Category:

Disaster & Management

COVID-19 epidemics in India, South Asia growing but not exploding – WHO

“In South Asia, not just in India, but in Bangladesh and… Pakistan and other countries of South Asia with large dense populations, the disease has not exploded, but there is always the risk of that happening,” Dr. Mike Ryan, WHO’s top emergency expert, told a news conference.

Soumya Swaminathan, WHO’s chief scientist, noting India has a population of 1.3 billion, said that the 200,000 reported cases, “look big but for a country of this size it’s still modest”.

read more

Gargling with bleach? Americans misusing disinfectants to prevent coronavirus, survey finds

In late April, Trump asked scientists during one of his coronavirus task force briefings whether inserting disinfectant into the bodies of people infected with the virus might help clear the disease, horrifying health experts. Makers of household cleaners were compelled to urge people not to drink or inject their products.

Some 39% of people surveyed reported intentionally engaging in at least one high-risk practice not recommended by the CDC to prevent coronavirus infection, including using bleach to clean food or misting the body with a disinfectant spray. Four percent drank or gargled with diluted bleach solutions, soapy water or disinfectants.

read more

Covid-19 opportunity for India to speed up Ayushman Bharat: WHO chief Tedros Ghebreyesus

“Of course COVID is very unfortunate and it’s challenging for many nations but we need to look for opportunities too. For instance for India, this could be an opportunity to speed up Ayushman Bharat, especially with a focus on primary health care. I know there is a very strong commitment from the government to speed up the implementation of Ayushman Bharat and with primary healthcare and community engagement, I think we can really turn the tide,” Ghebreyesus said during a press briefing in Geneva on Friday.

read more

U.S. insurers ask Treasury, Fed to back pandemic payouts for trade credit coverage

Trade credit insurance, which covers $600 billion in U.S. business transactions annually, protects businesses selling goods and services from the risk that insolvent buyers will not pay them. Washington lobbyist David Ross spoke with Steven Seitz, director of the Treasury’s Federal Insurance Office on a May 27 call about support for the niche industry, James Daly, chief executive officer of Euler Hermes Americas, an Allianz SE unit, told Reuters.

Trade credit insurers want about $60 billion in government support, as shared claims payouts, Daly said. Policyholders would pay additional premiums for the backing.

read more

SC extends order of no coercive action against employers for non-payment of full wages

A bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan, S K Kaul and M R Shah reserved the verdict on a batch of petitions filed by various companies challenging the circular of the Ministry of Home Affairs issued on March 29 asking the employers to pay full wages to the employees during the nationwide lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic.

In the proceedings conducted through video conferencing, the top court said there was a concern that workmen should not be left without pay, but there may be a situation where the industry may not have money to pay and hence, the balancing has to be done.

read more