Health

New Delhi, Oct 28 (PTI) Union minister Smriti Irani on Wednesday said she has tested positive for COVID-19.

The women and child development and textiles minister asked the people who came in contact with her to get themselves tested for the disease at the earliest.

"It is rare for me to search for words while making an announcement; hence here's me keeping it simple -- I've tested positive for #COVID and would request those who came in contact with me to get themselves tested at the earliest," she said in a tweet.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 29 (Xinhua) -- Life for many Americans may not return to normal until the end of 2021 or into 2022, Anthony Fauci, director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the nation's top infectious expert, said Wednesday.

"It will be easily by the end of 2021, and perhaps even into the next year, before we start having some semblances of normality," Fauci said during a special webinar titled "Conversations on COVID-19: The Global View," hosted by the University of Melbourne.

PARIS, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- France will go into national lockdown starting from Friday to stem the second wave of the coronavirus epidemic, President Emmanuel Macron announced on Wednesday evening.

"The virus is circulating at a speed that not even the most pessimistic forecasts had anticipated," said Macron in a televised address to the nation. "Like all our neighbors, we are at the same point, overwhelmed by a second wave which will undoubtedly be harder and more deadly than the first."

Milwaukee, Oct 28 (PTI) President Donald Trump has turned jealous of COVID-19 media coverage, said former US president Barack Obama in his matter-of-factly speaking style Tuesday, accusing his successor of converting the White House into a "hot zone".

"He's jealous of COVID's media coverage!" remarked Obama at a drive-in election rally in Orlando city of Florida, one of the key battleground states.

Over the past few days, Obama, the most popular Democratic leader has been holding multiple election meetings in Florida.

Patna/Bhagalpur/Gaya, Oct 26 (PTI) With the campaign for the Bihar assembly election reaching a fever pitch, the Election Commission's warning of stern action for violation of COVID-19 protocol has gone unheeded with people gathering in huge numbers at rallies without wearing masks or caring for social distancing.

New Delhi, Oct 24 (PTI) Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday ruled out reopening of schools in the national capital for now.

"Schools are not reopening for now," Kejriwal told reporters on sidelines of an event.

The government had earlier announced that schools will continue to remain closed till October 31 in view of COVID-19 pandemic.

Washington, Oct 23 (PTI) US President Donald Trump on Thursday said that a COVID-19 vaccine is "ready" and going to be announced "within weeks" to combat the deadly disease that has killed over 223,000 Americans, as he debated with his Democratic challenger Joe Biden for the final time before the presidential election.

The debate, just less than two weeks ahead of the crucial presidential elections on November 3, started with opening remarks by both the candidates, when the mike of the other was muted.

19 Oct 2020; MEMO: Tens of thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews have challenged the Israeli government’s restrictions to combat the coronavirus and attended educational institutions across the country on Sunday.

18 Oct 2020; MEMO: A total of 79 patients, including infants and children, were brought to Turkey on Saturday for treatment upon the request of Iraqi authorities, Anadolu Agency reports.

The patients will be treated for heart, eye, plastic reconstructive and general surgery diseases.

The project that Medicana Hospitals have been conducting with the Iraqi Health Ministry for the last 10 years had been paused due to the novel coronavirus outbreak.

Melbourne, Oct 18 (AP/PTI) Australia's second-largest city, Melbourne, has loosened lockdown restrictions as new and active COVID-19 continue to decline.

From midnight Sunday, Melbourne residents will no longer face limits on the time they can spend away from their homes for education or recreation. Previous restrictions allowing Melburnians to travel only 5 kilometers (3 miles) from home will increase at midnight to 25 kilometers (15 miles).