For commoners, there are seemingly unending Qs :When will Covid 19 end ?; when will people return to normalcy ?; will schools and colleges reopen ? – how did China manage despite so much opposition on the origin of the dreaded virus ? – what made WHO certify that China had indeed provided all details to the World and why it ensured that by naming Covid 19 – the Corona virus did not reflect the country of its origin .. .. and what is the role of Pharma Companies ?
China today accused G7 leaders of 'slander' after they vowed to investigate the origins and Covid-19 and take a harder line on Beijing's human rights abuses in a joint statement. The statement scolded Beijing over a range of issues as a gross interference in the country's internal affairs, and urged the grouping to stop slandering China. The G7 leaders on Sunday blasted China's human rights record in the heavily Muslim region of Xinjiang, called for Hong Kong to keep a high degree of autonomy, and underscored the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan strait - all highly sensitive issues for Beijing. The statement sparked a backlash from China's embassy in London which said it was strongly dissatisfied and resolutely opposed to mentions of Xinjiang, Hong Kong and Taiwan that distorted the facts.
Beijing has taken aim at Australia following the G7 summit and branded it a 'double-faced' nation, after an eerie cartoon warning of the fall of western democracy went viral on Chinese social media. A cartoon parody of Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper, featured in an article by the Communist Party mouthpiece, The Global Times, depicts the US, UK, Italy, Canada, Japan, Germany, France, India and Australia as their national animals plotting to 'rule the world'. The fresh propaganda attack comes after Scott Morrison won key backing from world leaders at the UK summit, with a multilateral pledge to tackle Chinese economic distortion as well authoritarian crackdowns in Hong Kong.
Meanwhile, Britain's daily Covid cases have risen by another third in the space of a week, according to gloomy new data released just hours before Boris Johnson is expected to delay Freedom Day by a month. In figures that will likely be seized on by the Prime Minister to back his four-week delay, Department of Health bosses today revealed 7,742 positive tests, up from 5,683 last Monday. Amid mounting pressure on No10 to delay June 21's final unlocking to allow millions more adults to be fully vaccinated, the Prime Minister is tonight expected to urge Britons to be patient. He is set to announce that the relaxation of Covid restrictions will be pushed back until July 19 because of the rampaging newer variant. But his own MPs are among those most restless, with fears running high that this delay is only the first, andhe may have to delay the end lockdown again, possibly into August. He will face a Commons showdown with them before the end of the month, with the new dates requiring a vote. While it is almost likely to go through with Labour support, the scale of the rebellion from Tory MPs will show the level of anger he is facing.
Meantime, there is some comforting news at home – over 25.87 crore vaccines administered in India.The total number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country has gone past 25.87 crore, the Union health ministry said today.It said 20,99,621 beneficiaries in the 18-44 age group received the first dose, while 1,16,326 got the second dose of the vaccine on Monday. Cumulatively, 4,34,35,032 people in the 18-44 age group have received the first dose while 8,33,808 have received the second dose across the country since the start of the third phase of the vaccination drive against the viral disease.
The Covid-19 situation in India is improving. The country has been reporting below 1 lakh new Coronavirus infections for the past few days. The daily positivity rate has also gone down below five percent as recoveries continue to outpace new cases for the past few weeks. India reported 70,421 new Coronavirus infections, the lowest since March 31, taking the country’s infection tally to 2,95,10,410, according to Union Health Ministry’s data on Monday. Active caseload dropped below 10 lakh after over two months and now accounted for 3.30 percent of the total infections. The country’s Covid-19 recovery rate has also improved to 95.43 percent.
Meanwhile, some states have started the unlocking process as cases continue to fall. National capital Delhi begins Unlock 3 from today. On Sunday, Delhi witnessed 213 new Covid-19 cases, the lowest in over three months, and 28 more deaths. .. .. in another heartening news, Mumbai's Dharavi recorded zero cases of COVID-19 today, as per Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai. On April 8, Dharavi reported highest-ever single-day spike of 99 cases. Aggressive testing helped in taming second wave, said Kiran Dighavkar, Assistant municipal commissioner of BMC G North ward.
Tamil Nadu recorded 12,772 positive cases of COVID-19 on Monday, bringing the state tally to 23,66,493. Among these, Chennai reported 828 positive cases, bringing the city’s total to 5,25,826. The state recorded 254 deaths on Monday, putting the state toll at 29,801.197 of them had succumbed due to comorbidities. The three infected lions at the Arignar Anna Zoological Park (AAZP), popularly known as the Vandalur Zoo here, are responding “very slowly” to treatment and all efforts are being taken to help them recuperate, a senior official at the zoo said
Hope things return to normalcy sooner !
With regards – S. Sampathkumar14th June 2021.
