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Over 270 Covid-19 subvariants have emerged in China within a week, the NTD reported, adding that the country’s Centres for Disease Control and Prevention made the announcement last week.

On Saturday last, China’s Centre for Disease Control and Prevention announced that over 275 new Covid-19 subvariants were detected in the country within 7 days. The Epoch Times reported that the Chinese authorities have discovered these new sub-variants from April 14 to 20. The Chinese media reported that residents are posting their positive results online revealing that many are getting re-infected.

According to The Epoch Times, many residents are posting their positive virus test results online, pointing to a trend of reinfection. Now, concerns over possible mutations are front and centre.

In a social media post, an internet user shared that her husband and two children caught the virus once again. So far their symptoms are mild. In another post, the entire family was re-infected after 3 months they got tested positive once, as per The Epoch Times.

A prominent Chinese virologist gave his take on what is going on. He explained that if the virus were to mutate the reinfections will start happening about half a year later and usually on a limited scale.

“But if that mutation changed enough to break through the human immune system then the trend of reinfections could be enough to form a second wave,” he added, as per The Epoch Times.

Earlier on Tuesday, China said travellers entering the country are no longer required to show a negative PCR test for Covid. This came as another step toward reopening after a long period of pandemic-era isolation, The New York Times reported.

A spokeswoman for China’s foreign ministry said, beginning April 29, people going to China can take an antigen test to replace the previously mandated PCR test within 48 hours before boarding their flight.

The spokeswoman, Mao Ning, added that airlines would not check test results before boarding. She did not say whether others, such as immigration officials, would check.

Notices by Chinese embassies overseas said that travellers arriving in China would still need to fill out a health declaration form and that customs officials would conduct unspecified spot checks, according to The New York Times.
China-based SHINE recently reported that New XBB COVID sub-variants had been reported in China. In the past week, there were 12 new sub-variants detected in China.

China from December 1 to April 20 reported 32,993 effective genomic sequences of domestic cases. All were confirmed as Omicron variants covering 117 sub-variants, with BA.5.2 and BF.7 as dominants, according to the weekly report issued by the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention.

The centre detected 603 cases of variants under strict inspection, including the 12 sub-variants being found for the first time, according to SHINE.

To commemorate World Malaria Day 2023, WHO is urging countries affected by malaria in the South-East Asia Region and globally to accelerate the reach of high-impact tools and strategies to prevent, detect and treat malaria, with a focus on reaching the most vulnerable, ensuring that no person or population is left behind.

In the shadow of the COVID-19 crisis, the world is not on track to reach the two critical targets of the WHO Global technical strategy (GTS) for malaria 2016–2030: reducing global case incidence and mortality by 90% or more by 2030, based on 2015 levels. In 2021, an estimated 619 000 people globally died of malaria compared to 625 000 in 2020. There were an estimated 247 million new cases of malaria, compared to 245 million in 2020.

The WHO South-East Asia Region continues to lead globally. By the end of 2020, the South-East Asia Region was the only WHO region to achieve a 40% reduction in malaria case incidence and mortality compared to 2015 – the first GTS milestones. Amid the COVID-19 response, Maldives and Sri Lanka have maintained their malaria-free status, and five countries of the Region – Bhutan, DPR Korea, Nepal, Thailand and Timor-Leste – are among 25 countries and one territory globally identified as having the potential to eliminate malaria by 2025. In September 2023, Timor-Leste is likely to complete three consecutive years of reporting zero local malaria transmission. It would therefore be eligible to be certified malaria free.

In 2022, ministers of health from across the Region unanimously endorsed a Statement on Renewed Commitment for Malaria Elimination, emphasizing the urgent need to scale up proven implementation strategies, while also adopting innovative strategies and tools. The Statement is aligned with the Region’s 2017 Ministerial Declaration for Accelerating and Sustaining Malaria Elimination, as well as the 2018 Ministerial Call for Action to eliminate malaria in the Greater Mekong Subregion.

Today, the Region is at a crossroads. Since 2010, overall funding for malaria prevention and control in the Region has decreased by 36%, mostly on account of flagging global support. Reductions in the efficacy of artemisinin-based combination therapies, especially in the Greater Mekong Subregion, as well as increased vector resistance to pyrethroids, risk increased morbidity, mortality and spread. In several countries, cross-border transmission continues to be a major impediment to achieving the elimination targets. Across the Region, gaps in services persist: In 2021, there were an estimated 385 000 more cases in the Region compared to 2020.

WHO is calling for action in several key areas. First, strengthening capacity at the sub-national level, with a focus on identifying clear and actionable goals, increasing resource allocations, and empowering local decision-makers. Second, shifting power to the peripheries, with a focus on increasing cross-border collaboration, especially in high-burden countries neighbouring countries on the verge of elimination. For this, decision-makers should develop action-oriented roadmaps with strong frameworks for monitoring and evaluation.

Third, ensuring adequate and sustained financing for malaria programmes, recognizing that transitions in funding must be anticipated, planned for and implemented gradually, based on a time-bound strategy. Fourth, transforming surveillance into a core malaria intervention, ensuring that last-mile barriers are identified and overcome. And fifth, accelerating high-impact innovations, not just in diagnostics and treatments, but also in service delivery, in line with the Region’s primary health care approach to achieving universal health coverage – since 2014, one of eight Flagship Priorities in the Region.

Crucially, intensified efforts must be made to reach at-risk and vulnerable populations with currently available strategies and tools. Globally, children in the poorest households are five times more likely to be infected with malaria. Malaria is also more prevalent among young children whose mothers have a lower level of education and live in rural areas. Reaching these populations with available malaria prevention, diagnosis and treatment is critical for achieving the Global technical strategy for malaria 2016–2030 and Sustainable Development Goal targets and delivering on the promise of zero malaria for everyone, everywhere.

On World Malaria Day, WHO reiterates its support to all countries of the Region to accelerate and/or sustain malaria elimination, building on the Region’s world-leading progress, and uniting our partners to leave no person or population behind.

A new research from the American Heart Association, stated that women who were diagnosed with depression during pregnancy had a higher risk of being detected with cardiovascular disease within two years of giving birth compared to women who did not have depression.

According to new research published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association, It is well known that depression has a detrimental impact on cardiovascular health in the general population. Both men and women who experience depression are more likely to develop heart disease in later life, and previous studies have shown that about 20% of pregnant women also experience depression. Prenatal depression has received little attention as a particular risk factor for cardiovascular disease, though.”We need to use pregnancy as a window to future health,” said lead study author Christina M. Ackerman-Banks, M.D, an assistant professor of obstetrics and gynaecology-maternal fetal medicine at Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston.

“Complications during pregnancy, including prenatal depression, impact long-term cardiovascular health. The postpartum period provides an opportunity to counsel and screen people for cardiovascular disease in order to prevent these outcomes.”

The association between prenatal depression and the detection of postpartum cardiovascular disease during the first two years following delivery is the focus of this investigation, which is the first population-based study to do so. Almost 100,000 women who gave birth in Maine between 2007 and 2019 were the subject of data analysis from the All-Payer Claims Database of the Maine Health Data Organization. The study aimed to calculate the overall risk of receiving a new cardiovascular disease diagnosis within two years following birth.

After adjusting for potential confounding factors such as smoking, age at the time of delivery and pre-pregnancy diabetes, pre-pregnancy depression, pre-pregnancy hypertension and preeclampsia, the researchers estimated the risk of developing six major cardiovascular conditions — heart failure, ischemic heart disease, arrhythmia/cardiac arrest, cardiomyopathy, stroke and high blood pressure — within two years of delivery. The analysis found that the estimated cumulative cardiovascular disease risk for heart failure, ischemic heart disease, cardiomyopathy, arrhythmia/cardiac arrest or newly diagnosed high blood pressure within two years of delivery was significantly higher for people with depression than those without depression.

Ackerman-Banks said, “Even after excluding those with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, those with depression during pregnancy still had a significantly higher risk of ischemic heart disease, arrhythmia, stroke, cardiomyopathy and new chronic hypertension postpartum.”

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of pregnancy-related death in high-income countries including the U.S., according to the American Heart Association’s 2023 Statistical Update. Additional pregnancy-related factors contributing to the development of the cardiovascular disease may include chronic inflammation and increased stress-related hormones, the study authors noted.

“I recommend that anyone diagnosed with prenatal depression be aware of the implications on their long-term cardiovascular health, take steps to screen for other risk factors and consult with their primary care doctor in order to implement prevention strategies for cardiovascular disease,” Ackerman-Banks said. “They should also be screened for Type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol, and implement an exercise regimen, healthy diet and quit smoking.”

The authors acknowledge that while the study population was large, the results were based on medical claims data, meaning that diagnoses of conditions could not be confirmed. Additionally, information on race, ethnicity and physical activity levels was not available. Future studies testing interventions integrated into prenatal and postpartum care may help overcome these limitations and inform current recommendations, according to the study authors.

According to new research, an early-pregnancy diet enriched in fruits, vegetables, seafood, dairy products, eggs, and grains might reduce the risk of miscarriage.

The University of Birmingham examined 20 studies that looked at women’s and birthing people’s eating habits in the months before and shortly after conceiving a baby to see if there was evidence of an association with a lower or higher risk of miscarriage. Powered By The findings published in the journal Fertility and Sterility the Tommy’s National Centre for Miscarriage Research team conclude that there is evidence to suggest a diet rich in fruit, vegetables, seafood, dairy products, eggs and grain reduces miscarriage risk.

These are foods which typically make up ‘healthy’ well-balanced diets, with previous evidence showing that eating a well-rounded diet which is rich in vitamins and minerals during pregnancy is important.

The research review found that, when compared to low consumption, high intake of fruit may be associated with a 61% reduction in miscarriage risk. High vegetable intake may be associated with a 41% reduction in miscarriage risk. For dairy products it is a 37% reduction, 33% for grains, 19% for seafood and eggs.

Led by Dr Yealin Chung, researchers also looked at whether pre-defined dietary types, such as the Mediterranean Diet or Fertility Diet could also be linked to miscarriage risk. They could not find evidence that following any of these diets lowered or raised risk.

However, a whole diet containing healthy foods overall, or foods rich in antioxidant sources, and low in pro-inflammatory foods or unhealthy food groups may be associated with a reduction in miscarriage risk for women.

A diet high in processed food was shown to be associated with doubling of miscarriage risk.
The studies included in the analysis focused on the peri-conception period – a period before and during the first 3 months of pregnancy. Data collected from a total of 63,838 healthy women of reproductive age was included, with information on their diets typically collected through food frequency questionnaires for each study.

Dr Chung explained, “Miscarriage is common, with estimates suggesting 1 in 6 pregnancies end in miscarriage, and there are many known causes, from problems with the baby’s chromosomes to infections in the womb.

“Yet nearly 50% of early pregnancy losses remain unexplained and in the absence of a cause, parents often turn to their healthcare providers for guidance on the best ways to be as healthy as possible and reduce the risk of future miscarriages.

“There’s a growing body of evidence to show that lifestyle changes – including changes to diet, stopping smoking and not drinking alcohol – before conceiving and in your pregnancy’s early stages – may have an impact.

“We strongly encourage couples to consider the importance of making positive lifestyle choices when planning for a family, and to continue with these healthy choices throughout their pregnancy and beyond. By knowing that positive lifestyle choices can make a significant difference in reducing the risk of miscarriage, couples can feel empowered to take charge of their health and the health of their baby.”

Tommy’s midwife Juliette Ward said, “Advice on diet is one of the most-discussed subjects for us when talking with pregnant women and birthing people. We know that baby loss is very rarely the result of someone’s lifestyle choices, but many people want to know how to be as healthy as possible in pregnancy. Following a healthy diet, taking supplements like Vitamin D and folic acid, exercise and trying to lower stress are all things people can try to do, but there’s been a lack of clear evidence on the links between diet choices and miscarriage.

“Given this lack of evidence, there aren’t any evidence-based guidelines outlining dietary advice for women and birthing people or their partners – something the findings of this review suggest could make a real impact in helping people reduce their risk.”

A little more than a century has gone since the discovery of insulin, and since then hormone’s therapeutic abilities have grown and refined. Insulin is a critical treatment for type 1 diabetes and, in many cases, type 2 diabetes. According to the American Diabetes Association, 8.4 million Americans use insulin.

One hundred years of research have greatly advanced medical and biochemical understanding of how insulin works and what happens when it is lacking, but the reverse, how potentially fatal insulin hyper-responsiveness is prevented, has remained a persistent mystery. In a new study, published in the April 20, 2023 online edition of Cell Metabolism, a team of scientists at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine, with colleagues elsewhere, describe a key player in the defense mechanism that safeguards us against excessive insulin in the body.

“Although insulin is one of the most essential hormones, whose insufficiency can result in death, too much insulin can also be deadly,” said senior study author Michael Karin, PhD, Distinguished Professor of Pharmacology and Pathology at UC San Diego School of Medicine.

“While our body finely tunes insulin production, patients who are treated with insulin or drugs that stimulate insulin secretion often experience hypoglycemia, a condition that if gone unrecognized and untreated can result in seizures, coma and even death, which collectively define a condition called insulin shock.”

Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) is a significant cause of death among persons with diabetes.
In the new study, Karin, first author Li Gu, PhD, a postdoctoral scholar in Karin’s lab, and colleagues describe “the body’s natural defense or safety valve” that reduces the risk of insulin shock.

That valve is a metabolic enzyme called fructose-1,6-bisphosphate phosphatase or FBP1, which acts to control gluconeogenesis, a process in which the liver synthesizes glucose (the primary source of energy used by cells and tissues) during sleep and secretes it to maintain steady supply of glucose in the bloodstream.

Some antidiabetic drugs, such as metformin, inhibit gluconeogenesis but without apparent ill effect. Children born with a rare, genetic disorder in which they do not produce sufficient FBP1 can also remain healthy and live long lives.

But in other cases, when the body is starved for glucose or carbohydrates, an FBP1 deficiency can result in severe hypoglycemia. Without a glucose infusion, convulsions, coma and possibly death can ensue.

Compounding and confounding the problem, FPB1 deficiency combined with glucose starvation produces adverse effects unrelated to gluconeogenesis, such as an enlarged, fatty liver, mild liver damage and elevated blood lipids or fats.

To better understand the roles of FBP1, researchers created a mouse model with liver specific FBP1 deficiency, accurately mimicking the human condition. Like FBP1-deficient children, the mice appeared normal and healthy until fasted, which quickly resulted in the severe hypoglycemia and the liver abnormalities and hyperlipidemia described above.

Gu and her colleagues discovered that FBP1 had multiple roles. Beyond playing a part in the conversion of fructose to glucose, FBP1 had a second non-enzymatic but critical function: It inhibited the protein kinase AKT, which is the primary conduit of insulin activity.

“Basically, FBP1 keeps AKT in check and guards against insulin hyper-responsiveness, hypoglycemic shock and acute fatty liver disease,” said first author Gu.

Working with Yahui Zhu, a vising scientist from Chongqing University in China and second author of the study, Gu developed a peptide (a string of amino acids) derived from FBP1 that disrupted the association of FBP1 with AKT and another protein that inactivates AKT.

“This peptide works like an insulin mimetic, activating AKT,” said Karin. “When injected into mice that have been rendered insulin resistant, a highly common pre-diabetic condition, due to prolonged consumption of high-fat diet, the peptide (nicknamed E7) can reverse insulin resistance and restore normal glycemic control.”

Karin said the researchers would like to further develop E7 as a clinically useful alternative to insulin “because we have every reason to believe that it is unlikely to cause insulin shock.”

India reported over 10,000 COVID cases for the fifth straight day with 10,112 new infections in the last 24 hours, according to the Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare on Sunday.

The country saw a little dip from Saturday’s COVID cases tally. India recorded 12,193 on April 22, 11,692 on April 21, 12,591 on April 20, 10,542 on April 19, 7,633 on April 18, and 9,111 on April 17.

According to the Union Health Ministry, the country’s active cases increased to 67,806 which was 67,556 yesterday.
Presently recovery rate stands at 98.66 per cent, the Health Ministry stated further.

As many as 9,833 patients recovered from the disease in the last 24 hours taking the overall count of people cured of the infection to 4,42,92,854, according to the Ministry.

Under the nationwide vaccination drive, India has so far administered 220.66 crore Covid vaccine doses (95.21 cr second doses and 22.87 cr precautionary doses), of which 1,947 doses were administered in the last 24 hours.

The total number of tests conducted in the last 24 hours is 1,43,899, the health ministry stated.
In wake of the spike in the number of COVID-19 cases across the country, Dr PK Mishra, the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister earlier chaired a high-level meeting on Wednesday to assess the situation.

The PMO informed in a statement that the focus of the meeting was on the status of preparedness of health infrastructure and logistics, drugs, vaccination campaign in the country and the key necessary steps as a response to the recent surge in Covid cases.

Fresh The Union health ministry reported on Friday that 11,692 covid-19 infections were recorded in the country in the last 24 hours, a decrease from Thursday’s tally of 12,591 cases.

India had 12,591 people on April 20, 10,542 people on April 19, 7,633 people on April 18, 9,111 people on April 17, 10,093 people on April 16, and 10,753 people on April 15. According to the Union Health Ministry, the number of active cases in the country has risen to 66,170 from 65,286 yesterday.

The current recovery rate is 98.68%, with 0.15 percent of active cases, according to the Health Ministry’s release.

Further, 10,780 recoveries in the last 24 hours to the overall count of people cured of the infection to 4,42,72,256, the bulletin stated, adding that the overall recovery rate is currently at 98.67 per cent.
Under the nationwide Vaccination Drive, India has so far administered 220,66,31,979 crore Covid vaccine doses (95.21 cr second doses and 22.87 cr precautionary doses), of which 3,647 doses were administered in the last 24 hours.
The total number of tests conducted in the last 24 hours is 2,29,739, the health ministry stated.

Covid meetings

In wake of the spike in the number of COVID-19 cases across the country, Dr PK Mishra, the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister chaired a high-level meeting on Wednesday to assess the situation.
The PMO informed in a statement that the focus of the meeting was on the status of preparedness of health infrastructure and logistics, drugs, vaccination campaign in the country and the key necessary steps as a response to the recent surge in Covid cases.

“Dr PK Mishra stressed that the time tested 5-fold strategy of Test-Track-Treat-Vaccination and adherence COVID Appropriate Behaviour must continue to be implemented and equally crucial to promote awareness within the community regarding COVID appropriate behaviour and caution citizens against complacency,” the PMO statement read.
During the meeting, a comprehensive presentation was made by Rajesh Bhushan, the Secretary of Health and Family Welfare providing an overview of the global COVID-19 situation.

Bhushan highlighted that India has been witnessing a rapid increase in the number of COVID-19 cases with the majority of cases being reported in eight states; Kerala, Delhi, Maharashtra, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Rajasthan. Further, the sudden increase in positivity was also highlighted along with the status of tests being conducted in the country. A detailed analysis of active cases within these eight states was presented. It was highlighted that approximately 92 per cent of the cases are under home isolation.

The presentation also provided an overview of the Genome Sequencing of different variants since January 2023 and noted the proportion of circulating variants in India. The status of vaccination was discussed, followed by drug availability and infrastructure preparedness across the country, the PMO stated.

As per directions of the Prime Minister, a nationwide mock drill for the assessment of functional infrastructure was conducted and the status of the mock drill was presented to participants. Further, the expenditure of the COVID-19 vaccination programme and budget provisions for drugs and vaccine raw materials were also reviewed.

Health Secretary also informed that states have already been advised that they may take steps for procurement of requisite Covid vaccine doses directly from the manufacturers at their end without any prior approvals from the Union Ministry of Health. Private Hospitals situated in the States may also directly procure such Vaccines from the manufacturer These vaccines once procured may be administered as per the existing Covid vaccination guidelines.

He also advised the officials to maintain a strict vigil on the COVID-19 situation and take necessary actions to contain the COVID-19 spread.

Zydus Lifesciences on Thursday said it received final approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to manufacture and market Metoprolol Tartrate tablets in dosages of 25 mg, 50 mg, and 100 mg.

Metoprolol is used with or without other medications to treat high blood pressure (hypertension). Lowering high blood pressure helps prevent strokes, heart attacks, and kidney problems. This medication is also used to treat chest pain (angina) and improve survival chances after a heart attack. Metoprolol belongs to a class of drugs known as beta-blockers, according to a statement released by Zydus on Thursday. It works by blocking the action of certain natural chemicals in body, such as epinephrine, on the heart and blood vessels. This effect lowers the heart rate, blood pressure, and strain on the heart.

The drug will be manufactured at the group’s formulation manufacturing facility in Baddi, Himachal Pradesh, Zydus said.
Metoprolol Tartrate tablets of dosage — 25 mg, 50 mg, and 100 mg — had annual sales of USD 45.2 million in the United States, according to IQVIA MAT of the month, February 2023.

The group now has 364 approvals and has so far filed over 440 abbreviated new drug applications (ANDAs) since the commencement of the filing process in FY2003-04.

Zydus Lifesciences Limited, formerly known as Cadila Healthcare, is an Indian multinational pharmaceutical company headquartered in Ahmedabad, which is primarily engaged in the manufacture of generic drugs. According to Wikipedia, the company ranked 100th in the Fortune India 500 list in 2020.

New 12,591 Covid-The Union health ministry said on Thursday that 19 infections were recorded across the country in the last 24 hours, a significant increase from Wednesday’s tally of 10,542 cases. Earlier last week, the country saw a downward trend in the five days from April 15 to April 18, with 11,109 and 7,633 cases reported, respectively. On April 18, India recorded 7,633 people, 9,111 on April 17, 10,093 on April 16, and 10,753 on April 15.

According to the Union Health Ministry, the number of active cases in the country has risen to 65,286 from 63,562 yesterday. The current recovery rate is 98.67%, with a daily positivity rate of 5.46 percent, according to the Health Ministry’s release.

New 12,591 Covid-The Union health ministry said on Thursday that 19 infections were recorded across the country in the last 24 hours, a significant increase from Wednesday’s tally of 10,542 cases. Earlier last week, the country saw a downward trend in the five days from April 15 to April 18, with 11,109 and 7,633 cases reported, respectively. On April 18, India recorded 7,633 people, 9,111 on April 17, 10,093 on April 16, and 10,753 on April 15.

According to the Union Health Ministry, the number of active cases in the country has risen to 65,286 from 63,562 yesterday. The current recovery rate is 98.67%, with a daily positivity rate of 5.46 percent, according to the Health Ministry’s release.

Following a surge in the number of COVID-19 cases across the country, Dr. PK Mishra, the Prime Minister’s Principal Secretary, convened a high-level meeting on Wednesday to assess the situation. According to the PMO, the meeting focused on the status of preparedness of health infrastructure and logistics, drugs, vaccination campaign in the country, and the key necessary steps in response to the recent surge in Covid cases.

“Dr PK Mishra stressed that the time tested 5-fold strategy of Test-Track-Treat-Vaccination and adherence COVID Appropriate Behaviour must continue to be implemented and equally crucial to promote awareness within the community regarding COVID appropriate behaviour and caution citizens against complacency,” the PMO statement read.

During the meeting, Rajesh Bhushan, Secretary of Health and Family Welfare, provided a comprehensive overview of the global COVID-19 situation.

Bhushan stated that the number of COVID-19 cases in India has been rapidly increasing, with the majority of cases being reported in eight states: Kerala, Delhi, Maharashtra, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Rajasthan. Furthermore, the unexpected increase in positivity was highlighted, as was the status of tests being conducted in the country. A thorough examination of active cases within these eight states was presented. It was stated that approximately 92% of the cases are being treated at home.

The presentation also provided an overview of different variants’ genome sequencing since January 2023, as well as the proportion of circulating variants in India. According to the PMO, the status of vaccination was discussed, followed by drug availability and infrastructure readiness across the country.

A nationwide mock drill for the assessment of functional infrastructure was conducted per the Prime Minister’s instructions, and the status of the mock drill was presented to participants. Furthermore, the COVID-19 vaccination program’s expenditures and budget provisions for drugs and vaccine raw materials were examined.

The Health Secretary also stated that states have already been advised that they may proceed with the procurement of required Covid vaccine doses directly from manufacturers without seeking prior approval from the Union Ministry of Health. Private hospitals in the United States may also obtain such vaccines directly from the manufacturer. Once obtained, these vaccines can be administered in accordance with the current Covid vaccination guidelines. He also advised officials to keep a close eye on the COVID-19 situation and to take the necessary steps to contain the COVID-19 spread.

According to the Union Health Ministry’s daily bulletin, a total of 10,753 new COVID-19 cases have been recorded in the country in the last 24 hours, a marginal decrease from Friday’s count of 11,109 cases. India recorded 10,158 new Covid cases on Thursday. The active caseload stood at 53,720, or 0.12% of the total cases, according to the union health ministry on Saturday.

The country saw 6,628 recoveries in the last 24 hours, bringing total recoveries to 4,42,23,211, with a recovery rate of 98.69%, according to the bulletin. According to the report, the daily positivity rate was 6.68 percent, while the weekly positivity rate was 4.49 percent.

According to the report, a total of 220.66cr vaccine doses have been administered under the Nationwide Vaccination Drive, with 397 doses administered in the last 24 hours. It goes on to say that with 1,58,625 coronavirus tests performed in the last 24 hours, the total number of tests performed to date stands at 92.38 crores. With the recent increase in Covid cases, medical experts have warned that the new XBB1.16 variant is capable of evading people’s immune systems, and the next four weeks are critical.

“COVID-19 in India is moving towards the endemic stage. Covid will rise for the next 10 days, but cases will start reducing. Even though cases are increasing but hospitalization is low. The current rise in cases is due to the XBB.1.16 variant which is a sub-variant of Omicron,” an official told ANI on Wednesday.

Mock drills were conducted on April 10 and 11 in a total of 33,685 health facilities, including 28,050 government facilities and 5,635 private health facilities, amid a gradual increase in COVID-19 cases in several states.

Following the increasing number of Covid cases, Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud stated earlier this month that lawyers are free to appear virtually in court. According to CJI Chandrachud, newspaper reports show that Covid cases are on the rise, and if a lawyer wants to appear virtually before the court, they can, and the hybrid mode is also available.

“We saw newspaper reports on rising Covid cases. Lawyers can use hybrid mode. If you choose to appear online, we will hear you,” said the CJI.

After considering the low infection rate and the number of Covid cases in Delhi and across the country, the Supreme Court reverted to the physical hearing mode of case adjudication on April 4, 2022.

Following the increasing number of Covid cases, Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud stated earlier this month that lawyers are free to appear virtually in court.
According to CJI Chandrachud, newspaper reports show that Covid cases are on the rise, and if a lawyer wants to appear virtually before the court, they can, and the hybrid mode is also available.

“We saw newspaper reports on rising Covid cases. Lawyers can use hybrid mode. If you choose to appear online, we will hear you,” said the CJI.

After considering the low infection rate and the number of Covid cases in Delhi and across the country, the Supreme Court reverted to the physical hearing mode of case adjudication on April 4, 2022. For quite some time, the Supreme Court has been successfully experimenting with the hybrid method, which is a combination of physical and virtual hearings. Even after physical hearings resume, the Supreme Court has begun live-streaming Constitution bench proceedings via the Supreme Court app and YouTube.