While Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has said the phase of COVID-19 pandemic is almost over in the State, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said that the State is now fully capable of combating a possible third wave of COVID-19. With cases declining in most parts of the country, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee urged people to follow the safety protocols rigourously to curb the spread of the viral disease in the State, in the wake of rising cases.
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S. Korea to donate 1 million doses of AstraZeneca's vaccine to Iran: KDCAADVERTISEMENT
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South Korea will donate 1 million doses of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine to Iran, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said on Monday. -Reuters
China to start vaccinating children to age 3 as cases spread
Children as young as 3 will start receiving COVID-19 vaccines in China, where 76% of the population has been fully vaccinated and authorities are maintaining a zero-tolerance policy toward outbreaks.
Local city and provincial level governments in at least five provinces issued notices in recent days announcing that children ages 3-11 will be required to get their vaccinations. -AP
India committed to supplying COVID-19 vaccines to other nations; exports to begin by year end
India is committed to supplying COVID-19 vaccines to other nations and such supplies are likely to begin by the end of this year, as the abundant production will not just meet domestic needs but also generate surplus for exports. a top government official said on Monday.
The official, however, added that the supply of vaccines to other nations will have to be balanced against the country's vaccination program. -PTI
Schools reopen for class 1 to 5 students, adhering to COVID-19 guidelines
Schools in Karnataka re-opened for students of classes 1 to 5 from Monday, strictly adhering to COVID-19 related precautions and guidelines.
However, several private schools in the city and in different places across the state, have decided to reopen schools for these students only after Deepavali, official sources said. -PTI
Active COVID-19 cases in country decline to 1,67,695
India logged 14,306 new COVID-19 cases, taking the virus tally to 3,41,89,774, while the active cases declined to 1,67,695, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Monday.
The death toll climbed to 4,54,712 with 443 daily fatalities, according to the data updated at 8 am.
The daily rise in new coronavirus infections has been below 30,000 for 31 straight days and less than 50,000 daily new cases have been reported for 120 consecutive days now.
The active cases comprise 0.49% of the total infections, the lowest since March 2020, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 98.18%, the highest since March 2020, the ministry said. A decrease of 4,899 cases has been recorded in the total active number of COVID-19 cases in a span of 24 hours. -PTI
Day-long inoculation drive in Puducherry today
In a final push towards protecting its entire population with at least one dose of vaccine against COVID-19, the Puducherry government will launch a day-long drive across 100 session sites in the Union Territory on Monday.
The drive, which will be held from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., involves for the first time NGOs, SHGs, educational institutions and private players. The target is to reach at least one lakh people. “We have an estimated three lakh people who are yet to receive even one dose and we hope to reach out to a third of them,” Health Secretary T. Arun said.
Schools take loans as offline classes for all grades start
With COVID-19 on the decline and ‘normal’ life slowly resuming, schools are struggling with inadequate teaching staff and infrastructure required to maintain social distancing and other safety precautions. Offline classes for all grades are scheduled to commence on October 25, and though many private schools have delayed the resumption of primary sections, the problem has become all the more urgent. Many school managements have decided to take loans as they are unable to increase fees.
Chinese province closes tourist sites following virus cases
A northwestern Chinese province heavily dependent on tourism closed all tourist sites Monday after finding new COVID-19 cases.
Gansu province lies along the ancient Silk Road and is famed for the Dunhuang grottoes filled with Buddhist images and other religious sites. -AP
Indonesia to gradually reopen regions with high vaccination rates, president says
Indonesia will gradually reopen parts of the country where COVID-19 vaccination rates are above 70%, its President Joko Widodo told a Southeast Asian business forum on Monday. -Reuters
Fauci says vaccines for kids between 5-11 likely available in November
Vaccines for kids between the ages of 5 and 11 will likely be available in the first half of November, top U.S. infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci said on Sunday predicting a timetable that could see many kids getting fully vaccinated before the end of the year.
"If all goes well, and we get the regulatory approval and the recommendation from the CDC, it's entirely possible if not very likely that vaccines will be available for children from 5 to 11 within the first week or two of November," Fauci said in an interview with ABC's This week. -Reuters