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India is in a much better position than other countries in the fight against Covid-19 as a result of "right decisions taken at the right time", Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday while launching three dedicated Covid-19 testing facilities.
The new testing facilities will give West Bengal, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh more strength to fight Covid-19, Modi said.
The three high-tech testing facilities have been set up strategically at ICMR institutions -- National Institute of Cancer Prevention and Research in Noida, National Institute for Research in Reproductive Health in Mumbai and National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases in Kolkata.
They will be able to test over 10,000 samples a day.
Source: PTI
The Serum Institute of India is conducting phase III clinical trial of BCG vaccine candidate VPM1002 to evaluate its ability in reducing infection and severe disease outcomes of Covid-19 among high-risk persons of advanced age, comorbidities and high-exposure healthcare workers, the Department of Biotechnology said in a statement.
The BCG vaccine is administered routinely to all newborns as part of the national childhood immunisation programme to prevent tuberculosis, an infection caused by bacteria that mainly affects the lungs.
It has beneficial heterologous effects and proven antiviral and immune modulatory properties that protect against infectious diseases through induction of trained innate immunity and heterologous adaptive immunity.
Renu Swarup, Secretary, DBT and Chairperson, BIRAC said the BCG vaccine is a proven platform and utilising its off-target effects for diseases other than TB is a very pragmatic approach to take.
"The trial began in May 2020 and has completed enrolment of 6,000 subjects in almost 40 hospitals across the country. This is an important milestone in the quest for preventing the disease and we look forward to the results of this important trial," she said.
Source: PTI
Two more Covid-19 patients died in Tripura, taking the state's toll to 13, while 37 new cases pushed its tally to 3,920, a health department official said on Monday.
A 76-year-old man died due to the disease at a hospital in Gomati district on Sunday. He was also suffering from kidney ailments, according to the official.
Another 84-year-old patient, who was undergoing treatment at a private hospital since July 24, died in West Tripura district. He suffered from cardiac problems, the official said.
Source: PTI
A private hospital in Bhiwandi township of Maharashtra's Thane district has been stripped of its status as a Covid-19 treatment facility after several lapses were found in its functioning, a civic official said on Monday.
It was observed that the Covid-19 death rate at the hospital was high. The facility, located in Kamatghar area, also did not have specialist doctors to treat the patients and lacked physicians, Bhiwandi Nizampur Municipal Corporation's medical officer of health Dr Nitin Mokashi said.
It did not follow treatment protocols of the Indian Council of Medical Research, hence it was decided to strip the hospital of its status as a Covid-19 treatment facility, he said.
Patients currently undergoing treatment at the facility will be immediately shifted to the Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital in Bhiwandi for further treatment, he said.
On Saturday, the Thane Municipal Corporation suspended the licence of a city-based private hospital and cancelled its classification as a Covid-19 facility after it allegedly overcharged patients.
The decision was welcomed by local leaders and social activists.
They were of the view that the TMC should take over the facility and some other big hospitals in the city and use them for the treatment of Covid-19 patients.
Source: PTI
Lucknow: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath holds a meeting with the officers of 'COVID-19 management team-11'. pic.twitter.com/Zw1PFlXALS
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) July 27, 2020
PM Modi to launch 'high-throughput' COVID-19 testing facilities in 3 cities today
— ANI Digital (@ani_digital) July 27, 2020
Read @ANI Story | https://t.co/SRG4sQZzv3 pic.twitter.com/XS7ztkNqB2
Global Update
New coronavirus flareups emerged in Asia, with Vietnam reporting its first cases in more than three months, while North Korea locked down a city after it found a person who may be infected.
Other hot spots intensified, with Australia’s Victoria state reporting a record 532 new cases. China’s cases jumped as a flareup in Xinjiang grew. Tokyo has seen more than 200 new cases for six days in a row, while Hong Kong has had at least 100 local infections for five straight day.
In Europe, Spain is scrambling to stay ahead of new outbreaks that prompted the U.K. to impose a quarantine on travelers returning from the country.
Globally, confirmed Covid-19 cases have topped 16.1 million with over 647,000 dead.
Track news and developments around the Covid-19 outbreak in India here.
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