Coronavirus LIVE: Delhi govt allows cinemas, theatres to reopen Oct 15
Coronavirus update: DCGI expert panel has directed the pharma giant Dr Reddy's Laboratories (DRL) to submit a revised protocol for performing phase 2,3 clinical trials of the Russian COVID-19 vaccine
 "movie theatre")
Sanitization process underway in a movie theatre | Photo: PTI
Nepal reports record spike of 3,439 COVID-19 cases
Nepal has recorded the highest single day spike of 3,439 COVID-19 cases, taking the country's coronavirus tally to 94,253, a senior health official said on Wednesday.
The country also witnessed 15 COVID-19 deaths, pushing the number of fatalities to 578.
A total 14,209 tests were conducted in the past 24 hours across the country and 3,439 people have turned out to be positive, said Jageshwar Gautam, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Health and Population.
As many as 1,126 people, who had earlier tested positive for the virus, have fully recovered from the infection in the last 24 hours, Gautam said.
Karnataka government slashes fine on not wearing face masks
Days after imposing hefty penalties, the Karnataka government on Wednesday reduced the fine on people not wearing masks from Rs 1,000 to Rs 250 in urban areas and from Rs 500 to Rs 100 in rural parts of the state.
The government had come under sharp criticism from various quarters not only for the exorbitant penalty amount but also policemen reportedly going on a fine collection spree at public places.
"In its recent order the government had fixed a fine of Rs 1000 in the urban areas and Rs 500 in the rural areas on those not wearing the masks," Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa said.
No free COVID-19 test in Meghalaya from Oct 16
With the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) withdrawing subsidy on testing kits, the Meghalaya government has announced that COVID-19 tests will be charged from next week, Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong said on Wednesday.
The samples for COVID-19 test will be examined on payment from October 16.
The deputy chief minister also said that plans are afoot to charge inmates at government Corona Care Centres for meals.
The state government has initiated the process for identifying hotels and guest houses where people who are currently in institutional quarantine can be lodged, if they are willing to undergo paid isolation.
Bengaluru's iconic flower market hit hard by Covid, vendors await vaccine
In this bustling market, the flower sellers are still sceptical about their business reaching the pre-Covid levels but many feel that this festival might at least help them reach a reasonable level of financial stability.
Most of the flower sellers say that their business has fallen by almost 65 to 70 per cent compared to the previous year. The worst affected in this segment are the flower decorators who say their business has fallen by 75 per cent to 80 per cent due to the closure of marriage halls, convention centres, schools and colleges. Read more...
Bengaluru's iconic flower market hit hard by Covid, vendors await vaccine
In this bustling market, the flower sellers are still sceptical about their business reaching the pre-Covid levels but many feel that this festival might at least help them reach a reasonable level of financial stability.
Most of the flower sellers say that their business has fallen by almost 65 to 70 per cent compared to the previous year. The worst affected in this segment are the flower decorators who say their business has fallen by 75 per cent to 80 per cent due to the closure of marriage halls, convention centres, schools and colleges. Read more...
Previous infection with 'common cold' coronavirus may lessen Covid-19 severity: Study
Being previously infected with coronaviruses that cause the 'common cold' may decrease the severity of COVID-19, according to researchers, including one of Indian origin, who said the finding could have significant implications on vaccine development.
The study, published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, also demonstrates that the immunity built up from previous non-SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus infections does not prevent individuals from getting Covid-19.
The researchers at Boston Medical Center and Boston University School of Medicine in the US noted that SARS-CoV-2 is a relatively new pathogen.
There are many other types of coronaviruses that are endemic in humans and can cause the "common cold" and pneumonia, they said.
Bangladesh reports 1,520 new Covid cases
Bangladesh has logged 1,520 new Covid1-9 cases, pushing the tally to 373,151, health officials said on Wednesday.
The death toll jumped to 5,440 following 35 fresh deaths across the country.
The number of recoveries outpaced active cases in the same period as another 1,798 patients recovered from Covid-19 through treatment at home and in hospital care, bringing the total to 286,631, bdnews24 reported.
Delhi: Fall in containment zone count after steady rise since Aug last week
Govt to launch awareness campaign to check spread of coronavirus
The government would launch a campaign from Thursday to spread awareness on the measures people need to follow to check the spread of coronavirus, Union minister Prakash Javadekar said.
Addressing a press conference here on Wednesday on the decisions taken by the Union Cabinet, he said till the time a vaccine is available, people need to wear masks, maintain distance and sanitise hands as part of efforts to check the spread of the virus. Read on...
Covid-19: Dasara festival likely to be confined to Mysuru Palace and Chamundi Hills
As part of checking the spread of Covid-19, Karnataka Health Minister B Sriramulu said on Wednesday there is a general view that the Dasara festival should be confined to the Mysuru Palace and Chamundi Hills this year.
"We have discussed the safety measures that should be taken to prevent the spread of coronavirus infection during the Dasara festival in Mysuru.
There is a general view in the meeting that the Dasara should be confined to the Mysuru Palace and the Chamundi Hills," Sriramulu tweeted after a meeting with the Mysuru district authorities.
Arunachal guv urges people to support state govt in its fight against Covid-19
Arunachal Pradesh Governor Brig (Retd) Dr B D Mishra on Wednesday urged people to cooperate with the state government in its fight against COVID-19, and iterated that safety protocols have to be strictly followed to stop the spread of the disease.
The governor, who along with wife returned from Delhi on Tuesday, took the rapid antigen test at Banderdewa check gate and tested negative for the infection, a statement issued by the Raj Bhavan here said.
During his stay in the national capital, he held discussions with the central leadership on several developmental issues concerning the state, it said.
Problem at Roche warehouse raises fears over UK Covid-19 tests
Swiss pharmaceutical firm Roche said Wednesday that problems at a UK warehouse are delaying shipments of testing products to clinics and hospitals, triggering concerns that COVID-19 testing may be disrupted as infection rates rise around Britain.
Roche informed doctors about the problem at its UK distribution center in Sussex, southern England, in a letter that advised customers to prioritize essential services only.
Roche said the problem arose after it moved to a new automatic warehouse in September.
The company said that it was prioritizing the dispatch of Covid-19 PCR and antibody tests and doing everything we can to ensure there is no impact on the supply of these to the National Health Service.
Karnataka conducts over 100,000 Covid-19 tests in a day, aims at scaling it up to 150,000
Karnataka Medical Education Minister K Sudhakar on Wednesday said the state conducted 104,000 coronavirus tests in a single day on October 6, and the government's aim was to increase the number of tests to 150,000 per day.
In a tweet, Sudhakar said, "Karnataka conducted 1,04,348 Covid-19 tests in a single day on Tuesday. 55,690 RT-PCR & other method tests were conducted across 146 labs in the state & 48,658 Rapid Antigen Tests were conducted across 30 districts.
We will soon increase the tests to 150,000 per day, he added.
As of October 6 evening, cumulatively 657,000 COVID-19 positive cases have been confirmed in the state, which includes 9,461 deaths and 5.33 lakh discharges, the health department's bulletin said.
Tripura reports 237 new Covid-19 cases, tally rises to 27,545
At least 237 more people tested positive for Covid-19 in Tripura on Wednesday, pushing the tally in the state to 27,545, a health department official said.
The death toll remained at 298 with no fresh fatalities reported in the last 24 hours, he said.
West Tripura district, comprising state capital Agartala, has accounted for 161 Covid-19 deaths so far, the official said.
Billionaire wealth reaches new high during Covid-19 pandemic: UBS report
Don't miss the most important news and views of the day. Get them on our Telegram channel
First Published: Oct 07 2020 | 8:01 AM IST
