DHAKA: Bangladesh has decided to start administering COVID-19 vaccines to children aged 5-12 amid a fresh surge in COVID-19 cases.

SEOUL: South Korea on Wednesday approved the use of SKYCovione, the country's first homegrown COVID-19 vaccine developed by SK Bioscience Co., taking a major step toward achieving vaccine sovereignty in the fight against the pandemic.

MUMBAI: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Monday announced that he has tested Covid-19 positive.

TORONTO (Canada): McLaren Racing's head of commercial technology has said that he hopes Formula 1 returns to China soon after missing out in the last few years due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

LOS ANGELES:The US is expected to start Covid-19 vaccination this week for children as young as six months old.
The plan came after the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) signed off on the shots for an additional 19 million children across the US, Xinhua news agency reported.

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court will strictly follow Covid-19 protocols from Monday amid the spike in cases across Tamil Nadu, as well as the country.

RABAT: Moroccan King Mohammed VI has tested positive for Covid-19, official news agency MAP has reported.

ENGLAND: New Zealand allrounder Michael Bracewell on Wednesday has tested positive for Covid-19, said New Zealand Cricket (NZC) on their official website.

HELSINKI: Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin has said that she has tested positive for Covid-19.

NEW DELHI: After Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, her daughter and Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also tested positive for Covid-19. Priyanka wrote on Twitter that she has tested positive with mild symptoms.

BEIJING: The Chinese mainland reported 102 locally-transmitted confirmed Covid-19 cases, of which 44 were in Shanghai and 41 in Beijing, the National Health Commission said on Wednesday.

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia reported 1,918 new Covid-19 infections, bringing the national total to 4,494,782, according to the Health Ministry.

LONDON: Three members of the New Zealand touring party for the three-Test series against England have tested positive for Covid-19 ahead of the first game, scheduled at Lord's from June 2.

SEOUL: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is unlikely to have been vaccinated against COVID-19, South Korea's spy agency was quoted as saying Thursday.

HANGZHOU: The Hangzhou 2022 Asian Para Games organising committee (HAPGOC) and the Asian Paralympic Committee (APC) on Tuesday announced the postponement of the 2022 Asian Para Games, originally scheduled to take place from October 9-15 this year.

WELLINGTON: New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern confirmed on Saturday that she had tested positive for Covid-19.

PHILLAUR: As a mark of Respect and Gratitude, Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab VK Bhawra on Monday paid rich tributes to the Punjab Police Martyrs, who had sacrificed their lives while safeguarding citizens of Punjab from COVID-19 pandemic.

NEW DELHI: Accusing Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of doing politics over Covid-19 deaths, the BJP on Friday said that both -- the World Health Organisation's (WHO) data and Congress' 'beta' (son) -- are wrong.

GENEVA: Experts from the World Health Organization (WHO) emphasised on Wednesday that vaccines are still highly effective against Covid-19, even new variants of the disease emerging in South Africa and the US.

BEIJING: The Chinese mainland has reported 353 locally-transmitted confirmed Covid-19 cases, of which 260 were in Shanghai, according to the National Health Commission's report on Wednesday.

SUVA: Tonga reported 174 new Covid-19 cases over the past few days, while Samoa has decided to extend its level two lockdown for another two weeks.

SYDNEY: Researchers in Australia have discovered the blood clotting and immune protein pathways that are activated in severe cases of Covid-19 in children, paving the way for earlier diagnosis and more targeted treatments.

LISBON: Portuguese Minister of Foreign Affairs Joao Gomes Cravinho said that he had tested positive for Covid-19.

OTTAWA: Canada has approved British drugmaker AstraZeneca's drug for the prevention of Covid-19 in immune compromised adults and children.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has reported 62 new Covid-19 cases and one more death, the country's Health Ministry said on Tuesday.

NEW YORK: US researchers have identified the reason why Covid-19 causes severe inflammation in some people, leading to acute respiratory distress and multi-organ damage.

OTTAWA: The National Advisory Committee on Immunisation (NACI) of Canada has recommended that the provinces and territories prepare for rapid deployment of second Covid-19 booster doses in the coming weeks.

AGRA: No new case of Covid-19 has been reported in the Taj city in the first four days of April.

NEW DELHI: The sudden lifting of Covid-19 Appropriate Behaviour and other related restrictions are not good as the pandemic is not yet over, Dr Sunila Garg, Member Lancet Commission and Covid-19 Task Force said on Saturday.

OTTAWA: Border measures eased in Canada on Friday as fully vaccinated travellers no longer need pre-arrival Covid-19 testing to enter the country either by land or air.

BRAZZAVILLE: A World Health Organisation (WHO) regional office has urged for caution and consideration of the risks involved, with multiple African countries lifting their Covid-19 health restrictions.

CHANDIGARH: Punjab Police on Thursday organised a special camp for administering COVID-19 Vaccination Booster Dose for its personnel at Dispensary at Punjab Police Headquarters here. As many as 142 Police Personnel posted at PPHQ and Mohali district got the COVID-19 vaccination booster dose.

SINGAPORE: Singapore reported 10,244 new cases of Covid-19 on Saturday, bringing the total tally to 1,007,158.
Of the new cases, 2,241 cases were detected through PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests and 8,003 through ART (antigen rapid test) tests, Xinhua news agency reported, citing the statistics released by the Ministry of Health.

JERUSALEM:Israel's Covid-19 reproduction number indicator, also known as the R number, has increased from 0.97 to 1.02 on Saturday, according to a statement released by the Ministry of Health.

GENEVA: The World Health Organization (WHO) has sounded the alarm over a global spike in Covid-19 cases, despite reduced testing and several weeks of declining infections.

OTTAWA: Covid-19 public health restrictions, including mask mandates, will continue being lifted across Canada in the coming weeks as Ontario's chief medical officer of health has confirmed that the province will drop its mask mandate on March 21.

GENEVA:The worldwide death toll inflicted by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has surpassed six million, reaching 6,004,421 as of Tuesday, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

SAN FRANCISCO: In a major update to Covid-19 protocols, Google will no longer mandate vaccines as a condition of employment for US workers.

NEW DELHI: India reported 14,148 fresh Covid-19 infections in the past 24 hours, the Union Health Ministry said on Thursday morning.

BANGKOK:Thailand on Sunday reported 18,953 new Covid-19 cases, with the daily case tally rising for the fifth consecutive day to reach its highest level since August 22, 2021, official data showed.

GENEVA: Swiss President and Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis has tested positive for Covid-19, said a government statement.

GENEVA: Switzerland will lift almost all its Covid-19 restrictions Thursday, the country's Federal Council has said, citing recent improvements in the epidemiological situation.

WASHINGTON:US President Joe Biden's plan to ship 500 million free coronavirus tests to Americans was largely lauded, but those who serve the nation's most vulnerable said the tests should have been distributed more equitably, according to a report in The Washington Post.

SINGAPORE: Singapore reported 10,505 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 on Saturday, bringing the total tally to 460,075.
Of the new cases, 2,687 cases were detected through PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests and 7,818 through ART (antigen rapid test) tests, Xinhua news agency reported, citing the statistics released by the Ministry of Health (MOH).

BRAZZAVILLE: Almost two years after Africa identified its first case of Covid-19 on February 14, 2020, the continent is on the track to end the disruption caused by the pandemic in 2022, said the World Health Organisation (WHO).

VIENNA: The total number of Covid-19 infections reported in Austria since the start of the pandemic has exceeded two million, according to data from the Austrian Interior Ministry.

SINGAPORE: Singapore reported 10,390 new confirmed cases of Covid-19, bringing the total tally to 390,071.Of the new cases, 2,885 cases were detected through PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests and 7,505 through ARTs (antigen rapid tests), according to data released by the Ministry of Health on Saturday.

OTTAWA: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced that he has been exposed to Covid-19 and will be self-isolating for five days, following guidance from Ottawa Public Health.

 NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Thursday extended the Covid-19 guidelines till February 28, and asked the states and Union Territories (UTs) not to lower the guard against the pandemic.

CHANDIGARH: The Chandigarh administration on Thursday decided to lift Covid-19 restrictions with the decline in daily positive patients.

PARIS: France's daily number of Covid-19 cases hit a new record after 501,635 cases were recorded in the past 24 hours, according to data from the country's Public Health Agency.

BHUBANESWAR: As Covid-19 situation continues to prevail in Odisha, the State Election Commission (SEC) has announced Rs 30 lakh ex-gratia for Covid-19 death of any person engaged in Panchayat election duty in the state.

CHANDIGARH: Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatraya on Monday flagged off two trucks containing 4,000 hygiene kits prepared by the Indian Red Cross Society for 22 districts to check the spread of Coronavirus.

OTTAWA: Canada reported 20,036 new Covid-19 cases, raising its national total to 2,706,977 cases with 31,306 deaths, according to local media CTV.

GENEVA: A World Health Organization (WHO) panel on Friday strongly recommended baricitinib, a drug used for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, for patients with severe or critical Covid-19 in combination with corticosteroids.

PARIS: French Health Minister, Olivier Veran has announced that he had tested positive for Covid-19.

WASHINGTON: A new ensemble forecast from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) predicted that more than 62,000 more people could die from Covid-19 over the next four weeks.

SOFIA: The authorities in Bulgaria have detected 43 new Covid-19 Delta variant cases, bringing the total number of new infections in the country to 51, the Health Ministry said here on Wednesday.

HAVANA:Cuba registered a new record of daily Covid-19 infections on Wednesday, with 3,664 cases, for a total of 214,577, along with 18 more deaths to total 1,405.

YANGON: Myanmar reported 2,969 new Covid-19 cases on Monday, bringing the tally in the country to 168,374, according to a release from the Ministry of Health and Sports.

WASHINGTON: The overall global Covid-19 caseload has topped 184 million, while the deaths have surged to more than 3.98 million and vaccinations soared to over 3.2 billion, according to the Johns Hopkins University.

WASHINGTON:The overall global Covid-19 caseload has topped 183.7 million, while the deaths have surged to more than 3.97 million and vaccinations soared to over 3.1 billion, according to the Johns Hopkins University.

WASHINGTON: The overall global Covid-19 caseload has topped 183.4 million, while the deaths have surged to more than 3.96 million, according to the Johns Hopkins University.

ULAN BATOR:Mongolia reported 17 more deaths from Covid-19 in the last 24 hours, a record daily death toll, bringing the national count to 631, the country's health ministry said on Saturday.

WASHINGTON: The overall global Covid-19 caseload has topped 183 million, while the deaths have surged to more than 3.96 million, according to the Johns Hopkins University.

MOSCOW: Russia recorded 23,543 new coronavirus infections over the past 24 hours, taking the nationwide tally to 5,538,142, the official monitoring and response centre said on Thursday.

WASHINGTON:The overall global Covid-19 caseload has topped 182.5 million, while the deaths have surged to more than 3.95 million, according to the Johns Hopkins University.

MUMBAI: Malaika Arora announced on Instagram that she has received the second vaccine shot against Covid-19.Like I always say #weareinthistogether. I am going to be safe not just for myself but for YOU as well. Fully vaccinated," she wrote.

RABAT:The total number of people fully vaccinated against Covid-19 reached 9,074,224 on Tuesday in Morocco, the Moroccan Ministry of Health said in a statement.
So far, a total of 9,986,882 first doses of Covid-19 vaccines have been administered in Morocco, said the statement.

OTTAWA:The number of Canadians who died from the Covid-19 pandemic is likely double that shown in the official numbers, according to an investigative report published by the Royal Society of Canada on Tuesday.

SANTIAGO: Some 68.02 per cent of Chile's target population of about 15 million inhabitants, that is 10,340,278 people, has been fully vaccinated against the novel coronavirus disease (Covid-19), the Ministry of Health said on Tuesday.

MEXICO CITY: Mexico is seeing an increase in Covid-19 infections, but the trend has not carried over to a rise in deaths or severe cases, a health official said on Tuesday.

WASHINGTON:American biotechnology company Moderna said on Tuesday that its Covid-19 vaccine showed promise in a lab setting against coronavirus variants, including the highly contagious Delta variant first identified in India.

WASHINGTON:The overall global Covid-19 caseload has topped 181.7 million, while the deaths have surged to more than 3.93 million, according to the Johns Hopkins University.

WASHINGTON:The overall global Covid-19 caseload has topped 181.3 million, while the deaths have surged to more than 3.93 million, according to the Johns Hopkins University.

HAVANA: Cuba has registered 2,698 new cases of Covid-19 in the past day, the highest daily figure since March of last year, the Ministry of Public Health reported on Sunday.

TEHRAN:The Iranian health ministry reported on Sunday 9,758 new Covid-19 cases, taking the country's total infections to 3,167,741.The pandemic has so far claimed 83,845 lives in Iran, up by 134 in the past 24 hours, the Iranian Ministry of Health and Medical Education said in a briefing published on the ministry's official website, the Xinhua news agency reported.

WASHINGTON: The overall global Covid-19 caseload has topped 180.7 million, while the deaths have surged to more than 3.92 million, according to the Johns Hopkins University.

LONDON: Britain has reported another 18,270 coronavirus cases in the latest 24-hour period, the highest since early February, according to official figures released on Saturday.

WASHINGTON: The overall global Covid-19 caseload has topped 180.7 million, while the deaths have surged to more than 3.91 million, according to the Johns Hopkins University.

WASHINGTON: The overall global Covid-19 caseload has topped 180 million, while the deaths have surged to more than 3.90 million, according to the Johns Hopkins University.

SANTIAGO:Chile confirmed the first case of the Delta variant of the virus that causes Covid-19 in the country on Thursday, after analysing the test results from a Chilean patient who came from the US, authorities said.

WASHINGTON: The overall global Covid-19 caseload has topped 179.9 million, while the deaths have surged to more than 3.89 million, according to the Johns Hopkins University.

WASHINGTON: The overall global Covid-19 caseload has topped 176 million, while the deaths have surged to more than 3.80 million, according to the Johns Hopkins University.

WASHINGTON: The overall global Covid-19 caseload has topped 175.5 million, while the deaths have surged to more than 3.79 million, according to the Johns Hopkins University.

WASHINGTON:The overall global Covid-19 caseload has topped 174.7 million, while the deaths have surged to more than 3.78 million, according to the Johns Hopkins University.

SYDNEY: When we inhale isolated coronavirus particles, more than 65 per cent reach the deepest region of our lungs where damage to cells can lead to low blood oxygen levels, new research has discovered.

NEW DELHI: A Class 5 student from Kerala has written to the Chief Justice of India, Justice N. V. Ramana, saying she is happy that the Supreme Court has intervened effectively in the sufferings and death of ordinary people in the fight against Covid-19.

CHANDIGARH: Punjab Police have busted an interstate high-profile gang of criminals in Mohali district indulging in Covid-19 cyber scams, a police official said.

CHANDIGARH: Controversial Dera Sacha Sauda sect chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, who is serving a 20-year jail sentence in Haryana for raping two of his disciples, was on Sunday tested possitive for Covid-19, jail authorities said.

CHANDIGARH: Punjab Social Security, Women and Child Development Minister Mrs. Aruna Chaudhary, on Friday, informed that the department has found total 23 children of the state, who have lost both their parents to the COVID-19 Pandemic between the period of March 31, 2020 to May 31, 2021.

TOTONTO: SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing Covid-19, infects immature red blood cells (RBC), reducing oxygen in the blood and impairing the immune response, say researchers.