NATIONAL NEWS
Speed up vaccination, caution doctors in the wake of fresh resurgence in the West
The growing COVID-19 vaccination coverage in India is not adequate, warn doctors, who say the cost of people opting not to get vaccinated has the potential to cause a new outbreak. If people decide not to get vaccinated due to hesitancy and doubts, or even if the vaccination is delayed due to logistical reasons, the potential for new outbreaks of COVID-19 remains very high. New variants of SARS-CoV-2 are sprouting, which might be more transmissible and resistant to vaccines, said Mubasheer Ali, senior, internal medicine, Apollo Telehealth. Dr. Ali added that promoting the uptake of vaccines will require understanding whether people are willing to be vaccinated and the reasons why they were willing or unwilling to do so. So, the need of the hour is to speed up the vaccination process and drives, spread awareness about disease and its effects and making sure there is no vaccine hesitancy by rightly educating the people. The world shares a collective responsibility in fighting this pandemic; therefore, continued research on COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and hesitancy should be a priority, he observed. Citing the example of Germany, doctors said the country was currently witnessing a pandemic of the unvaccinated. Sundari Shrikant, director, internal medicine, QRG Super Speciality Hospital, Faridabad, said there was currently a broad agreement within the global scientific community that the most effective way to defeat the pandemic was through mass vaccination of populations around the world. Opting not to get vaccinated puts the person, his family and the community at large at risk of infection and the spread of the disease. Vaccination not only prevents infection but, if infected, the person develops mild infection. It also prevents community spread. Besides, it is important to emphasise the continued practice of COVID-19-appropriate behaviour for personal safety and prevention of community transmission, said Dr. Shrikant. Doctors add that people who are unvaccinated have higher chances of getting moderate to severe COVID-19 and undergo hospitalisation.
Anil Deshmukh sent to judicial custody
Former Home Minister of Maharashtra Anil Deshmukh was sent to judicial custody by a holiday court on Saturday in a case dating back to March 20, 2021, of alleged money laundering and corruption. Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh, representing the Enforcement Directorate (ED), appeared before Special Judge P.R. Sitre and sought further custody of nine days. However, the court rejected this and Mr. Deshmukh was remanded in judicial custody. Mr. Deshmukh was arrested by the ED on November after being questioned for by the central enforcement agency for 12 hours. He was sent to the ED’s custody till November 6. Mr. Deshmukh’s counsel on Saturday also filed for an anticipatory bail application on behalf of Hrishikesh Deshmukh, son of Mr Deshmukh, which will be heard on November 12. On October 29, the Bombay High Court rejected Deshmukh’s plea, seeking to quash five summons issued by the ED. The case dates back to March 20, 2021 when former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh wrote a letter to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray alleging that Mr. Deshmukh had abused his position and powers to seek illegal monetary benefits. The letter alleged instances of Deshmukh directing suspended police officer Sachin Vaze and others to collect ₹100 crore from bars and restaurants over a month. Soon thereafter, the High Court directed a preliminary enquiry to be held against Mr. Deshmukh by the Central Bureau of Investigation. The ED then stepped in and started a probe into allegations of money laundering against Mr. Deshmukh.
For Deepavali excesses, Delhi gasps for air
Delhi continued to choke as air quality remained in the severe category for the second day on Saturday as people burst crackers late on Thursday despite a ban. The air quality index (AQI ) of Delhi is expected to improve from Sunday evening, as per authorities. Several other NCR cities such as Gurugram and Greater Noida and towns in North India such as Baghpat and Bulandshahr also reported severe air pollution. The AQI of Delhi was 446 on Saturday at 10 a.m., as per Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) data. The AQI of Delhi was 444 at 6 a.m. on Friday. The AQI of the day for Friday was 462, as per CPCB’s 4 p.m. bulletin, which is an average of the past 24 hours and considered the day’s AQI. Friday had the worst air quality in the day after Deepavali in five years, as per official data, and was also the first day with severe air pollution this winter season. The air pollution is due to a combination of an increased impact of stubble burning, low local wind speed and emissions from bursting of crackers. Fog/smog conditions today [Nov. 6] morning has improved in Delhi NCR as forecasted. A shallow fog with visibility of 600 to 800 m was reported at its two airports during 0530 till 0930 hrs. It has been due to westerly to northwesterly winds set in and have also reached 8 to 15 kmph and some humidity reduction or moisture dry up, IMD said in a statement. An AQI between 0 and 50 is considered good, 51 and 100 satisfactory, 101 and 200 moderate, 201 and 300 poor, 301 and 400 very poor, and 401 and 500 severe.
District hospital catches fire in Ahmednagar
At least 11 coronavirus patients were killed and another one suffered serious burn injuries after a major fire broke out in the ICU of the district civil hospital in Maharashtra’s Ahmednagar city on November 6, officials said. The blaze erupted around 11 a.m. in the intensive care unit (ICU), where 20 COVID-19 patients were undergoing treatment, they said. Television visuals showed smoke pouring out of the lower floors of the hospital, as doctors desperately tried to save lives.Rajendra Bhosale, district collector of Ahmednagar, confirmed that 10 patients died in the blaze, which also left one patient critical. Shankar Misal, chief fire officer of the Ahmednagar Municipal Corporation, said that after the fire broke out, police and fire brigade personnel rushed to the facility and began the rescue and fire-fighting operation. It took more than two hours to douse the fire. The cooling operation is on, Misal said, adding that short circuit is suspected to be the cause behind it. A police official said that after the fire, the injured patients were rushed to a nearby hospital, where 10 of them were declared brought dead. Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted in the evening to say he was anguished by the loss of lives. Anguished by the loss of lives due to a fire in a hospital in Ahmednagar, Maharashtra. Condolences to the bereaved families. May the injured recover at the earliest, he said. Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has ordered a probe into the tragedy, and announced ₹ 5 lakh compensation for the families of those who died.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Iraqi officials: Prime minister survives assassination bid
Iraq’s Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi survived an assassination attempt with an armed drone that targeted his residence early Sunday, and is unharmed, officials said. The Prime Minister tweeted shortly after the attack: The rockets of treason will not shake one bit of the steadfastness and determination of the heroic security forces. I am fine and among my people. Thank God, he wrote.
Sudan activists reject power-sharing with army, call strikes Sudan’s protest movement has rejected internationally backed initiatives to return to a power-sharing arrangement with the military after last month’s coup, announcing two days of nationwide strikes starting Sunday. The movement called for the establishment of a civilian government to lead a transition to democracy.
