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Deltacron : The new variant, according to a Univeristy of Cyprus professor, combines features of Delta and Omicron. It has been named Deltacron,

Deltacron: New variant of Covid that combines Delta & Omicron. Here's what we know so far

New Covid variant that combines Delta, Omicron found in Cyprus
Omicron-like genetic signatures within the Delta genome
Cyprus: Scientists claim to have found 25 cases of Deltacron&nbsp;
Deltacron&nbsp;not recognised by any international health authority yet
New variant named Deltacron, not much is known so far

Deltacron: Scientists at&nbsp;University of Cyprus have claimed to have identified 25 cases of the 'new variant' so far&nbsp;

Deltacron: Even as Omicron variant of coronavirus continues to wreak havoc around the world, scientists in Cyprus have claimed to found a new variant of <a href="https://www.editorji.com/coronavirus" target="_blank">Covid-19</a>.
The new variant, according to a Univeristy of Cyprus professor, combines features of Delta and Omicron. It has been named Deltacron due to the identification of Omicron-like genetic signatures within the Delta genome.
A team led by Professor&nbsp;Leondios Kostrikis of the University of Cyprus has claimed to have identified 25 cases of Deltacron in Cyprus so far, reports said.
Also Read:&nbsp;India logs nearly 1.8 lakh new Covid cases in 24 hrs, Omicron tally tops 4,000
It is important to note that &lsquo;Deltacron&rsquo; has not been recognised or designated by any international health authority as of now.
The sequences of the 25 Deltacron cases were sent to the international database that tracks changes in the virus, on Jan. 7.
It is still a matter of research if this strain is more pathological or more contagious or if it will prevail over delta and omicron?
Also Watch|<a href="https://www.editorji.com/coronavirus/does-vaccine-booster-protect-against-omicron-hospitalisation-your-doubts-cleared-amid-covid-spike-1641480065475" target="_blank">&nbsp;Your definitive guide to Covid-19 | Does vaccine booster protect against Omicron?</a>

Covishield vaccine remained effective against moderate-to-severe covid-19 even during the deadly surge of the highly transmissible Delta variant, according to a new study published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal.
Covishield had an efficacy of 63 percent in fully vaccinated people, while it was 81 percent effective against the moderate-to-severe disease, said the Lancet.
Conducted by Indian researchers, the Lancet study was meant to evaluate the real-world effectiveness of Covishield during the deadly outbreak of the Delta variant between April-May in India that crippled the health infrastructure.
Also watch | Omicron scare: Covid +ve case at airport different from Delta, says Karnataka minister
The researchers assessed the neutralizing activity and cellular immune responses against the variants in healthy vaccinated persons to understand the mechanisms of protection.
Researchers found that the Spike-specific T-cell responses were conserved against both the delta variant and wild-type SARS-CoV-2.
 

Covishield effective against Covid-19 Delta variant: Lancet study

A Lancet study has shown that Covishield vaccine remained effective against the Delta variant when India faced a deadly second Covid wave

Covishield vaccine remained effective against moderate-to-severe covid-19&nbsp;even during the deadly surge of the highly transmissible Delta variant, according to a new study published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal.
Covishield had an efficacy of 63 percent in fully vaccinated people, while it was 81 percent effective against the moderate-to-severe disease, said the Lancet.
Conducted by Indian researchers, the Lancet study was meant to evaluate the real-world effectiveness of Covishield during the deadly outbreak of the Delta variant between April-May in India that crippled the health infrastructure.
The researchers assessed&nbsp;the neutralizing activity and cellular immune responses against the variants in healthy vaccinated persons to understand the mechanisms of protection.

Covishield had an efficacy of 63 percent in fully vaccinated people, while it was 81 percent effective against the moderate-to-severe disease, said the Lancet.

Covishield vaccine remained effective against moderate-to-severe covid-19&nbsp;even during the deadly surge of the highly transmissible Delta variant, according to a new study published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal.
Covishield had an efficacy of 63 percent in fully vaccinated people, while it was 81 percent effective against the moderate-to-severe disease, said the Lancet.
Conducted by Indian researchers, the Lancet study was meant to evaluate the real-world effectiveness of Covishield during the deadly outbreak of the Delta variant between April-May in India that crippled the health infrastructure.
Also watch | <a href="https://www.editorji.com/india-news/omicron-scare-covid-ve-case-at-airport-different-from-delta-says-karnataka-minister-1638237957537" target="_blank">Omicron scare: Covid +ve case at airport different from Delta, says Karnataka minister</a>
The researchers assessed&nbsp;the neutralizing activity and cellular immune responses against the variants in healthy vaccinated persons to understand the mechanisms of protection.
Researchers found that the Spike-specific T-cell responses were conserved against both the delta variant and wild-type SARS-CoV-2.

Two doses of Covaxin are 50 per cent effective against symptomatic disease, according to the first real-world assessment of India's indigenous Covid-19 vaccine published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal.
Results of an interim study recently published in The Lancet showed that two doses of Covaxin, also known as BBV152, had 77.8 per cent efficacy against symptomatic disease and present no serious safety concerns.
The latest study assessed 2,714 hospital workers at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi, from April 15–May 15, who were symptomatic and underwent RT-PCR test for Covid-19 detection.
Researchers noted that the Delta variant was the dominant strain in India during the study period, accounting for approximately 80 per cent of all confirmed Covid-19 cases.
Covaxin, developed by Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech in collaboration with the National Institute of Virology, Indian Council of Medical Research (NIV-ICMR), Pune, is an inactivated whole virus vaccine administered in a two-dose regimen, 28 days apart.
In January this year, Covaxin was approved for emergency use in India for people aged 18 and above. The World Health Organization (WHO) added the vaccine to its list of approved emergency use COVID-19 vaccines earlier this month.
The latest study was conducted during India's second Covid-19 surge and in healthcare workers who were primarily offered Covaxin.
"Our study offers a more complete picture of how BBV152 (Covaxin) performs in the field and should be considered in the context of COVID-19 surge conditions in India, combined with the possible immune evasive potential of the Delta variant," said Manish Soneja, Additional Professor of Medicine at AIIMS New Delhi.
"Our findings add to the growing body of evidence that rapid vaccine rollout programmes remain the most promising path to pandemic control while public health policies must continue to include additional protective measures, such as mask-wearing and social distancing," Soneja said in a statement.

Covaxin is 50% effective against Delta variant of Covid-19, says new study

In its first real-world assessment, Covaxin has been found to be 50% effective against the Delta variant of Covid-19 

Covaxin 50% effective against Delta variant of Covid-19: new study

Two doses of Covaxin are 50% effective against the Delta variant of coronavirus, a new study published in the science journal The Lancet has found. This is the first real-world assessment of India's indigenous Covid-19 vaccine.
The findings are based on the study conducted between April 15 and May 15, at the height of India&rsquo;s second wave of infections this year when Delta was the dominant strain.
In clinical trials,&nbsp;Covaxin&nbsp;had an estimated efficacy of 65% when the more infectious Delta variant was taken into account.
The study assessed response&nbsp;in healthcare workers who were primarily offered Covaxin.
Results of an interim study earlier published in The Lancet showed that two doses of Covaxin had 77.8% efficacy against symptomatic disease and present no serious safety concerns.
All vaccines have shown to be less effective when infections have been caused by the more transmissible variant
According to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the efficacy of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine dropped from 93.7% to 88% against the Delta variant. Similarly,&nbsp;AstraZeneca vaccine efficacy dropped from 75% to 67% when protection against Alpha and Delta variants were compared. In January this year,

Covaxin had 77.8% efficacy against symptomatic Covid-19 disease and present no serious safety concerns during the clinical&nbsp;trials

Two doses of Covaxin are 50 per cent effective against the symptomatic disease, according to the first real-world assessment of India's indigenous Covid-19 vaccine published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal.
Results of an interim study recently published in The Lancet showed that two doses of Covaxin, also known as BBV152, had 77.8 per cent efficacy against symptomatic disease and present no serious safety concerns.
Also watch |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.editorji.com/world-news/germany-covid-surge-you-ll-be-vaccinated-or-dead-govt-warns-citizens-1637638064242" target="_blank">Germany Covid surge: 'you'll be vaccinated or dead', govt warns citizens</a>
The latest study assessed 2,714 hospital workers at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi, from April 15&ndash;May 15, who were symptomatic and underwent RT-PCR test for Covid-19 detection.
Researchers noted that the Delta variant was the dominant strain in India during the study period, accounting for approximately 80 per cent of all confirmed Covid-19 cases.
Covaxin, developed by Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech in collaboration with the National Institute of Virology, Indian Council of Medical Research (NIV-ICMR), Pune, is an inactivated whole virus vaccine administered in a two-dose regimen, 28 days apart.
In January this year, Covaxin was approved for emergency use in India for people aged 18 and above. The World Health Organization (WHO) added the vaccine to its list of approved emergency use COVID-19 vaccines earlier this month.
The latest study was conducted during India's second Covid-19 surge and in healthcare workers who were primarily offered Covaxin.
"Our study offers a more complete picture of how BBV152 (Covaxin) performs in the field and should be considered in the context of COVID-19 surge conditions in India, combined with the possible immune evasive potential of the Delta variant," said Manish Soneja, Additional Professor of Medicine at AIIMS New Delhi.
"Our findings add to the growing body of evidence that rapid vaccine rollout programmes remain the most promising path to pandemic control while public health policies must continue to include additional protective measures, such as mask-wearing and social distancing," Soneja said in a statement.

Even as panic gripped many in Karnataka owing to the discovery of two cases of the AY 4.2 sub-lineage of the Delta variant of Covid-19 in Bengaluru, the Covid-19 Technical Advisory Committee has dismissed rumours there could be another lockdown in the state.
&lsquo;Reports of TAC recommending another lockdown in Karnataka due to the discovery of AY 4.2 sub-lineage cases are unfounded and unrealistic. The source of certain media reports 'that tried to spread panic' in the last two days was still not known&rsquo; Told TAC Chairman Dr M K Sudarshan told The Indian Express
A note shared by the Department of Health and Family Welfare mentioned that the two cases were identified in people aged 23 and 43 in July. one was positive and recovered fully, and others were negative for Covid-19, it read.
At the same time, Dr Sudarshan added that a detailed deliberation on the pandemic situation in the state would take place in the next meeting with the Health Minister.
Earlier on Tuesday, Sudhakar had said that the state immediately gets advice from experts and discusses it with the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) in the event of the emergence of any new variant of Covid-19.
'Those who have received both doses of the vaccine need not be afraid of the virus as it will have little effect on them. There is no need to panic as the state government has taken enough steps to check the spread of the infection. However, people should not be complacent and should see to it that all Covid-19 guidelines are followed at all times,' he had told reporters in Bengaluru.
Till date, Karnataka has reported over 29.86 lakh Covid-19 cases with 29.40 lakh people recovering from the infection, as per statistics issued by the State Health Department. The state has an active caseload of 8,430 as on Wednesday (October 27) while as many as 38,037 people have succumbed to the infection since March 10 last year.

Karnataka has no plan of lockdown: Officials

An expert Covid-19 panel has dismissed rumours that there could be another lockdown in Karnataka after the discovery of AY 4.2 sub-lineage of the Delta variant. 

An expert panel on Covid-19 pandemic in Karnataka has ruled out lockdown in the southern state even as&nbsp;two cases of the AY 4.2 sub-lineage of the Delta variant&nbsp;were discovered&nbsp;in Bengaluru.&nbsp; &nbsp; The Department of Health and Family Welfare said that the two cases were identified in people aged 23 and 43 in July. One person was positive and recovered fully, and&nbsp;other&nbsp;tested negative for Covid-19.&nbsp; Karnataka&rsquo;s&nbsp;Technical Advisory Committee&nbsp;Chairman Dr M K Sudarshan said&nbsp;a detailed discussion&nbsp;on the pandemic situation would take place&nbsp;soon&nbsp;but ruled out a fresh&nbsp;lockdown.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Since the outbreak of the pandemic,&nbsp;Karnataka has&nbsp;reported over 29.86 lakh Covid-19 cases with 29.40 lakh people recovering from the infection.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; The state has an active caseload of 8,430 as on October 27 while 38,037 people have succumbed to the infection since March 10,&nbsp;last year.&nbsp;

Covid-19 Technical Advisory Committee has dismissed rumours there could be another lockdown in the state.

Even as panic gripped many in Karnataka owing to the discovery of two cases of the AY 4.2 sub-lineage of the Delta variant of Covid-19 in Bengaluru, the Covid-19 Technical Advisory Committee has dismissed rumours there could be another lockdown in the state.
&lsquo;Reports of TAC recommending another lockdown in Karnataka due to the discovery of AY 4.2 sub-lineage cases are unfounded and unrealistic. The source of certain media reports 'that tried to spread panic' in the last two days was still not known&rsquo; Told TAC Chairman Dr M K Sudarshan told The Indian Express.
A note shared by the Department of Health and Family Welfare mentioned that the two cases were identified in people aged 23 and 43 in July. one was positive and recovered fully, and others were negative for Covid-19, it read.
At the same time, Dr Sudarshan added that a detailed deliberation on the pandemic situation in the state would take place in the next meeting with the Health Minister.
Earlier on Tuesday, Sudhakar had said that the state immediately gets advice from experts and discusses it with the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) in the event of the emergence of any new variant of Covid-19.
'Those who have received both doses of the vaccine need not be afraid of the virus as it will have little effect on them. There is no need to panic as the state government has taken enough steps to check the spread of the infection. However, people should not be complacent and should see to it that all Covid-19 guidelines are followed at all times,' he had told reporters in Bengaluru.
Till date, Karnataka has reported over 29.86 lakh Covid-19 cases with 29.40 lakh people recovering from the infection, as per statistics issued by the State Health Department. The state has an active caseload of 8,430 as on Wednesday (October 27) while as many as 38,037 people have succumbed to the infection since March 10 last year.

&nbsp;No sooner than you thought all the talk of new COVID variants was over, there&rsquo;s news of yet another one: AY.4.2. But what is it, where did it come from, and should we be concerned? AY.4.2 is what&rsquo;s termed a &ldquo;lineage&rdquo;. These are labels given to branches of the COVID evolutionary tree to illustrate their relatedness. They are overseen by the diligent Pango network, a joint team of researchers from the universities of Edinburgh and Oxford, who act as the custodians of lineages and handle the assignment of new ones.
If we go back to April of this year, we can trace the origins of AY.4.2. Our team in Northumbria, working as part of Cog-UK &ndash; the British consortium that sequences the genomes of COVID samples to see how the virus is changing &ndash; had just sequenced two samples connected via travel history to India.
At the time we knew the lineage circulating in India was B.1.617, but the cases we had sampled didn&rsquo;t match this. Variants are distinguished by the different mutations they have in their genetic material and, looking at the mutations in our samples, it appeared our cases were missing some of the commonly accepted mutations of B.1.617 but also had some additional ones.
What we were reporting to colleagues in Cog-UK was classified the following week as B.1.617.2, one of three main sub-lineages of B.1.617, and which was later named delta by the World Health Organization.
AY is a further evolutionary step forward from here. Once a lineage&rsquo;s labelling gets five levels deep, a new letter combination is started to avoid the name getting too long. So the AY forms of the virus aren&rsquo;t vastly different from what&rsquo;s come before, even though their labelling is different. They are all sub-lineages of delta.
There are now 75 AY lineages identified, each with different additional defining mutations in their genome. One of these &ndash; AY.4 &ndash; has been steadily growing in proportion in the UK over the last few months, accounting for 63% of new UK cases in the last 28 days.
Does AY.4 have an advantage? We&rsquo;re still not sure if AY.4&rsquo;s mutations confer a genuine advantage or if the increasing frequency of the lineage is simply down to what&rsquo;s called a &ldquo;founder effect&rdquo;. This is when a subset of viruses get separated from the overall viral population, and then reproduce in isolation. In the area where the separated viruses are, all subsequent viruses will therefore be descendants of this subset.
With COVID, this might have happened by there being a single case at a large event. This lone virus would have been the &ldquo;founder&rdquo;, the only virus spreading at the event. If it infected a sizeable number of people, who later infected others, this may have quickly built up a large amount of virus all from the same origin. Sometimes, for a certain form of a virus to dominate, it doesn&rsquo;t have to be better than others &ndash; it simply needs to be in the right place at the right time.
But, given its rise to dominance in the UK, AY.4 might well have a selective advantage. The defining change in AY.4 is the mutation A1711V, which affects the virus&rsquo;s Nsp3 protein, which plays a number of roles in viral replication. However, the impact of this mutation is unknown.

Covid-19: what is the new AY.4.2 strain and should we be worried?

Covid-19: how worried should we be about the new AY.4.2 lineage?

AY.4.2 is a sub-lineage of the Delta variant of Covid-19&nbsp;
It has been classified as a Variant of Interest by UK&nbsp;
AY.4.2 has 2 spike protein mutations &mdash; A222V and Y145H&nbsp;
UK accounts for 96% of AY.4.2 cases: cov-lineages.org&nbsp;
17 samples of AY.4.2 have been found in India&nbsp;
AY.4.2 highly transmissible, may not be fatal: ICMR&nbsp;
Variant doesn&rsquo;t reduce efficacy of vaccine: UK health agency&nbsp;

The number of Delta AY.4.2 variant of coronavirus, which is spreading rapidly in some foreign countries, has increased to seven in Karnataka with three more people found to be infected with it in the city.

&nbsp;No sooner than you thought all the talk of new COVID variants was over, there&rsquo;s news of yet another one: AY.4.2. But what is it, where did it come from, and should we be concerned? AY.4.2 is what&rsquo;s termed a &ldquo;lineage&rdquo;. These are labels given to branches of the COVID evolutionary tree to illustrate their relatedness. They are overseen by the diligent Pango network, a joint team of researchers from the universities of Edinburgh and Oxford, who act as the custodians of lineages and handle the assignment of new ones.
If we go back to April of this year, we can trace the origins of AY.4.2. Our team in Northumbria, working as part of Cog-UK &ndash; the British consortium that sequences the genomes of COVID samples to see how the virus is changing &ndash; had just sequenced two samples connected via travel history to India.
At the time we knew the lineage circulating in India was B.1.617, but the cases we had sampled didn&rsquo;t match this. Variants are distinguished by the different mutations they have in their genetic material and, looking at the mutations in our samples, it appeared our cases were missing some of the commonly accepted mutations of B.1.617 but also had some additional ones.
What we were reporting to colleagues in Cog-UK was classified the following week as B.1.617.2, one of three main sub-lineages of B.1.617, and which was later named delta by the World Health Organization.
AY is a further evolutionary step forward from here. Once a lineage&rsquo;s labelling gets five levels deep, a new letter combination is started to avoid the name getting too long. So the AY forms of the virus aren&rsquo;t vastly different from what&rsquo;s come before, even though their labelling is different. They are all sub-lineages of delta.
There are now 75 AY lineages identified, each with different additional defining mutations in their genome. One of these &ndash; AY.4 &ndash; has been steadily growing in proportion in the UK over the last few months, accounting for 63% of new UK cases in the last 28 days.
Does AY.4 have an advantage? We&rsquo;re still not sure if AY.4&rsquo;s mutations confer a genuine advantage or if the increasing frequency of the lineage is simply down to what&rsquo;s called a &ldquo;founder effect&rdquo;. This is when a subset of viruses get separated from the overall viral population, and then reproduce in isolation. In the area where the separated viruses are, all subsequent viruses will therefore be descendants of this subset.
With COVID, this might have happened by there being a single case at a large event. This lone virus would have been the &ldquo;founder&rdquo;, the only virus spreading at the event. If it infected a sizeable number of people, who later infected others, this may have quickly built up a large amount of virus all from the same origin. Sometimes, for a certain form of a virus to dominate, it doesn&rsquo;t have to be better than others &ndash; it simply needs to be in the right place at the right time.
But, given its rise to dominance in the UK, AY.4 might well have a selective advantage. The defining change in AY.4 is the mutation A1711V, which affects the virus&rsquo;s Nsp3 protein, which plays a number of roles in viral replication. However, the impact of this mutation is unknown.

China's new Covid-19 infections driven by delta will increase in coming days and the areas affected by the epidemic may continue to expand: Official


China’s new Covid-19 outbreak may worsen: Official

China's new Covid-19 infections caused by the delta variant, will increase in coming days and the areas affected by the epidemic may continue to expand. 

China has reported 26 new local confirmed Covid-19 infections in a fresh outbreak on Saturday
China's new Covid-19 outbreak is caused by delta variant from Wu Liangyou&nbsp;area and will increase in coming days, health officials have warned.&nbsp;The areas affected by the epidemic may continue to expand, they added.
The wave of infections has spread to 11 provinces in October. Most of the people infected have cross-region travel histories, Mi Feng, spokesman for the commission, said at the briefing.&nbsp;He also urged&nbsp;to adopt &lsquo;emergency mode' in areas that have been affected by the pandemic.
The spread of the delta variant in Asia is slowing efforts by governments to re-open their economies.&nbsp;
Beijing will cancel a marathon originally scheduled for October 31 due to the virus, according to the Beijing Daily. People in cities are banned from visiting&nbsp;to places where infections have been found.&nbsp;

China's new Covid-19 infections will increase in coming days and the areas affected by the epidemic may continue to expand.

The Delta variant of Covid-19 is the globally dominant variant niw, out-competing the alpha, beta and gamma variants, the WHO has said.
The world body's technical lead Maria Van Kerkhove on Wednesday said that the delta variant has also become more transmissible over time and is now actively replacing all other Covid-variants in circulation.
The delta variant has been detected in 185 countries till date. This variant drove the second wave in India and was behind the surge of coronavirus cases in the US.
The WHO has downgraded alpha, beta, gamma along with three other variants - eta, iota and kappa - to &ldquo;variants under monitoring&rdquo;, indicating that they &ldquo;no longer pose a major added risk to global public health&rdquo; as they are being out-competed by delta.
According to the WHO, less than one per cent of infections around the world are each of Alpha, Beta and Gamma variants, and it's predominantly Delta that is a concern globally.

Covid: WHO says Delta globally dominant, has replaced other variants of concern

WHO says Delta is the dominant Covid&nbsp;variant globally, has become&nbsp;more transmissible with time

WHO says Delta is dominant Covid variant globally

WHO says Delta is dominant Covid&nbsp;variant globally
WHO: Delta has&nbsp;become more transmissible with time
WHO has downgraded Alpha, Beta, Gamma variants
Delta variant has been detected in 185 countries till date
Other strains downgraded to 'variants under monitoring'
&nbsp;

WHO says&nbsp;the delta variant has also become more transmissible over time and is now actively replacing all other Covid-variants in circulation

The Delta variant of Covid-19 is the globally dominant variant niw, out-competing the alpha, beta and gamma variants, the WHO has said.
The world body's technical lead Maria Van Kerkhove on Wednesday said that the delta variant has also become more transmissible over time and is now actively replacing all other Covid-variants in circulation.
The delta variant has been detected in 185 countries till date. This variant drove the second wave in India and was behind the surge of coronavirus cases in the US.
Also watch:&nbsp;<a title="Biden-Macron 'friendly call' to salvage ties, French envoy to US will return" href="https://www.editorji.com/story/biden-macron-friendly-call-to-salvage-ties-french-envoy-to-us-will-return-1632377934591">Biden-Macron 'friendly call' to salvage ties, French envoy to US will return</a>
The WHO has downgraded alpha, beta, gamma along with three other variants - eta, iota and kappa - to &ldquo;variants under monitoring&rdquo;, indicating that they &ldquo;no longer pose a major added risk to global public health&rdquo; as they are being out-competed by delta.
According to the WHO, less than one per cent of infections around the world are each of Alpha, Beta and Gamma variants, and it's predominantly Delta that is a concern globally.

Protesters gathered in large numbers in Melbourne on Tuesday, marching against mandatory vaccination rules set by the provincial government.&nbsp;
The government announced on Monday that the construction industry would be shut for 2 weeks and also asked work sites to follow health directives, especially asking their staff to be vaccinated.&nbsp;
These rules require construction workers to have at least one dose of vaccination before the industry opens again on October 5.&nbsp;
Australia's Victoria recorded about 600 cases of Covid-19 on Monday.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
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Watch: Demonstrators in Melbourne protest against coronavirus vaccine rules 

On Cam: Protests&nbsp;and clashes in Melbourne as the govt imposed tough Covid&nbsp;vaccine rules for the construction&nbsp;industry&nbsp;which is set to reopen on Oct 5. 44 were arrested with PM Morrison calling the clashes 'very concerning'

Watch: demonstrators in Melbourne as govt imposes tough coronavirus vaccine rules

Police in Melbourne arrested at least 44 demonstrators after clashes erupted during a massive demonstration against the tough Covid-19 vaccine guidelines imposed on the construction industry.&nbsp;
Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Shane Patton said that the protesters' actions were "totally unacceptable" while Prime Minister Scott Morrison called the clashes in Melbourne "very concerning."
The government announced on Monday that the construction industry would be shut for 2 weeks and also asked work sites to follow health directives, especially asking their staff to be vaccinated.&nbsp;
These rules require construction workers to have at least one dose of vaccination before the industry opens again on October 5.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
&nbsp;

Police said that 44 were arrested during clashes that erupted in Melbourne against tough vaccine rules imposed by the government. PM Morrison called the events in the city, 'very concerning'

Police in Melbourne arrested at least 44 demonstrators after clashes erupted during a massive demonstration against the tough Covid-19 vaccine guidelines imposed on the construction industry.&nbsp;
Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Shane Patton said that the protesters' actions were "totally unacceptable" while Prime Minister Scott Morrison called the clashes in Melbourne "very concerning."
The government announced on Monday that the construction industry would be shut for 2 weeks and also asked work sites to follow health directives, especially asking their staff to be vaccinated.&nbsp;
These rules require construction workers to have at least one dose of vaccination before the industry opens again on October 5.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
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In an attempt to once again halt a delta outbreak and maintain its strict zero-tolerance approach to Covid-19, China has locked down a city of 4.5 million people in the southeastern province of Fujian after detecting a dozen coronavirus cases.&nbsp;59 locally transmitted cases were reported in the province on Monday.&nbsp;Putian, the city that is hardest-hit by the outbreak, reported 24 new local cases on Monday.
The local government locked down all residential communities and closed entrances and exits of expressways and major roads linking the city.
A mass virus test on 2.9 million population started on Tuesday in Putian.
Xiamen, the capital city of the province, has taken similar measures of locking down communities and asking residents not to leave the city if not necessary. Those who want to depart the city have to present negative virus test results done within 48 hours.
The city reported 32 locally transmitted cases on Monday.
According to experts, this round of resurgence is caused by the delta variant, and further discovery of cases are extremely possible in factories, schools and residential communities.

Covid-19 delta case surge again: China locks down Fujian city of 4.5 million people 

In an attempt to once again halt a Covid&nbsp;delta outbreak, China has locked down a city of 4.5 million people in the southeastern province of Fujian

<ul>
<li>59 locally transmitted infection were reported on Monday</li>
<li>Putian, hardest-hit by the outbreak, reported 24 new cases</li>
<li>Local&nbsp;govt locked down all&nbsp;entrances and exits roads linking the city</li>
</ul>

In an attempt to once again halt a delta outbreak and maintain its strict zero-tolerance approach to Covid-19, China has locked down a city of 4.5 million people in the southeastern province of Fujian after detecting a dozen coronavirus cases.&nbsp; 59 locally transmitted cases were reported in the province on Monday.&nbsp;Putian, the city that is hardest-hit by the outbreak, reported 24 new local cases on Monday.
Also watch |<a href="https://www.editorji.com/story/india-covid-update-25-404-new-covid-cases-6-78-lower-than-monday-1631595234280">India Covid update: 25,404 new Covid cases, 6.78% lower than Monday</a>
The local government locked down all residential communities and closed entrances and exits of expressways and major roads linking the city.
A mass virus test on 2.9 million population started on Tuesday in Putian.
Xiamen, the capital city of the province, has taken similar measures of locking down communities and asking residents not to leave the city if not necessary. Those who want to depart the city have to present negative virus test results done within 48 hours.
The city reported 32 locally transmitted cases on Monday.
According to experts, this round of resurgence is caused by the delta variant, and further discovery of cases are extremely possible in factories, schools and residential communities.

The central government on Wednesday said that currently,&nbsp;India has not detected any case of the new C.1.2 variant of the Coronavirus. This&nbsp;new strain of the virus,&nbsp;which was first found in South Africa in May, has been reported in atleast&nbsp;6 countries, World Health Organisation confirmed. While the public health body further cautioned that the C.1.2 strain could possibly be more transmissible and evade protection provided by the vaccines, South Africa's National Institute for Communicable Disease (NICD)&nbsp;said otherwise. The National health institute of South Africa issued an alert about the C.1.2 lineage this week and said that the Delta variant remains the most dominant strain of Covid-19 in the country. Although the WHO hasn't classified the virus as a variant of concern, NICD&nbsp;said that the variant is reported to have undergone few key mutations which could trigger&nbsp;it to become a variant of concern. Explaining the key mutations, DR Megan Steain, virologist&nbsp;and lecturer in immunology and infectious disease in Sydney said that these mutations may affect things like whether it evades&nbsp;the immune response or transmits faster. As per a study, the strain has a mutation rate of about 41.8 mutations/year which is about twice as fast as the current global mutation rate of other variants.&nbsp;

C.1.2 Covid-19 variant: no cases of the new strain detected in India so far, says Centre

Tap to know more about the new Covid variant that emerged in South Africa and has been reported in least 6 countries so far. No cases in India so far

As per a study, the strain has a mutation rate of about 41.8 mutations/year which is about twice as fast as the current global mutation rate of other variants.&nbsp;

The central government on Wednesday said that India has not detected any case of the new C.1.2 variant of the Coronavirus. This&nbsp;new strain of the virus,&nbsp;which was first found in South Africa in May, has been reported in at least&nbsp;6 countries, World Health Organisation confirmed. While the public health body further cautioned that the C.1.2 strain could possibly be more transmissible and evade protection provided by the vaccines, South Africa's National Institute for Communicable Disease (NICD)&nbsp;said otherwise.&nbsp;NICD&nbsp;issued an alert about the C.1.2 lineage this week, but said that the Delta variant remains the most dominant strain of Covid-19 in the country. Although the WHO hasn't classified the virus as a variant of concern, South African authorities&nbsp;said that the variant is reported to have undergone few key mutations which could trigger&nbsp;it to become a variant of concern. Experts say that these mutations may affect things like whether it evades&nbsp;the immune response or transmits faster. As per an earlier done study, the strain has a mutation rate of about 41.8 mutations/year which is about twice as fast as the current global mutation rate of other variants.&nbsp;

New Zealand on Monday reported its first death linked to the Pfizer Cobid-19 vaccine, Reuters has reported.
The country's health ministry released details on the death of a woman following a review by an independent Covid-19 vaccine safety monitoring board.
The board concluded that the woman&rsquo;s death was due to myocarditis, which is known to be a rare side effect of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine, the govt said.
Myocarditis is an inflammation of the heart muscle that can limit its ability to pump blood and can cause changes in heartbeat rhythms.
"This is the first case in New Zealand where a death in the days following vaccination has been linked to the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine," the health ministry said.
Reuters report said that Pfizer has not yet reacted to the death.
New Zealand is battling an outbreak of the Delta variant of Covid-19 after nearly six months of being virus free.
It reported 53 new cases on Monday, taking the total number of infections in the current outbreak to 562.

New Zealand records first death linked to Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine

New Zealand has reported its first death linked to Pfizer Cobid-19 vaccine

New Zealand has reported its first death linked to Pfizer Cobid-19 vaccine
Myocarditis&nbsp;is known to be a rare side effect of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine
Myocarditis: Inflammation of heart muscle can limit ability to pump blood&nbsp;
New Zealand&nbsp;battling Delta outbreak after 6 months of being virus free

New Zealand on Monday reported its first death linked to the Pfizer Cobid-19 vaccine, Reuters has reported

New Zealand on Monday reported its first death linked to the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine, Reuters has reported.
The country's health ministry released details on the death of a woman following a review by an independent Covid-19 vaccine safety monitoring board.
The board concluded that the woman&rsquo;s death was due to myocarditis, which is known to be a rare side effect of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine, the govt said.
Myocarditis is an inflammation of the heart muscle that can limit its ability to pump blood and can cause changes in heartbeat rhythms.
"This is the first case in New Zealand where a death in the days following vaccination has been linked to the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine," the health ministry said.
Reuters report said that Pfizer has not yet reacted to the death.
New Zealand is battling an outbreak of the Delta variant of Covid-19 after nearly six months of being virus free.
It reported 53 new cases on Monday, taking the total number of infections in the current outbreak to 562.

Are you safe after one dose of Covid vaccine? Is it better to be fully vaccinated? Does the vaccine provide protection against the Delta variant? Dr.&nbsp;Gagandeep&nbsp;Kang&nbsp;of Christian Medical College answers these questions for you on #NewsGuru with @Vikram Chandra

News Guru with Prof. Gagandeep Kang| How long do Covid vaccines protect against Delta?

Are you safe after one dose of Covid vaccine? Is it better to be fully vaccinated? Does the vaccine provide protection against the Delta variant? Dr.&nbsp;Gagandeep&nbsp;Kang&nbsp;of Christian Medical College answers these questions for you on #NewsGuru with @Vikram Chandra

How well protected is a fully vaccinated person?&nbsp;Why did the second wave fall so fast?

Dr.&nbsp;Priya&nbsp;Abraham&nbsp;of National Institute of Virology, Pune talks about the effectiveness of Covid vaccines against the highly transmissible&nbsp;Delta variant. Is one dose of vaccine enough to protect us? How long does protection from full vaccination last? For all this and more, watch our special interview on News Guru with&nbsp;@Vikram Chandra
&nbsp;

News Guru with Dr Priya Abraham|: How effective are the Covid vaccines? 

Dr.&nbsp;Priya&nbsp;Abraham&nbsp;of National Institute of Virology, Pune talks about the effectiveness of Covid vaccines against the highly transmissible&nbsp;Delta variant. Is one dose of vaccine enough to protect us? How long does protection from full vaccination last? For all this and more, watch our special interview on News Guru with&nbsp;@Vikram Chandra

News Guru with Dr Priya Abraham| How effective are the Covid vaccines? 

Dr.&nbsp;Priya&nbsp;Abraham&nbsp;of National Institute of Virology, Pune talks about the effectiveness of Covid vaccines against the highly transmissible&nbsp;Delta variant. Is one dose of vaccine enough to protect us? How long does protection from full vaccination last? For all this and more, watch our special interview on News Guru with&nbsp;@Vikram Chandra

Decoding the latest understanding on Covid variants.&nbsp;How protected are you after 2 doses of the vaccine?

Dr.&nbsp;Priya&nbsp;Abraham&nbsp;of National Institute of Virology, Pune talks about the effectiveness of Covid vaccines against the highly transmissible&nbsp;Delta variant. Is one dose of vaccine enough to protect us? How long does protection from full vaccination last? For all this and more, watch our special interview on News Guru with&nbsp;@Vikram Chandra
&nbsp;

Watch our special series as Editorji investigates deeper into India's fight against Covid. We bring to you a range of special interviews with experts who will help us find answers to questions like-Where are we in fight against Covid? Can India evade a third wave? How effective are the vaccines proving? Watch a series of special discussions on #NewsGuru. Today Vikram Chandra speaks with Prof. K&nbsp;Srinath&nbsp;Reddy&nbsp;of Public Health Foundation of India.

Can India evade a third Covid wave?

News Guru with Prof. Srinath Reddy| Can India evade a third Covid wave?

Watch our special series as Editorji investigates deeper into India's fight against Covid. We bring to you a range of special interviews with experts who will help us find answers to questions like-Where are we in fight against Covid? Can India evade a third wave? How effective are the vaccines proving? Watch a series of special discussions on #NewsGuru. Today Vikram Chandra speaks with Prof. K&nbsp;Srinath&nbsp;Reddy&nbsp;of Public Health Foundation of India.

How much do we know about Covid vaccines?&nbsp;What is latest information on the pandemic?

The number of Delta plus cases of coronavirus in Maharashtra rose to 103 with the addition of 27 more such cases, the state health department said on Monday.
Of the new 27 Delta plus cases, six each was detected in Gadchiroli and Amravati, followed by five in Nagpur, four in Ahmednagar, three in Yavatmal, two in Nashik and one in Bhandara district.
Raising worries around the highly transmissble strain, the Delta variant has been detected in 128 swab samples in Mumbai, the BMC said on Monday.
188 samples sent for genome sequencing at a BMC acility, out of which 128 were found to have the Delta variant of Covid-19.
Maharashtra is conducting genome sequencing tests of COVID-19 positive patients' samples on a regular basis to ascertain the extent of spread of mutants of the virus.
The BMC has set up a new genome sequencing facility at the civic-run Kasturba Hospital in the Chinchpokli area.
The civic body tested the first batch of samples at this facility that Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had inaugurated on August 4.

Maharashtra Delta Plus count crosses 100, 128 samples detected with Delta variant in Mumbai

The number of Delta plus cases of coronavirus in Maharashtra rose to 103 with the addition of 27 more such cases, while the Delta variant has been detected in 128 swab samples in Mumbai

Maharashtra's Delta plus variant count crosses 100 after 27 new cases

The number of Delta plus cases of coronavirus in Maharashtra rose to 103 with the addition of 27 more such cases, the state health department said on Monday.
Of the new 27 Delta plus cases, six each was detected in Gadchiroli and Amravati, followed by five in Nagpur, four in Ahmednagar, three in Yavatmal, two in Nashik and one in Bhandara district.
Raising worries around the highly transmissble strain, the Delta variant has been detected in 128 swab samples in Mumbai, the BMC said on Monday.
188 samples sent for genome sequencing at a BMC acility, out of which 128 were found to have the Delta variant of Covid-19.
Maharashtra is conducting genome sequencing tests of Covid-19 positive patients' samples on a regular basis to ascertain the extent of spread of mutants of the virus.
The BMC has set up a new genome sequencing facility at the civic-run Kasturba Hospital in the Chinchpokli area.

The number of Delta plus cases of coronavirus in Maharashtra rose to 103 with the addition of 27 more such cases.&nbsp;Delta variant has been detected in 128 swab samples in Mumbai

The number of Delta plus cases of coronavirus in Maharashtra rose to 103 with the addition of 27 more such cases, the state health department said on Monday.
Of the new 27 Delta plus cases, six each was detected in Gadchiroli and Amravati, followed by five in Nagpur, four in Ahmednagar, three in Yavatmal, two in Nashik and one in Bhandara district.
Also See |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.editorji.com/story/covid-19-uk-study-shows-vaccines-less-effective-against-delta-variant-1629344550507" target="_blank">Covid-19: UK study shows vaccines less effective against Delta variant</a>
Raising worries around the highly transmissble strain, the Delta variant has been detected in 128 swab samples in Mumbai, the BMC said on Monday.
188 samples sent for genome sequencing at a BMC acility, out of which 128 were found to have the Delta variant of Covid-19.
Maharashtra is conducting genome sequencing tests of COVID-19 positive patients' samples on a regular basis to ascertain the extent of spread of mutants of the virus.
The BMC has set up a new genome sequencing facility at the civic-run Kasturba Hospital in the Chinchpokli area.
The civic body tested the first batch of samples at this facility that Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had inaugurated on August 4.

As the world grapples with deadly Delta variant of Covid-19, there is more grim news. A study in UK has found that the Covid-19 vaccines are less effective against the delta variant, Blooomberg has reported.
According to the survey by the University of Oxford and the Office for National Statistics, Pfizer's vaccine lost effectiveness in the first 90 days after full vaccination, though both Pfizer and AstraZeneca shots still staved off a majority of Covid infections.
When vaccinated people did get infected with delta, they had similar levels of virus in their bodies as those who hadn&rsquo;t had their shots.
The results may fuel a push for booster shots for fully vaccinated people.
The US has already said that fully vaccinated people will be given a third shot after eight months. UK is yet to take a call on a booster shot.
The UK study analysed more than 3 million PCR tests from a random sample of people for a detailed picture of infection patterns as delta became the dominant variant this year.

Covid-19: UK study shows vaccines less effective against Delta variant

UK study shows Pfizer's vaccine lost effectiveness against Covid&nbsp;Delta variant in the first 90 days after full vaccination

UK study shows vaccines less effective against Delta variant

As the world grapples with deadly Delta variant of Covid-19, there is more grim news. A study in UK has found that the Covid-19 vaccines are less effective against the delta variant, Blooomberg has reported.
According to the survey by the University of Oxford and the Office for National Statistics, Pfizer's vaccine lost effectiveness in the first 90 days after full vaccination, though both Pfizer and AstraZeneca shots still staved off a majority of Covid infections.
When vaccinated people did get infected with delta, they had similar levels of virus in their bodies as those who hadn&rsquo;t had their shots.
The results may fuel a push for booster shots for fully vaccinated people.
The US has already said that fully vaccinated people will be given a third shot after eight months. UK is yet to take a call on a booster shot.

According to the survey by the University of Oxford and the Office for National Statistics, Pfizer's vaccine lost effectiveness in the first 90 days after full vaccination,

As the world grapples with deadly Delta variant of Covid-19, there is more grim news. A study in UK has found that the Covid-19 vaccines are less effective against the delta variant, Blooomberg has reported.
According to the survey by the University of Oxford and the Office for National Statistics, Pfizer's vaccine lost effectiveness in the first 90 days after full vaccination, though both Pfizer and AstraZeneca shots still staved off a majority of Covid infections.
When vaccinated people did get infected with delta, they had similar levels of virus in their bodies as those who hadn&rsquo;t had their shots.
The results may fuel a push for booster shots for fully vaccinated people.
The US has already said that fully vaccinated people will be given a third shot after eight months. UK is yet to take a call on a booster shot.
The UK study analysed more than 3 million PCR tests from a random sample of people for a detailed picture of infection patterns as delta became the dominant variant this year.

Canada has, for the fifth time now, extended its ban on direct commercial and private flights from India until at least September 21 amid concerns over the Delta variant of the Covid-19 virus.
The ban was first imposed on April 22 due to fears in Canada over the devastating second wave of the pandemic in India.
Transport Canada said the decision on travel from India was based on the latest advice from the Public Health Agency. It said Canada will be working closely with the government of India and aviation operators to ensure appropriate procedures are put in place to enable a safe return of direct flights as soon as conditions permit.
The latest extension of the ban was announced even as entry for fully vaccinated US citizens and permanent residents to Canada was relaxed on Monday, despite America currently recording over 100,000 new daily coronavirus cases.

Canada extends ban on direct passenger flights from India until September 21

Canada has extended its ban on direct commercial and private flights from India until at least September 21 amid concerns over the Delta variant

Canada extends ban on direct passenger flights from India till Sept 21
Canada's ban on direct flights from India for the fisth time in a row
Ban imposed&nbsp;amid concerns over the Delta variant of the Covid-19&nbsp;
Transport Canada: decision based on advice from the Public Health Agency
Procedures to ensure 'safe return of flights as soon as conditions permit'
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
&nbsp;

Canada has extended its ban on direct commercial and private flights from India until at least September 21 amid concerns over the Delta variant

Canada has, for the fifth time now, extended its ban on direct commercial and private flights from India until at least September 21 amid concerns over the Delta variant of the Covid-19 virus.
The ban was first imposed on April 22 due to fears in Canada over the devastating second wave of the pandemic in India.
Transport Canada said the decision on travel from India was based on the latest advice from the Public Health Agency. It said Canada will be working closely with the government of India and aviation operators to ensure appropriate procedures are put in place to enable a safe return of direct flights as soon as conditions permit.
The latest extension of the ban was announced even as entry for fully vaccinated US citizens and permanent residents to Canada was relaxed on Monday, despite America currently recording over 100,000 new daily coronavirus cases.

Mushrooming outbreaks of the highly contagious Delta variant across the world is forcing govts to rethink relaxations in curbs. The World Health Organization has announced an 80% average increase in Covid cases, over the past four weeks.
The US is topping the list of the world's worst-hit nations, followed by India and Brazil.
In India, the reproduction rate, or R value, of Covid-19 has inched up from 0.96 to 1 over the past few days and it is a matter of concern, according to experts.
In the United States, Covid cases are climbing steadily. The country's top infectious diseases expert Dr. Anthony Fauci on Sunday warned that more &ldquo;pain and suffering&rdquo; is on the horizon. The CDC has&nbsp;recommended that even vaccinated people must return to wearing masks indoors in parts of the U.S. where the delta variant is causing a spike in cases. 
Authorities in Canada say the country is at the start of the Delta-driven fourth wave. With ongoing vaccination and reopening, experts say the balance is very delicate.
Also watch:&nbsp;China: Mass testing, millions put under lockdown as Delta variant spreads
China is also battling a fresh wave of Covid cases, fuelled by the Delta variant. In what is being called its worst surge since the first outbreak in Wuhan in December 2019, the Delta variant has now spread to over 18 territories in China. China has announced partial lockdowns in several places, and has also suspended public transport.
In Australia, where only about 14% of the population have been vaccinated, Brisbane and parts of Queensland entered a snap Covid-19 lockdown on Saturday, as more cases of the Delta variant were recorded.
Also watch:&nbsp;Amid rise in fresh cases, Japan extends Covid state of emergency in Tokyo

Global Covid Update: Delta variant causing havoc worldwide, countries tighten norms

Global Covid Update: Delta variant causing spike in cases worldwide, here are the highlights
⦁ India: R value of Covid-19 inching up to 1 is cause for worry ⦁ US&nbsp;CDC recommends vaccinated people should also wear masks ⦁ Canada authorities say they are at the start of the 4th wave ⦁ China battling worst surge since the December 2019 Wuhan&nbsp;outbreak ⦁ Australia: snap lockdown in Brisbane and Queensland

Spike in Covid cases guelled by Delta variant worrying govts worldwide WHO announced an 80% average increase in cases, in the last 4 weeks United States tops list of world's worst-hit nations, followed by India &amp; Brazil India: R value of Covid-19 inching up to 1 is cause for worry, say experts US: Dr. Anthony Fauci warns there is more &ldquo;pain and suffering&rdquo; on the horizon US: CDC recommends vaccinated people should also wear masks indoors Canada: Authorities say they are at the start of the Delta-driven 4th wave China is battling its worst surge since the first outbreak in Wuhan in December 2019 China: Delta variant has spread to 18 territories, partial lockdowns in many areas Australia: snap lockdown in Brisbane and Queensland after spike in Delta cases

The World Health Organization has announced an 80% average increase in Covid cases, over the past four weeks.

Mushrooming outbreaks of the highly contagious Delta variant across the world is forcing govts to rethink relaxations in curbs. The World Health Organization has announced an 80% average increase in Covid cases, over the past four weeks.
The US is topping the list of the world's worst-hit nations, followed by India and Brazil.
In India, the reproduction rate, or R value, of Covid-19 has inched up from 0.96 to 1 over the past few days and it is a matter of concern, according to experts.
In the United States, Covid cases are climbing steadily. The country's top infectious diseases expert Dr. Anthony Fauci on Sunday warned that more &ldquo;pain and suffering&rdquo; is on the horizon. The CDC has&nbsp;recommended that even vaccinated people must return to wearing masks indoors in parts of the U.S. where the delta variant is causing a spike in cases. 
Authorities in Canada say the country is at the start of the Delta-driven fourth wave. With ongoing vaccination and reopening, experts say the balance is very delicate.
Also watch:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.editorji.com/story/china-mass-testing-millions-put-under-lockdown-as-delta-variant-spreads-1627822390802" target="_blank">China: Mass testing, millions put under lockdown as Delta variant spreads</a>
China is also battling a fresh wave of Covid cases, fuelled by the Delta variant. In what is being called its worst surge since the first outbreak in Wuhan in December 2019, the Delta variant has now spread to over 18 territories in China. China has announced partial lockdowns in several places, and has also suspended public transport.
In Australia, where only about 14% of the population have been vaccinated, Brisbane and parts of Queensland entered a snap Covid-19 lockdown on Saturday, as more cases of the Delta variant were recorded.
Also watch:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.editorji.com/story/amid-rise-in-fresh-cases-japan-extends-covid-state-of-emergency-in-tokyo-1627722424655" target="_blank">Amid rise in fresh cases, Japan extends Covid state of emergency in Tokyo</a>

China has begun mass testing to contain the most widespread Covid-19 outbreak in months due to the highly-contagious Delta variant.
75 news cases with 53 local transmissions were reported on Sunday linked to a cluster that has spread to over 20 cities and over 12 provinces. This is the largest outbreak to hit the country in several months.
Zhangjiajie in Hunan province has put 1.5 million residents under lockdown and shut all tourist attractions.
Flood-ravaged Zhengzhou also reported 27 locally transmitted cases following which the city ordered mass testing of all 10 million residents.
Hundreds of thousands were put under lockdown in the eastern Jiangsu province as well.
Authorities are blaming the recent outbreaks on the fast-spreading Delta variant and the peak tourist season.

China: Mass testing, millions put under lockdown as Delta variant spreads

Mass testing, millions put under lockdown in several provinces as China battles Delta variant outbreak.

//China rolls out mass testing as cases rise due to Delta variant //75 new cases with 53 local transmissions reported on Sunday //Largest outbreak in months: spread over 20 cities in over 12 provinces&nbsp; //1.5 million put under lockdown&nbsp;in Hunan&nbsp;province's&nbsp;Zhangjiajie //Flood-ravaged Zhengzhou&nbsp;ordered testing of all 10 million residents&nbsp; //Hundreds of thousands put under lockdown&nbsp;in&nbsp;eastern Jiangsu province //Authorities blame the spread on contagious Delta variant &amp; tourist season&nbsp;

75 news cases with 53 local transmissions were reported on Sunday linked to a cluster that has spread to over 20 cities and over 12 provinces.

China has begun mass testing to contain the most widespread Covid-19 outbreak in months due to the highly-contagious Delta variant.
75 news cases with 53 local transmissions were reported on Sunday linked to a cluster that has spread to over 20 cities and over 12 provinces. This is the largest outbreak to hit the country in several months.
Zhangjiajie in Hunan province has put 1.5 million residents under lockdown and shut all tourist attractions.
Flood-ravaged Zhengzhou also reported 27 locally transmitted cases following which the city ordered mass testing of all 10 million residents.
Hundreds of thousands were put under lockdown in the eastern Jiangsu province as well.
Authorities are blaming the recent outbreaks on the fast-spreading Delta variant and the peak tourist season.

Globally new covid cases and hospitalizations are on the rise after 2 months of&nbsp;declines in deaths, delta is driving a new uptick. It&rsquo;s now a life-and-death contest between vaccine and virus. Here are the top 10 global headlines you need to take note of-:

US reports&nbsp;194,608 new cases as Delta variant becomes more prevalent&nbsp;
Record high cases in Florida as it becomes US epicentre;&nbsp;accounts for one in five new case in the U.S.
Masks are back on; Disney orders masks to be back on in parks; Yale &amp; Cornell instruct all students to mask up&nbsp;
CDC study shows 74% of people infected in Massachusetts Covid outbreak were fully vaccinated
China witnessing its worst outbreak since Wuhan;&nbsp;China's outbreak now spans 14 provinces
China has put over 1 million&nbsp;people under lockdown and reinstituted mass testing campaigns.
CDC&nbsp;warns: War against Covid&nbsp;has changed, Delta variant more infectious than original strain.&nbsp;
Vietnam&nbsp;to extend lockdown for 2 weeks as covid&nbsp;cases soar, reports 145,686 new cases and 1,306 deaths&nbsp;
Africa, official figures put the daily death toll at 1,000 a day on average over the last seven days: 17 percent up.
Israel to give Pfizer Covid booster shots to people over 60 as efficacy appears to wane amid delta


Global covid cases surge after 10 weeks; Top headlines as the vaccine and virus contest heats

The Delta Disaster!&nbsp;US has a new covid epicentre &amp; China sees worst outbreak since Wuhan. Track the latest in virus vs vaccine as global cases surge.&nbsp;

The Delta Disaster! 

<ul>
<li>US reports 194,608 new covid&nbsp;cases, Delta variant transmission rises&nbsp;</li>
<li>Florida becomes epicentre of infecteion in US, record high cases&nbsp;</li>
<li>Masks back on, Disney, Yale, Google, White House order employees/visitors to mask up&nbsp;</li>
<li>CDC: 74% of those infected in recent outbreak in&nbsp;Massachusetts were fully vaccinated</li>
<li>China witnessing worst outbreak since Wuhan, 1 million people under lockdown</li>
<li>CDC&nbsp;warns, war against covid&nbsp;has changed&nbsp;</li>
<li>Canada warns of start of fourth wave of covid&nbsp;</li>
<li>Vietnam extends lockdown&nbsp;as deaths continue to top 1000 a day&nbsp;</li>
<li>Africa death toll rises 17% as covid&nbsp;spread continues</li>
<li>Israel starts giving booster vaccine to senior citizens as efficacy wanes</li>
</ul>

US has a new covid epicentre &amp; China sees worst outbreak since Wuhan. Track the latest in virus vs vaccine as global cases surge.&nbsp;

Globally new covid cases and hospitalizations are on the rise after 2 months of&nbsp;declines in deaths, delta is driving a new uptick. It&rsquo;s now a life-and-death contest between vaccine and virus. Here are the top global headlines you need to take note of-
<ul>
<li>US reports&nbsp;194,608 new cases as Delta variant becomes more prevalent&nbsp;</li>
<li>Record high cases in Florida as it becomes US epicentre;&nbsp;accounts for one in five new case in the U.S.</li>
<li>Masks are back on; Disney orders masks to be back on in parks; Yale &amp; Cornell instruct all students to mask up&nbsp;</li>
<li>CDC study shows 74% of people infected in Massachusetts Covid outbreak were fully vaccinated</li>
<li>China witnessing its worst outbreak since Wuhan;&nbsp;China's outbreak now spans 14 provinces</li>
<li>China has put over 1 million&nbsp;people under lockdown and reinstituted mass testing campaigns.</li>
<li>CDC&nbsp;warns: War against Covid&nbsp;has changed, Delta variant more infectious than original strain.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Canada is headed towards a fourth wave of COVID-19 infections. The pandemic trajectory shows serious threat the highly-contagious Delta variant is posing.</li>
<li>Vietnam&nbsp;to extend lockdown for 2 weeks as covid&nbsp;cases soar, reports 145,686 new cases and 1,306 deaths&nbsp;</li>
<li>Africa, official figures put the daily death toll at 1,000 a day on average over the last seven days: 17 percent up.</li>
<li>Israel to give Pfizer Covid booster shots to people over 60 as efficacy appears to wane amid delta spread.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

delta variant

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