Speculative and misinformed: Govt on Lancet’s report on high Covid 19 mortality in India
The Centre on Friday termed as “speculative and misinformed” a new study which claimed that India’s estimated cumulative excess Covid deaths between January 2020 and December 2021 was around eight times higher than reported. The Lancet reported on Thursday that although excess mortality rates due to Covid among Indian states are not the highest in the world, because of India’s large population, the country accounted for around 22.3 per cent of global excess deaths as of December 31, 2021.
Lancet report says India’s excess deaths due to Covid highest in world, govt terms it ‘misinformed’
No hint of China relaxing its rigid Zero-Covid policy as cases spike
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Friday did not give any definite road map to revise Beijing’s two-year rigid Zero-Covid case policy and opening up of international travel, as China witnessed a spurt in coronavirus cases amid the massive outbreak of the virus in Hong Kong.
China to introduce rapid antigen tests for first time as Covid outbreaks spread: health commission
China said Friday it would introduce the use of rapid antigen tests for the first time, as Covid-19 cases nationwide soared to their highest levels in two years on the back of the omicron variant. The National Health Commission said the self-test kits would now be available for clinics and ordinary citizens to buy via “retail pharmacies, online sales platforms and other channels”, as authorities locked down a northern city of nine million and closed schools in Shanghai to bring infections down.
9 new cases in Ladakh
Ladakh reported nine fresh Covid cases that took the infection tally to 28,153, officials said on Friday. The number of active cases stands at 75 — 73 in Leh and two in Kargil — they said.
Northeastern Chinese city of 9 million locks down as Covid cases spike
China’s biggest covid surge in two years brings new measures, anxiety
China reported its highest daily total of coronavirus cases in two years on Friday as authorities in Shanghai and other major cities stepped up targeted lockdowns and testing to halt the highly transmissible Omicron variant.
The daily positivity rate was recorded as 0.52 per cent and the weekly positivity rate as 0.55 per cent, according to the ministry.
Over 16.70 crore unutilized Covid-19 vaccine doses available with States, UTs: Centre
India’s active cases fall to 42,219: Health ministry
In graph: Daily Covid cases vs deaths
In graph: Active Covid cases
India’s active Covid cases decline to 42,219: Health ministry
In graph: Daily Covid deaths
In graph: Daily Covid cases
India reports 4,194 new Covid-19 cases and 255 deaths in last 24 hours: Govt
WHO frustration two years on since pandemic declaration
Today marks two years to the day since the World Health Organization first described Covid-19 as a pandemic, shaking countries into action as the disease ripped around the planet.The once-in-a-century pandemic has turned the world upside down, claiming more than six million lives and infecting at least 450 million people. But the WHO voiced its frustration at people marking the second anniversary of March 11, 2020, insisting that the real alarm came six weeks earlier — but few people bothered to sit up and take notice. The WHO declared a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) — the highest level of alarm in the global health regulations — on January 30, 2020, when, outside of China, fewer than 100 cases and no deaths had been reported.
US extends mask rule for travel while weighing new approach
Federal officials are extending the requirement for masks on planes and public transportation for one more month — through mid-April — while taking steps that could lead to lifting the rule. The mask mandate was scheduled to expire March 18, but the Transportation Security Administration said on Thursday that it will extend the requirement through April 18.
US to ease nationwide mask mandate on transit next month
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is developing guidance that will ease the nationwide mask mandate for public transit next month, according to a U.S. official, but the existing face covering requirement will be extended through April 18.
India’s Covid toll 8 times higher than reported: Lancet
A new paper in the Lancet indicates that India’s Covid-19 deaths were vastly under-reported and estimates that up to the end of 2021 India had the highest number of cumulative excess deaths in the world at 4.07 million deaths.