Indian travellers vaccinated with the Serum Institute of India's Covishield will be able to travel to Austria. However, as a precautionary measure those vaccinated with Covishield will not be permitted to interact with the local people.
Drugmaker Pfizer Inc. has signed a deal with a U.N.-backed group to allow other manufacturers to make its experimental COVID-19 pill, a move that could make the treatment available to more than half of the world's population.
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:
No COVID-19 clusters yet in schools in Ernakulam after reopening
No COVID-19 cluster has been reported yet from schools in Ernakulam district after the educational institutions reopened on November 1.
However, a few COVID-19 positive cases have been reported among bio-bubbles at the class-level. A total of 20 such cases have been reported in schools across the district under the General Education Department in the past two weeks, as per official estimates. The number of children infected is around 10 while an equal number of teachers has been tested positive for SARS-CoV-2.
The children and teachers were found to have been infected through contact with family members, who were tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. Most of the children had not shown any symptoms and had attended the class as part of the bio-bubble, according to the authorities.
No COVID-19 clusters yet in schools in Ernakulam after reopening
‘COVID-19 has badly affected children in Andhra Pradesh’
A joint study taken up by UNICEF and AP Alliance for Child Rights, revealed gross violation of child rights and shocking incidents of child abuse and rise in child marriages during the pandemic.
Many children were orphaned during the first and second waves of COVID-19. School dropout rate is on the rise and the virus has severely impacted on the health condition of kids, the study says.
‘COVID-19 has badly affected children in Andhra Pradesh’
Mask compliance drops in Chennai
Mask compliance has been dwindling over the past few weeks across the city.
Fresh coronavirus infections have been gradually declining in the State. Despite varying figures, the cases continue to be stable in the city. However, mask compliance, one among the crucial COVID-19 appropriate behaviours, has taken a hit of late.
Prabhdeep Kaur, deputy director, Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute of Epidemiology (ICMR-NIE), said the compliance with masking began to drop from pre-Deepavali times.
Mask compliance drops in Chennai
Govt. allows meals on all flights
The Ministry of Civil Aviation on Tuesday allowed airlines to serve meals onboard all domestic flights.
The service was banned on flights shorter than two hours during the second wave of COVID-19.
“The airlines operating flights on domestic sectors may provide meal services on board, without restriction on duration of the flight,” the Ministry’s order said on Tuesday.
The decision was taken in the light of reduction in “Covid caseload,” it said. The Ministry had earlier sought permission from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to revise its guidelines.
Govt. allows meals on all flights
Philippines approves emergency use of Novavax COVID-19 vaccine
The Philippines has approved the emergency use of a COVID-19 vaccine by Novavax Inc, its food and drug agency chief said on Wednesday, the ninth vaccine approved in the Southeast Asian country.
The nanoparticle vaccine, under the brand name Covovax, will be manufactured by Serum Institute of India, and is approved for use on adults 18 and above, the agency's chief Rolando Enrique Domingo told a public briefing. -Reuters
India records 10,197 new Covid infections; active cases decline to 1,28,555
India's Covid tally rose to 3,44,66,598 on Wednesday with 10,197 fresh cases, while the active cases have declined to 1,28,555, the lowest in 527 days, according to the Union Health Ministry's data.
The death toll climbed to 4,64,153 after 301 more fatalities were reported in the last 24 hours, according to the data updated at 8 am.
The daily rise in new coronavirus infections has been below 20,000 for 40 straight days and less than 50,000 daily new cases have been reported for 143 consecutive days now.
The active cases have declined to 1,28,555 comprising 0.37 per cent of the total infections, the lowest since March 2020, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 98.28%, the highest since March 2020, the Health Ministry said. -PTI
Jammu to impose Covid night curfew from Wednesday
A night curfew will be imposed in Jammu winter capital city from Wednesday as COVID-19 positivity rate is on the rise in the region, a top district official said here.
Violation of the restrictions will invite strict action, District Magistrate Anshul Garg warned on Tuesday. -PTI
Goa task force gives nod to reopen schools for classes 1 to 8
The Goa government's task force on COVID-19 on Tuesday recommended starting in-person classes for students of grades 1 to 8 from November 22 with safety protocols.
A meeting of the task force, chaired by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, took stock of the existing COVID-19 situation in the state before giving a go ahead for reopening schools for students of classes 1 to 8. -PTI
