Page 75 - Coronavirus

Xi breaks silence on divisions in China, warns of Covid-19 challenges

In a New Year's address on Saturday, Xi said the country is in a new phase of Covid control and has adapted after following a science-based and targeted approach

What are the five things that will impact you in 2023?

Is it a mirage or will this year turn out to be better for us? What will be the key developments that need to be tracked in 2023? Bhaswar Kumar tells us in this report

World welcomes 2023 amid fears of new Covid-19 outbreak, war cries

Recently lifted Covid restrictions also gave China a chance to gather and celebrate

Study reveals booster dose increases resilience of Covid antibody response

Recent research from the University of Virginia School of Medicine discussed the benefits of a Covid-19 booster vaccine dose.The most recent study clarifies how Pfizer and Moderna mRNA boosters influence the persistence of our Covid-19 antibodies. According to the researchers, a booster produced more durable antibodies in all individuals, including those who had recovered from a Covid-19 infection.The researchers have published their latest findings in the scientific journal Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology."These results fit with other recent reports and indicate that booster shots enhance the durability of vaccine-elicited antibodies," said senior researcher Jeffrey Wilson, MD, PhD, of UVA Health's Division of Asthma, Allergy and Immunology.Tracking Covid-19 antibodies: Wilson and his collaborators looked at antibody levels following a booster in 117 UVA employee volunteers and compared those results with the levels seen in 228 volunteers after their primary vaccination .

Coordinated actions needed to deal with global challenges

The United States and its allies are committed to supporting Ukraine, despite serious hardships, especially in Europe

LIVE updates: Delhi records 11 new coronavirus cases in last 24 hours

Catch all the live updates from around the world here

Amid rise in Covid-19 cases, hospitals cancel New Year holiday in China

As Covid-19 cases in China continue to rise, hospitals in many cities have started working overtime during New Year's day to fight against the epidemic, Global Times reported

Outbound travel picks up, India remains top source for several countries

Travel from India increased significantly after resumption of direct flights in March, Turkiye Tourism Board said, with destination weddings contributing to arrivals

Covid pandemic no longer determines how we live our lives: S African Prez

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has said that the country's economy is in a better state than before the COVID-19 pandemic and his government will work to ensure its continuous growth. The Covid-19 pandemic no longer determines how we live our lives. We have been able to shelter society's most vulnerable from its worst effects," Ramaphosa said in his New Year's address on Saturday. President said that South Africa's economy is in a better state than before the COVID-19 pandemic and his government will work to ensure its continuous growth. Our economy is growing again and is now larger than it was before the pandemic. Over the past year, around 1.5 million new jobs were created, he said, while conceding that 2022 had been a difficult year for South Africans. There have been devastating tragic events that have destroyed both lives and livelihoods. These events have included floods, fatal vehicle crashes, deaths in taverns, dam wall collapses, drownings, fires in informal ...

Crowds surge at key streets as India steps in New Year sans Covid curbs

Large crowds thronged popular boulevards, tourist hubs and entertainment centres across India and many joined special prayers at places of worship on Sunday as people stepped out to celebrate the New Year without COVID restrictions. With no major pandemic-related curbs by authorities except advisories to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, revellers marked the beginning of 2023 with gusto, while police kept a tight vigil and hundreds of people faced action for traffic violations like drunk driving. There were massive traffic snarls across the national capital, especially near the India Gate and Connaught Place, while metro stations were teeming with people as many preferred to enjoy outdoors on a sunny Sunday after muted New Year celebrations for two years due to COVID-19. In Jammu and Kashmir, devotees lined up to pay obeisance at the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in the Reasi district. Similar scenes were seen elsewhere including the ghats of Varanasi and the shores of Kanyakumari a

US announces testing for passengers from Hong Kong, China after Covid surge

The CDC said that starting from January 5, the United States would require international travellers coming from China to test negative for Covid-19 before entering the country

2022 saw the rise of multiple viral infections that are here to stay

With a looming threat of Covid-19 infection again to grab the country, the year 2022 has come to an end. After China and some other nations started reporting surge in the Covid cases

China Covid crisis: Consumer durable makers stocking up on inventories

Worried over soaring COVID-19 cases in China, consumer durable makers are stocking up on raw materials to deal with contingencies in case their global supply chains are disrupted again. With Chinese New Year holidays starting from the third week of January, if the factories there are not able to resume full production in February when they open due to the COVID situation worsening, the Indian industry may once again face supply chain issues, experts said. The consumer durable makers normally maintain inventory for about a month, but they are now increasing it to cover at least 2-3 months. Any possible disruption may impact categories such as air conditioners and LED TV panels, where a high proportion of components are sourced from China. Leading electronics manufacturing firm Dixon Technologies said it is keeping its fingers crossed over the situation in China. "Till now the supply chain (from China) is fine and not impacted. Our suppliers are assuring us about delivering on time

Now, Canada and Australia impose Covid rules on travellers from China

Australia and Canada have joined a growing list of countries requiring travellers from China to take a COVID-19 test prior to boarding their flight, as China battles a nationwide outbreak of the coronavirus after abruptly easing restrictions that were in place for much of the pandemic. Australian health authorities said on Sunday that from January 5. All air travellers from mainland China, Hong Kong, or Macao will need to show a negative COVID-19 test taken within two days of their departure. Canadian authorities announced similar measures that will also come into effect January 5 in a statement dated Saturday. Australia and Canada join other countries including the US, UK, India, Japan and several European nations in imposing tougher COVID-19 measures on Chinese travellers amid concerns over a lack of data on infections in China and fears of the possibility that new variants may spread. China, which for most of the pandemic adopted a zero-COVID strategy that imposed harsh ...

China Covid, macro data, global trends to drive markets this week: Analysts

Macroeconomic data announcements, the Covid situation in China and global market cues would guide Dalal Street in the first week of trading in the New Year, analysts said. Markets would also keep a track on rupee movement, Brent crude oil prices and foreign fund investment trends. "As market players attempt to understand the Fed's stance, Indian markets may respond in lockstep with their international counterparts when the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) minutes are made public later this week. "Back home, the New Year is poised to begin with auto numbers," said Apurva Sheth, Head of Market Perspectives, Samco Securities. Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) data for the manufacturing sector to be announced on Monday and services sector on Wednesday will also influence trading in the equity market. "In the near future, the last Budget before the 2024 election, Q4 earnings, and the monthly auto sales number will be the key events that the market will be looking for in January ...

India sees 265 new Covid-19 cases, 3 deaths; active tally at 2,706

) India saw a single-day rise of 265 new coronavirus infections and a decline in active cases to 2,706, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Sunday. The total tally of COVID cases was recorded at 4.46 crore (4,46,78,649). The death toll so far stands at 5,30,705 with three fatalities -- two reconciled by Kerala, and one death reported by Karnataka, in the last 24 hours, the data updated at 8 am stated. The daily positivity rate was recorded at 0.17 per cent, while the weekly positivity was at 0.15 per cent, the health ministry said. It said 1,57,671 COVID tests were conducted in the last 24 hours. The active cases comprise 0.01 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has increased to 98.80 per cent, according to the health ministry website. A decrease of 947 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours. The number of people who recovered from the infection surged to 4,41,45, 238, while 1.19 pe

Top headlines: Revellers celebrate New Year, China Covid fight in new phase

Business Standard brings you the top headlines at this hour

Revellers throng to New Year's parties across world after Covid hiatus

Revellers in major city centers across Europe and the Middle East were ushering in 2023 with countdowns and fireworks, as many cities around the globe celebrated New Year's Eve without restrictions for the first time since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Children crowded a metro station in Kharkiv, Ukraine, to meet with St. Nicholas and enjoy a special performance ahead of the new year. Meanwhile, some soldiers who said they usually celebrate the holiday with family decided to stay in the trenches as they sought to defend their country. Others in Ukraine returned to the capital, Kyiv, to spend New Year's Eve with their loved ones. As Russian attacks continue to target power supplies, leaving millions without electricity, no big celebrations were planned. A curfew was to be in place as the clock struck midnight. French President Emmanuel Macron delivered a message of unity and trust in a televised address Saturday. Referencing the war in Ukraine several times, Macron also sent

Covid fight in new phase, tough challenges ahead for China, says Xi Jinping

China's President Xi Jinping on Saturday acknowledged that the current wave of COVID-19 sweeping across the country has entered a new phase and tough challenges remain as the World Health Organisation (WHO) has asked Beijing to provide more data about the coronavirus variants amid India and other countries ramping up measures to screen travellers from the Communist nation. We have now entered a new phase of COVID-19 response where tough challenges remain, Xi said in his New Year address to the nation, adding that it has not been an easy journey as the country has to face unprecedented difficulties and challenges. Speaking on national television from behind a desk in a wood-paneled office, Xi said that China's extraordinary efforts have helped it prevail over unprecedented difficulties. With extraordinary efforts, we have prevailed over unprecedented difficulties and challenges and it has not been an easy journey for anyone, he said without providing much information about the dire .

53 international arrivals found Covid positive as random testing continues

5,666 samples of passengers were collected for Covid-19 testing. Of the total samples collected, 53 international travellers tested positive for Covid, said the source