Junior classes in New Delhi will be allowed to resume only after the upcoming festival season concludes, Lieutenant-Governor Anil Baijal said on September 29 following a Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) meeting. Only students of Classes IX-XII are currently attending school. It was also decided that festive gatherings will be allowed, subject to observance of COVID-19 protocol.
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The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued fresh guidelines on September 28 asking States for prompt and effective containment measures and to accelerate the pace of vaccination to prevent the rise in number of COVID-19 cases due to the coming festival season. The guidelines issued under the Disaster Management Act, 2005 will be effective till October 31.
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Here are the latest updates :
30 medical students of Mumbai civic hospital test positive for COVID-19
As many as 30 medical students of civic-run KEM Hospital in Mumbai have tested positive for COVID-19, a BMC official said on Thursday.
One of the MBBS students, who has mild symptoms of the infection, has been admitted to SevenHills Hospital for treatment, said the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) official.
The other students are asymptomatic and have been quarantined, he said.
All the infected students were staying in a hostel inside the hospital complex located at Parel in central Mumbai, the official said. - PTI
Health Ministry press conference
Health Ministry says, "Kerala is contributing close to 60 % of new cases being reported so far. The actual number of cases is coming down here. 69 % population over 18 years of age have got their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine while 25 % have got both doses."
ICMR DG says: "Increased population density increases chances of infection spread so we have to ensure low key celebrations this year." - Bindu Shajan Perappadan
Govt exempts COVID-19 vaccine from customs duty till Dec 31
The government has exempted customs duty on COVID-19 vaccines for three months till December 31, which will boost domestic availability and make them cheaper.
In a notification dated September 29, the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) said the exemption would come into force on October 1, 2021, and remain in force up to December 31, 2021.
Earlier in April, the government had exempted basic customs duty on the import of COVID vaccines for three months. Following the conclusion of the three-month period, COVID-19 vaccines import attracted 10 % duty. - PTI
DDMA relaxes prohibition on gatherings in the Capital till November 15
Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) has relaxed prohibition on gatherings in the Capital for the festive season till November 15.
Fairs, melas, food stalls (inside & outside the venues), jhoolas/rides, rallies and processions will not be permitted during festivals in Delhi. Chhat Pooja celebration will not be allowed in public places/public grounds/river banks (ghats) or temples. People are advised to observe celebrations at home, the statement said.
All event organisers have to obtain requisite permission from the District Magistrate concerned for organising festival events well in advance.
Capacity of each event site to be decided on the basis of area and social distancing norms; in closed spaces, a maximum of 50% of the hall capacity will be allowed, with a ceiling of 200 persons. - Jatin Anand
Russia may allow access to unregistered COVID-19 vaccines, report says
Russians may soon be able to receive COVID-19 vaccines not registered in the country from clinics set up in a special economic zone, under a healthcare ministry proposal, Russian Kommersant daily reported on September 30.
Many Western nations have not registered Russian vaccines such as Sputnik V and require visitors to have other shots that are not available to Russians, a situation that has prompted vaccine tourism. -Reuters
Vietnam to end virus lockdown in largest city after 3 months
Vietnam will lift the lockdown in its largest city on October 1, ending nearly three months of restrictions on movement to curb a coronavirus surge.
People in Ho Chi Minh City, a metropolis of 10 million, will be able to leave their homes, restaurants can serve take-away meals and other essential businesses can open, the city said on its website September 30.
A social distancing order, however, will still be enforced. Schools are closed, public transport remains suspended, travel in and out of the city will be controlled and public gatherings of more than 10 people outside is banned. -AP
IOC announce Beijing Olympics will not allow foreign spectators
A 21-day quarantine for non-fully vaccinated athletes, officials and workers will be in force at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, the IOC said.
Daily testing for vaccinated people and no tickets will be sold to anyone living outside China as Olympic venues open their doors again.
Restrictions imposed to control the COVID-19 pandemic at the next Winter Games in February were announced on September 29 by the International Olympic Committee. -PTI
New tool predicts changes that may make COVID-19 variants more infectious
Researchers have developed a new method that can predict with reasonable accuracy the changes in SARS-CoV-2 that may confer increased infectivity to the virus that causes COVID-19.
The tool, described in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, could enable the computational surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 and provide advance warning of potentially dangerous variants with an even higher binding affinity potential. -PTI
Physical sessions for classes 9 to 12 in Goa schools may resume before Diwali: CM
Physical sessions for classes 9 to 12, which have been shut in Goa since the outbreak of COVID-19 last year, may resume before the Diwali festival, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has said.
An expert committee of doctors has given its go ahead for the resumption of these classes in a phased manner, Mr. Sawant told reporters on September 29.
The decision of the expert committee would be placed before the state COVID-19 Task Force, which will take a final call on it, he said. -PTI
Decision on Bharat Biotech's Covaxin EUL in October: WHO
A decision on Bharat Biotech’s submission seeking emergency use listing (EUL) for its Covaxin COVID-19 vaccine will be made in October, the World Health Organisation has said.
The status of assessment for Covaxin is “ongoing”. Bharat Biotech had submitted EOI (Expression of Interest) on April 19 for its vaccine.
India records 23,529 COVID-19 cases, 311 deaths
India recorded a single-day rise of 23,529 COVID-19 cases on September 30, taking its infection tally to 3,37,39,980, while the count of active cases dipped to 2,77,020, the lowest in 195 days, according to Union Health Ministry data.
The death toll due to the disease has climbed to 4,48,062 with 311 daily fatalities being recorded, according to the data updated at 8 am.
The number of active cases has declined to 2,77,020, comprising 0.82% of the total infections – the lowest since March 2020, the ministry said. -PTI
COVID-19 virus case numbers surge in Australia's Victoria State
Victoria state in Australia has reported 1,438 new coronavirus cases — almost 500 more than the previous high set a day just earlier.
Australia's second-most populous state on September 30 also reported five more deaths from COVID-19 in the latest 24-hour period. Victoria on September 29 reported 950 new infections and a daily record of seven deaths. -AP
AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine shows 74% efficacy in large U.S. trial
AstraZeneca Plc's COVID-19 vaccine demonstrated 74% efficacy at preventing symptomatic disease, a figure that increased to 83.5% in people aged 65 and older, according to long-awaited results of the company's U.S. clinical trial published on September 29.
Overall efficacy of 74% was lower than the interim 79% figure reported by the British drugmaker in March, a result AstraZeneca revised days later to 76% after a rare public rebuke from health officials that the figure was based on "outdated information." -Reuters
TAC: NK districts more susceptible to third wave due to poor vaccination
With several north Karnataka districts continuing to lag in vaccination, the State’s COVID-19 Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) has warned that the third wave, as and if it happens, is likely to hit this region the most.
Expressing concern over the poor vaccination coverage in NK districts, especially Bidar, Vijayapura, Kalaburagi, Raichur, Haveri, and others adjoining Maharashtra, the TAC has recommended that vaccination in these districts needs to be ramped up on a war-footing through special outreach community campaigns.
L-G hints at resuming offline classes for primary students
Lt. Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan on Wednesday hinted that the Union Territory will probably follow Tamil Nadu’s decision to resume offline classes for primary school students in Standards I to VIII from November 1.
As Puducherry does not have a separate School Board, it follows the Tamil Nadu State Board of School Examinations and has replicated its decisions regarding reopening of schools during the pandemic in the Union Territory.
18,000 samples collected so far for sixth serological survey
About 18,000 random blood samples have been collected so far as part of the sixth serological survey and the exercise is expected to be completed by Tuesday. The result of the survey is likely to be announced by October 15, officials said.
Last week, the Delhi government had started the sixth serological survey to assess the percentage of population having antibodies against COVID-19, either through natural infection or vaccination.
Poland sends over 100,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine to Egypt
Poland sent over 100,000 doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine to Egypt, the Polish foreign ministry said on September 29.
"More than 100,000 COVID-19 vaccines are on their way from Warsaw to Cairo. The donation of vaccines to Egypt is an expression of solidarity with an important partner of Poland in North Africa," the ministry said on Twitter. -Reuters
Organizers detail COVID-19 rules for Beijing Winter Olympics
A 21-day quarantine for non-fully vaccinated athletes, officials and workers at the 2022 Beijing Olympics. Daily testing for vaccinated people. No tickets sold to anyone living outside China.
Restrictions imposed to control the COVID-19 pandemic at the next Winter Games in February were announced September 29 by the International Olympic Committee.
While not imposing a vaccine mandate, organizers in Beijing plan stricter rules than applied at the Tokyo Olympics where vaccination was advised though not demanded within a strict regime of testing. -AP
Himachal Pradesh govt to provide Rs 50,000 as help to kin of COVID-19 deceased: Official
The Himachal Pradesh government will provide ex-gratia assistance of Rs 50,000 to the kin of each of those who succumbed to COVID-19, a State official said here on September 29. The State government notified the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) of all the 12 districts as disbursement authority for the ex-gratia assistance, director-cum-special secretary of revenue-disaster management Sudesh Kumar Mokhta said. -PTI
Merck says research shows its COVID-19 pill works against variants
Laboratory studies show that Merck & Co's experimental oral COVID-19 antiviral drug, molnupiravir, is likely to be effective against known variants of the coronavirus, including the dominant, highly transmissible Delta, the company said on September 29.
Since molnupiravir does not target the spike protein of the virus - the target of all current COVID-19 vaccines - which defines the differences between the variants, the drug should be equally effective as the virus continues to evolve, said Jay Grobler, head of infectious disease and vaccines at Merck. -Reuters
EU to decide on Pfizer booster on October 4: Document
The EU's drugs regulator will decide on October 4 whether to approve Pfizer's COVID-19 booster vaccine, but it is unlikely to give precise guidance on who should receive it, according to an internal document and two officials.
If the European Medicines Agency (EMA) gives its backing for the jab, the 27-member block would join the United States, Britain and Israel which have already received the green light to deploy boosters, even though there is no consensus among scientists that they are necessary. -Reuters
Punjab eases restrictions on public gatherings
The Punjab government on September 29 decided to ease restrictions on public gatherings in the wake of improvement in the COVID-19 situation in the State.
According to the decision, the government has allowed an indoor gathering of 300 people and outdoor gathering of 500 people.
Earlier, it was 150 for indoor and 300 for outdoor gatherings. -PTI
YouTube blocks all anti-vaccine content
YouTube will block all anti-vaccine content, moving beyond COVID-19 to include content that alleges vaccines cause chronic health effects or contains misinformation on the substances in vaccines, it said in a blog post on September 29.
The online video company owned by Alphabet Inc is also banning prominent anti-vaccine activists, taking down several channels, the Washington Post reported, citing YouTube’s Vice President Of Global Trust and Safety Matt Halprin. These include Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Joseph Mercola, who have long been high-profile figures in the anti-vaccine movement. -Reuters
Teachers, staffers of Delhi govt schools to be treated as on leave if not vaccinated by October 15
Unvaccinated teachers and non-teaching staffers of Delhi government schools will not be allowed to attend school from October 15 and they will be considered as being on leave, the Directorate of Education (DoE) said on September 29.
"We all are aware that the country is threatened with the COVID-19 pandemic, it is necessary to take all effective measures to prevent the spread of the same. The schools under DoE have been reopened in a phased manner, so it is the prime concern of the Delhi government that the environment of the schools remain safe with the appropriate implementation of SoPs and measures," DoE Director Udit Raj said in an official order. -PTI
Slovenia suspends J&J vaccine after 20-year-old's death
Slovenia suspended use of the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine September 29 while it investigates the death of a 20-year-old woman, as thousands started gathering for an anti-vaccination protest in the small European Union nation.
The suspension will be in place until experts determine whether there was a link between the woman's death from a stroke this week and the vaccine shot she received two weeks earlier, Health Minister Janez Poklukar said. -AP
National parks in Assam to reopen for tourists
The Orang National Park in Assam will reopen for tourists on September 30 and the parks in Kaziranga and Manas will reopen on October 1, officials said on September 29.
The national parks in Assam were shut to visitors for several months due to COVID-19 pandemic and the monsoon season, they said.
This year the parks were shut before the normal schedule because of the outbreak of the second wave of COVID-19.
The Kaziranga National Park (KNP), known the world over for its one horn rhino, will initially be opened partially with access to only three ranges from October 1, an official release said. -PTI
