Category:

Pandemic

More climate action needed during ‘make-or-break year’ for people and planet 

Deputy Secretary-General of United Nations Amina Mohammed painted a picture of climate financing to Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States at 14 and two per cent respectively; one person in three not adequately covered by early warning systems; and women and girls – who make up 80 per cent of those displaced by the climate emergency – often excluded from decision-making roles. 

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We will have to co-exist with virus for now: Multiplex, retail associations wary of lockdown in Maha

The Multiplex Association of India (MAI), Retail Association of India (RAI), and Shopping Centres Association of India has said they are following all the safety protocols mandated by the government and should not be the first casualty of such restrictions.Several films like ”Haathi Mere Saathi” (Hindi version), ”Bunty Aur Babli 2”, and ”Chehre” that were up for release in March and April have been pulled by the makers from the calendar due to uncertainty amid the pandemic.

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World Bank projects India’s economic growth between 7.5 pc – 12 pc, expecting a better growth rate: Tarun Bajaj

“World Bank has said that our growth rate will be between 7.5 per cent – 12 per cent. Not just rating agencies, IMF said that our growth rate will be between 11 per cent to 11.5 per cent, it also has to do with low base effect, hence economy will grow. We expect a better growth rate this year,” said Revenue, and Department of Economic Affairs Secretary, Tarun Bajaj .

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WHO experts say Chinese jabs show ‘safety’, but data lacking

The UN health agency’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE) said it had reviewed the data provided so far, and that both vaccines “demonstrated safety and good efficacy against symptomatic Covid-19 disease”.

However, it warned, “both vaccines lacked data in older age groups and in persons with co-morbidities,” meaning other medical conditions.

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India’s on its way to become the world’s pharmaceutical hub

At present, India is the largest provider of generic drugs globally. Indian pharma companies cater to over half of the global demand for various vaccines, along with 40 per cent of generic drugs demand in the US.

Notably, data from container logistics company Maersk showed that among the refrigerated cargo, pharmaceuticals export out of India rose steeply during 2020, with Q4 alone recording 47 per cent higher volumes as compared to the same period in 2019.

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India AstraZeneca shot delay could be ‘catastrophic’ for Africa: health official

The African Union had planned to vaccinate 30-35% of the continent’s population by the end of the year he said. “If the vaccines are delayed we are unlikely to meet our target,” he added.

That AU target primarily relies on supplies from the global COVAX vaccine-sharing facility, through which 64 poorer countries including many in Africa are supposed to get doses from the SII. COVAX aims to provide enough shots for African countries to inoculate at least 20% of their populations.

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India launches COVID-19 vaccination for all people above 45, year’s highest single day rise of 72,330 new cases reported

According to the health ministry, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Punjab, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh continue to show a steep rise in the COVID daily new cases accounting for 84.61 per cent of the new cases reported in a span of 24 hours.

Maharashtra has reported the highest daily new cases at 39,544. It is followed by Chhattisgarh with 4,563 while Karnataka reported 4,225 new cases. India’s active caseload has reached 5,84,055 and now comprises 4.78 per cent of the country’s total infections. A net rise of 31,489 cases has been recorded in the total active caseload in a span of 24 hours.

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Coronavirus pandemic to shave 3% off global output in medium term: IMF

The IMF said the prospects for “scarring” from the current crisis remained substantial, even if systemic financial stress and the associated long-lasting economic damage had been largely avoided due to the unprecedented policy actions taken.

The path to recovery remained challenging, especially for countries with limited fiscal resources, the IMF said in a blog post based on its updated World Economic Outlook.

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