China’s useful Covid lesson

Covid-19: Currently, India's active caseload stands at 2,670. India saw a decline in daily Covid-19 cases as the country reported 173 new coronavirus infections in the past 24 hours, taking the cumulative tally to 4.46 crore (4,46,78,822), according to Union Health Ministry data updated on Monday.  On Sunday, the country logged 265 fresh coronavirus infections.  Currently, India's active caseload stands at 2,670, that comprises 0.01% of the total infections.

A company linked to the husband of Scottish businesswoman Michelle Mone ploughed tens of thousands of pounds into the Conservatives.

Risk profile!

As the first case has been found in India, here are five things you must know about this new Covid strain - XBB.1.5 variant. Experts believe that the new Covid version XBB.1.5 in the scene is the "next big thing" and has the potential to trigger a significant upsurge globally.

On Friday, Covid guidelines were revised by the Centre for passengers arriving on international flights. Negative RT-PCR tests will be mandatory from January 1 to enter India from countries that are seeing massive COVID surge currently. These countries include China, Singapore, Hong Kong, the Republic of Korea, Thailand and Japan.

This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.

TESTS Not all countries are imposing tests. European Union members, in particular, are divided. Over the past days, officials in France, Germany and Portugal have said they saw no need for now for new restrictions, while Austria has stressed the economic benefits of Chinese tourists' return to Europe.

The show did go on for Perth Theatre’s production of Jack and the Beanstalk after two days of panto performances were cancelled due to a COVID outbreak among the cast.

The civil aviation ministry has asked the airlines to modify check-in systems ahead of new Covid norms for travellers from China, 5 other countries The civil aviation ministry on Friday asked airlines to modify their check-in systems for international passengers coming into India as part of the revised Covid guidelines, which makes a negative Covid test report a must for travellers coming from China and five other countries from Sunday. The ministry's direction comes a day after the health ministry decided to make RT-PCR negative test reports compulsory for passengers coming on all international flights from six high-risk countries --China, Singapore, Hong Kong, the Republic of Korea, Thailand and Japan.

(With inputs from PTI)

Indonesia has decided to scrap the mask mandate, ending the coronavirus pandemic restrictions Indonesia will do away with indoor mask mandates and remove the requirement to show proof of vaccination when entering buildings, becoming one of the last few countries to completely end Covid-19 restrictions.  The changes will take effect from Friday and decision was taken as almost all of Indonesia’s population had immunity against the virus, said President Joko Widodo, who is popularly known as Jokowi.   “We once failed in containing Covid, but now we are among the few countries that did not experience a pandemic wave in past 10 to 11 consecutive months," he told a media briefing in Jakarta.

BBC – A Myanmar military court has sentenced Aung San Suu Kyi to a further seven years in prison, taking her overall jail time to 33 years.The country's former democratically-elected leader has been under house arrest since a military ousted her government in a coup in February 2021.Since then she's faced 18 months of trials on 19 charges – which rights groups say are a sham.The UN Security Council called for her release last week.On Friday she was sentenced on the final five charges she faced. A court found her guilty of corruption because she had not followed regulations in renting a helicopter for a government minister.She had already been convicted of 14 different crimes including breaching Covid public safety rules, importing walkie-talkies and violating the official secrets act.Her trials this year have been set behind closed-doors where the public and media are barred access and her lawyers are also banned from speaking to journalists.

Covid-19 update: The death toll stands at 5,30,699 with one fatality reported from Maharashtra in the last 24 hours. India has been witnessing an increase in daily Covid-19 cases, with the country recording 243 new coronavirus infections in the past 24 hours, according to Union Health Ministry data updated on Friday.  With this, the country's cumulative tally has gone up to 4.46 crore (4,46,78, 158) and active cases have increased to 3,609, the ministry said.  The death toll stands at 5,30,699 with one fatality reported from Maharashtra in the last 24 hours, the data updated at 8 am stated. The daily positivity rate was recorded at 0.11 per cent while the weekly positivity was pegged at 0.16 per cent.

HONG KONG : Beijing called on foreign governments to abide by scientific principles in setting travel protocols, after the U.S.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Sri Lanka's Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella had rejected the allegations made by Education Secretary of the Frontline Socialist Party (FSP), Pubudu Jagoda over the proposed procurement of medicine from Kaushik Pharmaceuticals.The FSP activist alleged that the procurement was to take place in violation of procedures in place, and that Kaushik Pharmaceuticals was blacklisted by the State Pharmaceuticals Corporation (SPC).Jagoda also claimed that the Minister visited India on the account of Kaushik Pharmaceuticals that paid for his suite at a five-star hotel in Chennai.On Wednesday (28), Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella speaking to reporters in Colombo said that no misappropriation or misdeed occurred in the process, and that he reimbursed the air fare paid by a 'friend'. The Government reserved US$ 60 million to import medicines required for the next three-month period, Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said while adding that a personal request saw that the Indian Credit Line that was to exprire on the 22nd of November, be extended to the 31st of December 2022.The Minister also denied claims that he, as the Health Minister was attempting to purchase drugs by passing the President and his instructions. The Medical and Civil Rights Professional Association had addressed a letter to the President to intervene into this matter.They call on the President to conduct an investigation on the failure by authorities to inspect the quality of locally produced medicines before they are released to the market, and the attempt being made to procure Indian medicines without the approval of the NMRA.It claims that the President and the Ministry were misled by the Minister.The Medical and Civil Rights

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Sri Lanka's Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella had rejected the allegations made by Education Secretary of the Frontline Socialist Party (FSP), Pubudu Jagoda over the proposed procurement of medicine from Kaushik Pharmaceuticals.The FSP activist alleged that the procurement was to take place in violation of procedures in place, and that Kaushik Pharmaceuticals was blacklisted by the State Pharmaceuticals Corporation (SPC).Jagoda also claimed that the Minister visited India on the account of Kaushik Pharmaceuticals that paid for his suite at a five-star hotel in Chennai.On Wednesday (28), Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella speaking to reporters in Colombo said that no misappropriation or misdeed occurred in the process, and that he reimbursed the air fare paid by a 'friend'. The Government reserved US$ 60 million to import medicines required for the next three-month period, Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said while adding that a personal request saw that the Indian Credit Line that was to exprire on the 22nd of November, be extended to the 31st of December 2022.The Minister also denied claims that he, as the Health Minister was attempting to purchase drugs by passing the President and his instructions. The Medical and Civil Rights Professional Association had addressed a letter to the President to intervene into this matter.They call on the President to conduct an investigation on the failure by authorities to inspect the quality of locally produced medicines before they are released to the market, and the attempt being made to procure Indian medicines without the approval of the NMRA.It claims that the President and the Ministry were misled by the Minister.The Medical and Civil Rights

Moves by several countries to mandate COVID-19 tests for passengers arriving from China reflect global concern that new variants could emerge in its ongoing explosive outbreak — and that the government may not inform the rest of the world quickly enough. There have been no reports of new variants to date, but China has been accused of not being forthcoming about the virus since it first surfaced in the country in late 2019. The worry is that it may not be sharing data now on any signs of evolving strains that could spark fresh outbreaks elsewhere.

Why COVID projections have become harder During the early days of the pandemic, simple models could be used to project the number of COVID cases and the likely effect on the population, including demands for health care. Relatively few variables were needed to produce the first projections. That was because there was one main variant of COVID, the original strain, to which everyone in the world was susceptible.

Government officials have warned that the next 40 days will be crucial in determining the possibility of a resurgence of covid-19 cases in India, urging people to follow safety protocol and complete their vaccination. NEW DELHI: India reported 268 fresh coronavirus infections and two deaths in the last 24 hours, as per the Union health ministry’s covid bulletin on Thursday. Active cases stood at 3,552, taking the total number of cases reported in the country so far since the pandemic hit in 2020 to 4.46 crore.

With inputs from agencies

While the Central government has started random sampling and testing of 2% of foreign travellers at Delhi airport, in the last two days, more than 6,000 international travellers have been scanned, out of which 39 passengers have tested covid-19 positive. New Delhi: Government officials warned that the next 40 days would be crucial in determining the possibility of a resurgence of covid-19 cases in India as they urged people to follow safety protocols and complete their vaccination doses.

Italy is now sequencing those tests to see if there are new variants coming from China Italian health authorities will begin testing all arrivals from China for Covid after almost half of the passengers on two flights to Milan were found to have the virus.  The country is now sequencing those tests to see if there are new variants coming from China, the Health Ministry said in a statement. If a new strain is found, officials may impose stricter curbs on travel from China.

Colombo (News 1st) – THE YEAR THAT WAS AND THE YEAR TO COME – Watch FACE THE NATION on Wednesday 28th December at 9:30 pm on TV1 – Dialog TV-10 – PEO TV-12

Next 40 days going to be crucial as India may see surge in Covid cases in January: Official sources citing previous trends, news agency ANI reported 

North Lanarkshire councillors have chosen to have a single pandemic memorial installed in Motherwell’s Strathclyde Park rather than several smaller ones in various towns.

JERUSALEM (AP) - Majd Ramlawi was serving coffee in Jerusalem’s Old City when a chilling text message appeared on his phone."You have been spotted as having participated in acts of violence in the Al-Aqsa Mosque," it read in Arabic. "We will hold you accountable."Ramlawi, then 19, was among hundreds of people who civil rights attorneys estimate got the text last year, at the height of one of the most turbulent recent periods in the Holy Land.

Expert said that owing to the fact that samples are few, the chances of finding new variant is slim. With COVID continuing to surge worldwide, one of the biggest worries currently is the rise of new variants. All viruses mutate, and the higher the rate of the infection, the easier it is to mutate.

Crude prices also gained amid supply concerns in the US as winter storm has hit energy production across the country New Delhi: International crude oil prices rose on Tuesday as China’s plans to relax quarantine norms for inbound travellers revived hopes of demand recovery. The February contract of Brent on the Intercontinental Exchange was trading at $84.76 per barrel, higher by 1.00% from its previous close. The February contract of the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) rose 0.80% to $80.20 a barrel.

7) There is NO cause for alarm in India. [7/18] Explaining why, we continue to have > 98% population with natural immunity.

Name Change In another sign of downgrading the impact of the virus, the government changed the Chinese name of Covid-19 from “new coronavirus pneumonia" to “new coronavirus infections." Omicron’s much reduced virulence compared to the ancestral strain that emerged from Wuhan means most people are sickened with only mild upper respiratory tract infections, authorities said. “The new coronavirus will linger in nature for a long time to come," according to the statement.

₹800+ GST+ hospital charges according to sources. Bharat Biotech’s iNNOVACC is now available on CoWin, priced at ₹800 for private hospitals and ₹325 for a government hospitals. The country’s first intranasal covid vaccine will be rolled out in the fourth week of January as a booster dose for those above 18 years of age, said the company spokesperson.

₹104 crores to enable government hospitals to stock up on life-saving medicines. Sisodia said, "This amount has been approved by the government to ensure that there is no shortage of any medicines in government hospitals and they are well prepared to deal with an emergency." Delhi has recorded 2,007,159 Covid cases and 26,521 deaths since the pandemic started in early 2020.

This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text.

The covid-19 surge in China has triggered concern among Indian exporters as it may add to the softening of demand from Western countries The covid-19 surge in China has triggered concern among Indian exporters as it may add to the softening of demand from Western countries. China, India’s largest trading partner, reported an 11% decline in imports in November, and the latest outbreak could further hit exports of Indian goods. While experts noted that the impact on Indian exports from the outbreak in China would not be immediately visible, as orders for the next quarter have been received, China’s decision to stop publishing daily covid-19 data has created significant uncertainty about the severity of the spread.

Masks will be mandatory to celebrate the New Year in pubs, restaurants & bars. Masks have been made mandatory inside movie theatres, schools & colleges.

The Nainital High Court on Monday made masks mandatory inside the courtroom amid fear of a surge in Covid-19 cases. In an official notification, the high court said, "In view of the danger of spreading of Covid-19, it will be possible to enter the courtroom only by wearing a mask in the Nainital High Court". On the instructions of Nainital High Court Chief Justice Vipin Shanghvi, the Registrar of the High Court issued a notification that all officers, staff, lawyers, and parties will be able to enter the court only by wearing masks.

Prime minister Narendra Modi on Sunday asked people to take precautionary measures, such as wearing masks and washing hands, amid rising cases of covid-19 across the world. Addressing the nation through his monthly radio programme Mann Ki Baat, Modi wished people on the occasion of Christmas, but suggested celebration of festivals with caution. “At this time many people are also in the mood for holidays.

HONG KONG : China’s central health authority has stopped publishing daily Covid-19 data, ending a three-year effort that has drawn mounting criticism for massively underreporting the surge in infections now sweeping the country. In a one-line announcement Sunday, China’s National Health Commission said it would no longer issue its daily report on Covid infections and deaths.

AP “China has a population that is very large and there’s limited immunity. And that seems to be the setting in which we may see an explosion of a new variant." “When we’ve seen big waves of infection, it’s often followed by new variants being generated," Ray said. Experts said a partially immune population like China’s puts particular pressure on the virus to change.

India's Covid case tally was recorded at 4.46 crore (4,46,77,106). Covid-19 cases in India are increasing with a slight margin. The country has recorded 227 new coronavirus infections, while the active cases increased to 3,424, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Sunday.

The vaccine can be administered to individuals who have received primary doses of Covaxin and Covishield Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Friday approved Bharat Biotech International Ltd’s intranasal covid-19 vaccine, iNCOVACC, for emergency use in adults for both primary and booster shots. The vaccine can be administered to individuals who have received primary doses of Covaxin and Covishield, the two most used vaccines against covid-19 in India. “We have given approval to the intranasal covid vaccine.

₹8.33 trillion of investor wealth, driven by concerns about more aggressive rate hikes by the US Federal Reserve Indian benchmark indices saw their biggest drop in three months, wiping out ₹8.33 trillion of investor wealth, driven by concerns about more aggressive rate hikes by the US Federal Reserve and the resurgence of covid cases in China and other parts of the world. The National Stock Exchange’s Nifty index fell 1.77% to close at 17,806.8, while the Sensex plunged 1.6% to 59,845.29. This is the sharpest daily drop in the Nifty since 16 September and 23 September for the Sensex.

NEW DELHI : Amid an explosion of covid-19 cases in China and a sharp rise in cases in the US, among other countries, Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Friday directed state governments to conduct mock drills in all hospitals to ensure that covid-appropriate infrastructure is in place to ward off any threat of a fourth wave. The recent spike in cases in China is being attributed to the more virulent and contagious Omicron BF.7 variant, which is a sub-lineage of BA.5. China National Health Commission said the R0, or reproduction rate, of the variant was at 16, indicating a high transmissibility rate.

Covid-19 update: The country's active cases declined to 3,380. India logged 163 new coronavirus infections, taking the cumulative tally to 4.46 crore (4,46,76,678), according to the Union Health Minister data updated on Friday.  The country's active cases declined to 3,380, that comprises of 0.01% of the total infections. A decrease of 22 cases has been recorded in the active Covid-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours.

NEW DELHI : Amid a sudden surge in covid cases globally due to the Omicron BF.7 variant, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has directed state governments to ensure operational readiness of hospital infrastructure, stressed on precaution dose vaccination for the elderly and vulnerable population, and instructed strengthening of surveillance, genome sequencing and testing. Modi, on Thursday, virtually chaired a high-level meeting to assess the covid-19 situation in the country, preparedness of health infrastructure and logistics, status of vaccination campaign and the emergence of new covid-19 variants and their public health implications.

NEW DELHI : To minimize the risk of new covid variants, the union health ministry has requested slew of covid-19 preventive measures to be followed at all the airports. Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan has written a letter to Rajiv Bansal, Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation to coordinate with airport operators and ensure random sampling of passengers‘ post arrival at the airport.

Haywire immune response in the nose that lingers after infection could cause smell loss, study finds The nose knows why some people still can’t smell long after recovering from Covid-19. A haywire immune response in the olfactory system was found to explain why some people still can’t smell long after symptoms of the disease have abated, according to a small, peer-reviewed study published Wednesday in the journal Science Translational Medicine. In some cases, the immune or inflammatory response was detected in patients with smell loss up to 16 months after recovery from Covid-19.

It’s difficult to tell the difference but there are clues to look for, doctors say You’re sneezing, coughing and feeling a scratch in your throat. Do you have the flu? RSV? Covid-19? Strep throat? The stew of illnesses swirling through the population right now has many of us sick, sometimes for weeks, but unsure what, exactly, we have. If you’re having symptoms, how can you tell which virus or infection you have? Because flu, Covid, and respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, have virtually indistinguishable symptoms, doctors say, it’s almost impossible to know without a test.