Coronavirus HIGHLIGHTS: Delhi Report 39 New Covid Cases, 1 Death In Last 24 Hrs

Coronavirus HIGHLIGHTS Monday, July 26: Kerala's Test Positivity Rate (TPR) went back to more than 12 per cent on Sunday after falling below it for a day

Background

Coronavirus HIGHLIGHTS Monday, July 26: Maharashtra on Sunday reported 6,843 new coronavirus positive cases and 123 fatalities, raising the overall tally to 62,64,922 and the toll to 1,31,552, the state health department said.With 5,212 patients being discharged after treatment during the day, the count of recoveries in Maharashtra went up to 60,35,029 so far, leaving the state with 94,985 active cases, it said.Maharashtra's case recovery rate now stands at 96.33 per cent while the fatality rate is 2.09 per cent.Mumbai reported 364 new cases and 10 deaths, taking the count of infections to 7,34,118 and the number of COVID-19 fatalities to 15,837. Mumbai division comprising the city and its satellite towns reported 1,184 fresh infections and 38 deaths, which raised the tally to 16,34,633 and the toll to 34,089, as per the department.Meanwhile, the national capital reported 66 COVID-19 cases and two deaths due to the infection on Sunday, while the positivity rate stood at 0.09 per cent, according to data shared by the health department here.With the new cases, the overall infection tally in the city climbed to 14,35,910. Of this, over 14.10 lakh patients have recovered from the disease.The death toll now stands at 25,043.There are 579 active cases in Delhi at present and 167 of them are being treated at home.On the other hand, Kerala on Saturday logged 17,466 fresh COVID-19 cases, pushing the infection caseload to 32,71,530, with the Test Positivity Rate (TPR) going back to more than 12 per cent after falling below it for a day.The TPR had crossed 11 per cent on July 19 after remaining below it for several weeks and had continued to rise till 13.63 per cent on July 23.On July 24, it went down to 11.91 per cent and then again rose to 12.3 on Sunday.The number of people who succumbed to the virus rose to 16,035 with 66 more deaths.As many as 15,247 people have been cured of the infection, taking the total recoveries to 31,14,716, leaving 1,40,276 active cases, a state government release said.

26/07/2021 18:51:10

Delhi Report 39 New Covid Cases, 1 Death In Last 24 Hrs

26/07/2021 14:55:02

Japan Begins Accepting Applications For 'Vaccine Passports' For Those Fully Inoculated Against COVID

Tokyo: Japan on Monday started accepting applications for so-called vaccine passports for people who have been fully inoculated against Covid-19 to travel internationally.

According to the Japanese government, Italy, Austria, Turkey, Bulgaria and Poland have agreed to ease Covid-19 quarantine rules for the holders of the Japanese certificates, and South Korea will accept them as one of the documents required to exempt holders from quarantine requirements, reports Xinhua news agency.

The Japanese government is currently negotiating with other countries to expand the use of its vaccine passports.

The vaccination certificates will be official records issued free of charge by municipalities, showing information about an administered vaccine, the vaccination date, and personal information such as name and passport number.

A successful application requires submitting documents including the application form, passport, and vaccination tickets either in person or via mail.

The application form and the certificate currently only have the paper form.

However, the Japanese government is on the way to introduce digital application and issuance.

The largest business lobby, the Japan Business Federation, known as Keidanren, has suggested using the certificates for raising event attendance caps and for restaurant discounts in Japan.

However, there is concern that such use will increase the burden on local governments that process applications and lead to discrimination against people who have not been vaccinated.

Nevertheless, some restaurants and hotels in Japan already offer discounts for people who show their vaccination records.

26/07/2021 14:44:58

Delhi Zoo to reopen from August 1 in two shifts following COVID-19 protocols

Delhi Zoo to reopen from August 1 in two shifts -- 9 am to 12 pm and 1 pm to 4 pm. Entry will be granted strictly through online booking. All COVID-19 protocols will be observed. Online booking will be opened from July 31, Delhi Zoo Director Ramesh Pandey told ANI.

26/07/2021 12:43:41

Fauci says US going in 'wrong direction' on Covid-19 cases

Washington: As -19 cases, deaths and hospitalisations continue to increase among the unvaccinated across the US, top infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci said that the country is "going in the wrong direction", the media reported.

"If you look at the inflection of the curve of new cases, that it is among the unvaccinated. And since we have 50 per cent of the country is not fully vaccinated, that's a problem," Fauci was quoted as saying to CNN on Sunday.

The majority of deaths could be, thus, among the unvaccinated, Fauci said.

"So it really is, as (Rochelle) Walensky (Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) has said many times and I have said, it is really a pandemic among the unvaccinated, so this is an issue predominantly among the unvaccinated, which is the reason why we're out there, practically pleading with the unvaccinated people to go out and get vaccinated," said the chief medical adviser to President Joe Biden.

The warning from Fauci comes as the dangerous Delta variant of -19, which has spread to 124 countries, is now sweeping across the US.

Health officials are urging Americans to get vaccinated to help curb its spread.

Every state in the US reported more -19 cases in the week ending on July 23 than the week prior, data from the Johns Hopkins University revealed.

Thirty states have yet to fully vaccinate at least half of their residents, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

And as of July 23, the daily average of people becoming fully vaccinated was the lowest it had been since the end of January, the report said.

Meanwhile, the CDC is also weighing the option of revising its -19 guidelines to recommend that even fully vaccinated people wear masks in public, Fauci said.

He noted that some local areas where infection rates are surging are already urging individuals to wear masks in public regardless of their vaccination status.

The US continues to be the worst-hit country with the world's highest number of cases and deaths at 34,443,064 and 610,891, respectively, according to the latest update on Monday by Johns Hopkins University.

Health experts have blamed the recent surges on the low vaccination rates and the accelerating Delta variant transmission. (IANS)

26/07/2021 10:04:52

United Arab Emirates Extends Travel Ban for Indians Leaving Expats Stuck Abroad

London: The United Arab Emirates has extended a suspension for those travelling from India and several other South Asian countries due to COVID-related guidelines. According to Etihad Airlines, the ban will be in place until July 31st. However, other airlines have said this is pending government review. The extension does not include UAE citizens, diplomats or those holding the nation's investor visa. Nor does it include fully vaccinated travellers that hold a residency visa and have taken three tests since June 23rd.

However, those who fall outside this bracket and hope to conduct business or travel for leisure to the UAE will have to continue to wait for the restrictions to be lifted. Since April, expats in India have been left in limbo overseas, with many forced to re-evaluate their options. The need to have alternative solutions has become more apparent than ever for those facing limited mobility, not only impacting business but jeopardising family safety.

Since the onset of the pandemic, there has been a spike in demand for second citizenship as a tool that can be leveraged to diversify assets whilst also providing a safety net during times of uncertainty. According to data, there have been as many as 5,000 high net-worth Indians who have left the country since 2020. In conjunction, there has been a sharp incline in interest for Citizenship by Investment (CBI) a process that confers citizenship to an applicant and additional dependants once an economic contribution is made to a host country.

"As governments become more insular and impose stricter visa controls, the opportunity to travel and do business globally is considerably hampered. So, Citizenship by Investment is a wonderful way to reverse that as it gives the Indian national better access to travel and business opportunities," says Micha Emmett, CEO of CS Global Partners a global investor immigration firm specialising in providing citizenship solutions.

Since 1993, Dominica has welcomed Indian investors, among others, to become citizens of the Caribbean nation. The country's CBI programme offers successful applicants a trusted route to second citizenship with benefits such as increased travel freedom to over 140 destinations, access to top tier educational institutions and alternative business prospects. The programme has also been ranked as the world's best offering for second citizenship by an annual independent study conducted by experts at the Financial Times' PWM. (PTI)

 

26/07/2021 08:52:42

Coronavirus LIVE: Global COVID-19 Caseload Tops 194 Million, Deaths Surge To More Than 4.15 Million

Washington: The overall global Covid-19 caseload has topped 194 million, while the deaths have surged to more than 4.15 million and vaccinations soared to over 3.84 billion, according to the 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, death toll and the total number of vaccine doses administered stood at 194,092,488, 4,158,316 and 3,841,936,983, respectively.

The US continues to be the worst-hit country with the world's highest number of cases and deaths at 34,443,064 and 610,891, respectively, according to the CSSE.

In terms of infections, India follows in second place with 31,371,901 cases.

The other worst countries with over 3 million cases are Brazil (19,688,663), France (6,056,388), Russia (6,049,215), the UK (5,723,393), Turkey (5,601,608), Argentina (4,846,615), Colombia (4,727,846), Italy (4,317,415), Spain (4,280,429), Germany (3,763,018), Iran (3,691,432) and Indonesia (3,166,505), the CSSE figures showed.

In terms of deaths, Brazil comes second with 549,924 fatalities.

Nations with a death toll of over 100,000 are India (420,551), Mexico (238,316), Peru (195,243), Russia (151,352), the UK (129,446), Italy (127,949), Colombia (118,868), France (111,806) and Argentina (103,721). (IANS)

26/07/2021 08:51:36

French Parliament Oks Restaurant COVID Pass, Vaccine Rules

Paris: France's parliament approved a law early Monday requiring special virus passes for all restaurants and domestic travel and mandating vaccinations for all health workers.

Both measures have prompted protests and political tensions. President Emmanuel Macron and his government say they are needed to protect vulnerable populations and hospitals as infections rebound and to avoid new lockdowns.

The law requires all workers in the health care sector to start getting vaccinated by Sept. 15, or risk suspension.

It also requires a health pass to enter all restaurants, trains, planes and some other public venues. It initially applies to all adults, but will apply to everyone 12 and older starting Sept. 30.

To get the pass, people must have proof they are fully vaccinated, recently tested negative or recently recovered from the virus. Paper or digital documents will be accepted. The law says a government decree will outline how to handle vaccination documents from other countries.

The bill was unveiled just six days ago. Lawmakers worked through the night and the weekend to reach a compromise version approved by the Senate on Sunday night and by the National Assembly after midnight. The rules can be applied through Nov. 15, depending on the virus situation.

Macron appealed for national unity and mass vaccination to fight the resurgent virus, and lashed out at those fueling anti-vaccine sentiment and protests.

About 160,000 people protested around France on Saturday against a special COVID-19 pass for restaurants and mandatory vaccinations for health workers. Many marchers shouted liberty! and said the government shouldn't tell them what to do.

Visiting a hospital in French Polynesia afterward, Macron urged national unity and asked, What is your freedom worth if you say to me I don't want to be vaccinated,' but tomorrow you infect your father, your mother or myself?

While he said protesters are free to express themselves in a calm and respectful manner, he said demonstrations won't make the coronavirus go away.

He criticized people who are in the business of irrational, sometimes cynical, manipulative mobilization against vaccination.

Among those organizing the protests have been far-right politicians and extremist members of France's yellow vest movement tapping into anger at Macron's government.

More than 111,000 people with the virus have died in France, which is registering about 20,000 new infections daily compared to just a few thousand earlier this month. Concerns for hospitals are resurfacing. (PTI)