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Serum Institute seeks emergency approval from DCGI for Covishield

New Delhi (NVI): The Serum Institute of India (SII) has applied to the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) for emergency use authorisation for its Oxford Covid-19 vaccine, Covishield, in the country.

The vaccine, developed by SII with Oxford and AstraZeneca, is the first candidate that’s being tested in India to seek emergency approval.

Adar Poonawalla, CEO and Owner of Serum Institute, tweeted, “As promised, before the end of 2020, @SerumInstIndia has applied for emergency use authorisation for the first made-in-India vaccine, COVISHIELD. This will save countless lives, and I thank the Government of India and Sri @narendramodi ji for their invaluable support.”

This comes a day after the Indian arm of US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer sought a similar approval from India’s drug regulator to use its Covid-19 vaccine candidate in India.

Currently, phase-three clinical trial of the Oxford COVID-19 vaccine, Covishield, is being conducted by the Pune-based SII, co-sponsored by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), in various parts of the country in addition to clinical studies being carried out by Oxford-AstraZeneca in the UK and Brazil.

SII stated that data from four clinical studies, two in the UK and one each in Brazil and India, shows that Covishield is highly efficacious against symptomatic and most importantly against severe COVID-19 infections.

According to the ICMR, the SII has already manufactured 40 million doses of the vaccine under the at-risk manufacturing and stockpiling license it obtained from the DCGI.

-CHK

Active COVID-19 cases fall below 4-lakh mark in India

Covid-19
File photo

New Delhi (NVI): India’s total active coronavirus cases fallen below the 4-lakh mark and stands at 3,96,729 today, the lowest in 140 days, Union Health Ministry said.

“India’s present active coronavirus caseload consists of just 4.1 per cent of India’s total positive cases. The total active cases were 3,90,459 on July 20,” the Ministry of Health said in a statement.

The country has also reported more daily recoveries than the daily new cases during the past 24 hours, continuing with the trend from the past 10 days.

“With 32,981 new cases and 39,109 new recoveries registered in the last 24 hours. The difference between new recoveries and cases has led to a net decline of 6,519 cases from the total active cases during the same period,” the statement read.

The ministry also informed that, the new cases per million population in India recorded in the past seven days are amongst the lowest in the world. The number of cases per million population has also been historically low for India. The country’s cases  per million is 6,988 against the world average of 8,438.

Meanwhile, the difference in new recoveries outnumbering new cases has also improved the recovery rate to 94.45 per cent, pushing the total recovered cases to 91,39,901.

With this, the gap between recovered cases and active cases has crossed 87-lakh mark standing at 87,43,172 in the country.

As many as 81.20 per cent of the new recovered cases are from 10 States and UTs, the ministry said, adding that, “Maharashtra has reported the maximum number of recoveries with 7,486 new recovered cases, followed by Kerala with 5,217 recoveries and Delhi registered 4,622 new recoveries.”

About 76.20 per cent of the new cases are from 10 States and UTs. Out of these, Kerala reported the highest daily new cases at 4,777, followed by Maharashtra with 4,757 new cases. West Bengal recorded 3,143 new cases.

The ministry further said, in the past 24 hours, 391 case fatalities have been reported in the country.

Ten States and UTs account for 75.07 per cent of new deaths. Delhi saw the maximum fatalities of 69 and West Bengal and Maharashtra follow with 46 and 40 daily deaths, respectively.

Notably, the daily registered deaths per million population during the past week when compared globally demonstrate that India continues to have one of the lowest at 3 death/ million population, the statement added.

-RJV

Coronavirus cases surge past 67 million worldwide

Coronavirus cases
File photo

New Delhi (NVI): More than 67 million people around the world have been confirmed to have the coronavirus, while the death toll has crossed 15,36,000, according to the Johns Hopkins University tally. Over 43.1 million patients have recovered from the deadly disease globally.

The number of coronavirus infections in the US have surpassed 14.7 million while the number of fatalities due to the deadly contagion have crossed 2,82,000.

Brazil’s coronavirus cases have crossed the 66 lakh-mark and stands at 6,603,540 while the number of deaths have surged past 1,76,000 in the country.

Meanwhile, Indonesia received its first shipment of coronavirus vaccine from China on Sunday, President Joko Widodo said, as the government prepares a mass inoculation programme.

China reported 15 new Covid-19 cases on Dec. 6, down from 18 cases a day earlier, the national health authority said on Monday.

The total number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in mainland China now stands at 86,634, while the death toll remained unchanged at 4,634.

South Korea reported 615 new coronavirus cases on Monday, capping a month of triple-digit daily increases that have driven the nation’s largest wave of infections in nine months.

Furthermore, Mexico’s Health Ministry on Sunday reported 7,455 new cases of coronavirus infection and an additional 261 fatalities, bringing the country’s totals to 1,175,850 cases and 109,717 deaths.

-CHK

CPCB raises concern on pollution in Yamuna, asks states for sewage treatment

CPCB raises concern on pollution in Yamuna, asks states for sewage treatment
Pollutants discharged into the Yamuna river has caused large amounts of white, toxic foam (File photo)

New Delhi (NVI): The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) raised concern over rising pollution in Yamuna river and urged Delhi and other states to implement effective sewage treatment.

The board monitors water quality of river Yamuna and drains discharging into the river, observed froth formation and increase in ammonia levels in river Yamuna because of discharge of untreated sewage, the Ministry of Environment said in a statement.

“Non-operation of existing Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs), improper functioning of Effluent Treatment Plants (ETPs) installed by the industries and Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETPs) located on the banks of river Yamuna also contributed to the pollutants in the river,” it added.

The statement also informed that, at present 22 drains are being monitored, indicated that 14 drains are found untapped ,discharging sewage. These drains are in Sonia Vihar, Najafgarh, Shastri Park, Shahdara among others.

“While five drains are 100 per cent tapped with no flow at downward of interception observed and two of the drains were found tapped but overflow into river Yamuna was observed,” it said.

One of the drains has no flow at all. The board said this is due to partially or untreated discharge of sewage and industrial effluent containing phosphorus, many times, foaming is also observed.

The CPCB, took notice of this and asked Delhi Jal Board (DJB) to submit time bound action plan to ensure compliance to norms by Sewage Treatment Plant (STPs) and that no untreated sewage is discharged to these drains, the statement further said.

Apart from this, the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) has been directed to take action against non-complying CETPs and industrial units. The State Pollution Control Boards of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh have also been asked to take similar directions.

In view of the importance of the issues, reminders have also been issued to concerned agencies to submit action taken report by December 15, 2020, the statement added.

 

-RJV

Colleges reopen in TN after 9 months

colleges
(File/Representational image)

New Delhi (NVI): All medical colleges in Tamil Nadu for both undergraduate and postgraduate students are reopening from today, after a gap of nearly 9 months amid the COVID-19 outbreak.

The state government has also resumed in-person classes for the undergraduate final year students in all colleges and universities.

As colleges reopen, the attendance has been kept optional and colleges would continue online classes for the students who cannot or do not wish to attend in-person classes.

Meanwhile, the Tamil Nadu government also issued the guidelines and SOPs in regards safety measures to be followed for the reopening of universities, colleges and hostels.

Under the guidelines, the colleges would be required to follow the strict procedure in regards sanitisation of the classrooms and common areas. Mandatory thermal scanning at entry points, social distancing and wearing of marks would also be ensured.

Apart from this, the number of students allowed to be seated in a classroom have been limited. College authorities have to ensure notices at prominent places informing students about the basic hygiene measures.

Furthermore, hostels with limited capacity are also allowed to reopen from today. The students, however, are advised to check with the respective hostels to understand the guidelines that need to be followed.

So far, Tamil Nadu has registered 7,90,240 coronavirus cases, while the death toll rose to 11,793 in the state.

-RJV

India’s COVID-19 tally surge to 96.77 lakh, death toll at 1.40 lakh

COVID cases
File photo

New Delhi (NVI): India has reported 32,981 fresh coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, taking the overall caseload to 96,77,203, Union Health Ministry said.

The country’s death toll has reached to 1,40,573 with 391 fatalities reported during this period.

Currently, 91,39,901 patients have been cured and recovered all over the country while active cases stands at 3,96,729 . This is the first time since July that the active coronavirus cases has fallen below the 4-lakh mark in the country.

In worst-affected Maharashtra, the COVID-19 cases surpassed 18,52,266 followed by Karnataka with 8,93,006 cases, and Andhra Pradesh with 8,71,972 positive cases..

Other states with a high virus hit included Tamil Nadu (7,90,240), Kerala (8,36,393) and Uttar Pradesh (5,54,944).

Meanwhile, of the total deaths, Maharashtra tops the tally with 47,734 fatalities, followed by Karnataka with 11,856 deaths.

Delhi has also registered 5,92,250 cases of coronavirus, while the death toll from the virus has reached 9,643 in the national capital.

According to Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), more than 14.77 crore samples tested for COVID-19 up to December 6. Of these, 8,01,081 samples were tested yesterday.

Furthermore, Chief Minister of Punjab Amarinder Singh yesterday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure priority allocation of COVID-19 vaccine to Punjab on account of its higher mortality rate.

-RJV

Japanese space capsule carrying asteroid samples lands in Australia

Japanese space capsule carrying asteroid samples lands in Australia

New Delhi (NVI): Japanese space probe ‘Hayabusa-2’ carrying samples collected from an asteroid arrived on earth early today as the space capsule landed safely near Woomera in Australia, the country’s space agency said.

This the second time ever that humanity has brought samples to earth. With this, the space brobe completed its six-year mission. During the mission, the Hayabusa-2 spacecraft had fired two impactors into the asteroid, and collected samples of both surface dust and material from below the surface, that was stirred up.

“On December 6, 2020, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has recovered the body of the capsule, the heat shields, and the parachute of the “Hayabusa2″ re-entry capsule in the Woomera Prohibited Area (WPA),” the Japanese space agency said in a statement.

“Tomorrow, the capsule recovery team will extract gas out of the capsule at the operation headquarters in Australia. Researchers considered the gas originates from the precious sample from Asteroid Ryugu,” it added.

It further sad that after the capsule separation, the spacecraft performed trajectory correction maneuvers three times every 30 minutes to depart from the Earth’s sphere from 15:30 to 16:30 on December 5 (JST).

“The Hayabusa2 team members confirmed the trajectory correction maneuvers’ success at 16:31 on the same day (JST). The current status of the spacecraft is normal,” the agency said.

The mission by Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) Hayabusa2 is aimed at exploring the origins of the solar system and where molecules like water came from.

Launched from Japan’s Tanegashima space centre in 2014, the spacecraft took four years to reach the asteroid Ryugu before taking a sample and heading back to Earth in November 2019.

According to scientists, asteroid Ryugu may contain organic matter that may have contributed to life on earth.

-ARK

Cop, civilian injured in Srinagar militant attack

Cop, civilian injured in Srinagar militant attack

Neyaz Elahi

Srinagar (NVI): A policeman and a civilian were injured after militants fired upon a police party in Sazgaripora area of Hawal in old Srinagar today.

Police said that the militants opened indiscriminate fire on a police party, resulting in injuries to a police constable and a civilian. Both have been shifted to Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Science (SKIMS) Soura, Srinagar.

“#Terrorists fired indiscriminately upon police party at #Sazgaripora #Hawal in which 01 police personnel Farooq Ahmad Chopan & 01 civilian Muneer Ahmad got injured. Both the injured were shifted to hospital. Area has been cordoned off. Further details shall follow,” Kashmir Zone police tweeted.

The injured cop has been identified as Farooq Ahmed Chopan (29). The cop has sustained bullet injuries in both legs. The civilian has been identified as Munir Ahmed Misgar (34), who also sustained bullet injuries in his right thigh.

Hospital sources said that both the injured are stable and are being treated.

The spot where the incident took place falls under the jurisdiction of Police Station Zadibal.

Meanwhile, the area was cordoned off and a search operation was underway.


Police have registered a case against unidentified militants in this regard.

Last month in November, two soldiers were killed in an attack carried out by car-borne militants on the Srinagar-Baramulla National Highway on the outskirts of Srinagar.

In October, two militants were killed in an encounter in the Old Barzulla area of Srinagar, after security forces had launched a Cordon and Search Operation.

-ARK

Two minor girls from PoK cross LoC, intercepted in J&K’s Poonch

Narco smuggling
Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir (File Pic)

Jammu (NVI): Two minor girls from Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK), who strayed into the Indian side along the Line of Control (LoC) this morning, were intercepted by the security forces in Poonch sector of Jammu and Kashmir.

“Two girls from Pakistan Occupied Kashmir, Laiba Zabair aged 17 years and Sana Zabair aged 13 years, residents of village Abbasspur, Tehsil Forward Kahuta had inadvertently crossed into the Indian side in Poonch Sector in the morning hours of 06 Dec 2020,” said the Army spokesperson based in Jammu.

He said that the Indian troops deployed along the LoC detected the crossing and exercised complete restraint to prevent any harm to the teenagers, adding that efforts are underway for their early repatriation.

Official sources told NVI that these girls were intercepted near Sarla in Sub Sector Gulpur of Poonch district at around 8:45 am.

An official said the girls will be handed over to Pakistani officials and the date and timing of repatriation would be decided later.

He said the identities of these have been ascertained. “They are from Gujjar Community living across border,” he added.

Pertinently, security forces have intensified patrolling on LoC after unearthing of a tunnel and infiltration bids this year.

-ARK

Global Covid-19 cases cross 66 mn mark

Global Covid-19 cases cross 66 mn mark

New Delhi (NVI): The global coronavirus cases today crossed the 66 million mark while the death toll climbed to over 1.52 million, according to US-based Johns Hopkins University.

At present, the global caseload stands at 66,460,498 and the death toll stands at 1,527,972.

With 14,575,623 total cases, the US is the world’s worst hit country. 281,134 people in the US have lost their life due to the virus.

After the US, India has the most number of cases at 96,44,222, besides 1,40,182 total deaths so far.

Brazil is at third place with 6,577,177 cases and over 1,77,000 deaths. Brazil currently has the second highest number of Covid fatatilies.

Apart from that, Russia (2,410,462), France (2,334,626), the UK (1,710,379), Italy (1,709,991), Spain (1,684,647), Argentina (1,459,832), Colombia (1,362,249), Germany (1,170,095), Mexico (1,168,395), Poland (1,054,273) and Iran (1,028,986) are some of the countries with more than a millionn confirmed cases.

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