India seeks Australia’s support for temporary waiver of patent protections for Covid jabs

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WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 1: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) speaks during a news conference after a lunch meeting with Senate Republicans on Capitol Hill February 1, 2022 in Washington, DC. McConnell told reporters he disagrees with fo WASHINGTON - Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell is going against the Republican National Committee calling the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka’s Deputy Director-General of Public Health Services, Dr. Hemanth Herath has slammed the organizing of mass gatherings in the wake of the COVID-19 spread in the island.‘This is not something that needs to be said over again.

Truckers paralysing the Canadian capital in anger at Covid rules show no sign of backing down, as several of the nation's provinces announced it was time to roll back restrictions that count among the world's toughest.

First nasal spray for covid-19 treatment in India: For the treatment of adult patients suffering from Covid-19, pharma company Glenmark has launched Nitric Oxide Nasal Spray (FabiSpray) in India. The nasal spray was launched by the pharma company in partnership with SaNOtize. "Phase 3 trial in India met the key endpoints and demonstrated reduction of viral load of 94 per cent in 24 hours and 99 per cent in 48 hours. Nitric Oxide Nasal Spray (NONS) was safe and well-tolerated in COVID-19 patients. Glenmark to market NONS under the brand name FabiSpray," the company said in a statement.

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ladies tights such as pantyhose on your face could reduce the risk of getting Covid, more so than masks.A major risk identified with commonly worn face masks is that they do not fit tightly enough to block viral particles from being inhaled or exhaled significantly.Cambridge University researchers have tested seven hacks to improve the fit of masks.Their new study outlined DIY hacks people have used to make masks fit better, including using rubber bands or tape.They found the most effective tactic was to wrap pantyhose around the bottom half of the face or on top of a mask.Researchers have said that this could reduce the number of viral particles by up to seven times more than a loose mask on its own by sealing the gaps around the nose and mouth.They raised that the social and physical impact of wearing tights on your face in public was "unlikely to be tolerated for an extended period of time".Tight-fitting medical masks are great at blocking out the virus, but many describe them as uncomfortable.The study raised that the most common surgical or cloth masks are far less resistant to Covid.Cambridge researchers recruited four volunteers to try seven different mask hacks - the study looked at both surgical and KN95 masks.Other methods included tying the ear bands to make the masks fit more tightly or stuffing the gaps with bandages.Participants did seven minutes of various exercises designed to mimic real-world interactions such as talking, smiling, nodding and eating.The researchers measured how well the masks fit by monitoring the filtration efficiency and calculating a 'fit factor' score.Pantyhose and cloth tape were most effective, increasing the fit factor by 27.7 and 14.7.Surgical masks performed better if worn in

Epik High frontman Tablo has tested positive for COVID-19.OURS, Epik High’s management agency, confirmed the news through a press statement released earlier today (February 9).“Tablo experienced minor symptoms on February 3 and underwent PCR testing, and his results came back negative the next day (January 4),” the agency said, as translated by Soompi. “However, he voluntarily got tested again on February 8, and his results came back positive this morning.”The statement also noted that the rest of Epik High and staff members who were recently in contact with Tablo underwent rapid antigen testing following the hip-hop artist’s diagnosis.

New Zealand anti-vaccine mandate protesters faced off with police outside parliament today, as demonstrators camped inside the Wellington legislature's grounds vowed to stay "as long as it takes".

Director Kamika Bianca Guerra-Walker joins Global News’ Linda Olsen to discuss how she is using her experiences growing up Black in Calgary and how that has inspired her art.

Alberta Premier Jason Kenney has announced the province’s public health restrictions will now be lifting, while a blockade of protesters demanding an end to mandates resumes at the U.S.-Canada border crossing near Coutts. Heather Yourex-West looks at the province’s plan, and whether it will be enough to satiate demonstrators.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau continues to press hard on the importance of COVID-19 vaccines. But Quebec Liberal MP Joël Lightbound is challenging his own government’s strategy, demanding Trudeau to stop driving up divisions and deliver a roadmap to end public health mandates.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Thousands of Sri Lankan health workers are on strike for the third consecutive day, citing several demands.The trade unions demand that the authorities eliminate existing salary disparities in the sector just as they eliminated the teacher and principal salary anomalies.Health workers across Sri Lanka including nurses, and Public Health Inspectors are on strike citing multiple demands.They resorted to the indefinite trade union action from Monday (7).As a result of the strike activities at the Colombo General Hospital, Kandy General Hospital, 24 Teaching Hospitals, 26 General Hospitals, 46 Base Hospitals, 410 District Hospitals, and 293 MOH Officers came to a complete standstill.

PHILADELPHIA - Investigators with the Philadelphia Police Department are searching for two men wanted in connection with an armed robbery at a Domino’s Pizza in North Philadelphia. According to police, the robbery took place on Monday around 1:00 a.m. at the location on 2628 N.

China enacted a similar traffic light change after one case was detected in November, only to repeal it amid outcry on social media. 

Winter Olympics since 1998 in Nagano, Japan.She has a decade’s worth of knitted red mittens, purchased every year since their debut as part of the Canadian Olympic uniform in 2010.But this year Reid says she won’t be buying anything, because after the merchandising partnership changed hands from Hudson’s Bay to Lululemon, she considers the prices too steep to justify.“They were a great, affordable way to show Canadian Olympic pride and some of the money goes to support our national team,” Reid says of her iconic mittens.“I looked at the Lululemon site and I was pretty surprised to see the prices. I was OK with The Bay’s mittens going up to $20, but $68 for a pair is too much for me.”Reid isn’t alone.

COVID-19: Kenney announces Alberta vaccine passport program ending at midnight In a letter to school authorities, Education Minister Adriana LaGrange outlined the impact that relaxing COVID-19 restrictions will have on schools and students.“I have been encouraged to see a downward trend in the number of Alberta schools shifted to at-home learning over the last few weeks,” she said.“At the peak of the fifth wave, there were 29 schools that were shifted to at-home learning, and today, only seven of the over 2,500-plus schools in our province remain learning at home.”Please see my letter to school authorities below: pic.twitter.com/Z3sph78dDv— Adriana LaGrange (@AdrianaLaGrange) February 9, 2022LaGrange said the masking requirement that will be removed effective Feb. 14 will apply to any students in schools or on school buses.

Freedom Convoy” trucks and say their presence “complicates” efforts to end the demonstration.More than 100 of the trucks remaining as part of the nearly two-week-long protest in downtown Ottawa are estimated to have kids living in them, OPS Deputy Chief Steve Bell told media in a briefing Tuesday afternoon.“Almost 25 per cent of the 418 trucks have children living in them — children who could be at risk during a police operation,” Bell said.“There’s a multitude of concerns” he said, citing effects from carbon monoxide, diesel fumes, cold, noise and a lack of access to sanitation on kids. Trucker convoy — Here’s what the 10-day injunction against horns includes Ottawa police have tapped the Children’s Aid Society (CAS) for advice on how to proceed with enforcement operations in the downtown core.They’re not seeking to take the kids out of the trucks or away from their parents at this stage, Bell said, but will follow the recommendations of CAS.“We’re not at the stage of looking to do any sort of enforcement activity around that,” he said.“We just think it’s an important factor that complicates and makes this an even more challenging operation.”To date, police and bylaw officers have issued more than 1,300 tickets for traffic violations, made 23 arrests and have 85 active criminal investigations related to the protest, which began as a response to vaccination mandates but has expanded to include a wide umbrella of anti-government sentiment.OPS are also liaising with U.S.

₹808 crore to families of 1,616 deceased healthcare workers from 33 states and UTs, who were involved in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.

It’s a big loss for us all. My condolences and love to his family.

Covid-19 cases are on the rise in the rural areas, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that localised containment strategies are the need of the hour, especially in states with high positivity rate in districts. He also called for augmenting healthcare resources in rural areas to focus on door to door testing and surveillance.At a high-level Covid review meeting, the PM said testing needs to be scaled up further, with use of both RT-PCR and rapid tests, especially in areas with high test positivity rates.

NEW DELHI : States should report covid-19 case numbers transparently without feeling any pressure that high numbers woshow adversely on their efforts, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday. Modi called for augmentation of healthcare resources in rural areas to focus on door-to-door testing and surveillance.The prime minister was chairing a high-level meeting to discuss the covid-19 and vaccination related situation in the country.“Localized containment strategies are the need of the hour, especially for states where test-positivity rate in districts is high.

Mamata writes to PM Modi over PSA plants issueAmid the high demand for medical oxygen in hospitals due to the second wave of the pandemic in the country, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking his attention over the lowering quota for the state in allocating Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) plants by the Centre."I have already written to you regarding the availability of liquid medical oxygen in the current COVID pandemic situation, and while results on that front are generally awaited, I invite your kind particular attention to one specific issue: PSA (Pressure Swing Adsorption) plants.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking immediate enhancement in daily oxygen allocation to the state. Vijayan wrote that due to the spiking cases, Kerala would require 450 metric tonnes (MT) of oxygen in the coming days.

₹35,000 crores have been already allocated in the Union Budget and the money that is being spent on Central Vista can be utilised in mass vaccination drive," Yechury told ANI."All the money that is in the PM-Cares Fund use it to keep people alive.

₹25 lakh assistance to the kin of each of the 43 doctors who died serving the virus-infected people.The CM also spoke about incentives for doctors, nurses and the decision to float global tenders to procure Covid-19 vaccines.Stalin, in a separate video message posted on social media, appealed to the Tamil diaspora to come forward to donate to the Chief Minister's Public Relief Fund (CMPRF) to help the government on the Covid-19 front.He said that the donations would be used only for activities to prevent the virus spread, create facilities like oxygen beds, and procurement of drugs and vaccines and information related to it would be made available in the public domain.Meanwhile, Stalin also urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to bring the

BJP president J P Nadda on Tuesday accused the Congress of "misleading" people and creating "false panic" in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, and alleged that the conduct of its leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, will be remembered for "duplicity and pettiness".Nadda wrote a four-page letter to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, a day after the Congress Working Committee hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government over the handling of the coronavirus crisis.The BJP president also accused Congress leaders, including a chief minister, of trying to actively create vaccine hesitancy during the once-in-a-century pandemic.Under Modi, the fight against the pandemic is driven by unwavering belief in science, support to

Chandigarh district administration on Monday decided to extend the "corona curfew" by another one week.The Chandigarh administration had already imposed a weekend "corona curfew" from 5 am on 8 May till 5 am on 10 May.The night curfew from 6 pm to 5 am will also be implemented, reports news agency ANI, adding, that day-time movement will be allowed.Meanwhile, Chandigarh on Sunday registered a record 895 fresh cases, taking the count to 50,207, according to a medical bulletin.Ten more deaths due to Covid-19 took the toll to 568.The number of active cases was 8,511, as per the bulletin.Punjab CM urges PM Modi to increase oxygen, vaccine suppliesPunjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to increase the total

NEW DELHI : The Congress Working Committee on Monday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his handling of the coronavirus crisis, saying he must "atone for his mistakes" and serve the people instead of carrying on with his "personal agenda" oblivious to the sufferings all around.The CWC, the Congress' highest decision-making body, in a resolution also questioned the government data on coronavirus cases and fatalities, and alleged non-reporting of deaths.The solution lies in facing challenge, not in concealing the truth, it said.The CWC also expressed deep concern over the government's coronavirus vaccination strategy, alleging the supply was grossly insufficient and the pricing policy opaque and discriminatory.Congress leaders K C

₹150 a dose while to states for ₹300 a dose.

BHUBANESWAR : Rajya Sabha MP and renowned sculptor Raghunath Mohapatra passed away on Sunday due to COVID-19.He was admitted to AIIMS Bhubaneswar for treatment after being diagnosed with COVID-19.Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his grief over the demise of Mohapatra and said that he will be remembered for his contributions towards traditional crafts."Saddened by the demise of MP Shri Raghunath Mohapatra Ji. He made pioneering contributions to the world of art, architecture and culture.

Narendra Modi spoke to Tirath Singh Rawat, Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, on Sunday to assess the coronavirus situation in the state. During the conversations, the prime minister also assured the state of all possible help to combat the deadly virus.The COVID-19 situation continues to be grim in Uttarakhand with around 7,000 to 9,000 people testing positive daily for the disease for the last several days.A total of 8,390 people had tested positive for coronavirus on Saturday while 118 more people succumbed to the infection.Later, the chief minister took to Twitter to say "Prime Minister Narendra Modi called up for an update on Covid cases in Uttarakhand.

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MUMBAI : Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has urged the central government to allow states to develop their ownapplications for COVID-19 vaccination programme.In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Thackeray said the vaccination drive in Maharashtra has been the "fastest and the most efficient in the country".At present, people have to register their names on CoWIN platform introduced by the central government for the vaccination."As we plan to open up vaccination for the 18 to 45 age group through the state's procurement, the CoWIN app is seeing a sudden surge in the number of citizens wanting to register nationally.

India‘s main opposition leader Rahul Gandhi warned on Friday that unless the deadly second COVID-19 wave sweeping the country was brought under control it would decimate India as well as threaten the rest of the world.In a letter, Gandhi implored Prime Minister Narendra Modi to prepare for another national lockdown, accelerate a country-wide vaccination program and scientifically track the virus and its mutations.Gandhi said the world‘s second-most populous nation had a responsibility in “a globalized and interconnected world” to stop the “explosive” growth of COVID-19 within its borders.

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday spoke to the chief ministers of Manipur, Sikkim and Tripura on the COVID-19 situation in their states, government sources said.Modi had on Thursday spoken to the chief ministers of Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Jharkhand and Telangana besides the lieutenant governors of Jammu & Kashmir and Puducherry in this regard.The prime minister's interaction with chief ministers is part of his exercise to deal with the pandemic situation.With a record 4,14,188 new coronavirus cases being reported in a day, India's infection tally climbed to 2,14,91,598, while the active case count crossed the 36-lakh mark, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Friday.The death toll from the pandemic has

coronavirus cases still surging to record levels, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is facing growing pressure to impose a harsh nationwide lockdown amid a debate whether restrictions imposed by individual states are enough.Many medical experts, opposition leaders and some of the Supreme Court judges have suggested the lockdown seems to be the only option with the virus raging in cities and towns, where hospitals are forced to turn patients away while relatives scramble to find oxygen.

India reported another record daily rise in coronavirus cases, bringing total new cases for the week to 1.57 million, as the country's vaccination rate falls dramatically due to a lack of supplies and transport problems.

vaccine wastage with 9.76 per cent of vaccine dose being wasted, followed by Tamil Nadu with 8.83 per cent and Assam with 7.70 per cent," the Ministry of Health and Family welfare said.The ministry added that Manipur recorded 7.44 per cent of vaccine wastage, Haryana recorded 5.72 per cent and Bihar records 4.95 per cent of vaccine wastage. Yesterday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised Kerala for reducing vaccine wastage.

NEW DELHI : With India reeling under a national medical emergency, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday reviewed the public health response to covid-19, the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement.“PM noted that an advisory was sent to the states to identify districts of concern where case positivity is 10% or more and bed occupancy is more than 60% on either oxygen supported or ICU beds," the statement said.The Union health ministry had earlier asked the states and Union territories to identify districts that should be considered for taking intensive and local containment measures.The meeting was attended by top officials and ministers, including defence minister Rajnath Singh; home minister Amit Shah; finance minister Nirmala

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal took to Twitter today to thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the national capital received 730 metric tonnes of oxygen on 5 May amid an unprecedented Covid-19 crisis that has killed thousands.In a letter, CM Kejriwal said that it was for the first time Delhi received over 700 metric tonnes of life-saving gas.The Delhi CM also addressed a news briefing saying that his government "won't let anyone die" of oxygen shortage if it got 700 tonnes of supply from the Centre daily."If we get an adequate supply of oxygen - 700 tons - we will be able to set up 9000-9500 beds in Delhi. We will be able to create oxygen beds.

spiralling crisis from the resurgence of coronavirus infections in India has dented support for the ruling BJP but voter support for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his party will remain strong over the coming quarters and through this humanitarian crisis."While there appears to be signs that the spiralling Covid-19 crisis in India has dented support for the ruling BJP, we maintain our view that voter support for Prime Minister Modi and the BJP will remain strong over the coming quarters and through this humanitarian crisis," Fitch Solutions said.Amid an unprecedented surge in the number of Covid-19 cases – the highest-ever 4,12,262 new infections and a record 3,980 daily death toll in the last 24 hours – has crushed the healthcare system,

India's COVID total topped 20 million yesterday, the only country besides the United States to do so, as more states ordered lockdowns and the country's premier cricket league postponed its season.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who is under pressure to overturn rules barring travel from Covid-19 ravaged India, said it was "highly unlikely" travellers would face maximum penalties of five years in jail and a A$66,000 (€42,000) fine.

Britain said Tuesday it’s agreed to increase co-operation with India in areas including trade, science and health as Indian authorities battle a surge in coronavirus infections that threatens to overwhelm the nation’s health care system.Plans for a “quantum leap” in relations between the two countries were released after a video meeting between British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi.Prior to the meeting, Britain announced 1 billion pounds ($1.4 billion) of trade deals with India, including an investment by the Serum Institute of India that will aid in the development of vaccines against COVID-19 and other diseases.

NEW DELHI : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday took a slew measures to augment availability of medical professionals for covid management, including the deployment of medical interns and MBBS doctors seeking higher education in duty, and decided to give preference in government jobs to those healthcare workers who have given or shall give at least 100 days of service for covid treatment.“The individuals providing services in covid management will be given priority in forthcoming regular government recruitments after they complete minimum of 100 days of covid duty," the Union government said.“It was also decided to allow deployment of medical interns in covid management duties under the supervision of their faculty, as part of the

NEW DELHI: China stands ready to strengthen cooperation with India to fight the pandemic, Chinese president Xi Jinping said in a letter to prime minister Narendra Modi on Friday.The contents of the letter were not entirely revealed but Chinese ambassador to India Sun Weidong posted sections of it on Twitter.It come against the backdrop of the a devastating second wave of the pandemic sweeping through the country with the daily infections at more than 380,000 and the number of total dead due to covid-19 standing at over 200,000.“Chinese President #XiJinping sends a message of sympathy to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi @narendramodi today," Sun’s first tweet said.“President Xi says, ‘I am very concerned about the recent situation of

The first US emergency aid to India has arrived as the country battles a devastating surge in Covid-19 cases which has overwhelmed hospitals and crematoriums.