Not sharing lunch and books, staggered entry and exit at different points, mandatory face masks and restricted entrance for visitors are among the guidelines announced by the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) for reopening schools and colleges for all classes from November 1. Meanwhile the Delhi government has informed the Delhi HC that ban on hookah in pubs and restaurants will continue.
The Calcutta HC on the other hand has banned crackers during Deepawali and other festivals.
Read | In the post-Covid era, community-based rehabilitation is most urgent: Balakrishna Venkatesh
Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories plans to approach the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) seeking permission to conduct trials of Russian COVID-19 vaccine Sputnik in children as well as a booster shot for vaccinated adults.
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 :
Singapore, with 84% population vaccinated, sees rise in cases
Singapore has registered over 4,000 fresh COVID-19 cases, including 536 from residents of dormitories for migrant workers, even as 84% of its population has been fully vaccinated.
According to the Ministry of Health, 16 fatalities linked to the coronavirus and 4,248 new infections were reported on October 29. Those who died were aged between 44 and 90 and had various underlying medical conditions.
Britain sending millions more COVID-19 doses to developing nations
Britain will send 20 million COVID-19 vaccine doses to developing countries by the end of this year, in what Prime Minister Boris Johnson will tell other world leaders is a much needed step to speed up the post-pandemic economic recovery. -Reuters
Active COVID-19 cases in country increase to 1,61,555
With 14,313 people testing positive for coronavirus in a day, India's total tally of COVID-19 cases rose to 3,42,60,470, while the active cases were recorded at 1,61,555, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Saturday.
The death toll climbed to 4,57,740 with 549 more fatalities, according to the data updated at 8 am.
The daily rise in new coronavirus infections has been below 30,000 for 36 straight days and less than 50,000 daily new cases have been reported for 125 consecutive days now.
The active cases comprise 0.47% of the total infections, the lowest since March 2020, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 98.19%, the Ministry said. -PTI
Government to launch special vaccination drive from November 15
After administering seven crore COVID-19 vaccine doses, the Madhya Pradesh government has announced to launch a special inoculation drive from November 15 by holding vaccination and testing camps at public events to cover its entire eligible population by the end of this year.
The State government had earlier held mega vaccination drives in August and September.
The government also plans to make phone calls to those people, who have received their first vaccine dose, to remind them about getting the second jab.
SC says it won’t interfere with Karnataka order on RT-PCR
The Supreme Court on Friday made it clear that insistence by a State Government on negative RT-PCR results, for public health reasons, from people travelling in from another State cannot be construed as a “restriction of movement of citizens”.
The Constitution upholds a citizen’s fundamental right to move freely across the length and breadth of India.
10 States sue Biden administration over COVID-19 vaccine rule
Ten States filed a lawsuit Friday to stop President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate for federal contractors, arguing that the requirement violates federal law.
Attorneys general from Alaska, Arkansas, Iowa, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming signed on to the lawsuit, which was filed in a federal district court in Missouri. -AP
U.S. FDA authorizes first COVID-19 shot for young kids
The U.S. health regulator on Friday authorized the Pfizer Inc and BioNTech SE coronavirus vaccine for children aged 5 to 11 years, making it the first COVID-19 shot for young children in the United States.
Pfizer said that it would begin shipping pediatric vials of vaccine to pharmacies on Saturday. The decision by the regulator is expected to make the shot available to 28 million American children, many of whom are back in school for in-person learning. -Reuters
U.S. intelligence releases report on COVID-19 origins
The Office of the U.S. Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) released a declassified intelligence community assessment on COVID-19 origins on Friday, with the report judging that the coronavirus was not developed as a biological weapon. -Reuters
Mizoram allows reopening of schools in Aizawl civic body area for Class 10, 12
The Mizoram government on Friday eased COVID-19 curbs with reopening of schools and hostels in Aizawal Municipal Corporation area for students of Classes 10 and 12, an official said.
New guidelines will come into force from October 31, he said.
Among the relaxations, schools and hostels will be allowed to reopen in the AMC area for Classes 10 and 12 students, who will appear for board examinations next year, the official said. -PTI
Jharkhand Unlock: 500 people allowed in weddings, gatherings
The Jharkhand Disaster Management Authority on Friday raised the number of people allowed to attend weddings and other social gatherings from 50 to 500 while allowing shops to open on Sundays.
The decisions were taken by the Jharkhand Disaster Management Authority, at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Hemant Soren. -PTI
