Coronavirus News HIghlights: US gymnast tests positive for Covid-19 at Olympics

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he does not want to extend worker isolation exemptions too widely after the government said some critical workers in England may be able to carry on working even if they are exposed to someone with Covid-19.

"We don't want to extend it too widely, obviously, because this is one of the few shots we have got left in our locker, one of the only shots we have got left in locker to stop the chain reaction of the spread of Covid," Johnson told a press conference.

. A female US gymnast has tested positive for coronavirus at an Olympic training camp and another athlete is self-isolating, team chiefs and Japanese officials said on Monday.

The gymnast was named by her father as 18-year-old Kara Eaker who is in Japan as a reserve on the squad led by superstar Simone Biles.

. In the past 24 hours, the state recorded 6,017 cases and 66 deaths taking the progressive total to 62,02,027 and 1,27,097, respectively.

. Taiwan's government on Monday said it had granted emergency-use approval to a coronavirus vaccine made locally by Medigen, with experts saying early data suggested it was similarly effective to AstraZeneca's jabs.

. A serological survey of around 5,000 people from different parts of Ahmedabad city in Gujarat has revealed that 81.63 per cent of the sampled population had developed antibodies against Covid-19, officials said on Monday.

. A woman doctor in eastern Assam's Dibrugarh district has been infected by both 'alpha' and 'delta' variants of SARS-CoV-2 with experts calling it the first such case in the country.

. Announcing this on Monday, Cabinet Minister Subodh Uniyal said people travelling from one place to another within Uttarakhand will no longer be required to carry a negative RT-PCR or Rapid Antigen test report.

. Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in the digestive system, as a post-Covid complication, was detected in a patient with severe symptoms admitted at a private hospital in Hubballi.

. A significant percentage of university students faced learning loss due to the Covid pandemic and it may take three years to repair this gap, says a survey.

According to a survey by TeamLease EdTech, college going students believe they have faced 40 per cent to 60 per cent of learning loss due to Covid and this learning loss is twice the estimated learning loss in G7 countries.

The survey findings indicated that it will take three years to bridge this gap.

. England lifted most pandemic restrictions Monday despite surging infections and dire warnings from experts, as the Delta variant sweeps parts of Europe and Asia, where new cases are threatening to scupper the upcoming Tokyo Olympics.

As England celebrated so-called "freedom day", Vietnam locked down much of its population, while Indonesia clocked daily record deaths and in France lawmakers were set to toughen vaccine rules to battle rising cases.

The highly transmissible Delta variant, first detected in India, is driving new outbreaks along with a relaxation of measures, as countries seek to kickstart virus-battered economies.

. Supreme Court Monday ordered the release of an activist arrested on sedition charges two months ago for a Facebook post that said cow dung did not cure coronavirus.

Erendro Leichombam, 40, made the comments in May after the death of a Manipur state politician from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party.

. The head of the World Health Organisation (WHO) is likely to visit Japan to discuss the Olympics and the coronavirus measures that the authorities have put in place, Kyodo news agency reported on Monday, citing a government source.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus plans to meet Japan's Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga during his visist, according to Kyodo.

The Tokyo Olympics kick off on Friday, July 23.

. Singapore on Monday saw new local coronavirus cases almost double from the previous day to 163, the highest daily tally in 11 months, driven by clusters of infections linked to a fishery port and karaoke bars.

The rising cases has prompted the city-state to tighten some restrictions on social gatherings from Monday, just a week after easing them.

. Namma Metro evening operations have been extended by an hour till 9 am starting from Monday, in view of the relaxations provided by the government.

. The national flag carriers of Nepal and India have increased the number of weekly flights from two at present to six on the Kathmandu-Delhi route under the air bubble arrangement between the two countries, a media report quoted Nepal’s civil aviation body as saying.

Currently, the services remain capped due to an air bubble arrangement between Nepal and India that allows one weekly flight in either direction amidst the travel restrictions due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

. Covidcurfewin Uttarakhand has been extendedfor another week from Tuesday with more relaxations.

Announcing this here on Monday, Cabinet Minister Subodh Uniyal said people travelling from one place to another within Uttarakhand will no longer be required to carry a negative RT-PCR or Rapid Antigen test report.

(PTI)

. About a third of Vietnam's 100 million people must now stay home as multiple southern provinces went underCovid-19 lockdown on Monday.

The restrictions come a day after nearly 6,000 new infections were reported over 24 hours, a record for Vietnam.

Residents in the capital Hanoi were also asked -- but not ordered -- to remain at home, and all non-essential shops and services were forced to close. Gatherings of more than five people in public places are banned.

(AFP)

. The Delhi government has given Rs 1 crore ex gratia to the family of a schoolteacher who died after contractingCovid-19 while on official duty here last year, Health Minister Satyendar Jain said Monday.

The minister tweeted a video in which Sheoji Mishra’s wife and two sons share the trauma they faced after his death.

Mishra’s son Piyush Kumar says in the video that his father was part of a team deputed to feed migrant workers during theCovid-19-induced lockdown last year,

. Saudi citizens will need two Covid-19 vaccine doses before they can travel outside the kingdom from Aug. 9, state news agency SPA reported on Monday, citing the ministry of interior.

(Reuters)

. Jharkhand's Covid-19 tally rose to 3,46,681 on Monday as 32 more people tested positive for the infection, a health bulletin said.

Thecoronavirusdeath toll remained unchanged at 5,120 as no fresh fatality was reported, it said.

. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday urged caution as the legal lockdown restrictions come to an end in England on so-called “Freedom Day”, even as he remains in self-isolation after coming in contact with UK Health Secretary Sajid Javid who has tested positive for Covid-19.

Johnson warned of the “extreme contagiousness” of the Delta variant ofcoronavirus, which continues to keep the infection rate in the country at very high levels.

(PTI)

. Russia reported 24,633 new Covid-19 cases on Monday, including 4,007 in Moscow, taking the official national tally since the pandemic began to 5,982,766.

The governmentcoronavirustask force said 719 people had died ofcoronavirus-linked causes in the past 24 hours, pushing the national death toll to 149,138.

(Reuters)

. Supreme Court seeks Kerala government's response on plea against its decision easing restrictions ahead of Eid-ul-Azha (Bakrid) when the state is witnessing a surge in Covid-19 cases and test positivity rate.

. Supreme Court asks Uttar Pradesh authorities at all levels, including Police, to take a stern view of any violation of Covid-19 norms or attempt to take out any Kawad Yatra and take immediate action to stop any action that poses threat to the lives of citizens.

. Addressing media ahead of the Monsoon Session of Parliament, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said vaccine is given in 'baahu' (arms) andthose who take it become 'Baahubali'.

. India's single-day Covid-19 fatalities on Monday fell below 500, lowest since the beginning of April.

The country logged 38,164 new coronavirus cases, which took the infection tally to 3,11,06,065, while the death toll climbed to 4,14,108 with 499 more fatalities, according to the Union Health Ministry data.

The active cases have declined to 4,21,665.

. Australian authorities on Monday said Victoria state will extend aCovid-19 lockdown beyond Tuesday despite a slight drop in new infections as the country's two biggest cities fight to stop the spread of the highly infectious Delta variant.

Victoria state Premier Daniel Andrews said lockdown rules would not be lifted as cases were still being detected in the community, promising more details would be provided on Tuesday.

(Reuters)

. Two-thirds of people in Japan do not believe the country can host a safe and secure Olympics amid a fresh wave of coronavirus infections, according to a survey published by the Asahi newspaper just four days before the opening ceremony in Tokyo.

In the poll, 68% of respondents expressed doubt about the ability of Olympic organisers to control coronavirus infections, with 55% saying they were opposed to the Games going ahead.

(Reuters)

Coronavirus News HIghlights: US gymnast tests positive for Covid-19 at Olympics

UK has no plans to extend Covid-19 worker isolation exemptions too widely

US gymnast tests positive for Covid-19 at Olympics

Maharashtra's active Covid-19 cases dip below 1 lakh

Taiwan approves local coronavirus vaccine for emergency use

Over 80% Ahmedabad population has Covid-19 antibodies: Survey

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