<p><strong>London:</strong> British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Saturday expressed "serious concern" over cases of the Delta Covid variant rising in the country.</p> <p>This comes as sources suggest that England's remaining lockdown curbs will be extended for another month seeing the surge in infections of Delta variant.</p> <p><strong>ALSO READ |<span style="color: #e03e2d;"> <a style="color: #e03e2d;" title="" href="https://ift.tt/3xj0Fkk" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-toggle="tooltip" data-html="true" data-original-title="Story ID: 1463296">India Reports Over 80K New Covid Cases; Decline In Fatalities, 3303 Deaths In Last 24 Hrs</a></span></strong></p> <p>The British government’s efforts in successful inoculation drive, deemed one of the world's fastest rollouts, had led to hopes of normalcy returning to the citizens' lives. However, the rising cases of Delta variant seem to have dashed the plans to lift remaining restrictions.</p> <p>"It's clear that the variant which was first detected in India is more transmissible and it's also true that the cases are going up, and that the levels of hospitalisation are going up," Prime Minister Johnson told Sky News.</p> <p>Johnson stated that officials continue to study the data before reaching a final decision, however, he was less optimistic about the situation as compared to the end of May.</p> <p>"Now, we don't know exactly to what extent that is going to feed through into extra mortality, but clearly it's a matter of serious, serious concern."</p> <p>The British Prime Minister suggested that the government would not reimpose any previous restrictions.</p> <p>As of now, the government's roadmap is expected to see all legal limits on social contact to be removed on June 21. PM Johnson is scheduled to announce on Monday whether the curbs over social contact will end as set out under a planned 'roadmap'.</p> <p>The last part of completely lifting the lockdown in England would see nightclubs reopen, and an end to restrictions on performances, weddings and other life events.</p> <p>The Public Health England (PHE) had informed that the Delta variant now accounts for nine in 10 coronavirus cases in the UK.</p> <p>It is roughly 60 percent more transmissible than the Alpha, or Kent, variant, it added.</p> <p>As of Saturday, the UK's overall Covid infection tally and death toll stood at 4,566,891 and 128,148, respectively.</p> <p>Meanwhile, more than 29 million people in the UK have been administered both doses of a Covid vaccine which accounts for 55.4 percent of the country's total adult population – a feat that is helping the country register low mortality with respect to deaths caused by Coronavirus.</p> <p><em>(With Agency Inputs)</em></p>
<p><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0"><strong>Coronavirus Update:</strong> India reports 80,834 new </span><span class="r-18u37iz">COVID 19</span><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0"> cases, 1,32,062 patient discharges, and 3,303 deaths in the last 24 hours, as per Union Health Ministry. </span></p> <p><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0">Total cases: 2,94,39,989 </span></p> <p><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0">Total discharges: 2,80,43,446</span></p> <p><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0"> Death toll: 3,70,384 </span></p> <p><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0">Active cases: 10,26,159</span></p> <p><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0"> Total vaccination: 25,31,95,048</span></p> <p><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0">For the third time this week, Maharashtras daily Covid deaths remained in the higher ranges, as the fatalities in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) crossed the 30,000-mark though new infections dropped, health officials said here on Saturday.<br /><br />Compared to the peak of 2,619 deaths declared on Friday, the state on Saturday reported its second highest toll of 1,966 fatalities, comprising 360 new deaths and 1,606 earlier deaths, which mounted Maharashtra's overall death toll to 108,333, the worst in the country for a single state.<br /><br />The number of fresh cases continued to remain below the 15,000-level at 10,697 on Saturday, taking the state's tally to 58,98,550 till date.</span></p> <p><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0">As further evidence of breaking the chain, with 21,614 patients discharged, recoveries were more than 9,785 new Covid cases in a day across Karnataka, said the state health bulletin on Saturday.<br /><br />"With 21,614 patients discharged across the state during the day, recoveries shot up to 25,32,719, while 9,785 new cases registered on Friday increased the state's Covid tally to 27,57,324, including 1,91,796 active cases," said the bulletin.</span></p>
<p><strong>Ranchi:</strong> Entire eligible population in some Jharkhand villages including those located in far-flung extremist-affected areas have been vaccinated for COVID-19, the state government said on Saturday. These included villages like Banmara and Jins Jara Kani in Simdega.</p> <p id="1" class="story_para_1">The Banmara village of Kullu Kera panchayat is located at the Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh border of Simdega district. "100 per cent of the population of this village have been vaccinated for coronavirus. People of Jins Jara Kani village of Simdega situated at the border of Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh have shown the same kind of spirit," an official statement from the state government said.</p> <p id="2" class="story_para_2">Despite being one of the farthest villages, people here actively participated in the vaccination drive and achieved 100 per cent vaccination, it said. Likewise, Ranga panchayat of Masaliya block in Dumka is also heading towards 100 per cent inoculation.</p> <p id="3" class="story_para_3">"Panchayats like Shikaripara, Gandrakpur, which are situated at the farthest part of the district (Dumka) have also achieved more than 80 per cent vaccination," the statement said. It said about 50 per cent of the 18 plus population at Garu block of Naxal affected Latehar district has been inoculated and backed by intensive awareness campaign a rise in vaccination coverage is being recorded.</p> <p id="4" class="story_para_4">Awareness campaigns run by the government in native and regional languages are helping people understand the benefits of the vaccine it said adding myths and fallacies related to the vaccine are being exposed among the rural population of the state. "Dumka district of Santhal Pargana region having multiple panchayats recording more than 75 per cent or 80 per cent vaccination coverage is running an intensive awareness drive across the districts," it said.</p> <p id="5" class="story_para_5">Meanwhile, the state governemnt in a separate statement thanked UNICEF for providing three RT-PCR machines, 20 lakh three-layered masks, 800 oxygen concentrators, refrigerators and cold-chain boxes. Extending thanks to the UNICEF, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren said that the government is serious to battle COVID-19.</p>
A federal judge tossed out a lawsuit from more than 100 hospital employees who sued Houston Methodist over its policy requiring all staff to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
The workers alleged in their lawsuit that the hospital was "forcing its employees to be human 'guinea pigs' as a condition for continued employment." They also accused the hospital of violating the Nuremberg Code of 1947, likening the vaccine mandate to Nazi medical experimentation on concentration camp prisoners.
US District Judge Lynn Hughes was not sympathetic to either argument, writing in his order of dismissal Saturday evening that none of the employees were forced or coerced to take the vaccine. He also noted that the hospital cannot violate the Nuremberg Code because it is a private employer, not a government.
"Equating the injection requirement to medical experimentation in concentration camps is reprehensible," Hughes wrote. "Nazi doctors conducted medical experiments on victims that caused pain, mutilation, permanent disability, and in many cases, death."
He added that the workers were free to accept or reject a vaccine and that they would "simply need to work elsewhere" if they chose the latter.
"If a worker refuses an assignment, changed office, earlier start time, or other directive, he may be properly fired. Every employment includes limits on the worker's behavior in exchange for his remuneration," Hughes wrote. "That is all part of the bargain."
The lawyer representing the hospital staff, Jared Woodfill, told Insider in a statement he intends to appeal the ruling to a federal appeals court and to the US Supreme Court if necessary.
"This is just one battle in a larger war to protect the rights of employees to be free from being forced to participate in a vaccine trial as a condition for employment," Woodfill said. "Employment should not be conditioned upon whether you will agree to serve as a human guinea pig."
The hospital has already suspended 178 workers who have missed the vaccine deadline
The exterior of the Houston Methodist Hospital is seen on June 09, 2021 in Houston, Texas.
Getty Images/Brandon Bell
Houston Methodist made national headlines earlier this year when it announced it would require its 26,000 employees to be fully vaccinated against the coronavirus by June 7.
"Those who are not vaccinated by that date face suspension and eventual termination," the hospital said in a FAQ page published in April.
The hospital's policy also contained exemptions for workers with sincerely held religious beliefs and certain medical conditions, including pregnancy.
Since then, the hospital system has suspended 178 workers who didn't meet the vaccination deadline. They will be fired if they aren't vaccinated by June 21.
The lawsuit called the COVID-19 vaccines "experimental," and noted that none have been granted full approval by the US Food and Drug Administration.
The FDA has granted "emergency use authorization" to the three major vaccines: Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson.
Each of the vaccines have undergone rigorous clinical trials involving tens of thousands of participants. Pfizer and BioNTech have already applied for full approval of their vaccine and Moderna has announced plans to apply soon.
In a statement to Insider, Houston Methodist's president and CEO, Dr. Marc Boom, praised the hospital system's 26,000 employees who received the vaccine.
"Our employees and physicians made their decisions for our patients, who are always at the center of everything we do," he said. "We can now put this behind us and continue our focus on unparalleled safety, quality, service and innovation."
<p><strong>New Delhi: </strong>Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke at the G7 Summit on Saturday in a session titled ‘Building Back Stronger - Health’, and sought the support of the member countries to lift patent protections for Covid-19 vaccines.</p> <p>In his address, PM Modi sought the support of the G7 countries for a proposal moved at the WTO by India and South Africa, for patent waiver on Covid related technologies.</p> <p><a href="https://ift.tt/3gnq3hG Read|Bikaner To Become First City In India To Begin Door-To-Door Covid-19 Vaccination Drive; Know Details</strong></a></p> <p>"The prime minister committed India's support for collective endeavours to improve global health governance. He sought the G7's support for the proposal moved at the WTO by India and South Africa for a TRIPS (Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights) waiver on Covid related technologies," the statement said.</p> <h3><strong>India and South Africa have proposed WTO for Covid patent rules waiver </strong></h3> <p>In October 2020, India and South Africa had submitted the first proposal suggesting a waiver for all WTO members on the implementation of certain provisions of the TRIPS Agreement in relation to the prevention, containment, or treatment of COVID-19.</p> <p>In May this year, a revised proposal was submitted by 62 co-sponsors, including India, South Africa, and Indonesia.</p> <p>The agreement on TRIPS came into effect in January 1995. It is a multilateral agreement on intellectual property (IP) rights such as copyright, industrial designs, patents, and the protection of undisclosed information or trade secrets.</p> <h3><strong>Why is the waiver needed?</strong></h3> <p>All vaccine makers have struggled to rapidly scale up capacity. These include Pfizer, its partner BioNTech, AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson that have received billions of dollars in advance purchase agreements from wealthy nations. India is one of the most affected countries in the second wave of Coronavirus and though the downward trend has begun, the country is still facing a shortage of vaccine. The waiver will allow countries to manucfacture Covid vaccine within the country, thus reducing the cost of import which ramp up vaccine production.</p> <p>The proposal was opposed by pharmaceutical firms and some European countries that argued the problem was US restrictions on the export of jabs and raw materials, which has led to a shortage of drugs like Remdesivir. India’s point is that the situation over the last one year, with poorer countries struggling to source treatments, makes the waiver crucial.</p> <p> </p>
<p><strong>Bikaner:</strong> The Bikaner city in Rajasthan is set to become the first city in the country to begin the door-to-door Covid-19 vaccination drive.</p> <p>The drive will be initiated on Monday for beneficiaries aged 45 and up.</p> <p><strong>ALSO READ |<span style="color: #e03e2d;"> <a style="color: #e03e2d;" title="" href="https://ift.tt/3pOswpV" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-toggle="tooltip" data-html="true" data-original-title="Story ID: 1463273">G7 Summit: PM Modi Shares Mantra Of 'One Earth, One Health'; Calls For Global Unity To Combat Covid</a></span></strong></p> <p>For this initiative, mobile teams have been constituted to vaccinate people in their homes. The district administration has issued a helpline so that beneficiaries can register for vaccination by providing their names and addresses using that WhatsApp number.</p> <p>Two ambulances and three mobile teams are on standby to deliver the vaccines to people’s homes, and the district administration has set up a helpline with a WhatsApp number where people may register for the vaccines by providing their names and addresses.</p> <p>According to media reports, the vaccine van will leave to inoculate people at their homes after registering at least ten people. One vial of vaccine can be used to vaccinate 10 persons. Keeping this in mind, the minimum limit has been set.</p> <p>A medical staff has also been appointed for the vaccine drive, to stay and observe the health condition of the person inoculated.</p> <p>At present, there are 16 urban primary health centers in Bikaner. The doctors at these health centers have been asked to monitor the persons getting inoculated at home.</p> <p>According to the district administration, about 60-65 percent of the population has been vaccinated so far. About 3,69,000 people have been given the vaccine in the district.</p> <p>In the last 24 hours, 28 new cases of coronavirus have been reported here. A total of 40,118 cases have been reported in the district so far. Meanwhile, 527 people have succumbed to this infection. At present, the number of active cases in the district is 453.</p>
Five states - Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Wyoming - have not yet administered at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccines to half of their residents, according to CDC data, posing a roadblock to the Biden administration.
As The Associated Press first reported Saturday, the worst vaccination rate in the country is in Mississippi where just about 36% of the state population has received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
The Centre Daily Times reported Saturday that officials in Mississippi have in recent months turned away more than 870,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine from the federal government due to waning demand from state residents. Unwanted doses have gone to other states and into a national pool, according to the report.
According to data from the CDC, vaccine administration peaked in the US in April and has steadily declined since.
About 36% of the population in Alabama has received at least one dose of the vaccine. Dr. Karen Landers, Alabama's deputy health officer, told the Associated Press that the state would not reach the president's target but said "that does not deter us from encouraging people to get the vaccine."
Just over 40% of people in Tennessee are at least partially vaccinated against COVID-19, according to state data.
According to the CDC, 52% of all people in the US have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. Just under 43% of Americans are fully vaccinated against the disease.
States across the US have introduced vaccine lotteries, gun giveaways, free beer, and other incentives to encourage their residents to get vaccinated.
<p><strong>G7 Outreach Summit:</strong> Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday participated in G7 virtual summit organised in Cornwall in the United Kingdom via video conferencing and shared the mantra of "One Earth, One Health". </p> <p>While speaking at a session titled ‘Building Back Stronger - Health’, PM Modi expressed appreciation for the support extended by the G7 and other guest countries during the recent wave of COVID infections in India. </p> <p><strong>ALSO READ | <span style="color: #e03e2d;"><a style="color: #e03e2d;" href="https://ift.tt/3wi3OAH Tax On Black Fungus Drugs, Rates Slashed For Covid Essentials; 5% GST On Vaccines</a></span></strong></p> <p>"Today's meeting should send out a message of '<em>One Earth One Health'</em> for the whole world," PM Modi during the session which focused on global recovery from the coronavirus pandemic and on strengthening resilience against future pandemics.</p> <p>Calling for global unity, leadership, and solidarity to prevent future pandemics, Prime Minister emphasized the special responsibility of democratic and transparent societies in this regard. </p> <p>PM Modi also highlighted India's ‘whole of society’ approach to fight the pandemic, synergising the efforts of all levels of the government, industry and civil society. </p> <p>Further in his speech, the Prime Minister explained India’s successful use of open source digital tools for contact tracing and vaccine management, and conveyed India's willingness to share its experience and expertise with other developing countries.</p> <p><strong>ALSO READ | <span style="color: #e03e2d;"><a style="color: #e03e2d;" href="https://ift.tt/3gnuL0t 4-Point Rebuttal On Report Claiming Higher Covid Deaths In India</a></span></strong></p> <p>Prime Minister even ensured India's support for collective endeavours to improve global health governance. He sought the G7's support for the proposal moved at the WTO by India and South Africa, for a TRIPS waiver on COVID related technologies. </p> <p>G7 leaders from the UK, US, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan as well the European Union are joined in their discussions on global health by their counterparts from India, South Korea, South Africa and Australia participating virtually.</p> <p>As per the schedule, PM will also participate in the final day of the G7 Summit on Sunday (June 13) and will speak in two Sessions.</p>
A laboratory physician at the China Centers for Disease Control and Prevention prepares to test a coronavirus specimen in Chongqing, China, on May 3, 2020
Two weeks ago, President Joe Biden asked the US intelligence community to redouble its efforts to find out how the pandemic started: Did the coronavirus jump from animals to people, or did it leak from a Chinese lab?
Any investigation of a potential lab leak - the possibility that a lab worker got infected then spread the virus to other people - must in turn consider two options. One is that a worker was exposed to a raw virus sample collected from bats or other animals, while the other is that the virus was genetically engineered. The evidence for either option remains sparse, so the whole notion is still considered highly unlikely.
So far, much of the discourse about the lab-leak theory has centered on the latter idea: that researchers in Wuhan modified the virus before it escaped a lab. A recent Wall Street Journal op-ed even pointed to one particular piece of the coronavirus' genome as evidence of scientific manipulation. Confirming that the virus was manipulated would, of course, show that it came out of a lab.
But the opposite isn't true: Even if the virus didn't undergo any laboratory manipulation, that wouldn't rule out a lab escape.
A 'smoking gun'?
Dr. Francis Collins, Director of the National Institutes of Health, holds up a model of the coronavirus.
Saul Loeb-Pool/Getty Images
The starting point nearly all scientists agree on in this debate is that two known bat coronaviruses are a 96% and 97% match for the coronavirus' genetic make-up. A recent study suggests another virus found in bats from southern China could be an even closer relative.
But since scientists have yet to find a bat population harboring an exact match, a lab leak can't be definitively ruled out.
Those who consider the lab theory to be unlikely are quick to point out that the coronavirus's genetic code has no tell-tale hallmarks of being engineered. A March 2020 study analyzed the virus' DNA and concluded that it "is not a laboratory construct or a purposefully manipulated virus."
However, the people who do think the coronavirus might have been engineered focus on a few particular areas of its genome.
Steven Quay, founder and president of biopharmaceutical company Atossa Therapeutics Inc., argued in the Wall Street Journal that investigators should look closely at a part of the coronavirus' spike protein that cleaves in half in order to prep the virus to enter human cells.
Many viruses use an enzyme that chops them up into smaller pieces to help them better invade cells. Different viruses use a variety of types of chops, and some work better than others. One particular chop is called the furin cleavage site. If the virus splits right here, Quay argues, it becomes "supercharged." The new coronavirus' closest known relatives do not have this site, but other coronaviruses have it, and research suggests it can arise naturally.
Quay told Insider, however, that 11 labs around the world "have purposefully put in a furin site to make a virus more infectious."
One of those labs, he said, is the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV), where researchers studied bat coronaviruses before the pandemic. Some of that work involved tweaking viruses to make them more lethal and infectious as a way to anticipate future pandemics - what's called gain-of-function research.
David Baltimore, a Nobel Prize-winning biologist, has called the coronavirus' furin cleavage site a "smoking gun" for the lab-leak theory. He told journalist Nicholas Wade last month that the site's presence in the coronavirus poses a "powerful challenge to the idea of a natural origin."
However, Baltimore has since walked back that comment, saying Wade took his quote out of context.
Efficient human-to-human transmission
Members of Blue Sky rescue team disinfect the Wuhan Qintai Grand Theatre on January 24, 2021.
Xia Junjun/VCG via Getty Images
Quay also points to the coronavirus' highly infectious nature as evidence that it could be man-made.
"Natural viruses don't support human-to-human transmission from the beginning," he said.
Former CDC director Robert Redfield, too, has said the virus could have gotten better at infecting people in a facility like the WIV.
"Most of us in a lab, when we're trying to grow a virus, we're trying to make it grow better," Redfield told CNN in March.
Indeed, scientists sometimes introduce viruses to human cells in a lab over and over again to see if the virus will evolve to become better at infecting those cells.
"But there's a limitation to that approach if your intent is evil," John Doench, a scientist at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, told Insider. "Because the virus is only getting good at what you asked it to do - infecting cells in a dish."
It's another thing, he said, for a virus to do that effectively in the human body, which is protected by the immune system - a luxury not afforded to lab-cultured cells.
Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has said he thinks it's more likely that the coronavirus got good at jumping between people while spreading "below the radar" in China in late 2019. Growing evidence suggests COVID-19 was spreading for weeks, if not months, before the first cases were reported.
That's probably what led the virus "to be pretty well adapted when first recognized," Fauci said in March.
Doench said he thinks observational bias may be leading people to incorrectly assume a lab leak is more probable than it really is.
"We're observing the one virus that did break through and cause and pandemic, not the billions of other viruses that failed to do so," he said.
A cancer cell that's incredibly efficient at spreading in the human body "may seem engineered," Doench added, but that's because we're not comparing it to the 40 trillion other cells that didn't turn into cancer.
Accidents do happen
An aerial view of the campus of the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China's Hubei province on May 27, 2020.
Hector Retamal/AFP via Getty
Those who think the coronavirus might have jumped from an unaltered lab sample to a lab worker mostly cite past instances in which that exact thing happened. SARS, another coronavirus, has leaked from labs four times: in Taiwan, Singapore, and China. In 2004, two researchers in Beijing got infected with SARS and passed it to seven other people.
Three years ago, US officials visiting Wuhan sent a pair of memos to the State Department warning of inadequate safety measures there. And a report obtained by the Wall Street Journal suggested three WIV staff were hospitalized with "COVID-like" symptoms in the fall of 2019.
However, it's possible the virus had already started to spread in the city by then, and the World Health Organization team that visited Wuhan to investigate the pandemic's origin said it was satisfied with the WIV's safety protocol.
Peter Ben Embarek, a scientist specializing in animal disease who was on that WHO trip, said it's natural to speculate about a link between one of the labs in Wuhan and the coronavirus outbreak there.
Guards stand outside the Wuhan Institute of Virology on February 3, 2021.
Hector Retamal/AFP via Getty
"Even the staff in these labs told us that was their first reaction when they heard about this new emerging disease, this coronavirus: 'This is something coming out of our labs,'" Ben Embarek said in March.
But the WIV seems to have made rigorous changes since the State Department memos, and Ben Embarek said it now houses a "state-of-the-art lab."
That's part of the reason his WHO team thinks it's "very unlikely that anything could escape from such a place."
David Solomon, the CEO of Goldman Sachs, dropped a new single as part of his dance-music side project. The bank chief, who has been known to spin tunes under the name "DJ D-Sol," posted the song on his Instagram account on Friday.
It comes as employees prepare to return to the office on June 14. Sources told the New York Post that Soloman may be trying to send employees an underhand message with the title of the song: "Learn to Love Me."
A Goldman spokesperson told the outlet: "David enjoys producing music, and he is dedicated to giving back. All proceeds from his releases go to benefit charity, specifically those committed to the battle against addiction and those in need as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic."
In February, Solomon made clear that he wanted staff back in the office, as Insider's Reed Alexander reported. "This is not a new normal," Solomon said.
The company has come under fire in recent months after a leaked survey exposed conditions that were described as "inhumane." In the survey, 13 first-year analysts in the US described declining health, 100-hour work weeks, and a lack of sleep.
Bosses at Goldman sent snack boxes to London bankers in response to the survey. One employee told The Guardian that the bank should be doing more for the junior bankers who have to work grueling hours, however.
Insider's Anna Cooban and Kate Duffy recently reported that the investment bank was seeking to know how many employees have been vaccinated, per a memo first viewed by The New York Times' Dealbook newsletter. The bank gave staff a deadline of 12 p.m. Thursday to report their vaccination status.
The bank has made it mandatory for staff to submit their vaccination status on an app. According to the Times, it said it "strongly encourages" getting vaccinated, but said the choice "is a personal one."
<p><strong>New Delhi: </strong>The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and Hyderabad’s Laxai Life Sciences Private Limited have been given the regulatory approval by the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) to undertake a two-arm phase-II clinical trial to assess the safety and efficacy of the colchicine drug in improvement of clinical outcomes during the treatment of Covid-19 patients.</p> <p>The partner CSIR institutes in this important clinical trial are the CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT), Hyderabad, and CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (IIIM), Jammu.</p> <p><strong>ALSO READ | <span style="color: #e03e2d;"><a style="color: #e03e2d;" href="https://ift.tt/3wi3OAH Tax On Black Fungus Drugs, Rates Slashed For Covid Essentials; 5% GST On Vaccines</a></span></strong></p> <p>CSIR Director General Dr Shekhar C. Mande expressed his delight on the approval granted to conduct the clinical trial on this approved drug, which is used for treating gout and related inflammatory conditions.</p> <p>CSIR Director General’s Advisor Dr Ram Vishwakarma highlighted that colchicine in combination with standard of care will be an important therapeutic intervention for the Covid patients with cardiac co-morbidities and also for reducing pro-inflammatory cytokines, leading to faster recovery.</p> <p>The DCGI nod comes as a number of global studies have confirmed now that cardiac complications during course of the Covid-19 infections and post-Covid syndrome are leading to loss of many lives and it is essential to look for new or repurposed drugs.</p> <p>Dr S. Chandrasekhar (Director CSIR-IICT, Hyderabad) and Dr D.S. Reddy (Director, CSIR-IIIM, Jammu) - the two partner institutes from CSIR - said they are looking forward to the outcome of this phase-II clinical efficacy trial on colchicine, which may lead to life-saving intervention in the management of hospitalised patients.</p> <p>“India is one of the largest producers of this key drug and if successful, it will be made available to the patients at an affordable cost,” said a release issued by the Ministry of Science and Technology.</p> <p><strong>ALSO READ |</strong> <span style="color: #e03e2d;"><strong><a style="color: #e03e2d;" href="https://ift.tt/2Snj6FI" target="_blank" rel="noopener">No Immediate Changes In Covishield Dose Gap, Scientific Evidence Collected To Review Decision In Next Meet</a></strong></span></p> <p>Laxai CEO Dr Ram Upadhayay on his part informed that the enrollment of patients has already begun at multiple sites across India and the trial is likely to be completed in the next eight to ten weeks.</p> <p>“This drug can be made available to large population of India based on the results of this trial and regulatory approval,” he added.</p> <p>The Ministry of Science and Technology said recent clinical studies have reported in leading medical journals about colchicine being associated with a significant reduction in the rates of recurrent pericarditis, post-pericardiotomy syndrome, and peri-procedural atrial fibrillation following cardiac surgery and atrial fibrillation ablation.</p>
<p><strong>Dehradun:</strong> The Indian Military Academy held a passing out parade of the 425 cadets at Chetwod Building Drill Square, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Command of the Army.</p> <p>Lieutenant General RP Singh, Western Army Commander, took the salute of the parade as reviewing officer.</p> <p><strong>ALSO READ | <span style="color: #e03e2d;"><a style="color: #e03e2d;" href="https://ift.tt/3vckZlX Uttarakhand Police Personnel Have Died Due To Covid-19 So Far: DGP Ashok Kumar</a></span></strong></p> <p>Like last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this time also the parents of the cadets are not joining the passing out parade.</p> <p>The peeping and Oath Ceremony to be held after the parade. 425 Cadets of the passing out batch will become an integral part of the Indian and Foreign Army as lieutenants, in which 341 young military officers will go to the Indian Army, while 84 young military officers will become an integral part of the forces of nine friendly countries Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Bhutan, Mauritius, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Tonga, Maldives and Kyrgyzstan.</p> <p>After today's parade, the Indian Military Academy will be giving 63381 military officers to the army of the country and abroad, including 2656 military officers received by friendly countries.</p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto"><strong>New Delhi:</strong> Popular comedian Mallika Dua’s mother Dr. Padmavati Dua, fondly known as </span><span data-contrast="auto">Chinna</span><span data-contrast="auto">, passed away on Friday (June 11). She took to her Instagram story to inform her followers about her mother’s demise. Mallika got emotional while penning her thoughts on social media following her mother’s death. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="auto">The ‘Hindi Medium’ actress expressed her grief and said that her mother ‘deserved to live’. She said that she doesn’t know if she will be able to pray again or not. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="auto">"She left us last night. My whole heart. My whole life. The only god I know. My Amma I'm sorry I couldn't save you. You fought so hard my mama. My precious. My heart. You're my whole life," Mallika wrote on her Insta story.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="auto">Dua wrote. "It's not about my loss and grief. It's about a life cut short. I always knew I didn't deserve her. But she deserved to live. I don't know if I will ever be able to pray again," Dua said in another post. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="auto">Last month, Mallika’s parents were admitted to the hospital after they tested positive for COVID-19. The comedian-actress sought help from Congress leader Deepender Singh Hooda in arranging medicine for her mom.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></p> <p><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}">Chinna, a radiologist, had shared a post on May 15 to inform her followers about her diagnosis. She had requested her well-wishers to pray for her and her husband Vinod Dua's well-being. She also urged them to stay at home to keep COVID-19 at bay.</span></p> <p><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}">"Last night we got admitted to Medanta. Vinod is in the room on 5 Litre intermittent oxygen. I am on 15 Litre & breathless. It will take some time to recover," her post read.</span></p> <p><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}">[insta]https://www.instagram.com/p/CO34Am3LEbf/[/insta]</span></p> <p><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}">Veteran actress Bina Kaka posted a note for Chinna Dua on Instagram, mourning her demise. She wrote, "You suffered a lot dear Chinna ..Now RIP<br />Much love."</span></p> <p><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}">[insta]https://www.instagram.com/p/CP_OaqTHCN3/[/insta]</span></p> <p><span data-contrast="auto">We extend our deepest condolence to Mallika and her family. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></p>
<p><strong>Dehradun:</strong> Thirteen Uttarakhand Police personnel have lost their lives to COVID-19 since the pandemic began last year, officials said on Friday.</p> <p>The Uttarakhand Police paid a tribute to these personnel at a programme held at its headquarters here by observing a two-minute silence.</p> <p><strong>ALSO READ | <span style="color: #e03e2d;"><a style="color: #e03e2d;" title="" href="https://ift.tt/3gdoRie" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-toggle="tooltip" data-html="true" data-original-title="Story ID: 1463194" aria-describedby="tooltip498259">UP Dalit Youth's Dream Of Riding Horse On His Wedding Faces Minor Hurdle</a></span></strong></p> <p>Speaking at the programme, Director General of Police Ashok Kumar said eight jawans died of COVID-19 during the first wave and five during the second.</p> <p>"Their service to the needy during a crisis can never be forgotten," he said.</p> <p>Kumar said as compared to the first wave, more police personnel tested positive for COVID-19 during the second wave but they were protected to a great extent because of the vaccine.</p> <p>He asked police personnel to get all their close relatives vaccinated at the earliest and remain prepared to deal with a possible third wave of the pandemic.</p>
<p><strong>GST Council Meet Updates:</strong> Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday chaired the 44th meeting of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council, which was expected to decide on tax relief for Covid-19 essentials and black fungus medicine.</p> <p>Attended by Minister of State for Finance Anurag Thakur, besides finance ministers of states and Union territories and senior officers from Union government and states, the 44th GST Council decided to bring down GST on electric furnaces and temperature checking equipment to 5 per cent. and on ambulances to 12 per cent. </p> <p>[tw]https://twitter.com/FinMinIndia/status/1403658950197714950[/tw]</p> <p>While addressing media after the meeting which took place in the national capital, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that the reduced GST rates on electric furnaces, temperature checking equipment and ambulances will be valid till September as against August end recommended by the GoM. </p> <p>Sitharaman also announced that no GST would be levied on Amphotericin B, the antifungal drug used for black fungus treatment. </p> <h3><span style="color: #000000;"><strong>Here Are Top Highlights From Nirmala Sitharaman 44th GST Council Meet:</strong></span></h3> <p><strong>No Change In Covid Vaccine Rates</strong></p> <p>According to the council, there would be no changes in GST rates for Covid-19 vaccine available in the country. It is to be noted that all Coronavirus vaccines are currently charged a GST of 5 per cent. </p> <p><strong>No GST On Black Fungus Drug</strong></p> <p>Extending relief to those infected with black fungus infection, FM Sitharaman announced that no GST would be levied on Amphotericin B, the antifungal drug used for treatment of mucormycosis.</p> <p><strong>GST On Ambulances, Other Covid Essentials Brought Down</strong></p> <p>The council also announced that GST on electric furnaces and temperature checking equipment brought down to 5 per cent and on ambulances to 12 per cent adding that these rates will be valid till September as against August end recommended by the GoM.</p> <p><strong>GST On Remdesivir Reduced To 5%, No Tax On Tocilizumab</strong></p> <p>While making the announcements, Finance Minister also informed that the GST Council has approved rate reduction for Remdesivir from 12 per cent to 5 per cent and a nil tax would be charged on Tocilizumab drug used for Coronavirus treatment. </p> <p><strong>GST Rates On Oxygen Equipment, Testing Kits, Covid Relief Material To Be Announced Soon</strong></p> <p>During the presser, FM Sitharaman also said that GST rates for products including medicines, oxygen, oxygen-generation equipment, testing kits and other machines have been decided and announcement regarding the same will be done soon. </p> <p>Meanwhile, pulse oximeters, hand sanitisers and temperature check equipment too will attract lower 5 per cent tax. </p>
Brown's Hotel is the first and oldest hotel in London which has welcomed many royals, politicians, and celebrities over the years
Outside of Brown's hotel
Brown's
Brown's Hotel, which was first built in 1837, is London's oldest hotel, surviving two world wars and now COVID-19.
The hotel has 33 luxury suites, 82 hotel rooms, a restaurant, bar, spa, gymnasium, and drawing room where afternoon tea is served.
Compared to other London hotels which offer afternoon tea, including The Ritz and The Savoy, Brown's is more casual, hotel tea manager Karol Kurowski told Insider.
The room designs at Brown's have barely changed since nearly 200 years ago
The Drawing Room at Brown's Hotel
Brown's Hotel
The rooms have hardly changed since the hotel was built in 1837, Kurowski said.
The Drawing Room for afternoon tea had wood panelling on the walls, cosy armchairs and sofas, and antiques and artwork dotted around the fireplace and window ledge.
A pianist played a majestic, black, grand piano in the Drawing Room, performing a range of songs from "Lean On Me" by Bill Withers to "River Flows In You" by Yiruma.
I sat in Agatha Christie's seat where she used to enjoy afternoon tea at Brown's
Reporter Kate Duffy tastes Brown's tea
Kate Duffy
Queen Victoria, Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles, and Princess Diana are among the royals who visited Brown's.
Leaders such as Theodore Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, and Napoleon III also enjoyed what delights the hotel had to offer.
Writer and journalist Rudyard Kipling spent his final days at the hotel before falling ill and passing away in hospital. Agatha Christie spent her time sat in the chair which I'm pictured in above, writing novels and enjoying her favorite coronation chicken sandwiches.
Brown's believes that the Drawing Room was the inspiration for Christie's "At Bertram's Hotel."
But it was The Duchess of Bedford, lady in waiting to Queen Victoria, who kicked off the afternoon tea tradition. In the early 19th century, people only had two meals a day; one at breakfast and one at 8pm in the evening.
The Duchess started requesting a light meal and a pot of tea during the afternoon. Soon after, the practice of afternoon tea became fit for a queen.
The majority of Brown's guests come from the United States
Main reception at Brown's
Kate Duffy
Brown's Hotel's largest customer base is from the US. Many Americans who stop in the hotel choose to experience the quintessentially British afternoon tea at least one time in their stay, tea manager Kurowski said.
This means that the hotel lost most of its customers during the pandemic.
It closed in each of England's three lockdowns and was able to open its doors again on May 17th when hotels in the country were allowed to reopen.
Although Brown's is seeing an increase in the number of guests, Kurowski said staff are looking forward to when full international travel kicks in and COVID-19 restrictions ease, encouraging more people to fly to the UK.
Brown's had to change how it operated and introduced new innovations to keep the hotel COVID-safe
QR code to scan for the menu
Kate Duffy
Like many restaurants and hotels, Brown's has had to adapt to a more hygienic and COVID-safe way of working.
The sugar cubes in a small bowl on the table are now packaged up individually in plastic, so there's no chance of someone touching your sugar before you pop it into your teacup.
A small card with a QR code links you to the menu when you scan it with your smartphone, replacing the ordinary menu as we know it. Queen Victoria must have turned in her grave.
This was the menu that Brown's gave to their guests pre-pandemic
Brown's menu
Kate Duffy
After walking in the footsteps of famous historical figures in a traditional English drawing room, it's strange to be met with a modern tech feature like a QR code.
The menu takes you through the history of the hotel and afternoon tea before listing all the teas, food, and champagne. Brown's also offers a full vegan menu and a kids' menu which has a range of herbal teas to choose from.
The waiter gave me a small bottle of hand sanitizer when I sat down at the table
Hand sanitizer handed to every table
Kate Duffy
Further safety measures at Brown's include sanitization of the rooms and guests' hands.
Like every hospitality facility in the UK at the moment, face masks are mandatory for staff and the customers, until they are sat down. I was handed a small bottle of hand sanitizer spray containing rosemary and lavender which, unlike other potent hand sanitizers, smelt divine.
Kurowski said Brown's staff had to wear gloves when the hotel was open between the three lockdowns but now that's unecessary. They are also tested twice a week to check they're negative for COVID-19.
There's also a 30 minute gap inbetween each restaurant and hotel room booking, giving staff enough time to sanitize the area before the next guests arrive, Kurowski said.
First, I was served Moët champagne, hot tea, and sandwiches on a Victorian tea-stand
Table setup at Brown's
Kate Duffy
After clinking our glasses of Moët & Chandon champagne, Kurowski brought over two plates of sandwiches on a Victorian silver tea-stand.
The tea came in three traditional silver pots — two for the tea itself and one for the milk.
Scones used to sit on the empty plate in the middle of the tea stand, but now Brown's keep the scones warm and serve them later with the rest of the cakes, Kurowski said.
The atmosphere was cosy, calm, and relaxing with the tinkling of the piano keys in the background.
Here's a close-up of the five different sandwiches
Sandwiches on top of the tier
Kate Duffy
From the left, the selection included smoked coronation chicken, beef with horseradish mayonnaise, cucumber and cream cheese, smoked salmon and dill, and prawn cocktail.
Each sandwich slither had a different type of bread and was freshly made in Brown's kitchens.
The coronation chicken sandwich was apparently Agatha Christie's go-to sandwich, Kurowski said.
Brown's offer 25 different kinds of tea. The first tea I tried was called Afternoon Blend
Afternoon Blend tea
Kate Duffy
Afternoon blend, made with Assam tea, was served alongside the sandwiches. This type of tea, which comes from India, was refreshing and complimented the food.
A similar type of tea to the Afternoon blend is the light and invigorating Darjeeling, Queen Victoria's favorite. Queen Elizabeth's first choice was Earl Grey, according to Kurowski, whereas Churchill preferred a Lapsang tea, he said.
After finishing the sandwiches, Kurowski poured me a cup of Oolong tea. Originating from China, this rich, dark brown-coloured tea had a smooth, smoky taste.
After the sandwiches, I was served cakes and scones with jam and clotted cream
Afternoon tea setup at Brown's
Kate Duffy
After a top up of champagne, another tea-stand arrived, this time with sweet treats.
Five small patisserie cakes sat on the top plate, four scones were on the second plate, and a pot of jam and another of clotted cream was on the bottom.
Don't be fooled by the small portions though — by the second scone, I was stuffed.
There were five different cakes to choose from on the top tier of the cake stand
Selection of cakes on top of the cake stand
Kate Duffy
On the top plate, there was a chocolate and hazelnut tart, strawberry cake, lime and coconut cheesecake, chocolate and banana truffle, and a raspberry petit gateau.
Kurowski recommended to eat the chocolate and hazelnut tart last because of its richness.
The real question is: does the jam go on the scone first, or the clotted cream?
Brown's scones
Kate Duffy
The tradition says that the cream is spread on the scone first, and the jam goes on top, according to Kurowski. Jam first and then cream is the Cornish tradition from southwest England, he said.
Despite the British cream-jam debate, Kurowski said he's seen guests eat their scones in a strange way.
Some have put butter, as well as cream and jam on the scone, while others have sandwiched the two scone halves together like a burger and chomped away.
The third tea I tried was a Chinese Jasmine tea which changed flavor after five minutes
Chinese Jasmine tea
Kate Duffy
While I was munching away on the cakes, Kurowski poured a third tea for me to try. This one was called a Chinese Jasmine tea, which is classed as a green tea. It tasted fresh and floral but after five minutes, the flavor went bitter due to chemical changes in the tea.
I also tasted a Genmaicha green tea from Japan which had a more delicate taste.
The final tea I tried to finish off the whole experience was a black vanilla tea. This was a richer, sweeter tea which was the perfect end to a quintessentially British afternoon tea.
I even got to take home a goodie bag!
Reporter Kate Duffy holding a Brown's goodie bag
Kate Duffy
Although the sandwiches, cakes and scones look small, they're quite filling! Kurowski kindly packaged up the remaining patisserie cakes so I could enjoy them at home.
