Indian Covid Strain ‘Variant of Concern’: WHO
The Covid-19 variant spreading in India, which is facing an explosive outbreak, appears to be more contagious and has been classified as being “of concern", the World Health Organization said Monday. The UN health agency said the B.1.617 variant of Covid-19 first found in India last October seemed to be transmitting more easily than the original version of the virus, and might possibly have some increased resistance to vaccine protections. “There is some available information to suggest increased transmissibility of the B.1.617," Maria Van Kerkove, the WHO’s lead on Covid-19, told reporters, also pointing to early studies “suggesting that there is some reduced neutralisation".
11 Covid-19 Patients Dead in Tirupati Hospital as ‘Oxygen Tanker Arrived Late’
Eleven Covid-19 patients have allegedly died at Tirupati’s Ruia Hospital due to oxygen shortage, sources told CNN-News18. The oxygen tanker reportedly arrived late and the patients, most of whom were being treated in the ICU ward, were without oxygen for nearly 45 minutes. More deaths are feared, officials added. The Covid-specialty hospital has nearly 1,000 beds. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Reddy has ordered a high-level probe into the matter and is likely to visit the hospital in the morning.
Himanta Biswa Sarma Takes Oath as Assam’s New Chief Minister
Himanta Biswa Sarma took oath as the 15th Chief Minister of Assam along with 13 members of his cabinet on Monday after he was elected unanimously by the BJP Legislature Party, which met in Guwahati on Sunday. Sarma, who was the charioteer of Bharatiya Janta Party’s stride in the Northeast was administerd the oath in presence of state Governor Jagdish Mukhi, the BJP national President JP Nadda and other leaders. According to sources in the party, Sarma’s name was proposed by incumbent chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal.
Panic in UP, Bihar Towns After Bodies of Covid Suspects Found Floating in Rivers
Several bodies, decomposed, bloated and suspected to be of people who succumbed to covid-19, were on Monday found floating in the river Ganga in a Bihar district. Officials in Chausa block of Buxar, which borders Uttar Pradesh, rushed to the spot of the unseemly sight upon hearing the news. “We were alerted by the local chowkidar that many bodies have been spotted floating from upstream. We have so far recovered 15 of these. None of the deceased happens to be a resident of the district," Chausa BDO Ashok Kumar told PTI over phone.
‘Can’t Behave Like Proverbial Ostrich’: Court Raps Uttarakhand Govt for Allowing Kumbh Mela in Pandemic
The Uttarakhand High Court on Monday pulled up the state government for continuing to allow religious events despite a surge in coronavirus cases and doubted its preparedness to deal with the pandemic, asking it to wake up from slumber. “We cannot behave like the proverbial ostrich and bury our head in sand in the face of the pandemic," Chief Justice R S Chauhan and Justice Alok Kumar Verma said while hearing a PIL on the government’s handling of the pandemic. The bench asked why the state was still not prepared despite combating the pandemic for more than a year, and reminded the government about predictions of a third wave.
CRPF Lost 108 Personnel to Covid-19, Highest Among Central Forces: Data
The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has lost 108 personnel to COVID-19, the highest among the central forces that function under the command of the Union home ministry, according to data updated on Monday. A total of 271 personnel of the seven forces of CRPF, BSF, CISF, ITBP, SSB, NSG and NDRF have succumbed to the pandemic so far. These forces deployed for rendering a variety of security, border guarding, relief and rescue duties across the country also reported 763 fresh coronavirus infections in a day, taking the tally of cases in their ranks to 71,295. The number of active cases in these seven forces stands at 9,464 while 61,560 personnel have recovered till now.
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