Top headlines: FM unveils package for economy, TaMo plans 10 EVs by 2025

AstraZeneca vaccine immune response higher with longer gap, More than 50% kids in Mumbai have Covid-19 antibodies, according to a sero survey, and other top news of the day

FM unveils package for Covid-hit sectors

India unveiled more support measures for the pandemic-hit economy, including a 50% expansion in its emergency credit program, as well as support for the health care and tourism sectors. The announcement Monday by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman comes as India’s states start lifting restrictions amid a decline in coronavirus infections after the country suffered the world’s worst Covid-19 surge. Read here

Rs 50,000 cr loan guarantee scheme for public health

Government on Monday announced a cover of Rs 50,000 crore for ramping up health infrastructure in tier-2 and 3 cities, and Rs 23,220 crore additional allocation with primary focus on paediatric care. The loan guarantee scheme would provide 75 per cent coverage for new projects and 50 per cent for those in expansion mode. Maximum loan of up to Rs 100 crore would be given for up to three years at the interest rate capped at 7.95 per cent. Read here

AstraZeneca vaccine immune response higher with longer gap

Immune responses to the AstraZeneca Plc Covid-19 vaccine improve with a longer gap of up to 45 weeks between doses, with a third shot able to boost antibody levels even further, according to a study. Leaving a gap of as long as 10 months between the first and second doses increased the level of protective antibodies, according to research from the University of Oxford published Monday. The researchers were also able to show for the first time that a booster dose induced a strong response and increased activity against variants. Read here

More than 50% kids in Mumbai have Covid-19 antibodies: Sero-survey

More than 50 per cent of the pediatric population in Mumbai has Covid-19 antibodies, showed findings from a sero-survey conducted here. Seroprevalence implies presence of virus-fighting antibodies against Sars-CoV-2. The Sero-survey of SARS-CoV-2 infection among the pediatric population of Mumbai was conducted by BYL Nair Hospital and Kasturba Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory of BMC on the background of imminent danger of the third wave to the pediatric population. Read here

Tata Motors to launch 10 EVs by 2025, 'lead change' on carbon footprint

Tata Motors, the mobility firm of Tata group, will aggressively push its presence in electric vehicles, launching ten new battery-electric vehicles across its commercial and passenger vehicle businesses in India, by 2025, Chairman, N Chandrasekaran said. This comes at a time when the government is pushing manufacturers to develop and manufacture electric vehicles (EV) to reduce carbon footprint, and have brought out policies to subsidise buyers opting for electric vehicles. Read here