A variety of factors have contributed to the recent surge in the region, including people growing weary of the pandemic and letting precautions slip low vaccination rates, and the emergence of the delta variant of the virus, which was first detected in India, said Abhishek Rimal, the Asia-Pacific emergency health coordinator for the Red Cross, who is based in Malaysia.
Category:
Pandemic
Insurers settle 70,000 Covid-19 claims for 700 crore, IRDA Chief
“Standardisation products are key and India has taken a huge leap by bringing standard products. IRDAI came out with guidelines for the covid-19 standard benefit-based and the covid-19 standard indemnity health policies. All life, general and standalone health insurance companies have been encouraged to offer the benefit-based policy, while all health and general insurance companies are mandated to offer the indemnity policy,” Khuntia said.
India reports a record 66,999 Covid-19 cases and 942 deaths, Over 1.28 Cr PPEs, given to states,UTs by Centre for free
In addition, 22,533 “Make in India” ventilators have been delivered to various states, Union territories and central institutions, the ministry said, adding that the Centre is also ensuring the installation and commissioning of the machines.
The central role of the government has been in strengthening the health infrastructure of the states and Union territories to fight the COVID-19 pandemic and ensure its effective management, the ministry underlined.
Business owners can sue insurer over coronavirus losses, US judge rule
The decision against Cincinnati Insurance Co by U.S. District Judge Stephen Bough in Kansas City appears to be first victory for policyholders suing insurers for improperly denying claims related to shutdowns caused by COVID-19.
Insurers had won similar cases in courts in Michigan and Washington, D.C., successfully arguing that coverage was not warranted because the virus travels through the air and does not cause physical damage.
UK trials new COVID-19 smartphone app, includes Indian language versions
The new app is part of the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) Test and Trace service Test and Trace programme and is being overseen by Indian-origin techie Randeep Sidhu as Head of Product.
Worldwide virus cases top 20 million, Doubling in six weeks
The worldwide count of known COVID-19 infections climbed past 20 million on Monday, with more than half of them from just three countries: the U.S., India and Brazil, according to the tally kept by Johns Hopkins University.
COVID-19: 60,963 fresh cases take India’s tally to 23,29,638
India’s rate of recovery has improved to 70.37% as 1,639,599 people, 56,110 in the last 24 hours, have been discharged from hospitals so far. “The TEST, TRACK, TREAT strategy showing desired result- early identification and prompt isolation/hospitalisation aiding exponential growth in recoveries,” the ministry tweeted on Wednesday.
Facebook removes 7 mn posts for sharing false information on Covid-19
The world’s biggest social media company removed about 22.5 million posts containing hate speech on its flagship app in the second quarter, up from 9.6 million in the first quarter. It also deleted 8.7 million posts connected to extremist organizations, compared with 6.3 million in the prior period.
Facebook said it relied more heavily on automation technology for reviewing content during the months of April, May and June as it had fewer reviewers at its offices due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
World reaction to Russia’s COVID-19 vaccine
The World Health Organization and Russian health authorities are discussing the process for possible WHO prequalification, a WHO spokesman said on Tuesday.
“Prequalification of any vaccine includes the rigorous review and assessment of all required safety and efficacy data,” WHO spokesman Tarik Jasarevic told a U.N. briefing in Geneva, referring to clinical trials.
Directors’ liability insurance rates surge on virus litigation fears
Premiums for directors’ liability insurance, known as D&O, in Britain rose by more than 100%, while in the United States, rates for public companies were up by 59%, Marsh said in a quarterly commercial insurance survey.D&O insurance protects company directors and executives against litigation costs.
Jonathan Turner, CEO for speciality insurance at broker Gallagher, said D&O rates for public companies seen as particularly exposed to COVID-19 legal claims had risen by as much as 2,000%.
Plea in SC seeks commission for inquiry into mismanagement of COVID-19 pandemic
The petition has alleged that the Centre failed to undertake timely and effective measures for containing transmission of the virus and an independent inquiry by a commission, appointed under the Commissions of Inquiry Act 1952, was essential to inquire into the “lapses”.