Adani News

Tag: COVID-19

  • New Omicron subvariant continues to spread rapidly in US

    New Omicron subvariant continues to spread rapidly in US

    Los Angeles: New Omicron subvariant XBB.1.16 continues to spread rapidly in the US, with its prevalence increasing to 12.5 per cent this week, according to the latest data updated by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

    The subvariant, referred to as “arcturus,” has become the second dominant strain in the country. It is estimated to account for about 12.5 per cent of new Covid-19 cases this week, up from 8.4 per cent last week, Xinhua news agency reported, citing the CDC data.

    Experts warned that the percentage is expected to increase in the coming weeks, with XBB.1.16 possibly becoming the next dominant coronavirus strain in the country.

    The highly transmissible Omicron subvariant XBB.1.5 remains the dominant strain in the US, and accounted for about 66.9 per cent of new Covid-19 cases this week, CDC data showed.

  • COVID no longer a global health emergency, WHO says

    COVID no longer a global health emergency, WHO says

    COVID-19 no longer qualifies as a “global health emergency”, the World Health Organization (WHO) says.The announcement on Friday came more than three years after the United Nations health agency declared its highest level of alert over the devastating virus, which has triggered lockdowns, upended economies and killed millions of people worldwide.
    “Yesterday, the Emergency Committee met for the 15th time and recommended to me that I declare an end to the public health emergency of international concern,” WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. “I’ve accepted that advice. It’s, therefore, with great hope that I declare COVID-19 over as a global health emergency.”

    The WHO said that even though the emergency phase was over, the pandemic declared in March 2020 has not come to an end, noting recent spikes in cases in Southeast Asia and the Middle East. The agency said thousands of people are still dying from the coronavirus every week.”That doesn’t mean COVID-19 is over as a global health threat,” Tedros said, adding he would not hesitate to reconvene experts to reassess the situation should the coronavirus “put our world in peril”.
    China’s “zero-Covid” is gone, but quarantine facilities remain
    Tedros said the pandemic had been on a downward trend for more than a year, acknowledging that most countries have already returned to how life was before COVID-19 emerged. He bemoaned the damage that COVID-19 had done to the global community, saying the disease had shattered businesses and plunged millions of people into poverty.
    Tedros also noted that there were likely at least 20 million COVID-19 deaths, far more than the officially reported 7 million.

    “COVID has changed our world, and it has changed us,” he said, warning that the risk of new variants still remains.When the WHO first declared the coronavirus to be a public health emergency of international concern on January 30, 2020, it had not yet been named COVID-19, and there were no major outbreaks beyond China.More than three years later, the virus has caused an estimated 764 million cases globally and about 5 billion people have received at least one dose of a vaccine.The WHO’s highest level of alert helps focus international attention on a health threat and bolsters collaboration on vaccines and treatments.

    Lifting it is a sign of the progress the world has made in these areas and could mean that international collaboration or funding efforts are also brought to an end or shift in focus, although many have already adapted as the pandemic has receded in different regions.

  • Wearing face masks should be mandatory in public places: Health expert

    Wearing face masks should be mandatory in public places: Health expert

    Amid the daily spike in COVID-19 cases in the country, a health expert has advised people to wear masks and follow Covid-appropriate behaviour.

    Dr Sandeep Nayar, Pulmonologist, HOD, BLK Hospital said that masks should be made mandatory in crowded places.

    “Amid a rise in COVID-19 cases, it is most important that people start wearing masks. One should wear a mask while going to any crowded place. Use double-layer masks in places like hospitals etc., as it is very effective in preventing infection,” Dr Nayar said, adding that the government should also issue advisories and should make wearing face masks mandatory in crowded places.

    “Corona cases are shooting up, patients with symptoms of sore throat, cough, cold, and fever are coming to us,” the health expert said. “We are advising the patients with such symptoms to have strict home isolation for seven days,” he added.

    He said that the condition of the patients is not worrisome.

    “Very few patients are requiring hospitalization. Only patients suffering from some serious illness are required to be admitted to the hospital. Patients suffering from cancer, or other serious diseases are at greater risk from this variant and need to be extensively taken care of,” Dr Nayar said.

    The national capital on Wednesday reported 1,149 new coronavirus cases, marking a sharp jump from Tuesday when 980 cases were reported, according to a daily bulletin issued by the Delhi Health Department.

  • COVID-19: Puducherry Govt Makes Wearing Masks Compulsory In Public Places

    COVID-19: Puducherry Govt Makes Wearing Masks Compulsory In Public Places

    The Puducherry administration on Friday made mask wearing compulsory in the union territory with immediate effect owing to the rise in number of Covid-19 cases.

    District Collector E Vallavan said with the union territory currently witnessing a surge in coronavirus positive cases, the territorial administration has enforced with immediate effect a slew of precautionary measures “to minimise the risk of increase in transmission of Covid-19 in the coming days.”

    Vallavan, who is Member-Secretary of the Executive committee of the Disaster Management Authority here, told reporters “public shall compulsory wear masks in public places, on the beach road, parks and theatres.”

    He said the government has also issued an order enforcing the “precautionary measures in the whole of the Union Territory of Puducherry with immediate effect and there would be focus on test, track, treat and vaccination.”

    Vallavan said the public “should adhere to Covid-19 appropriate behaviour of wearing masks maintaining hand hygiene and physical distancing enforced in the while of the Union Territory of Puducherry.”

    Wearing of mask is compulsory in public places, on beach road, parks and theatres, he added.

    Staff working in hospitals, hotels, bars, restaurants, liquor shops, hospitality and entertainment sectors, government offices and commercial establishments should compulsorily wear masks, the Collector said.

  • COVID: HC seeks Delhi govt’s reply on PIL seeking release of ex-gratia to deceased cops

    COVID: HC seeks Delhi govt’s reply on PIL seeking release of ex-gratia to deceased cops

    The Delhi High Court on Tuesday sought Arvind Kejriwal-led government’s response on a plea seeking release of the ex-gratia amount to families of police officers who died while serving during the COVID-19 pandemic.

    A division bench headed by Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma was hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking release of Rs 1 crore ex-gratia amount, which was announced by Delhi government’s cabinet dated May 13, 2020, for the families of the deceased.

    The bench, also comprising Justice Subramonium Prasad, issued notice on the plea moved by two advocates and a law student.