COVID-19 News Highlights: India doesn't need to consider booster shots now, need to wait and watch, says Dr Gagandeep Kang

Meeting of G-20 could help ensure COVID-19 vaccines to poor countries: Italian minister

Rome (AP) The Italian health minister has indicated that a meeting of his G-20 counterparts could yield a pledge about ensuring COVID-19 vaccines reach everyone in poor countries. Minister Roberto Speranza told reporters on Sunday, after the opening session of the two-day meeting in Rome, that he hopes the gathering would yield a pact about the challenge to bring vaccines to everyone, including the more fragile populations..

Centre writes to Kerala recommending measures to be taken in wake of Nipah outbreak in  Kozhikode 

Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan writes to Kerala Chief Secretary VP Joy, recommending measures to be taken in wake of Nipah outbreak in  Kozhikode, based on a report submitted by a Central team from National Centre for Disease Control that visited the district

India plans 50% increase in oxygen production before third COVID-19 wave

India aims to ramp up its medical oxygen production capacity to 15,000 tonnes per day before a potential third wave of coronavirus infections that is expected to hit the country as soon as mid-September, an industry executive said. The target implies a 50% jump from the maximum output of almost 10,000 tonnes reached earlier this year during the peak of the second COVID-19 wave, when hospitals ran short of the gas and relatives of patients had to search out oxygen cylinders.

Kerala reports 19,688 new COVID cases, 135 deaths

Kerala on Monday reported 19,688 fresh COVID-19 cases and 135 deaths pushing the total infection count to 42,27,526 and the fatalities till date to 21,631, the state government said. The test positivity rate (TPR) was found to be 16.71 per cent after testing 1,17,823 samples in the last 24 hours, according to a state government release. With this, 3,25,08,136 samples have been tested till now, it said. The bulletin also said that since Sunday, 28,561 people have recovered from the infection taking the total recoveries to 39,66,557 and the number of active cases to 2,38,782.Among the 14 districts of the state, Thrissur recorded the highest with 3,120 cases followed by Kozhikode (2,205), Ernakulam (2,029), Malappuram (1,695), Kollam (1,624), Palakkad (1,569), Thiruvananthapuram (1,483), Alappuzha (1,444), Kannur (1,262) and Kottayam (1,020), the release said.

Singapore to expand COVID-19 testing regime

Singapore on Monday announced that its COVID19 testing regime will be expanded after an increase in number of new coronavirus infections was reported last week. Announcing a range of measures to check virus spread, Finance Minister Lawrence Wong said workers in more sectors will now have to undergo mandatory rostered testing, The Straits Times reported.

Kerala HC allows a petition filed by Kitex Garments Ltd seeking to administer the 2nd dose of Covishield vaccine to its workers before completion of the 84 day-gap. The court directed Union Health Ministry to make necessary provisions forthwith in the CoWIN portal

Climate action cannot wait for Covid pandemic to end, 220 journals warn

The world leaders need to take immediate action to limit climate change, restore biodiversity, and protect health, according to an editorial published in over 220 leading journals, including The Lancet and the National Medical Journal of India. The editorial is being published ahead of the UN General Assembly, one of the last international meetings taking place before the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow, UK in November.

Delhi records 32 new COVID cases, no death; over 14.12 lakh patients recovered so far 

No death due to COVID-19 was recorded in Delhi on Monday, while 32 fresh cases of the infection were reported with a positivity rate of 0.06 per cent, according to data shared by the city health department. The national capital has not recorded any fatality due to the infection in September so far. The low number of cases can also be attributed to fewer tests (54,611) conducted on Sunday. With the new cases, the overall infection tally in the city climbs to 14,37,991. Of this, over 14.12 lakh patients have recovered from the disease.

Greece begins administering COVID vaccines outside churches

Greece: Greece has begun administering vaccinations for COVID-19 outside churches in a pilot program recently announced by the government as a means of encouraging more people to get the shots. Mobile National Health Organization units began administering shots Monday in a church yard in Archanes, a town near the city of Heraklion on the southern island of Crete.

India administering 1.25 crore Covid vaccines daily: PM Modi

 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said India is administering a record 1.25 crore Covid vaccine shots everyday, stressing that this figure is higher than the entire population of several countries. Addressing the people of Himachal Pradesh virtually on achieving the target of administering the first dose of Covid vaccine to all eligible people, Modi said as many as 70 crore vaccines have been administered so far in the country. At the same time, Modi said, we should not forget the mantra of "Davai Bhi, Karai Bhi' (get vaccinated, strictly follow Covid protocols).' "India is creating a record by administering 1.25 crore vaccines every day. The number of vaccines administered in a single day by India is more than the entire population of several countries," Modi said apparently referring to a landmark figure reached recently. Modi said Himachal Pradesh has become a "champion" by being the first state to administer the first dose of Covid vaccine to all eligible people despite logistic difficulties and about 30 percent of its residents have got their second dose as well. Sikkim, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli too have achieved this target and several other states are approaching it, he said.

Tamil Nadu enforces strict monitoring at Walayar checkpost in view of rising COVID-19 cases in Kerala

COVID lockdown to be lifted across New Zealand, except Auckland
 

Most of New Zealand will move out of lockdown Tuesday except for the largest city of Auckland, which will remain in the strictest type of lockdown until at least next week, the government announced Monday. The nation has been battling an outbreak of the Delta variant of the coronavirus since last month. All recent cases have been found in Auckland, including 20 that were found on Monday. There have been a total of 821 cases found in the outbreak. The government is pursuing an unusual strategy of trying to eliminate the virus entirely.