Covid 19

The Delhi High Court took the Delhi police to task for dragging a case of violation of COVID-19 guidelines for the past seven months, “when it ought not to have taken even seven days for disposal”, saying that the police’s actions “roused suspicions” and were a “colossal waste of time and human resources”. The High Court was hearing a petition by sporting goods company Decathlon, which sought quashing of an FIR lodged on December 30 last year after a police patrol party found one of its showrooms at Preet Vihar open, with 8-10 people standing near the reception, beyond the stipulated time of 8 p.m. Justice Asha Menon refused to quash the FIR noting that there was disobedience of the COVID-19 guidelines, but also questioned the Delhi police for dragging the case till now when the violation was in the nature of “petty offences”. The judge said the action of the police in issuing notice to employees of the company to appear at the Preet Vihar police station instead of sending the … [Read more...] about Dispose of COVID-19 violation cases immediately: Delhi High Court

China raced on Tuesday to stamp out COVID-19 outbreaks in the tourist hubs of Tibet and Hainan, with the authorities launching more rounds of mass testing and closing venues to contain the highly transmissible Omicron variant. Mainland China reported 828 new domestically transmitted cases across more than a dozen provinces and regions for Aug. 8, with over half of them in Hainan, a highly popular tourist destination, official data showed on Tuesday. Tibet, which until now had reported only one symptomatic case since the pandemic started more than two years ago, has also reported cases. Parts of Tibet were running mass COVID-19 testing on Tuesday, including its two largest cities Lhasa and Shigatse, where local authorities suspended large events, closed entertainment and religious venues, and shut some tourist sites including the Potala Palace. Tibetan authorities reported one local patient with confirmed symptoms and 21 local asymptomatic infections on Aug. 8. While the case … [Read more...] about China Races to Contain Covid Outbreaks in Tourism Hubs Tibet, Hainan

The Fed has raised its benchmark interest rate again by a whopping 0.75%. The Reserve Bank of India has also been forced to raise interest rates further but also take other steps. These decisions in the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting are based on what the members of the MPC see as the likely course of the economy in the months ahead. But, the trajectory of the world economy, and its likely impact on the Indian economy, is imponderable. So, Indian policymakers would face two crucial problems. First, the main uncertainty is due to Russia’s war on Ukraine and the resultant economic sanctions on Russia, as well as the zero-COVID-19 policy in China that repeatedly implements lockdowns leading to global supply bottlenecks. Second, policy has to base itself on data. If it is deficient, it introduces additional uncertainty, making projections for the future difficult and causing policies to fail. This will compound the problem that results from the global uncertainty. … [Read more...] about Macrovariable projections in uncertain times

Delhi has reported 2,495 new coronavirus cases with a positivity rate of 15.41 per cent and seven fatalities, according to the health department data shared on Tuesday. The national capital saw 1,372 infections and six deaths as the case positivity rate rose to 17.85 per cent, the highest since January 21, it said. The figures pertain to August 7 (Sunday) as the government did not release the daily health bulletin on Monday. On January 21, the positivity rate stood at 18.04 per cent. The fresh cases on Tuesday came out of 16,187 COVID-19 tests, the health department bulletin stated. With the fresh infections and fatalities, Delhi’s caseload increased to 19,73,394 and the death toll to 26,343, it said. Delhi had reported 2,423 COVID-19 cases with a positivity rate of 14.97 per cent and two deaths, the data updated on Sunday said. On Saturday, it recorded 2,311 COVID-19 cases with a positivity rate of 13.84 per cent and one fatality. On Friday, it logged 2,419 cases with a … [Read more...] about Delhi Sees 2,495 New Coronavirus Cases, 7 Fatalities

The Union health ministry is expected to soon approve Biological E’s Corbevax as a precaution dose for people above 18 years who are double vaccinated with either Covishield or Covaxin, official sources said on Tuesday. The approval will be based on the recommendations made by the COVID-19 Working Group of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI) last week, the sources told PTI. If approved by the government, this would be the first time a booster dose of a Covid vaccine different from the one used for primary vaccination would be allowed in the country. “Corbevax will be considered as a precaution dose after completion of 6 months or 26 weeks from the date of administration of the second dose of either Covaxin or Covishield vaccines for those aged above 18 years enabling use of Corbevax as a heterologous COVID-19 vaccine for precaution dose administration in this age group,” a source said. This will be in addition to the existing guidelines for homologous … [Read more...] about Govt Nod for Corbevax as Booster for Adults Vaccinated with Covishield, Covaxin Soon

This week, Attorney General William Barr said in a speech , “Other than slavery, which was a different kind of restraint,” the coronavirus stay-at-home orders were “the greatest intrusion on civil liberties in American history.” The Daily Show host Trevor Noah thinks that might be going a tad too far. “OK, slow your roll there, Droopy Dog,” Noah said in response. “Corona quarantines are not even close to the worst intrusion into civil liberties.” Off the top of his head, he listed Japanese internment camps during World War II and the Jim Crow-era efforts to stop Black people from voting as two other examples. “And don’t get me wrong,” he added. “I know that Barr said slavery was worse. But he shouldn’t even be mentioning slavery in the same breath as corona shutdowns.” Noah also pointed out that this is hardly the first time Republicans have compared something they don’t like to slavery. “‘Obama is like slavery! Paying taxes is like slavery!’” He wondered if Barr … [Read more...] about Trevor Noah Hammers Bill Barr for Comparing COVID Lockdowns to Slavery

Former President Donald Trump has released a video condemning President Joe Biden 's America following an FBI raid on his home. On Monday, Trump confirmed that FBI agents had searched his Mar-A-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida. He released a statement condemning the act and said "nothing like this has ever happened to a President of the United States before." He added: "After working and cooperating with the relevant Government agencies, this unannounced raid on my home was not necessary or appropriate." He went on to call the raid "prosecutorial misconduct" and a "weaponization of the Justice System." Trump said the raid was hatched by "Radical Left Democrats " seeking to prevent him from running for president in 2024 and likened his treatment to corruption in "broken, Third-World Countries." On Tuesday morning Trump also released a video on his social media platform, Truth Social, which included snippets from his speech during a rally in Arizona in July. … [Read more...] about Donald Trump releases video slamming Biden’s America as FBI raid Mar-a-Lago

A progressive Christian campaigner has savaged Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene 's call for conservatives to embrace being called "Christian nationalists". Writing for The Daily Beast the Rev. Nathan Empsall branded Christian nationalism "unchristian and unpatriotic," adding the movement's leaders are "America's false prophets" that "Jesus warned us about." Empsall's website says that his ministry is focused on "social, environmental, economic, and racial justice." It comes after Greene said in July that the Christian nationalist label is "actually a good thing ," during an appearance before the Turning Point USA Student Action Summit in Tampa, Florida. The Georgia politician doubled down on her argument in a subsequent radio interview, when she said: "We need to be the party of nationalism. I'm a Christian, and I say it proudly—we should be Christian nationalists." Empsall is Executive Director of Faithful America, a group founded in 2004, which says it is … [Read more...] about Marjorie Taylor Greene’s Christian nationalism criticized by faith leader

Former skipper Virat Kohli and a fit-again K. L. Rahul on Monday returned to a 15-member Indian squad for the Asia Cup while senior pacer Jasprit Bumrah missed out owing to a back injury. The Asia Cup will be held in Dubai and Sharjah from August 27 to September 11. Also Read Jasprit Bumrah ruled out of Asia Cup with back injury Rahul, who did not feature in the T20 series against the West Indies due to COVID-19, has recuperated from his sports hernia surgery, and is back as vice-captain. Shreyas, Axar dropped from main squad The notable names dropped from the main squad are batter Shreyas Iyer and left-arm spinner Axar Patel. Seamer Deepak Chahar, who has had a four-month lay-off due to a hamstring tear and a back injury was also among reserves. The other absentee from the squad was pacer Harshal Patel, owing to a rib injury. "Jasprit Bumrah and Harshal Patel were not available for selection owing to injuries. They are currently undergoing rehab at the … [Read more...] about Asia Cup | Kohli, Rahul back in India squad, Iyer on standby list

Healthcare which is affordable and easily accessible to all is the aim of all programmes that we are bringing in, said Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, on Friday, in Rajya Sabha. He said that the government has set up 1.22 lakh Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres, and will achieve the target of 1.5 lakh such centres by the end of this year. The Minister was responding to a discussion on Right to Health Bill 2021, that aims to ensure equitable access and maintenance of a standard of physical and mental health. RJD MP Prof. Manoj Jha had moved this legislation. Speaking about COVID, the Minister said that India’s COVID-19 vaccine drive shows the strength of the nation, its research and management capabilities. No shortage of syringes and doses “The meticulous vaccine management and planning ensured there were no shortage of syringes and doses, and India’s health efforts were appreciated by the world, and acknowledged by leading experts in the field,” said the … [Read more...] about Affordable and accessible healthcare to all is our aim: Health Minister