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India records 47,092 new COVID-19 cases, biggest daily rise in 2 months

“With cases rising in Kerala, adequate steps should be taken to contain the inter-state spread of COVID-19,” Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said in a statement after speaking with his state counterparts in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, which border Kerala.

He asked them to increase vaccination in the districts close to Kerala. India has so far administered 662 million doses, with at least one dose in 54% of its 944 million adults and the required two doses in 16%.

German companies not allowed to check on employees’ vaccine status

But Germany has strict data privacy laws because of its history of Nazi and Communist state surveillance of citizens, meaning that companies have no right to find out about health issues relating to their staff.

German businesses have been pushing to be able to ask staff about vaccination and the government is trying to get more people to get the shots as infections rise again. Almost 61% of the population has had both shots and 65% at least one.

COVID-19: India records 22,065 infections, 354 fatalities

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 94,22,636 pushing the national recovery rate to 95.12 per cent, while the COVID-19 case fatality rate stood at 1.45 per cent

The active COVID-19 caseload remained below four lakh for the eighth consecutive day on Tuesday

There are 3,39,820 active coronavirus infections in the country which constitute 3.43per cent of the total caseload, the data stated

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Lloyd’s, Parsyl to insure emerging market COVID-19 vaccine rollout

The Global Health Risk Facility (GHRF), made up of 14 insurers and reinsurers, has been set up to address the challenges of transporting temperature-sensitive vaccines, and will be supported by $26.7 million in funding from the U.S International Development Finance Corporation, the companies said on Tuesday.

The DFC loan will be used to capitalize a new public-private Lloyd’s syndicate, which will start operating in January, and allow the GHRF to offer cost-effective insurance policies for shipments of vaccines and medical products to developing countries.

Syndicate 1796 is the first public-private partnership to address a global health emergency in Lloyd’s 330-year history, the companies said.

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29k cold chain points, 41k deep freezers–India gets ready for COVID-19 vaccine storage

Twenty-three ministries and departments in the Centre and states have been identified and assigned roles like planning, implementation, social mobilisation, awareness generation, among others, for the vaccine roll-out, he said.

Training modules for medical officers, vaccinator officers, alternative vaccinator officers, cold chain handlers, supervisors, data managers and ASHA coordinators are also finalized, and physical training as well as training on virtual/online platforms have started, the health secretary said.

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There has been absolutely no compromise in clinical testing of COVID-19 vaccines: Gangandeep Kang

Noted clinical scientist Gagandeep Kang said in India, out of pocket payments for healthcare continue to be highest in the world and it is one of many reasons why many families are driven into poverty. This kind of ”catastrophic health expenditure” actually winds up promoting further health inequities in the system, Kang said.

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