Coronavirus: Russia's vaccine trial paused as clinics run short of shots

The Centre on Thursday advised Delhi, Kerala and West Bengal, witnessing a significant rise in coronavirus cases, to gear up the testing, tracking and treatment strategy during the festive season and put an additional thrust on public awareness as well as enforcement of Covid-appropriate behaviour. A review meeting on the status of Covid-19 infection in Delhi, West Bengal and Kerala was held by Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan in presence of V K Paul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog, and ICMR Director General Balram Bhargava on Thursday, according to a health ministry statement. West Bengal has registered 3,924 new cases in a day with average daily cases recording a 23 per cent increase over the last four weeks, it said. The state has 37,111 active cases, its case fatality rate stands at 1.84 per cent and the positivity rate at 8.3 per cent.

Social gatherings during festivities, deteriorating air quality, increasing incidences of respiratory disorders are among a few reasons attributed to the rise in Covid-19 cases in Delhi, the Union health ministry said on Thursday. A review meeting on the status of the infection in Delhi, West Bengal and Kerala was held by Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan in the presence of V K Paul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog, and Balram Bhargava, DG, ICMR, according to a statement by the health ministry. Delhi with 29,378 active cases has recorded nearly 46 per cent increase in the fresh cases over the past four weeks, and the positivity rate over the past four weeks has escalated by nearly 9 per cent, the ministry said.

Maharashtra government on Thursday extended lockdown till November 30 with activities permitted under Mission 'Begin Again', ANI reported. On October 1, the state government had extended the lockdown imposed to contain the Covid-19 spread till October 31. However, hotels, food courts, restaurants, and bars were be allowed to operate with effect from October 5 with a capacity not exceeding 50 per cent or as might be prescribed by the local authorities.

Scientists have developed an artificial intelligence (AI) model that they say can distinguish asymptomatic Covid-19 patients from healthy individuals through their cough recordings, and show the results on a smartphone app. Researchers from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US found that people who are asymptomatic may differ from healthy individuals in the way that they cough.

President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Russian Covid-19 experimental vaccines were effective and that Russia hoped to start mass vaccinations by the end of the year. Putin was speaking by video link to an investor forum in Russia.