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Making Covid-19 vaccines too expensive to hit poor countries

It should not be surprising then that several developing countries, led by India and South Africa, argued last week at the World Trade Organization’s intellectual property rights council that IPR-related payments should be suspended for the duration of the pandemic for Covid-19 related vaccines, therapeutics and equipment. They worry about “intellectual property rights hindering or potentially hindering timely provisioning of affordable medical products” to their citizens.

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HC asks Centre, Delhi govt to treat as representation PIL for paid menstrual leave

The plea had sought grant of paid leaves for four days a month to all classes of women employees. including daily wage, contractual and outsourced workers and to pay overtime allowance to menstruating women employees if they opt to work during that period.

Besides paid leaves, it also sought facilities for periodic rests, separate and clean toilets and provision of sanitary napkins to women employees during their menstruation period.

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COVID-19 caseload in India climbs to over 91.77 lakh, 37,975 new cases reported

The number of active cases remained below 5 lakh for the fourteenth consecutive day.There are 4,38,667?active cases of coronavirus infection in the country as?on date which comprises 4.78per cent of the total caseload,the data stated.

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 86,04,955 pushing the national recovery rate to 93.76 per cent, while the COVID-19 casefatality rate stands at 1.46 per cent

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Serum Institute to focus on supplying COVID-19 vaccine to India first

It’s very important we take care of our country first, then go on to COVAX after that and then other bilateral deals with countries. So I’ve kept it in that priority,” said Poonawalla, referencing the global COVAX facility, which has been set up to provide COVID-19 vaccines to poorer countries.

The company remains in discussion with the Indian government about inking a purchase agreement for the vaccine, Poonawalla said , adding that Serum should have quantities of it ready to sell into India’s private market in the first quarter of 2021.

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India plans to put off parliamentary session due to virus surging in Delhi

The government has begun making moves to delay the winter session of parliament, which usually begins in late November, to avoid the risk of the virus spreading between the hundreds of lawmakers, their staff, visitors and security personnel.

“The government will hold consultations with all the political parties and club the winter session with next year’s budget session,” a government official aware of the plans told Reuters. Parliament’s budget session usually opens at the end of January.

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HDFC Life & HDFC Ergo launch a combi protection plan with term & COVID-19 health cover in a single policy.

HDFC Life’s C2P3D Plus is one of the most flexible and customizable term plans in the market. HDFC Ergo’s Corona Kavach is an indemnity health policy that was launched earlier this year to offer cover against medical expenses incurred due to hospitalization of individuals seeking treatment for COVID-19, on a positive diagnosis for the virus, in a government authorized diagnostic centre

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AstraZeneca and Oxford say COVID-19 vaccine shows 70% efficacy

AstraZeneca chief executive Pascal Soriot said that the lower first dose of its experimental COVID-19 vaccine meant more people can be vaccinated more quickly, as the British drugmaker unveiled interim late-stage trial results.

“Being able to vaccinate more people faster is a really a big plus,” he told a briefing.AstraZeneca said it would “immediately prepare regulatory submission of the data to authorities around the world that have a framework in place for conditional or early approval.”
The Astra vaccine does not require ultra-cold storage which may make it easier to administer than the Pfizer-BioNTech shot, which needs to be refrigerated at -70 degrees.

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Maha makes RT-PCR negative report mandatory for entering state

“The passengers without symptoms will be allowed entry. Passengers with symptoms shall have the option of turning back and going to their home to recuperate,” the order said.

The order stipulated that all domestic passengers traveling from airports in NCR Delhi, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Goa shall carry RT-PCR negative test reports with them before boarding and show them to the teams at the arrival airport in Maharashtra.

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