After a three-week delay, a massive logistical mission and a handful of health scares, a very different Australian Open gets underway on Monday, February 8, 2021, with pandemic protocols providing a backdrop of caution to the action on court.
Australian Open | All set for the ‘Nervous Slam’
You can track coronavirus cases, deaths and testing rates at the national and State levels here. A list of State Helpline numbers is available as well.
Here are the latest updates:
U.K. delegation visits Serum Institute of India
A delegation of the U.K. led by Secretary of State for International Trade Liz Truss visited the Serum Institute of India on Monday.
The CEO of Serum Institute, Adar Poonawala, tweeted, "It was an honour to have the Secretary of State for International Trade, UK, @trusslizand a delegation visit our headquarters@SerumInstIndia.
"We discussed how to further enhance the existing relationship between India and the U.K. on manufacturing and innovation in the healthcare space." - PTI
Seoul to give free COVID-19 tests to pets
South Korea's capital says it will give pet dogs and cats free coronavirus tests if they come into contact with infected humans and show symptoms.
Seoul official Park Yoo-mi told an online briefing that pets found infected with the virus must be quarantined at their homes or a city-run facility for 14 days. The central government last week released guidelines on virus tests on pets, after a cat in the southeastern city of Jinju became the country's first animal confirmed to have COVID-19. The cat belongs to a mother and daughter who were among dozens of confirmed patients associated with a Jinju religious facility.
Park said officials are ready to conduct free tests of pets starting Monday. Seoul officials say there is no evidence that animals transmit the virus to humans. They say authorities will test pets, not all animals, because they are in close contact with humans.
Other local governments plan to launch similar tests for pets in line with the central government's guidelines.
Rich nations must do 'whatever it takes’ to vaccinate entire planet against COVID19: Former UNGA president
The world’s rich countries must commit to “doing whatever it takes” to vaccinate the entire planet against COVID-19, including easing intellectual property rules to allow the manufacture of vaccines in developing countries, according to the former president of the UN General Assembly.
In an op-ed titled ‘We need bold global leadership to build back better’, president of the 73rd Session of the General Assembly Maria Fernanda Espinosa underscored that serious reforms are needed to fix the multilateral system to help build back better from the pandemic and address bigger challenges ahead.
She said that “international cooperation is a constant struggle against short-term interests and narrow distributional claims. Serious reforms are needed to fix the multilateral system” that president Franklin Roosevelt helped to build 75 years ago. - PTI
Tamil actor Suriya tests postive for COVID-19
South star Suriya has tested positive for COVID-19 and is currently undergoing treatment for the virus.
The 45-year-old actor took to Twitter late Sunday evening to share his diagnosis and urged his fans to be cautious amid the pandemic.
"I am undergoing treatment for COVID-19 and I am better now. Let us all realise that life hasn't returned to normalcy yet. We also cannot be filled with fear and let life come to a standstill. We still need to be careful and safe.
"Lots of love and gratitude to the dedicated doctors and medical staff standing by my side," Suriya wrote.
Filmamker Rajsekar Pandian, close associate of the actor, gave a heath update to the star's fans in a Twitter post.
"Dear brothers and sisters Anna’s fine and nothing to worry," he wrote.
The actor was recently seen in "Soorarai Pottru", which released on Amazon Prime Video. Directed by Sudha Kongara and backed by Suriya, the film was a biographical drama on the life of Captain GR Gopinath, a retired Army officer, who founded the low-cost airline Air Deccan.
India records 11,831 new COVID-19 cases, 84 more die
India's tally of COVID-19 cases rose to 1,08,38,194, with 11,831 new infections being reported in a day, while the daily death count fell below 100 for the fourth time this month, according to Union Health Ministry data updated on Monday.
The death toll increased to 1,55,080 with 84 daily new fatalities, the data updated at 8 am showed.
The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 1,05,34,505, pushing the national COVID-19 recovery rate of 97.20 per cent, while the COVID-19 case fatality rate stands at 1.43 per cent.
The COVID-19 active caseload remained below 2 lakh.
There are 1,48,609 active coronavirus infections in the country which comprises 1.37 per cent of the infection count, the data stated.
TN schools gear up for classes 9, 11
School Education Director S. Kannappan said that schools have been asked to continue implementing the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for COVID-19 safety protocols, issued ahead of the reopening in January. “Additionally we have told schools that do not have enough teachers or classrooms to accommodate their students in smaller batches to explore the option of having classes on alternate days or in a shift system. Schools are permitted to work six days a week,” he said.
TN schools gear up to reopen for classes 9 and 11 from Monday
South Africa halts AstraZeneca vaccinations over variant data
South Africa will suspend use of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 shot in its vaccination programme after data showed it gave minimal protection against mild to moderate infection caused by the country's dominant coronavirus variant.
Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said on Sunday the government would await advice from scientists on how best to proceed, after disappointing results in a trial conducted by the University ofthe Witwatersrand.
South Africa halts AstraZeneca vaccinations over variant data
Kerala saw more home deaths in 2020
Even when the Kerala government has sought solace in the apparent reduction in all-cause mortality in the State in 2020 as an affirmation of the excellent COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 care provided during the pandemic, the civil registrations data does not tell the full story.
Analysis of the State’s birth and death registrations for 2020 shows that except in two districts, there is an unusual increase in the proportion of the people who died at home during 2020, both in urban and rural areas. The data throws open the question of whether COVID-19 led to the denial of medical care to the elderly and terminally ill in the pandemic year. The attention of the public health system had veered towards COVID-19 care all through 2020 and it’s probably the other side of the story that is being revealed.
Coronavirus | Kerala saw more home deaths in 2020
Need to be on alert for coronavirus mutations: scientists
COVID-19 cases are declining along with incidence of hospitalisation and deaths in most places across the country. Yet, scientists have cautioned people not to let their guard down but continue to follow safety measures of wearing face masks, and maintaining personal hygiene and social distancing.
“All indications are that the number of cases are becoming less and less, even if factoring the rapid antigen testing which has just about 50-60% accuracy. Importantly, the number of patients in hospitals are less and the number of deaths too has come down as is being indicated by sero-surveillance surveys. But, we need to be alert for any further mutations which could lead to more viral loads and infections,” says CSIR-Centre for Cellular & Molecular Biology director Rakesh Mishra.
‘Need to be on alert for coronavirus mutations’
Indian researchers find why variant with D614G mutation spread faster in the West
Kalyani-based scientists have found the biological mechanism behind the significantly faster spread of a variant with D614G mutation in Europe and North America but not in East Asia.
The variant with the D614G mutation seeded large outbreaks in Europe in early 2020 and subsequently dominated the outbreaks in North America, thereby largely replacing previously circulating lineages. The variant also spread worldwide.
A team led by Dr. Nidhan K. Biswas and Dr. Partha Majumdar from the National Institute of Biomedical Genomics, Kalyani found that the variant with the D614G mutation introduced an additional cleavage site on the ACE-2 receptor for the SARS-CoV-2 virus to gain entry into cells.
(With inputs from our Correspondents, agencies)
