Health

Ahmedabad, Aug 11 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday stressed on the need to increase coronavirus testing in Gujarat in view of the "high positivity rate" prevailing in the state.

The PM made the suggestion during his virtual interaction with chief ministers of 10 states, including Gujarat's Vijay Rupani, on the latest COVID-19 situation.

"Testing needs to be ramped up especially in those states where testing rate is low and positivity rate is high.

These states are Bihar, Gujarat, UP, West Bengal and Telangana.

Thane, Aug 11(PTI) Irate relatives of a patient who died at a hospital in Navi Mumbai ransacked the medical facility and also assaulted its staff on Tuesday, alleging negligence in treatment, police said.

They went on a rampage and smashed the fittings, fixtures and furniture of the hospital in Vashi and also beat up its staff, the police said.

An official at the Vashi police station said an offence of rioting has been registered people involved in the incident.

11 Aug 2020; MEMO: With 3,484 new coronavirus cases, Iraq on Monday reported the highest-ever daily COVID-19 infections, according to the Health Ministry, reports Anadolu Agency.

Meanwhile, the ministry reported 72 additional fatalities from the virus.

Monday’s figures bring the total case count to 153,599 and the number of fatalities to 5,464, along with 109,790 recoveries.

MOSCOW (AP) — Russia on Tuesday became the first country to clear a coronavirus vaccine and declare it ready for use, despite international skepticism. President Vladimir Putin said that one of his daughters has already been inoculated.

New Delhi, Aug 11 (PTI) An expert committee under the chairmanship of NITI Aayog member Dr VK Paul will meet on Wednesday to consider the logistics and ethical aspects of procuring and administering the COVID-19 vaccine, the Union Health Ministry said on Tuesday.

The committee on vaccine administration will engage with all the stakeholders including state governments and vaccine manufacturers, the ministry said in a tweet.

Bareilly (UP), Aug 10 (PTI) At least 56 inmates of two prisons in Bareilly of Uttar Pradesh have tested positive for COVID-19, officials said.

"Reports of 51 inmates of central jail and five inmates of district jail have been found positive for COVID-19" District Surveillance Officer, Ashok Kumar said.

Gandhinagar, Aug 10 (PTI) In a bid to stem the spread of COVID-19, the Gujarat government on Monday increased the fine for not wearing mask in public places to Rs 1,000 from the present Rs 500.

The decision came after the Gujarat High Court in its order last month asked the government to collect a minimum fine of Rs 1,000 from those found without mask in public places.

In the wake of the rising number of coronavirus cases in the state, the high court had observed that "masks are logically the best defense individuals have against COVID-19".

New Delhi, Aug 10 (PTI) Former President Pranab Mukherjee said on Monday that he has tested positive for COVID-19.

"On a visit to the hospital for a separate procedure, I have tested positive for COVID19 today," he tweeted.

"I request the people who came in contact with me in the last week, to please self isolate and get tested for COVID-19," Mukherjee said.

ROME (AP) — With confirmed coronavirus cases in the U.S. hitting 5 million Sunday, by far the highest of any country, the failure of the most powerful nation in the world to contain the scourge has been met with astonishment and alarm in Europe.

Perhaps nowhere outside the U.S. is America’s bungled virus response viewed with more consternation than in Italy, which was ground zero of Europe’s epidemic. Italians were unprepared when the outbreak exploded in February, and the country still has one of the world’s highest official death tolls at over 35,000.

09 Aug 2020; MEMO: EU countries decided to remove Morocco from its free travel list granting entry to non-EU nationals to the bloc’s territory, reports Anadolu Agency. 

The decision came a week after Algeria was removed from the green list.

Residents of Australia, Canada, Georgia, Japan, New Zealand, Rwanda, South Korea, Thailand, Tunisia and Uruguay can travel without restrictions to the EU.