India's COVID situation hugely concerning: WHO Chief
United Nations: India's COVID-19 situation remains hugely concerning, with several states continuing to see a worrying number of cases, hospitalisations and deaths, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Friday, warning that the pandemic's second year will be "far more deadly" than the first for the world.
Ghebreyesus added that the WHO is responding to the COVID-19 surge in India and has shipped thousands of oxygen concentrators, tents for mobile field hospitals, masks and other medical supplies.
"India remains hugely concerning, with several states continuing to see a worrying number of cases, hospitalisations and deaths," he said at the daily media briefing.
"And we thank all the stakeholders who are supporting India," the WHO Director-General said.
India is in the midst of a deadly wave of the coronavirus pandemic, with 3,43,144 people testing positive for the virus on Friday, taking the country's caseload to 2,40,46,809. The death toll stands at 2,62,317.
India's COVID-19 tally crossed the 10 million mark on December 19 and in under six months it has doubled, surpassing the grim milestone of 20 million cases on May 4.
Ghebreyesus pointed out that the emergency-like situation was not restricted to India.
Nepal, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and Egypt are just some of the countries that are dealing with spikes in cases and hospitalisations, he said adding that some countries in the Americas still have high numbers of cases and as a region, the Americas accounted for 40 per cent of all COVID-19 deaths last week.
There are also spikes in some countries in Africa. These countries are in heightened response mode and WHO will continue to provide support in all ways possible, he said.
Noting that COVID-19 has already cost more than 3.3 million lives across the world, Ghebreyesus said, "We're on track for the second year of this pandemic to be far more deadly than the first.
He lamented that vaccine supply remains a key challenge and that saving lives and livelihoods with a combination of public health measures and vaccination not one or the other - is the only way out of the pandemic.
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Vitla police seize vehicle transporting cattle illegally
Vitla: Vitla Sub-inspector Ramakrishna has seized a vehicle that was allegedly transporting cattle illegally at Karai of Kolnadu village in Bantwal taluk. Two men in the vehicle, identified as Naveen and Chethan of Mandya, have reportedly been subjected to police questioning.
Police sources have said that the SI saw a vehicle transporting two cows and parked by the road. When he questioned the driver Naveen and Chethan, who were in the vehicle, about the cattle, he was told by the duo that the cows belonged to one Shankar, a resident of Channarayapatna. The men also told the SI that Shankar was supplying the cattle to a man in Salettur, identified as Shafi, allegedly for beef production.
Further, Naveen and Chethan confessed before the officer that they had gotten the cattle transport permit in others’ names, the sources have added.
