Covid -19

Drugmaker Cipla has announced that its real-time COVID-19 testing kit 'ViraGen' will be available in the market from May 25. "This will help address the current testing services and capacity issues," said Cipla. The ICMR-approved RT-PCR kit has been developed to increase the COVID testing rate across the country. The kit can detect coronavirus with the sensitivity of 98.6% and the specificity of 98.8% on ICMR's standard scale.

After almost seven months, the authorities in Spain revoked the state of emergency declared due to COVID-19. The emergency was declared in October 2020 and it gave the government right to impose restrictions such as night curfew or banning the travel. "We're getting a bit of normality back, of freedom, but we have to keep in mind that the virus is still around," stated a citizen in Barcelona. 

Union Minister Babul Supriyo on April 25, through Twitter, announced that he and his wife have tested COVID-19 positive. Notably, the minister has tested positive for the second time. Expressing displeasure over missing the opportunity to vote in West Bengal Assembly elections on April 26, Supriyo tweeted, "V Sad that I won't be able to vote in Asansol." He added that he would be right by the BJP candidates "mentally".

WHO Chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has predicted that pandemic is 'a long way from over' but can be controlled in coming months, following health protocols. Speaking with reporters at Geneva, Ghebreyesus highlighted last week's count, fourth-highest number of cases in a week. Moreover, addressing the medical incongruity causing deaths, he advised to maintain social distancing, hygiene, surveillance, contact tracing to break COVID chain as… read-more

Uttarakhand Police is using AI-equipped cameras with sensors to monitor huge crowds gathered at Haridwar's Kumbh Mela. Reportedly, 350 cameras are installed including 100 equipped with sensors to zoom and identify people not donning masks. Besides, tracking parking lot activity and unattended mysterious objects, the cameras will generate a stampede alerts at the rushed spots. Moreover, spotted unmasked people will be given free mask/ charge… read-more