Coronavirus updates | January 29, 2021

Union Health Ministry is engaging with private stakeholders to look at increasing the future coverage of the COVID vaccine.

January 29, 2021 09:08 am | Updated 10:14 pm IST

Sri Lankan health officials attend a mock COVID-19 vaccination drive in Piliyandala, Sri Lanka, Saturday, Jan. 23, 2021. Sri Lanka on January 28, 2021, received 5,00,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine gifted by India, the country’s first consignment as the island nation prepares to begin its roll-out.

Sri Lankan health officials attend a mock COVID-19 vaccination drive in Piliyandala, Sri Lanka, Saturday, Jan. 23, 2021. Sri Lanka on January 28, 2021, received 5,00,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine gifted by India, the country’s first consignment as the island nation prepares to begin its roll-out.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday that more ‘Made in India’ COVID-19 vaccines are on the way to help speed up the world’s vaccination efforts, and India’s economy would help global growth recover from the aftermath of the pandemic.

“So far, there are only two Made In India Vaccines available. In the coming days, many more vaccines are expected to arrive. These will help the world vaccinate more people in an expeditious way,” said the Prime Minister at the World Economic Forum’s virtual Davos summit.

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:

 

IX, I PU classes will start from Feb. 1 in Karnataka

Regular classes for students of Class IX and I PU will begin from February 1. The announcement was made on Thursday by Primary and Secondary Education Minister S. Suresh Kumar after a meeting with the technical advisory committee and the Health Department.

In addition, the Minister said that starting from February 1, regular classes will be conducted for IX, X, I and II PUC students the entire day to cover the syllabus. For students from Classes 6 to 8, the ongoing Vidyagama classes on alternative days will be continued.

In December, based on a suggestion of the committee, the State government had allowed conducting classes for SSLC and II PUC students from January 1 and revised Vidyagama classes for students of Classes 6 to 8. “On an average, 75% students of II PU and 70% of SSLC are attending classes. For Vidyagama classes, around 45% of students are attending classes. Classes are being conducted as per the SoP of the technical advisory committee. There were no reports of a major spread of COVID-19 among teachers or students after classes commenced from January 1,” Mr. Kumar said.

 

TN has spent around ₹480 cr. on RT-PCR kits

Tamil Nadu has so far spent approximately ₹480 crore on procuring RT-PCR testing kits for COVID-19. It has placed direct orders for 1,09,03,428 testing kits through the Tamil Nadu Medical Services Corporation (TNMSC).

Since the beginning of the pandemic, the State has been relying only on RT-PCR tests for the diagnosis of COVID-19.

 

 

Ensuring pandemic protocol in hostels an uphill task for Cusat

For the Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat), ensuring pandemic protocol in hostels is turning out to be a challenge.

The varsity has announced a break for the offline sessions that resumed on January 4 after nearly 15 students and 10 teaching and non-teaching staff had tested positive.

The postgraduate batches were asked to attend the classes initially.

“Their offline exams that began on January 6 got over on Wednesday. The lab sessions will resume in the first week of February. A disinfection process of classrooms and labs will be carried out as per the pandemic protocol before resuming the sessions again,” said K.N. Madhusoodanan, Vice Chancellor.

 

Case Fatality Rate continues to be highest among nonagenarians

Despite the drastic decline in the number of COVID-19 deaths in Karnataka, Case Fatality Rate (CFR) continues to be the highest in the 90-99 age group.

From 11.4% on November 27, CFR in this group (90-99 years) rose to 11.6% on December 27 and again reduced to 11.4% on January 27. This is the highest CFR among the five age groups of senior citizens - from 60-69 years to above 100 years. However, CFR among senior citizens of two groups, above 60 and above 100 years, has fallen in the State.

In the above 60 age group, CFR that had stood at 5.4% on October 27, reduced to 4% on November 27. This further reduced to 3.7% on December 27. In the centenarians group, it reduced from 5% in November to 4.8% in December and has remained the same this month too.

 

Coronavirus | Vaccines safe for those on blood thinners: ICMR

Both COVID vaccines approved for emergency use in India — Covaxin and Covishield — are safe for people on blood thinners, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Director General Balram Bhargav said on Thursday.

Addressing a Health Ministry press conference, he added that manufacturers of both the vaccines have approached the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) for revision of this contraindication on their factsheets.

“Relative contraindications regarding blood thinners have been mentioned in the factsheets of both the vaccines and both the companies have written to the DCGI regarding revision of this. The revision will happen every soon. Blood thinners are of two categories — antiplatelets and anticoagulants. For those on antiplatelets like aspirin, the vaccine causes no problem but for those on anti-coagulants, the tendency to bleed is much higher. This is also a relative contraindication and the anticoagulant can be stopped a day or two before administering the vaccine,” Mr Bhargav said.

IMF on vaccines

Vaccines will power 5.5% global economic growth in 2021: IMF

The spread of COVID-19 vaccines will power a stronger global economic recovery in 2021, the International Monetary Fund forecast Tuesday.

After sinking 3.5% in 2020, the worst year since World War II, the global economy will grow 5.5% this year, the 190-country lending organization predicted. The new figure for 2021 is an upgrade from the 5.2% expansion the IMF forecast in October and would mark the fastest year of global growth since 2007.

The IMF gave India a big upgrade, thanks to a faster-than-expected recovery at its factories and farms: The Indian economy is forecast to expand 11.5% in 2021, fastest among major economies, and a turnaround from 2020’s decline of 8%.

The vaccines should contain the spread of the virus and allow governments around the world to ease lockdowns and encourage a return to normal economic activity. The world economy also got a boost from government stimulus programs late last year in the United States and Japan.

But the IMF also says economies worldwide will need support from their governments to offset the damage from the pandemic and warns that coronavirus mutations could cloud the outlook for global health and economic growth.

“Much depends on the outcome of this race between a mutating virus and vaccines and the ability of policies to provide effective support until the pandemic ends,” IMF chief economist Gita Gopinath said at a press briefing Tuesday. “There remains tremendous uncertainty.’’

In an update to its World Economic Outlook, the IMF said that it expects the U.S. economy — the world’s biggest — to expand 5.1% this year after collapsing 3.4% in 2020. No. 2 China is expected to record 8.1% growth after eking out a 2.3% increase in 2020.

United Nations

UN chief lauds India's COVID-19 vaccine assistance to nations

India's vaccine production capacity is one of the best assets the world has today, UN chief Antonio Guterres has said as he applauded India for supplying COVID-19 doses to nations around the world to combat the catastrophic global health crisis.

The UN Secretary-General also expressed hope that India will have all instruments necessary to play a major role in ensuring a global vaccination campaign becomes possible as the world fights the pandemic.

“I would like to say how much we count on India. I mean, India has one of the most advanced pharmaceutical industries. India played a very important role in the production of generics for use that was a very important element of democratisation of access to medicines all over the world,” Mr. Guterres said.

He was responding to a question by PTI during a press briefing on Thursday on India helping countries around the world in the fight against the global pandemic by supplying COVID-19 vaccines.

“And we strongly hope that India will have all the instruments that are necessary to play a major role in making sure that a global vaccination campaign becomes possible. I think that the production capacity of India is one of the best assets the world has today, and I hope the world understands that it must be fully used,” he said.

Guterres added that he reiterated during his briefing to the UN Member States on his priorities for 2021 that licenses should be made available for companies around the world to be able to produce some of the vaccines that already exist.

“I know that, in India, there is a production, a very high level of production, both of Indian‑developed vaccines, and I think there is a perspective, very important perspective, of also others. And we are in contact with Indian institutions for that.” India has airlifted more than 6 million COVID-19 doses to nine countries in Phase-I under its initiative termed “Vaccine Maitri”. Contractual supplies to various countries are also being undertaken in a phased manner and New Delhi has said it will gradually supply to the COVAX facility of the World Health Organization.

Sri Lanka

Rajapaksa thanks India as vaccines arrive in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka on Thursday received 5,00,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine gifted by India, the country’s first consignment as the island nation prepares to begin its roll-out.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who received the vaccines from the Indian High Commissioner at the Bandaranaike International Airport on Thursday morning, tweeted: “Received 500,000 #COVID19 vaccines provided by #peopleofindia at #BIA today(28). Thank you! PM Shri @narendramodi & #peopleofindia for the generosity shown towards #PeopleofSriLanka at this time in need.”

 

India's COVID-19 vaccines

Vaccines safe for those on blood thinners, says ICMR

Vaccines safe for those on blood thinners: ICMR Both COVID vaccines approved for emergency use in India — Covaxin and Covishield — are safe for people on blood thinners, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Director General Balram Bhargav said on Thursday.

Addressing a Health Ministry press conference, he added that manufacturers of both the vaccines have approached the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) for revision of this contraindication on their factsheets.

 

Davos

Corona crisis has reminded us of the value of humanity: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday that more ‘Made in India’ COVID-19 vaccines are on the way to help speed up the world’s vaccination efforts, and India’s economy would help global growth recover from the aftermath of the pandemic.

“So far, there are only two Made In India Vaccines available. In the coming days, many more vaccines are expected to arrive. These will help the world vaccinate more people in an expeditious way,” said the Prime Minister at the World Economic Forum’s virtual Davos summit.

 

 

Andhra Pradesh

Vaccination drive gets ‘lukewarm’ response in south coastal districts

The COVID-19 vaccination programme continued at a slower pace in south coastal Andhra Pradesh on Thursday.

The selected frontline workers are said to be reluctant to take the jab as the single-day count is declining while the recovery rate is going up. A little over 50% of the health workers have been administered with the vaccine since January 16, when the drive began and the rest are said to be not coming forward for the inoculation.

 

Kerala

More police to tackle COVID-19 violations in Kerala

The Kerala government has decided to tighten COVID-19 control measures in the community and to deploy more police force to tackle violations of protocols.

From Friday till February 10, 25,000 police personnel would be additionally deployed across the State at public places, shopping malls and markets to ensure that people were followin

(With inputs from our Correspondents and agencies)

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