam is facing the 4th COVID-19 wave within 18 months of the inception of the pandemic. In the previous wave, we only got 1600 cases, but from 27th April until now, we have near 4000 cases, basically 150-200 cases a day". The new wave has led to surges in countries like Malaysia, Nepal, Bahrain, but South America seems to be a new hot spot with Argentina, Chile, Colombia, and Paraguay witnessing surges. The majority of these countries have declared lockdown, and the Copa America football tournament has been moved out of Argentina due to the surge. Slovenia's envoy to India, Dr Marjan Cencen told WION, that the second wave "saw many more infections" and "people started to understand what is going on" since the virus was not seriously taken, adding, "the virus is still unpredictable". While India has the second-largest number of COVID-19 confirmed cases, the numbers are coming down. India reported 134,000 daily new cases in the last 24 hours, which is less than 200,000 daily new cases for the last seven consecutive days. New Delhi is also working on the vaccination, with authorities administering more than 220 million vaccine doses under the National Covid Vaccination Drive.

COVID-19 cases hotspots emerge globally as worries mount

India's apex drug regulator has waived the requirement of testing every batch of foreign-made COVID-19 vaccines by the Central Drugs Laboratory, Kasauli and post-launch bridging trials for such firms, a move that will bolster the availability of vaccines.

The decision by the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) comes in the backdrop of Pfizer and Cipla putting forth similar demands during negotiations to supply imported vaccines to India.

These exemptions have been made in light of the huge vaccination requirements in India in the wake of the recent surge of COVID-19 cases and the need for increased availability of imported vaccines to meet national requirements, according to DCGI.

"It has been decided that for approval of COVID-19 vaccines in India for restricted use in an emergency situation which is already approved for restricted use by US FDA, EMA, UK MHRA, PMDA Japan or which are listed in WHO Emergency Use Listing and which are well-established vaccines from the standpoint that millions of individuals have already been vaccinated with the said vaccines, the requirement of conducting post-approval bridging clinical trials and of testing every batch of vaccine by CDL, Kasauli can be exempted, if the vaccine batch/lot has been certified and released by National Control Laboratory of the country of origin," it said.

However, scrutiny of their summary lot protocol and certificate of analysis of batch or lot shall be undertaken by CDL, Kasauli for release as per standard procedures and requirement of assessment on the first 100 beneficiaries for seven days for safety outcomes before the vaccine is rolled out for further immunization programme, the DCGI said in a notice issued on June 1.

India's apex drug regulator has waived the requirement of testing every batch of foreign-made COVID-19 vaccines by the Central Drugs Laboratory, Kasauli and post-launch bridging trials for such firms, a move that will bolster the availability of vaccines.

India's apex drug regulator has waived the requirement of testing every batch of foreign-made COVID-19 vaccines by the Central Drugs Laboratory, Kasauli and post-launch bridging trials for such firms, a move that will bolster the availability of vaccines. The decision by the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) comes in the backdrop of Pfizer and Cipla putting forth similar demands during negotiations to supply imported vaccines to India. These exemptions have been made in light of the huge vaccination requirements in India in the wake of the recent surge of COVID-19 cases and the need for increased availability of imported vaccines to meet national requirements, according to DCGI. "It has been decided that for approval of COVID-19 vaccines in India for restricted use in an emergency situation which is already approved for restricted use by US FDA, EMA, UK MHRA, PMDA Japan or which are listed in WHO Emergency Use Listing and which are well-established vaccines from the standpoint that millions of individuals have already been vaccinated with the said vaccines, the requirement of conducting post-approval bridging clinical trials and of testing every batch of vaccine by CDL, Kasauli can be exempted, if the vaccine batch/lot has been certified and released by National Control Laboratory of the country of origin," it said. However, scrutiny of their summary lot protocol and certificate of analysis of batch or lot shall be undertaken by CDL, Kasauli for release as per standard procedures and requirement of assessment on the first 100 beneficiaries for seven days for safety outcomes before the vaccine is rolled out for further immunization programme, the DCGI said in a notice issued on June 1.

Indian drugs regulator DCGI eases norms for clearing foreign-made COVID-19 vaccines

People all over the world are still learning how effective vaccinations are at preventing the deadly virus that causes COVID-19 from spreading to others, even if you don't have symptoms.&nbsp;

Early evidence suggests that vaccinations can help prevent COVID-19 from spreading among people who have no symptoms.&nbsp;

Vaccines are effective and safe. You may experience side effects as a result of the vaccine, but these are common and will pass in a few days.

Here are some of the tips from health experts about what to do before, during and after getting vaccinated for COVID-19:&nbsp;

Which one is the best vaccine among all 3 available in India?

Covisheild, Covaxin and the recently added Sputnik V&nbsp;are the vaccines available to Indians. All three are effective in both avoiding infection and preventing the disease from progressing to a severe stage. They avoid fatality in the long run for the elderly and those with comorbidities.&nbsp;

Who should not get the Covid vaccine?

According to the UNICEF, at present, people with the following health conditions should not receive a COVID-19 vaccine to avoid any possible adverse effects:

If you have a history of severe allergic reactions to any ingredients of a COVID-19 vaccine.

If you are currently sick or experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 (although you can get vaccinated once you have recovered and your doctor has approved). 
 
Before getting vaccinated, here are some tips to keep in mind

1: Register yourself for the jab on the Co-WIN portal and Aarogya Setu app

2: The vaccine should not be taken on an empty stomach. As you prepare for your immunisation, eat healthily.

3: Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water.

4: Alcohol use should be avoided because it can dehydrate you.

5: To feel your best on the day of your vaccination, get a good night's sleep.&nbsp;

Valuable tips that will help you after vaccination

Stay for monitoring:&nbsp;

Stay seated at the health centre for 15-30 minutes after your vaccination. Doctors will keep an eye on you for any immediate reactions. If you feel dizzy, nauseated, vomiting, or have an allergic response, please report it to the health workers.&nbsp;

Common side effects&nbsp;

As your body develops immunological defence, expect some side effects. These may go away in 1-2 days.&nbsp;

These side effects are:

Arm soreness at the injection site 
Mild fever 
Fatigue 
Headaches 
Muscle or joint aches&nbsp; 
Chills 
Diarrhoea 
Sleeplessness 
 
Which drug should be taken to minimise the adverse effects of this vaccine?

According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare website, in case of minor adverse effects such as injection site pain, tenderness, malaise, pyrexia, etc., paracetamol may be used to alleviate the symptoms.

People all over the world are still learning how effective vaccinations are at preventing the deadly virus that causes COVID-19 from spreading to others, even if you don't have symptoms.

People all over the world are still learning how effective vaccinations are at preventing the deadly virus that causes COVID-19 from spreading to others, even if you don't have symptoms. Early evidence suggests that vaccinations can help prevent COVID-19 from spreading among people who have no symptoms. Vaccines are effective and safe. You may experience side effects as a result of the vaccine, but these are common and will pass in a few days. Here are some of the tips from health experts about what to do before, during and after getting vaccinated for COVID-19: Which one is the best vaccine among all 3 available in India? Covisheild, Covaxin and the recently added Sputnik V are the vaccines available to Indians. All three are effective in both avoiding infection and preventing the disease from progressing to a severe stage. They avoid fatality in the long run for the elderly and those with comorbidities. Who should not get the Covid vaccine? According to the UNICEF, at present, people with the following health conditions should not receive a COVID-19 vaccine to avoid any possible adverse effects: If you have a history of severe allergic reactions to any ingredients of a COVID-19 vaccine. If you are currently sick or experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 (although you can get vaccinated once you have recovered and your doctor has approved). Before getting vaccinated, here are some tips to keep in mind 1: Register yourself for the jab on the Co-WIN portal and Aarogya Setu app 2: The vaccine should not be taken on an empty stomach. As you prepare for your immunisation, eat healthily. 3: Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water. 4: Alcohol use should be avoided because it can dehydrate you. 5: To feel your best on the day of your vaccination, get a good night's sleep. Valuable tips that will help you after vaccination Stay for monitoring: Stay seated at the health centre for 15-30 minutes after your vaccination. Doctors will keep an eye on you for any immediate reactions. If you feel dizzy, nauseated, vomiting, or have an allergic response, please report it to the health workers. Common side effects As your body develops immunological defence, expect some side effects. These may go away in 1-2 days. These side effects are: Arm soreness at the injection site Mild fever Fatigue Headaches Muscle or joint aches Chills Diarrhoea Sleeplessness Which drug should be taken to minimise the adverse effects of this vaccine? According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare website, in case of minor adverse effects such as injection site pain, tenderness, malaise, pyrexia, etc., paracetamol may be used to alleviate the symptoms.

COVID-19 vaccination: Tips to follow before and after taking the jab

The overall global Covid-19 caseload has topped 171 million, while the deaths have surged to more than 3.55 million, according to Johns Hopkins University. 
 
In its latest update on Wednesday morning, the University`s Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed that the current global caseload and death toll stood at 171,034,625 and 3,557,281, respectively. 
 
The US continues to be the worst-hit country with the world`s highest number of cases and deaths at 33,287,110 and 595,207, respectively, according to the CSSE. 
 
In terms of infections, India follows in second place with 28,175,044 cases. 
 
The other worst countries with over 3 million cases are Brazil (16,624,480), France (5,738,641), Turkey (5,256,516), Russia (5,022,881), the UK (4,506,333), Italy (4,220,304), Argentina (3,817,139), Germany (3,692,908), Spain (3,682,778) and Colombia (3,432,422), the CSSE figures showed. 
 
In terms of deaths, Brazil comes second with 465,199 fatalities. 
 
Nations with a death toll of over 100,000 are India (331,895), Mexico (223,568), the UK (128,045), Italy (126,221), Russia (119,830) and France (109,824).

The overall global Covid-19 caseload has topped 171 million, while the deaths have surged to more than 3.55 million, according to Johns Hopkins University. In its latest update on Wednesday morning, the University`s Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed that the current global caseload and death toll stood at 171,034,625 and 3,557,281, respectively.

The overall global Covid-19 caseload has topped 171 million, while the deaths have surged to more than 3.55 million, according to Johns Hopkins University. In its latest update on Wednesday morning, the University`s Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed that the current global caseload and death toll stood at 171,034,625 and 3,557,281, respectively. The US continues to be the worst-hit country with the world`s highest number of cases and deaths at 33,287,110 and 595,207, respectively, according to the CSSE. In terms of infections, India follows in second place with 28,175,044 cases. The other worst countries with over 3 million cases are Brazil (16,624,480), France (5,738,641), Turkey (5,256,516), Russia (5,022,881), the UK (4,506,333), Italy (4,220,304), Argentina (3,817,139), Germany (3,692,908), Spain (3,682,778) and Colombia (3,432,422), the CSSE figures showed. In terms of deaths, Brazil comes second with 465,199 fatalities. Nations with a death toll of over 100,000 are India (331,895), Mexico (223,568), the UK (128,045), Italy (126,221), Russia (119,830) and France (109,824).

Worldwide coronavirus cases cross 171 million, death toll at 3,557,281

World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Monday said "one day the COVID-19 pandemic will be behind us."

He was addressing the 74th World Health Assembly.

"But the psychological scars will remain for those who have lost loved ones, who have been stretched beyond breaking point and the millions of people of all ages confronted with months of loneliness and isolation," he further said.

"And we will still face the same vulnerabilities that allowed a small outbreak to become a global pandemic", he added.

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"And we will still face the same vulnerabilities that allowed a small outbreak to become a global pandemic"-<a href="https://twitter.com/DrTedros?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DrTedros</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WHA74?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WHA74</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/COVID19?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#COVID19</a> <a href="https://t.co/vnb88jAgS4">https://t.co/vnb88jAgS4</a>
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Talking about the governments' handling the pandemic he said: "The safety of the Earth’s people cannot rely solely on the goodwill of governments. Every government is responsible for, &amp; accountable to, its people. But the member States can only truly keep their people safe if they are accountable to each other at the global level".

Emphasising a Pandemic treaty and joint action he said that: "A Pandemic Treaty would foster improved sharing, trust and accountability, and provide the solid foundation on which to build other mechanisms for global health security". 
 
In closing comments to the WHO’s annual week-long high-level assembly, Tedros said that a potential international treaty will be discussed in a special session of WHO members in November.

World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Monday said "one day the COVID-19 pandemic will be behind us." He was addressing the 74th World Health Assembly.

World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Monday said "one day the COVID-19 pandemic will be behind us." He was addressing the 74th World Health Assembly. "But the psychological scars will remain for those who have lost loved ones, who have been stretched beyond breaking point and the millions of people of all ages confronted with months of loneliness and isolation," he further said. "And we will still face the same vulnerabilities that allowed a small outbreak to become a global pandemic", he added. "And we will still face the same vulnerabilities that allowed a small outbreak to become a global pandemic"-@DrTedros #WHA74 #COVID19 https://t.co/vnb88jAgS4 — World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) May 31, 2021 × Talking about the governments' handling the pandemic he said: "The safety of the Earth’s people cannot rely solely on the goodwill of governments. Every government is responsible for, & accountable to, its people. But the member States can only truly keep their people safe if they are accountable to each other at the global level". Emphasising a Pandemic treaty and joint action he said that: "A Pandemic Treaty would foster improved sharing, trust and accountability, and provide the solid foundation on which to build other mechanisms for global health security". In closing comments to the WHO’s annual week-long high-level assembly, Tedros said that a potential international treaty will be discussed in a special session of WHO members in November.

One day the pandemic will be behind us, but psychological scars will remain: WHO chief

China is grappling with the issue of coronavirus once again with a flurry of flight cancellations announced in the city of Guangzhou.&nbsp;

Some are citing it to be another wave of the pandemic in China as new clusters emerge and the outbreak becomes bigger.

On Thursday, thousands of Guangzhou residents queued up to take their COVID-19 vaccines after authorities reported several fresh infections in the area over the past week.

The national health authority of China reported that a total of 27 new coronavirus cases have been reported in the city and only seven infections were imported, with the remainder originating in Guangdong province.

Watch | Wuhan Virus: Chinese scientists created the virus; study

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The urban residents in an area spanning five streets within the Liwan district have been barred from leaving their homes except for selected family members to buy daily products, the city government said on Saturday. Authorities didn't mention the length of the newly imposed lockdown.

All in-person lessons and classes have been banned in the area. Indoor stadiums, wholesale markets and entertainment facilities in the affected areas were also closed, while dine-in services were banned at restaurants.

As of 11:40 am, a total of 519 flights at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport were cancelled, accounting for 37% of total flights on Monday, according to aviation data provider Variflight. 
 
Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, which carried 43.8 million passengers last year, was the world`s busiest airport amid a global pandemic.

People leaving the city from airports, train stations and shuttle bus stations need to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test within three days unless they were transiting, the city said in a statement late on Sunday.

The city administration had started taking measures to contain the spread since May 21 when confirmed cases and asymptomatic infections began showing up in the city.

As of May 30, China had a total of 91,099 confirmed COVID-19 cases, while its death toll remained unchanged at 4,636.

Even though Chinese leader Xi Jinping had declared a win over COVID-19 but with the emergence of new cases, it seems that China has certainly not defeated the virus entirely.

(With inputs from agencies)

China is grappling with the issue of coronavirus once again with a flurry of flight cancellations announced in the city of Guangzhou. Some are citing it to be another wave of the pandemic in China as new clusters emerge and the outbreak becomes bigger.

China is grappling with the issue of coronavirus once again with a flurry of flight cancellations announced in the city of Guangzhou. Some are citing it to be another wave of the pandemic in China as new clusters emerge and the outbreak becomes bigger. On Thursday, thousands of Guangzhou residents queued up to take their COVID-19 vaccines after authorities reported several fresh infections in the area over the past week. The national health authority of China reported that a total of 27 new coronavirus cases have been reported in the city and only seven infections were imported, with the remainder originating in Guangdong province. Watch | Wuhan Virus: Chinese scientists created the virus; study The urban residents in an area spanning five streets within the Liwan district have been barred from leaving their homes except for selected family members to buy daily products, the city government said on Saturday. Authorities didn't mention the length of the newly imposed lockdown. All in-person lessons and classes have been banned in the area. Indoor stadiums, wholesale markets and entertainment facilities in the affected areas were also closed, while dine-in services were banned at restaurants. As of 11:40 am, a total of 519 flights at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport were cancelled, accounting for 37% of total flights on Monday, according to aviation data provider Variflight. Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, which carried 43.8 million passengers last year, was the world`s busiest airport amid a global pandemic. People leaving the city from airports, train stations and shuttle bus stations need to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test within three days unless they were transiting, the city said in a statement late on Sunday. The city administration had started taking measures to contain the spread since May 21 when confirmed cases and asymptomatic infections began showing up in the city. As of May 30, China had a total of 91,099 confirmed COVID-19 cases, while its death toll remained unchanged at 4,636. Even though Chinese leader Xi Jinping had declared a win over COVID-19 but with the emergence of new cases, it seems that China has certainly not defeated the virus entirely. (With inputs from agencies)

Fresh COVID-19 outbreak in China: Queue for jabs, flight cancellations after new cases

India`s economic growth likely picked up in the January-March quarter from the previous three months, but economists have grown more pessimistic about this quarter after a harsh second wave of COVID-19 hit the country last month. 
 
The median forecast from a Reuters survey of 29 economists showed the gross domestic product in Asia`s third-largest economy grew 1.0% in the March quarter from a year earlier, up from 0.4% in the previous quarter when India began pulling out of a steep pandemic-induced recession in earlier six months. 
 
But the second wave of infections and deaths across the world`s second-hardest hit country has caused forecasters to trim their projections for the coming months. 
 
The median forecast for April-June growth is 21.6%, down from a month-earlier estimate of 23% after the resurgence prompted most industrial states to impose lockdowns, throwing millions out of work. For the fiscal year to March 2022, economists cut their median forecast to 9.8% from 10.4%. 
 
The statistics ministry is to announce the data at 1200 GMT. 
 
India has recorded 27.9 million COVID-19 infections, behind only the United States, and 325,972 deaths as of Sunday, although the rise has begun to slow. 
 
Prime Minister Narendra Modi`s administration says the economic impact will not be as severe as last year, as lockdowns are looser this time and growth in manufacturing and exports is higher. 
 
But Arun Singh, global chief economist at Dun &amp; Bradstreet, said the downside risks to growth were intensifying as the second wave makes the return to pre-pandemic growth rates difficult. 
 
"Owing to the intensifying nature of the pandemic and the spread to the rural areas, which were largely spared in 2020, we expect growth prospects to have deteriorated for 2021/22." 
 
The central bank, which has kept monetary policy loose while boosting liquidity to the economy, said on Thursday that growth prospects will depend on how fast India can arrest infections. 
 
Modi has faced criticism for the slow pace of his four-month-old vaccination campaign, which has inoculated fewer than 4% of India`s 1.38 billion people. Analysts warn the slow rollout could pose medium-term risks to growth, especially if the country were to experience the third wave of COVID-19. 
 
The economy, which was facing a slowdown even before the pandemic, now confronts a crash of consumer demand - constituting over 55% of the economy - as household incomes and jobs have declined. 
 
Unemployment soared to a near one-year high of 14.73% in the week ending May 23, according to the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy, a Mumbai-based private think tank. 
 
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who said on Friday that no decision has been taken for another stimulus package, has limited space due to a fall in tax collections and rising public debt.

India`s economic growth likely picked up in the January-March quarter from the previous three months, but economists have grown more pessimistic about this quarter after a harsh second wave of COVID-19 hit the country last month.

India`s economic growth likely picked up in the January-March quarter from the previous three months, but economists have grown more pessimistic about this quarter after a harsh second wave of COVID-19 hit the country last month. The median forecast from a Reuters survey of 29 economists showed the gross domestic product in Asia`s third-largest economy grew 1.0% in the March quarter from a year earlier, up from 0.4% in the previous quarter when India began pulling out of a steep pandemic-induced recession in earlier six months. But the second wave of infections and deaths across the world`s second-hardest hit country has caused forecasters to trim their projections for the coming months. The median forecast for April-June growth is 21.6%, down from a month-earlier estimate of 23% after the resurgence prompted most industrial states to impose lockdowns, throwing millions out of work. For the fiscal year to March 2022, economists cut their median forecast to 9.8% from 10.4%. The statistics ministry is to announce the data at 1200 GMT. India has recorded 27.9 million COVID-19 infections, behind only the United States, and 325,972 deaths as of Sunday, although the rise has begun to slow. Prime Minister Narendra Modi`s administration says the economic impact will not be as severe as last year, as lockdowns are looser this time and growth in manufacturing and exports is higher. But Arun Singh, global chief economist at Dun & Bradstreet, said the downside risks to growth were intensifying as the second wave makes the return to pre-pandemic growth rates difficult. "Owing to the intensifying nature of the pandemic and the spread to the rural areas, which were largely spared in 2020, we expect growth prospects to have deteriorated for 2021/22." The central bank, which has kept monetary policy loose while boosting liquidity to the economy, said on Thursday that growth prospects will depend on how fast India can arrest infections. Modi has faced criticism for the slow pace of his four-month-old vaccination campaign, which has inoculated fewer than 4% of India`s 1.38 billion people. Analysts warn the slow rollout could pose medium-term risks to growth, especially if the country were to experience the third wave of COVID-19. The economy, which was facing a slowdown even before the pandemic, now confronts a crash of consumer demand - constituting over 55% of the economy - as household incomes and jobs have declined. Unemployment soared to a near one-year high of 14.73% in the week ending May 23, according to the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy, a Mumbai-based private think tank. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who said on Friday that no decision has been taken for another stimulus package, has limited space due to a fall in tax collections and rising public debt.

India's economy likely accelerated in Jan-Mar, before second wave of COVID-19 hit

Chile on Sunday reported a 21 per cent increase in Covid-19 cases in the last 14 days, and the government has urged Chileans to get vaccinated and continue to maintain personal protection measures to prevent the spread of the virus. 
 
"We will overcome this increase in new cases together and hand in hand with compliance with the vaccination schedule," said Minister of Health Enrique Paris, Xinhua news agency reported. 
 
Chile has been facing an increase in infections for the last few weeks despite the progress of the vaccination campaign, with 52 per cent of the target population fully immunized. 
 
Paris stated that 80 per cent of new cases "are people who have not received their full immunization". 
 
He warned that those who do not get vaccinated "are 3.23 times more likely to be hospitalized, 3.57 times more likely to enter an intensive care unit and 4.5 times more likely to die". 
 
According to the Ministry of Health, Chile registered 7,772 new cases of Covid-19 this Sunday, after exceeding 8,000 daily cases in the last two days, for a total of 1,377,507. 
 
A total of 44,928 people are in the active stage of the virus, a figure that has been on the rise compared to previous weeks, causing concern among epidemiology experts. 
 
Another 121 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours, bringing the death toll to 29,168. 
 
This week, the "mobility pass" implemented by the government began to take effect in the country, granting greater freedoms to people who have been fully vaccinated.

Chile on Sunday reported a 21 per cent increase in Covid-19 cases in the last 14 days, and the government has urged Chileans to get vaccinated and continue to maintain personal protection measures to prevent the spread of the virus.

Chile on Sunday reported a 21 per cent increase in Covid-19 cases in the last 14 days, and the government has urged Chileans to get vaccinated and continue to maintain personal protection measures to prevent the spread of the virus. "We will overcome this increase in new cases together and hand in hand with compliance with the vaccination schedule," said Minister of Health Enrique Paris, Xinhua news agency reported. Chile has been facing an increase in infections for the last few weeks despite the progress of the vaccination campaign, with 52 per cent of the target population fully immunized. Paris stated that 80 per cent of new cases "are people who have not received their full immunization". He warned that those who do not get vaccinated "are 3.23 times more likely to be hospitalized, 3.57 times more likely to enter an intensive care unit and 4.5 times more likely to die". According to the Ministry of Health, Chile registered 7,772 new cases of Covid-19 this Sunday, after exceeding 8,000 daily cases in the last two days, for a total of 1,377,507. A total of 44,928 people are in the active stage of the virus, a figure that has been on the rise compared to previous weeks, causing concern among epidemiology experts. Another 121 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours, bringing the death toll to 29,168. This week, the "mobility pass" implemented by the government began to take effect in the country, granting greater freedoms to people who have been fully vaccinated.

Chile's Covid cases increase 21% in last 2 weeks despite vaccination

With 1,52,734 COVID-19 infections in the last 24 hours, India maintained its declining trend of new cases and reported the lowest single-day COVID-19 rise in 50 days. the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said on Monday.

With this, the total cases have reached 2,80,47,534, and the daily positivity rate stands at 9.07 per cent, which is less than 10 per cent for the seventh consecutive day. Also, the weekly positivity rate dropped to 9.04 per cent.

According to the health ministry, a total of 3,128 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours, taking the death toll to 3,29,100 in the country.

Meanwhile, recoveries continue to outnumber the daily new cases for the 18th consecutive day, as India witnessed 2,38,022 recoveries in the last 24 hours, the ministry said.

The recovery tally of India has reached 2,56,92,342 and the recovery rate stands at 91.60 per cent.

Active caseload further declined to 20,26,092 after cases decreased by 88,416 in the last 24 hours according to the Indian Council of Medical Research, a total of 16,83,135 tests were conducted in the last 24 hours in the country and cumulatively 34,48,66,883 tests have been done so far.

The Union Health Ministry has informed that nearly 21,31,54,129 vaccine doses have been administered so far under the nationwide vaccination drive.

With 1,52,734 COVID-19 infections in the last 24 hours, India maintained its declining trend of new cases and reported the lowest single-day COVID-19 rise in 50 days.

With 1,52,734 COVID-19 infections in the last 24 hours, India maintained its declining trend of new cases and reported the lowest single-day COVID-19 rise in 50 days. the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said on Monday. With this, the total cases have reached 2,80,47,534, and the daily positivity rate stands at 9.07 per cent, which is less than 10 per cent for the seventh consecutive day. Also, the weekly positivity rate dropped to 9.04 per cent. According to the health ministry, a total of 3,128 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours, taking the death toll to 3,29,100 in the country. Meanwhile, recoveries continue to outnumber the daily new cases for the 18th consecutive day, as India witnessed 2,38,022 recoveries in the last 24 hours, the ministry said. The recovery tally of India has reached 2,56,92,342 and the recovery rate stands at 91.60 per cent. Active caseload further declined to 20,26,092 after cases decreased by 88,416 in the last 24 hours according to the Indian Council of Medical Research, a total of 16,83,135 tests were conducted in the last 24 hours in the country and cumulatively 34,48,66,883 tests have been done so far. The Union Health Ministry has informed that nearly 21,31,54,129 vaccine doses have been administered so far under the nationwide vaccination drive.

With 1,52,734 new COVID-19 cases, India sees lowest daily rise in 50 days

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Sunday announced that the country would move to lockdown level-2 on Monday (May 31) after coronavirus cases continued surging amid increasing fears of a third wave of the pandemic.

“Based on the recommendation on the sustained increase in new cases in the last 14 days, increased hospital admissions in almost all provinces...Cabinet has therefore decided that the country will be placed on Adjusted Alert Level 2 with effect from tomorrow,” Ramaphosa said. 
&nbsp; 
The provinces of Free State, Northern Cape, North West and Gauteng have reached the threshold of the third wave of infections. “It may only be a matter of time before the country as a whole will have entered the third wave,” he said.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
"Under level 2 lockdown, hours of curfew will start at 11 pm and end at 4 am. Restaurants, bars, gyms to close at 10 pm," Ramaphosa said.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Further, funerals will remain restricted to no more than 100 people, and as before, night vigils, after-funeral gatherings and after-tears gatherings are not allowed, he added.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
“Further restrictions are necessary to ensure that health facilities are not overwhelmed and that lives that could be saved are not lost. Delaying the spread of the virus is especially important now to allow as many people as possible to be vaccinated before the third wave peaks,” Ramaphosa said.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
He urged people to continue maintaining social distance and wear the mask.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
“It remains mandatory for every person to wear a face mask that covers their nose and mouth at all times when in public spaces. It is a criminal offence not to do so,” he said.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
VACCINES 
&nbsp; 
South Africa has vaccinated nearly 480,000 health workers during the first phase and more than 67 per cent of public health workers have been vaccinated with Johnson &amp; Johnson vaccine, he reported.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Over the last two weeks, over 480,000 people have received the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine as part of the public vaccination campaign, he added.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Over 960,000 people in South Africa have received one vaccine dose, the President said adding that within the next few days, it would have administered vaccine doses to more than one million of the most vulnerable South Africans.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Ramaphosa reiterated that the country has secured enough vaccines to reach all adults in the country, which is around 40 million people.&nbsp;This includes 31 million doses of the Johnson &amp; Johnson vaccine, which will be manufactured in South Africa and 20 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine, which requires two doses to provide full protection. 
&nbsp; 
The president also said that in the African continent, they are pushing ahead with efforts to expand vaccine manufacturing capacity to be self-sufficient in vaccine production. 
&nbsp; 
“We are continuing to urge all countries to support a waiver of the TRIPS agreement at the World Trade Organisation so that COVID-19 vaccines and treatments can be produced on a greater scale, at lower cost and a faster pace,” Ramaphosa said.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Sunday announced that the country would move to lockdown level-2 on Monday (May 31) after coronavirus cases continued surging amid increasing fears of a third wave of the pandemic.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Sunday announced that the country would move to lockdown level-2 on Monday (May 31) after coronavirus cases continued surging amid increasing fears of a third wave of the pandemic. “Based on the recommendation on the sustained increase in new cases in the last 14 days, increased hospital admissions in almost all provinces...Cabinet has therefore decided that the country will be placed on Adjusted Alert Level 2 with effect from tomorrow,” Ramaphosa said. The provinces of Free State, Northern Cape, North West and Gauteng have reached the threshold of the third wave of infections. “It may only be a matter of time before the country as a whole will have entered the third wave,” he said. "Under level 2 lockdown, hours of curfew will start at 11 pm and end at 4 am. Restaurants, bars, gyms to close at 10 pm," Ramaphosa said. Further, funerals will remain restricted to no more than 100 people, and as before, night vigils, after-funeral gatherings and after-tears gatherings are not allowed, he added. “Further restrictions are necessary to ensure that health facilities are not overwhelmed and that lives that could be saved are not lost. Delaying the spread of the virus is especially important now to allow as many people as possible to be vaccinated before the third wave peaks,” Ramaphosa said. He urged people to continue maintaining social distance and wear the mask. “It remains mandatory for every person to wear a face mask that covers their nose and mouth at all times when in public spaces. It is a criminal offence not to do so,” he said. VACCINES South Africa has vaccinated nearly 480,000 health workers during the first phase and more than 67 per cent of public health workers have been vaccinated with Johnson & Johnson vaccine, he reported. Over the last two weeks, over 480,000 people have received the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine as part of the public vaccination campaign, he added. Over 960,000 people in South Africa have received one vaccine dose, the President said adding that within the next few days, it would have administered vaccine doses to more than one million of the most vulnerable South Africans. Ramaphosa reiterated that the country has secured enough vaccines to reach all adults in the country, which is around 40 million people. This includes 31 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which will be manufactured in South Africa and 20 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine, which requires two doses to provide full protection. The president also said that in the African continent, they are pushing ahead with efforts to expand vaccine manufacturing capacity to be self-sufficient in vaccine production. “We are continuing to urge all countries to support a waiver of the TRIPS agreement at the World Trade Organisation so that COVID-19 vaccines and treatments can be produced on a greater scale, at lower cost and a faster pace,” Ramaphosa said.

South Africa moves to stricter COVID-19 lockdown amid fears of third wave

Serrana, a city in the southeastern Brazilian state of Sao Paulo, has seen a 95% drop in COVID-19 deaths after it concluded vaccination of almost all adults, TV Globo reported on Sunday. 
 
With 45,000 inhabitants Serrana is a healthy oasis in Brazil, which has the world`s second-deadliest outbreak with more than 461,000 deaths so far and a very slow immunization pace due to the lack of vaccines. 
 
Serrana was the subject of a study by Instituto Butantan, which produces the Coronavac vaccine developed by China`s Sinovac Biotech in Brazil. 
 
When vaccination was starting, the city had an increase in COVID cases, but the spread of the virus was contained once 75% of the population was immunized, scientists found. 
 
Scientists divided the city into four areas to try to understand which was the threshold to contain the spread of the virus and found that it was controlled after three areas received the second dose. 
 
The number of symptomatic cases fell 80%, and hospitalizations 86%. COVID deaths fell 95%, according to data given by Butantan to TV Globo. 
 
Serrana is surrounded by cities that are still dealing with a spike in COVID cases. Ribeirao Preto, 15 miles away from Serrana, is going through a lockdown to try to contain the spread of COVID-19. 
 
A similar experiment is underway in another city in Sao Paulo, Brazil`s richest state. The city of Botucatu expects to immunize most of its 148,000 inhabitants with the Astra Zeneca vaccine.

Serrana, a city in the southeastern Brazilian state of Sao Paulo, has seen a 95% drop in COVID-19 deaths after it concluded vaccination of almost all adults, TV Globo reported on Sunday.

Serrana, a city in the southeastern Brazilian state of Sao Paulo, has seen a 95% drop in COVID-19 deaths after it concluded vaccination of almost all adults, TV Globo reported on Sunday. With 45,000 inhabitants Serrana is a healthy oasis in Brazil, which has the world`s second-deadliest outbreak with more than 461,000 deaths so far and a very slow immunization pace due to the lack of vaccines. Serrana was the subject of a study by Instituto Butantan, which produces the Coronavac vaccine developed by China`s Sinovac Biotech in Brazil. When vaccination was starting, the city had an increase in COVID cases, but the spread of the virus was contained once 75% of the population was immunized, scientists found. Scientists divided the city into four areas to try to understand which was the threshold to contain the spread of the virus and found that it was controlled after three areas received the second dose. The number of symptomatic cases fell 80%, and hospitalizations 86%. COVID deaths fell 95%, according to data given by Butantan to TV Globo. Serrana is surrounded by cities that are still dealing with a spike in COVID cases. Ribeirao Preto, 15 miles away from Serrana, is going through a lockdown to try to contain the spread of COVID-19. A similar experiment is underway in another city in Sao Paulo, Brazil`s richest state. The city of Botucatu expects to immunize most of its 148,000 inhabitants with the Astra Zeneca vaccine.

Mass vaccination creates healthy oasis in Brazilian city

A team from Johns Hopkins conducted a new study to understand that how long-term exposure to air pollution can rob someone of the ability to smell and taste and lead a person in the state of 'anosmia'.

Anosmia is a condition of partial or complete loss of the sense of smell. This can severely impact a person's quality of life, making it extremely difficult to taste foods, detect airborne hazards in the environment, and carry out other functions dependent on the senses.

They found long-term airborne exposure to PM2.5 increases the risk of losing one's smell by nearly twice (a 1.6- to 1.7-fold increase).

"Based on this result, we feel that long-term exposure to high levels of PM2.5 represents a common risk factor for the loss of sense of smell, especially in vulnerable populations such as older people—but also one that is potentially modifiable if sources of PM2.5 components can be better controlled," said lead author Murugappan Ramanathan, rhinologist and associate professor of otolaryngology at the University's School of Medicine.

In their study, the researchers looked at 2,690 people, aged 18 and older, who were evaluated by otolaryngologists between January 2013 and December 2016. Of these, 538 were diagnosed with anosmia, with an average age of 54 and with men making up the majority (339 or 63 per cent).

Exposure to PM2.5 has been already linked to cardiovascular disease, lung cancer, the decline in cognitive thinking ability, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma and premature death.

Meanwhile, the overall global Covid-19 caseload has topped 170.1 million, while the deaths have surged to more than 3.53 million, according to Johns Hopkins University.

In its latest update on Monday morning, the University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed that the current global caseload and death toll stood at 170,174,444 and 3,537,835, respectively.

The US continues to be the worst-hit country with the world's highest number of cases and deaths at 33,258,547 and 594,430, respectively, according to the CSSE.

(With inputs from agencies)

A team from Johns Hopkins conducted a new study to understand that how long-term exposure to air pollution can rob someone of the ability to smell and taste and lead a person in the state of 'anosmia'.

A team from Johns Hopkins conducted a new study to understand that how long-term exposure to air pollution can rob someone of the ability to smell and taste and lead a person in the state of 'anosmia'. Anosmia is a condition of partial or complete loss of the sense of smell. This can severely impact a person's quality of life, making it extremely difficult to taste foods, detect airborne hazards in the environment, and carry out other functions dependent on the senses. They found long-term airborne exposure to PM2.5 increases the risk of losing one's smell by nearly twice (a 1.6- to 1.7-fold increase). "Based on this result, we feel that long-term exposure to high levels of PM2.5 represents a common risk factor for the loss of sense of smell, especially in vulnerable populations such as older people—but also one that is potentially modifiable if sources of PM2.5 components can be better controlled," said lead author Murugappan Ramanathan, rhinologist and associate professor of otolaryngology at the University's School of Medicine. In their study, the researchers looked at 2,690 people, aged 18 and older, who were evaluated by otolaryngologists between January 2013 and December 2016. Of these, 538 were diagnosed with anosmia, with an average age of 54 and with men making up the majority (339 or 63 per cent). Exposure to PM2.5 has been already linked to cardiovascular disease, lung cancer, the decline in cognitive thinking ability, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma and premature death. Meanwhile, the overall global Covid-19 caseload has topped 170.1 million, while the deaths have surged to more than 3.53 million, according to Johns Hopkins University. In its latest update on Monday morning, the University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed that the current global caseload and death toll stood at 170,174,444 and 3,537,835, respectively. The US continues to be the worst-hit country with the world's highest number of cases and deaths at 33,258,547 and 594,430, respectively, according to the CSSE. (With inputs from agencies)

Prolonged exposure to air pollution can cause 'anosmia': Study

Claiming that the deadly second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic is under control in the national capital, the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) on Friday decided to start the process of lifting lockdown from Monday. The capital has been under strict lockdown since April 20. 
 
After a meeting with Delhi Lt. Governor Anil Baijal, who is also Chairman of DDMA, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said the time has come when the process of lifting lockdown needs to be initiated. He asserted that the people of Delhi have suffered a lot during this Covid pandemic, and also due to a month-long lockdown. 
 
He stated those who are working as a labourer and daily wage earner have lost their livelihood and it has been decided that these two activities will be opened from Monday (May 31). 
 
"During the meeting, it has decided that the situation of COVID-19 is under control as daily cases and positivity rate have reduced, now we have to focus on economic activities as well. Many poor families have lost their livelihood due to lockdown and therefore, it has been decided that - two activities - construction work and factories in Delhi will start functioning from Monday." Kejriwal said. 
 
A senior official told IANS that operations of manufacturing, production units in approved industrial areas, activities where the workers are employed within Delhi will be allowed to function. 
 
Addressing a digital press conference on Friday, Kejriwal also said that, taking in consideration the number of Covid cases, the process of unlocking will be increased further. 
 
"Every week, we will continue the process of opening slowly based on the suggestions of the public and on the basis of the views of the experts. If matters start growing again, we have to stop this process. Everyone needs to take precaution. Lockdown is imposed under compulsion... we do not want to impose," he added. 
 
Meanwhile, he also appealed to the citizen of Delhi that "not to leave the house unless there is a need. We all have to behave responsibly".

Claiming that the deadly second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic is under control in the national capital, the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) on Friday decided to start the process of lifting lockdown from Monday.

Claiming that the deadly second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic is under control in the national capital, the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) on Friday decided to start the process of lifting lockdown from Monday. The capital has been under strict lockdown since April 20. After a meeting with Delhi Lt. Governor Anil Baijal, who is also Chairman of DDMA, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said the time has come when the process of lifting lockdown needs to be initiated. He asserted that the people of Delhi have suffered a lot during this Covid pandemic, and also due to a month-long lockdown. He stated those who are working as a labourer and daily wage earner have lost their livelihood and it has been decided that these two activities will be opened from Monday (May 31). "During the meeting, it has decided that the situation of COVID-19 is under control as daily cases and positivity rate have reduced, now we have to focus on economic activities as well. Many poor families have lost their livelihood due to lockdown and therefore, it has been decided that - two activities - construction work and factories in Delhi will start functioning from Monday." Kejriwal said. A senior official told IANS that operations of manufacturing, production units in approved industrial areas, activities where the workers are employed within Delhi will be allowed to function. Addressing a digital press conference on Friday, Kejriwal also said that, taking in consideration the number of Covid cases, the process of unlocking will be increased further. "Every week, we will continue the process of opening slowly based on the suggestions of the public and on the basis of the views of the experts. If matters start growing again, we have to stop this process. Everyone needs to take precaution. Lockdown is imposed under compulsion... we do not want to impose," he added. Meanwhile, he also appealed to the citizen of Delhi that "not to leave the house unless there is a need. We all have to behave responsibly".

Will open Delhi phase-wise from May 31: Kejriwal

India is witnessing a decrease in the second wave of COVID-19 as the single-day rise in coronavirus cases has fallen to the lowest in the last 44 days.

According to the Union Health Ministry data, the recoveries from this deadly virus has continued to outnumber daily cases for the 15th consecutive day.

The active caseload in the country has reduced to 23,43,152, with a net decline of 76,755 cases in the last 24 hours.

The recovery tally of India has reached 2,48,93,410 and the recovery rate stands at 90.34 per cent. India recorded 3,660 COVID-related deaths in the last 24 hours. The death toll has now mounted to 3,18,895.

According to the Indian Council of Medical Research, a total of 20,70,508 tests were conducted in the last 24 hours in the country and cumulatively 33,90,39,861 tests have been done so far.

The Union Health Ministry has informed that nearly 20.57 crore vaccine doses were administered so far under the nationwide vaccination drive.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

India is witnessing a decrease in the second wave of COVID-19 as the single-day rise in coronavirus cases has fallen to the lowest in the last 44 days. According to the Union Health Ministry data, the recoveries from this deadly virus has continued to outnumber daily cases for the 15th consecutive day.

India is witnessing a decrease in the second wave of COVID-19 as the single-day rise in coronavirus cases has fallen to the lowest in the last 44 days. According to the Union Health Ministry data, the recoveries from this deadly virus has continued to outnumber daily cases for the 15th consecutive day. The active caseload in the country has reduced to 23,43,152, with a net decline of 76,755 cases in the last 24 hours. The recovery tally of India has reached 2,48,93,410 and the recovery rate stands at 90.34 per cent. India recorded 3,660 COVID-related deaths in the last 24 hours. The death toll has now mounted to 3,18,895. According to the Indian Council of Medical Research, a total of 20,70,508 tests were conducted in the last 24 hours in the country and cumulatively 33,90,39,861 tests have been done so far. The Union Health Ministry has informed that nearly 20.57 crore vaccine doses were administered so far under the nationwide vaccination drive. (With inputs from agencies)

Lowest in 44 days: India reports 1.86 lakh fresh COVID-19 cases