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Health

22 districts recorded increasing trend in COVID cases, 54 districts report 10 pc positivity: Health Ministry

While addressing a press briefing here, Union Health Ministry Joint Secretary Lav Agarwal said, “There are 22 districts — 7 from Kerala, 5 from Manipur, 3 in Meghalaya among others, where an increasing trend in cases has been reported, in the last 4 weeks. It is a cause of concern.” Agarwal said there are still 62 districts in the country where over 100 cases are reported every day, which are found in a localised and limited set of areas of these districts.

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U.S. will not lift travel restrictions, citing Delta variant -White House

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) director Rochelle Walensky said on Thursday the seven-day average of new cases in the United States was up 53% over the previous week. The Delta variant, which was first found in India, now comprises more than 80% of new cases nationwide and has been detected in more than 90 countries. Psaki also cited the fact that last week, the CDC urged Americans to avoid travel to the United Kingdom, given a jump in cases.

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IMF cuts India’s GDP growth forecast to 9.5 pc for FY22

IMF joins a host of global and domestic agencies which have cut India’s growth estimates for the current fiscal. Last month, S&P Global Ratings projected a 9.5 per cent GDP growth in the current fiscal and 7.8 per cent in 2022-23.

IMF’s Chief Economist Gita Gopinath said IMF estimates the pandemic has reduced per capita incomes in advanced economies by 2.8 per cent, relative to pre-pandemic trends over 2020-2022, compared with an annual per capita loss of 6.3 per cent a year for emerging market and developing economies (excluding China).

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Saudi Arabia threatens 3-year travel ban for citizens who visit “red list” states

“Anyone who is proven to be involved will be subject to legal accountability and heavy penalties upon their return, and will be banned from travel for three years,” the official said. Saudi Arabia has banned travel to or transit at a number of countries including Afghanistan, Argentina, Brazil, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Lebanon, Pakistan, South Africa, Turkey, Vietnam and the United Arab Emirates.

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Young lured to tobacco addiction via e-cigarettes – WHO

Over eight million people die annually from tobacco use and exposure to tobacco smoke, making the habit a leading cause of preventable diseases, the WHO said in a report calling for greater regulation of smoke-free devices containing nicotine.

Some 16,000 flavours are on the market for e-cigarettes, including bubble gum, vanilla ice cream and chocolate cookies, Ruediger Krech, director of the WHO’s department of health promotion, said, adding e-cigarette users were “at least twice if not three times” more likely to become cigarette smokers. “That calls for exactly the same regulation as cigarettes,” he added.

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