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Tag: covid news

  • Indonesia to reopen Bali to worldwide flights on October 14

    Indonesia plans to reopen the airport within the resort island of Bali for worldwide flights on October 14, after closing it for greater than a 12 months due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
    Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan mentioned Monday the airport will open to worldwide flight so long as it fulfills necessities for quarantine and testing.
    International arrivals should present proof of resort bookings for a compulsory eight-day quarantine.
    “We are open to several countries, including South Korea, China, Japan, United Arab Emirates and New Zealand,” Pandjaitan mentioned.
    Indonesia, the world’s fourth-most populous nation, has recorded greater than 4.2 million Covid-19 circumstances with 142,261 deaths, however infections have decreased in the previous few weeks after peaking in mid-July.
    Tourism and Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno mentioned Bali’s reopening will deal with travellers and returning expatriates who used to reside in Bali.
    The authorities continues to be finalising some steps together with lists of nations with direct flights to Bali.
    “The most important priority is the safety of the Indonesian people in terms of health and being protected from the potential spike in new cases of Covid-19,” Uno mentioned.

  • Coronavirus vaccine: Johnson & Johnson says second shot boosts safety

    In the United States, pharmaceutical firm Johnson & Johnson mentioned a second shot of its COVID-19 vaccine given two months after the primary dose elevated efficacy to 94%. This was discovered to be the case towards reasonable to extreme programs.
    A single dose has been discovered to offer 70% safety.
    “A booster dose of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine further increases antibody responses among study participants who had previously received our vaccine,” mentioned Dr. Mathai Mammen, head of analysis and growth at J&J. The firm beforehand revealed information exhibiting its one-shot dose supplied safety for as much as eight months after immunisation.

    J&J mentioned in assertion that it ran two early research in folks beforehand given its vaccine and located {that a} second dose produced an elevated antibody response in adults from age 18 to 55. The examine’s outcomes haven’t but been peer-reviewed.
    J&J’s vaccine is accredited to be used within the US, throughout Europe and there are plans for no less than 200 million doses to be shared with the UN-backed COVAX effort aimed toward distributing vaccines to poor nations. But the corporate has been affected by manufacturing issues and tens of millions of doses made at a troubled manufacturing unit in Baltimore needed to be thrown out.
    The J&J vaccine has been thought-about important by quite a few well being officers to ending the pandemic as a result of it requires just one shot, however fears concerning the easier-to-spread delta coronavirus variant have prompted quite a few governments to think about the usage of booster photographs for a lot of accredited vaccines.
    US President Joe Biden has been pushing for widespread booster photographs, however his vaccination marketing campaign acquired a blow final week, when a panel of specialists advising the US Food and Drug Administration, advisable towards booster photographs for youthful inhabitants teams.
    The World Health Organisation has urged wealthy nations to cease administering booster doses till no less than the top of the yr, saying vaccines ought to instantly be redirected to Africa, the place fewer than 4per cent of the inhabitants is absolutely immunised.
    In a paper revealed final week within the journal Lancet, high scientists from the WHO and FDA argued that the typical particular person doesn’t want a booster shot and that the authorised vaccines up to now present sturdy safety towards extreme COVID-19, hospitalisation and demise.

  • WHO says Covid variant of curiosity Mu could also be extra proof against vaccines: All it is advisable know

    Where was the variant first found?
    Now a variant of curiosity, it was first recognized in Colombia in January 2021, and since then, there have been “sporadic reports” of circumstances and a few bigger outbreaks in South America and Europe, the UN well being company mentioned in its weekly bulletin on Tuesday.
    As of August 29, over 4,500 sequences (3,794 B.1.621 sequences and 856 B.1.621.1 sequences), genome sequences, analysed samples of the virus taken from sufferers, have been designated as Mu prior to now 4 weeks. Most of those have been reported within the US (2,065) and Colombia (852), Mexico (357) and Spain (473).

    Cases have additionally been reported in Europe, UK and Hong Kong.
    Why was it added to the WHO’s watchlist?
    The new variant was added to the WHO’s watchlist on August 30 after it was detected in 39 nations and located to own a “constellation of mutations that indicate potential properties of immune escape”, the world well being physique mentioned.
    Although the worldwide prevalence of the Mu variant amongst sequenced COVID-19 circumstances is presently beneath 0.1%, its prevalence in Colombia (39%) and Ecuador (13%) has persistently elevated, it mentioned.
    The fifth variant of curiosity to be monitored by WHO since March, B.1.621 has a variety of mutations that recommend it might be extra proof against vaccines, the WHO warned, however mentioned that additional analysis can be wanted to substantiate this. “More studies are required to understand the phenotypic and clinical characteristics of this variant,” the world well being physique mentioned.

    Preliminary knowledge exhibits it might evade immune defences in a means much like the Beta variant first found in South Africa, the UN company mentioned, including that this must be confirmed by additional work.
    Mu variant at the very least as resistant as Beta to vaccine: PHE report
    A danger evaluation of the Mu variant launched by Public Health England (PHE) in August steered that the variant is at the very least as resistant because the Beta variant to immunity arising from vaccination.
    A WHO report added that preliminary knowledge suggests Mu could possibly evade antibodies generated from each prior an infection and coronavirus vaccines at ranges “similar to that seen for the Beta variant”, although this discovering must be confirmed in additional research.
    “At present, there is no evidence that VUI-21JUL-01 is outcompeting the Delta variant and it appears unlikely that it is more transmissible,” the report is quoted as stating by The Guardian. However, immune escape could contribute to future adjustments in development. The risk posed by the Mu variant relies on whether or not circumstances develop considerably within the coming weeks and months, the report added.

    Another coronavirus variant C.1.2 detected
    Meanwhile, South African scientists are carefully monitoring the potential variant of curiosity, C.1.2, which was first detected within the nation in May this yr. C.1.2 has since been present in China, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mauritius, England, New Zealand, Portugal and Switzerland as of August 13, they mentioned.
    However, C.1.2, isn’t but a variant to comply with, nor a variant of concern, in keeping with the classification of the World Health Organisation.
    The WHO has labeled 4 variants of concern – Alpha, Beta, Delta and Gamma – together with 5 variants of curiosity, together with Mu.
    With inputs from companies

  • Long Covid impacts as much as 1 in 7 youngsters months after an infection: examine

    As many as 1 in 7 youngsters might have signs linked to the coronavirus months after testing constructive for Covid-19, the authors of an English examine on lengthy Covid in adolescents mentioned on Wednesday.
    Children hardly ever grow to be severely in poor health with Covid-19 however they’ll undergo lingering signs, and the examine is among the largest of its sort on how frequent so-called lengthy Covid is within the age group.

    The examine, led by University College London and Public Health England, discovered that 11-17-year-olds who examined constructive for the virus had been twice as prone to report three or extra signs 15 weeks later than those that had examined detrimental.

    Researchers surveyed 3,065 11-17-year-olds in England who had constructive ends in a PCR take a look at between January and March, and a management group of three,739 11-17-year-olds who examined detrimental over the identical interval.
    Among those that examined constructive, 14% reported three or extra signs corresponding to uncommon tiredness or complications 15 weeks later, in contrast with 7% reporting signs by that point among the many management group.
    The researchers mentioned that whereas the findings recommended as many as 32,000 youngsters might need had a number of signs linked to Covid-19 after 15 weeks, the prevalence of lengthy Covid within the age group was decrease than some had feared final yr.
    “Overall, it’s better than people would’ve guessed back in December,” Professor Terence Stephenson of the UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, informed reporters.

    The findings had been a pre-print that had not been peer-reviewed. The authors mentioned that any determination to increase vaccination to 12-15-year-olds in Britain was unlikely to be primarily based on this examine as there was not sufficient knowledge on whether or not vaccination protects in opposition to lengthy Covid.
    “We are getting increasing evidence on the safety of the vaccine in the 12-15-year-olds and that’s more likely to be taken into consideration,” Liz Whittaker, a paediatrician at Imperial College London, informed reporters.

  • Coronavirus digest: Singapore is now probably the most vaccinated nation

    Singapore has totally vaccinated 80% of its inhabitants in opposition to the coronavirus, the well being minister mentioned on Sunday.
    This makes it the world’s most inoculated nation, as a number of components of the world battle to manage the unfold of the extremely infectious Delta variant.
    “We have crossed another milestone, where 80% of our population has received their full regimen of two doses,” Ong Ye Kung mentioned in a put up on social media.
    “It means Singapore has taken another step forward in making ourselves more resilient to COVID-19,” he added. “It is the result of the collective effort of many people working behind the scenes, and the people of Singapore coming forward to take care of themselves and the people around them.”
    With most of its 5.7 million inhabitants vaccinated, Singapore now has the world’s highest charge of full vaccinations. The small city-state is on observe to ease coronavirus-linked restrictions.
    Here are the most recent developments on coronavirus from world wide.
    Asia
    Japan is seeking to totally vaccinate its inhabitants by October or November, in keeping with Taro Kono, the minister answerable for the nation’s vaccine rollout. He additionally promised booster pictures for medical employees and the aged early subsequent 12 months.
    “Japan is aiming for 80% vaccination levels,” Kono mentioned on a Fuji TV present.
    This comes as Japan struggles with contaminants in sure a number of Moderna COVID-19 vaccines, which have been linked to the loss of life of two individuals within the nation.
    Inoculations at a large-scale vaccination middle within the Okinawa prefecture have been suspended on Sunday after contaminants have been present in quite a bit that was completely different from the sooner suspended pictures.
    Oceania
    Australia’s second-biggest metropolis Melbourne is extending its four-week virus-linked lockdown as a way to quell the unfold of the Delta variant.
    “We still have too many cases in the community for too long for us to be able to open up and give back… those freedoms that we cherish and those freedoms that we desperately want back,” Victoria state premier Dan Andrews mentioned, because the state recorded 92 new circumstances in a single day.
    Victoria’s neighboring state of New South Wales, the nation’s present COVID epicenter, registered 1,218 new circumstances, pushing Australia to a brand new file excessive.
    Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern mentioned New Zealand could have to make just a few adjustments in managing the outbreak because the nation reported 83 new circumstances of the Delta variant on Sunday.
    “If we need to tighten up our restrictions further, we will,” she instructed a televised briefing, days after the lockdown was prolonged till midnight on Tuesday.
    While restrictions have been to ease in components of the nation, Auckland — the epicenter of latest infections — would stay locked down for longer.
    Europe
    Germany has reported 8,416 new circumstances of the virus, taking the nation’s complete tally to three,932,547, in keeping with information from the Robert Koch Institute for infectious illnesses. Twelve deaths have been recorded within the newest one-day interval.
    The new numbers have been reported a day after a number of thousand demonstrators gathered in Berlin to protest the German authorities’s coronavirus insurance policies regardless of bans.
    Americas
    Just about 50% of male gamers on the US Open have been vaccinated, an ATP spokesperson mentioned, including that the lads’s tour “continues to strongly recommend vaccination to players.” The spokesperson said related numbers for the ladies’s tour.
    While spectators on the US Open are required to have a minimum of one shot of the COVID-19 vaccine, gamers and their group members don’t should be vaccinated.

  • ‘Cautious’ of third wave, Health Ministry sought curb on testing equipment exports

    The authorities’s transfer to limit exports of Covid-19 speedy antigen testing kits was a results of a request by the Health Ministry with a view of being “very cautious”, a senior authorities official instructed The Indian Express.
    The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) had on Monday moved these kits to the restricted class of exports. “(It was done) because the Health Ministry wants to be very cautious,” mentioned a authorities official, who didn’t want to be quoted, indicating that the federal government needed to make sure sufficient provide of speedy testing kits within the occasion of one other spike or wave in Covid-19 infections.
    The DGFT mounted the quota of such kits that may very well be exported in July, August and September at 11.76 crore, with exporters being required to file functions to export them between August 20 and August 30. The Centre, in April 2020, restricted export of all Covid diagnostic kits and reagents, equally requiring that exporters get hold of licenses for any exports of diagnostic kits as Covid-19.
    Exports of Covid-19 RT-PCR testing kits, and their elements, RNA extraction kits and part components and viral transport media (VTM) kits are additionally restricted by DGFT, as a part of measures to make sure sufficient provides of important diagnostic and analysis instruments within the occasion of one other spike in infections. Experts have mentioned a 3rd wave could also be inevitable.

    The Indian Medical Association had in July warned of a 3rd wave and referred to as for curbs on mass gatherings. Researchers have mentioned {that a} third wave could begin as quickly as this month and peak in October.

  • WHO requires ‘moratorium’ on Covid-19 boosters till not less than Sept-end to handle vaccination disparity

    The WHO on Wednesday known as for a “moratorium” on booster pictures of the COVID-19 vaccine till not less than the top of September, noting with concern the disparity in vaccination ranges in low and high-income nations.
    World Health Organisation Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated at a information convention in Geneva that whereas high-income nations have now administered nearly 100 doses for each 100 folks, low-income nations have solely been capable of administer 1.5 doses for each 100 folks, because of lack of provide.
    “We need an urgent reversal, from the majority of vaccines going to high-income countries, to the majority going to low-income countries,” he stated.
    “Accordingly, WHO is calling for a moratorium on boosters until at least the end of September, to enable at least 10% of the population of every country to be vaccinated,” the WHO chief stated.

    WHO urged “everyone with influence” — Olympic athletes, buyers, enterprise leaders, religion leaders, and each particular person in their very own household and group — to assist its name for a moratorium on booster pictures till not less than the top of September.
    Ghebreyesus stated guaranteeing elevated vaccination protection in low-income nations requires everybody’s cooperation, particularly the handful of nations and firms that management the worldwide provide of vaccines.
    So far, greater than 4 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered globally and over 80% have gone to high- and upper-middle revenue nations, though they account for lower than half of the world inhabitants.
    And but even whereas a whole bunch of tens of millions of individuals are nonetheless ready for his or her first dose, some wealthy nations are transferring in the direction of booster doses, Ghebreyesus stated.

    Emphasising that whereas he understands the priority of all governments to guard their folks from the Delta variant, the WHO chief stated, “We cannot accept countries that have already used most of the global supply of vaccines using even more of it, the world’s most vulnerable people remain unprotected.”
    Ghebreyesus had in late May known as for international assist for a “sprint to September”, to allow each nation to vaccinate not less than 10% of its inhabitants by the top of September.

    “We’re now more than halfway to that target date, but we’re not on track.”
    Calling on vaccine producers to prioritise the vaccine distribution alliance COVAX,  Ghebreyesus underscored that vaccines will not be the one device to defeat the pandemic.
    “Indeed, there is no single tool that will defeat this pandemic. We can only defeat it with a comprehensive approach of vaccines in combination with the proven public health and social measures that we know work,” he stated.

  • Kerala information sharp Covid spike with over 23,000 recent instances, TPR at 11.87%

    Kerala on Tuesday reported 23,676 recent Covid-19 instances, pushing the full an infection depend to 34.49 lakh. With 148 extra deaths, the toll as a result of an infection within the state rose to 17,103. The state authorities mentioned that the check positivity charge (TPR) is at 11.87 per cent now.
    A day earlier, the state had reported 13,984 instances after recording greater than 20,000 instances for six consecutive days. But the variety of recent instances rose sharply as soon as once more on Tuesday.
    Some of the worst affected districts within the state are Malappuram with 4276 infections, Thrissur 2908, Ernakulam 2702, Kozhikode 2416, Palakkad 2223, Kollam 1836, Alappuzha 1261, Kottayam 1241, Kannur 1180 and Trivandrum 1133.
    Earlier within the day, the Union Health Ministry mentioned that out of the full instances reported within the nation within the final week, 49.85 per cent had been reported from Kerala. It additionally mentioned that Kerala was one of many eight states the place reproductive quantity, an indicator of how briskly the Covid-19 pandemic is spreading, is greater than 1.

    An R-value above 1 means multiple individual is being contaminated, on a mean, by an already-infected individual, and that results in a surge in instances.
    People queue up at a Covid-19 vaccination centre in Kochi (File/PTI)
    “There are 18 districts, including 10 districts of Kerala where an increasing trend in cases is seen,” Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Union Health Ministry, mentioned throughout the briefing.
    A central high-level multi-disciplinary crew visiting Kerala had earlier concluded that the state’s Covid-19 surge has been triggered by insufficient monitoring of coronavirus-positive people in house isolation due to pandemic fatigue.
    Kerala has been an outlier as Covid case numbers have stubbornly refused to come back down within the state, at the same time as nearly your entire nation has seen infections abate dramatically after the second wave of April-May.

    Given this case, the Centre on July 29 despatched a six-member crew headed by Dr Sujeet Singh, director of the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to Kerala, to take inventory of the state of affairs and advocate vital public well being interventions.
    State-level serosurvey knowledge launched by the federal government had proven that solely 44 per cent of Kerala’s inhabitants above the age of six years had thus far been contaminated by the coronavirus, towards the nationwide common of over 67 per cent.

    This, in impact, implies that a a lot bigger proportion of the inhabitants within the state continues to be prone to the illness in comparison with many different states. Also, the quantity might, a minimum of partially, clarify why Kerala is continuous to report a excessive variety of instances.
    (With PTI inputs)

  • ‘Pandemic far from over’: Govt says R-number excessive in eight states

    The Centre Tuesday mentioned India’s reproductive quantity, or R, an indicator of how briskly the Covid-19 pandemic is spreading, is greater than 1 in eight states, together with Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
    An R-value above 1 means a couple of particular person is being contaminated, on a mean, by an already-infected particular person, and that results in a surge in instances.
    The Centre identified that within the final week, 49.85 per cent of the full Covid-19 instances reported within the nation had been reported from Kerala.

    During a press briefing, Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Union Health Ministry, mentioned: “The R-number is high in eight states of India. Whenever this number is above one, it means that the case trajectory is increasing and it needs to be controlled. US, Canada, Australia and India have 1.2 R number on average.”
    Crowds return to the streets of Manali as Covid-induced restrictions are eased (File/PTI)
    The Indian Express had earlier reported that the R-number was declining till the final week of June however within the subsequent interval, between June 20 and July 7, it moved up considerably. An evaluation by a crew of researchers, led by Sitabhra Sinha on the Institute of Mathematical Sciences in Chennai, confirmed that in this era the R-value for the nation as a complete was at 0.88, up from 0.78 for the interval between May 15 and June 26.

    Agarwal added, “There are 18 districts, including 10 districts of Kerala where an increasing trend in cases is seen. These 18 districts from six states — Kerala, Maharashtra, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh — which are contributing 47.5 per cent of the total Covid cases now. Moreover, there are 44 districts where the case positivity rate is over 10 per cent. These districts are in Kerala, Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland among others. The number of cases has decreased in 222 districts. On June 1, there were 279 districts where over 100 cases were reported but this number has come down to 57 districts now.”
    MHA had earlier requested states to take steps to regulate crowds (File/PTI)
    Agarwal additionally mentioned the second wave continues to be not over in India. A excessive variety of Covid instances are being reported the world over and the pandemic is way from over, he added.
    Speaking on vaccination, the Health Ministry mentioned that round 47.85 crore doses have been administered within the nation thus far, together with 37.26 crore first doses and 10.59 crore second doses.
    “We administered 19.6 lakh doses in May and 43.41 lakh doses in July. The total number of vaccine doses administered in July is more than double of that in May,” Agarwal mentioned.
    (With company inputs)

  • Covid updates: Kerala’s TPR drops beneath 11%; ICMR research says Covaxin efficient in opposition to Delta Plus; and extra

    Among the over 40,000 recent Covid instances within the nation reported within the final 24 hours, 13,984 recent infections have been from Kerala. However, this was the primary time in over six days that the state reported lower than 20,000 instances in a day.
    Among the recent instances reported on Monday, 259 have been from Mumbai, 189 from Chennai and 290 have been from Bengaluru.
    The state’s positivity price is now beneath 11 per cent. The quantity of people that succumbed to the virus rose to 16,955 with 118 extra deaths, a state authorities launch stated.

    As many as 15,923 folks have been cured of the an infection since Saturday, taking the whole recoveries to 32,42,684 and leaving 1,65,322 lively instances, the discharge stated. Thrissur was the worst affected district with 2,350 instances, adopted by Malappuram 1,925, Kozhikode 1,772, Palakkad 1,506, Ernakulam 1,219, and Kollam 949.
    Of the brand new instances, 79 are well being employees, 80 had come from exterior the state and 13,221 have been contaminated by means of contact, with the supply of contact being not clear in 604 instances, the discharge stated. In the final 24 hours, 1,27,903 samples have been examined and the TPR was discovered to be 10.93 per cent.
    Forecaster who predicted India’s Covid peak sees new wave coming: Report
    India is prone to see an increase in Covid-19 infections constructing into a brand new — although smaller — virus wave which will peak in October, in accordance with a mathematical mannequin by researchers who precisely predicted the tapering of a brutal surge of instances earlier this 12 months.

    The nation might even see a worsening of its outbreak as quickly as this month, with the following wave peaking within the best-case situation with lower than 100,000 infections a day, or practically 150,000 within the worst situation, in accordance with estimates by researchers led by Mathukumalli Vidyasagar and Manindra Agrawal at Indian Institute of Technology in Hyderabad and Kanpur respectively.
    Covaxin efficient in opposition to Delta Plus variant of Covid-19: ICMR research
    Covaxin is efficient in opposition to the Delta Plus (AY.1) variant of SARS-CoV2 virus, a brand new research by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has stated. Despite a slight discount in neutralisation antibody titres, Covaxin is efficient in opposition to Delta, AY.1 (Delta Plus) and B.1.617.3 variants, the research added.
    Covaxin has been developed by Bharat Biotech and ICMR.
    “Our research showed that Covaxin could still neutralise Delta, AY.1 and B.1.617.3 variants,” Dr Samiran Panda, head of epidemiology and communicable ailments, ICMR, advised The Indian Express.

    Shops can stay open until 8 pm in low-positivity districts in Maharashtra: CM Uddhav
    The state on Monday issued a recent ‘Break The Chain Order’ in accordance with which Level-3 restrictions, that are presently in place throughout the state, will proceed to stay in impact in 11 districts together with Pune. These districts have comparatively increased Covid-19 positivity charges. Other districts will see a level of rest resembling permission to markets to stay open until 8 pm on weekdays (the present deadline is 4 pm) and until 3 pm on Saturdays.
    The 11 districts the place the Level-3 restrictions will proceed are Pune, Kolhapur, Sangli, Satara, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Solapur, Ahmednagar, Beed, Raigad and Palghar. These districts have displayed increased variety of optimistic instances, increased emergence of recent instances within the districts of Sindudurg, Satara and Ahmednagar, the respective catastrophe administration authorities will impose efficient restrictions within the stated districts.
    Speaking to reporters in Sangli, some 230 kilometres from right here, Thackeray, nonetheless, appealed for cooperation from folks in these areas the place enjoyable the norms was not attainable at present because of the caseload.
    Many merchants within the state and the opposition BJP have been demanding that the timings of retailers be prolonged until 8 pm from the present deadline of 4 pm.
    Thackeray stated the Covid state of affairs in all such districts, together with Satara, Sangli, Kolhapur, Raigad, Ratnagiri, and Sindudurg, was a reason behind fear. “I have asked district collectors to increase the number of tests as well as doctors to ensure people are protected for Covid as well as water-borne diseases,” he stated.
    Over 3.14 crore Covid vaccine doses obtainable with states, UTs and pvt hospitals: Govt
    More than 3.14 crore Covid-19 vaccine doses are nonetheless obtainable with states and union territories, and personal hospitals, the Union well being ministry stated on Monday.
    So far, 49,64,98,050 vaccine doses have been supplied to states and UTs by means of all sources and 9,84,610 doses are within the pipeline, it stated.
    As many as 3,14,34,654 steadiness and unutilised Covid-19 vaccine doses are nonetheless obtainable with the states and UTs and personal hospitals to be administered, the ministry stated.
    The Union authorities is dedicated to accelerating the tempo and increasing the scope of Covid-19 vaccination all through the nation, it stated.
    The new part of universalisation of vaccination commenced on June 21.
    The vaccination drive has been ramped up by means of availability of extra vaccines, advance visibility of vaccine availability to states and UTs for enabling higher planning by them, and streamlining the vaccine provide chain, the ministry stated.
    Schools to reopen in UP for courses 9-12 from Aug 16 with 50% attendance
    Schools in Uttar Pradesh will resume courses 9 to 12 from August 16, however with 50 per cent attendance, in accordance with an order issued by the state authorities on Monday.
    Apart from this, directions have additionally been issued for graduation of courses in increased instructional institutes from September 1, the UP authorities stated in a press release.
    According to the UP authorities assertion, the chief minister has instructed officers to start preparations for graduation of latest session of all instructional institutes in view of the managed state of affairs of the coronavirus within the state.
    The outcomes of Classes 10 and 12 boards have been declared, and admission for the under-graduate courses ought to begin from August 5, the chief minister was quoted as saying.
    17.94 lakh Covid-related medical insurance claims settled
    As many as 17.94 lakh Covid-related medical insurance claims amounting to Rs 21,837 crore have been settled in about final 15 months until July 15, 2021.
    In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Finance Bhagwat Karad stated medical insurance claims are settled by insurers as per phrases and situations of the medical insurance coverage contract.

    Since the onset of the pandemic, Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has taken a number of steps for quick settlement of Covid-related medical insurance claims.
    (With PTI inputs)