Shanghai reports first deaths due to COVID-19
Beijing(PTI): China on Monday reported first fatalities in Shanghai due to the ongoing COVID-19 surge in the city where the Omicron variant continues to paralyse the country's business hub of 26 million people.
Three new deaths from COVID-19 were reported on Sunday in Shanghai, China's National Health Commission reported on Monday.
Three unvaccinated residents - all elderly, aged from 89 to 91 years, with underlying ailments - died, out of 372,000 infected cases since March 1, according to data released on Monday, the Hong Kong based South China Morning Post reported.
According to its report, the mainland on Sunday reported 2,723 locally-transmitted confirmed COVID-19 cases, of which 2,417 were in Shanghai.
Shanghai also reported 19,831 locally-transmitted asymptomatic infections of the novel coronavirus Sunday, out of a total of 20,639 local asymptomatic carriers newly identified on the mainland, the Commission report said.
Apart from Shanghai, 15 other provincial-level regions on the mainland saw new local COVID-19 cases, including 166 in the north-eastern province of Jilin, it said.
A total of 1,637 COVID-19 patients were discharged from hospitals after recovery on the Chinese mainland on Sunday, said the daily report.
That brought the mainland's total number of COVID-19 patients discharged from hospitals after recovery to 151,407 as of Sunday.
Over the past day, 33,882 close contacts were released from medical observation on the mainland, the report said.
Three new deaths from COVID-19 were reported on Sunday in Shanghai, according to the report.
The first deaths have been reported as local authorities embarked on a plan to gradually restore production and business activity in China's commercial centre after more than two weeks of lockdown.
On Sunday, Shanghai local government issued the first edition of epidemic prevention guidelines for the city's industrial enterprises to resume production.
The purpose of the guidelines is to coordinate epidemic control efforts and social economic development.
Released by the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Economy and Informatization, the guidelines stipulated that all district governments and authorities at different levels should actively support enterprises to resume operations and guide their epidemic prevention work using a case-by-case approach, state-run Global Times reported.
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EAM Jaishankar meets Jamaican PM, gifts over 10 BHISHM Cubes
Kingston (PTI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday met Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness and discussed ways to further deepen "political, economic and people-to-people cooperation."
Jaishankar also conveyed greetings from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Holness.
"Pleased to call on Prime Minister @AndrewHolnessJM in Kingston. Conveyed the greetings of PM @narendramodi," Jaishankar posted on X.
"Discussed deepening our political, economic and people-to-people cooperation. Value his commitment towards further strengthening India-Jamaica relations," the post further read.
Also, the external affairs minister handed over 10 BHISHM (Bharat Health Initiative for Sahyog Hita & Maitri) Cubes as a gift to Jamaica.
"Formally handed over 10 BHISHM Cubes as a gift from India to Jamaica, in the presence of PM @AndrewHolnessJM, Health Minister @christufton and FM @kaminajsmith," Jaishankar posted on X.
"The BHISHM Cube mobile hospital system, designed for rapid deployment, will help Jamaica during disasters and emergencies. The gift of these cubes is a statement of friendship, a commitment to disaster preparedness, and an outcome of innovation," the post said.
Jaishankar arrived in Kingston on Saturday evening, marking the first leg of his nine-day tour of Jamaica, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago, aimed at further strengthening India's strategic and cultural ties with the Caribbean nations.
Earlier in the day, he interacted with the Indian diaspora and discussed India's ongoing transformation in infrastructure, human development and technology-driven governance and entrepreneurship with them.
He also highlighted the cricket bond between both countries as India gifted a scoreboard to Jamaica.
A scoreboard was dedicated at Sabina Park in Kingston. It is the home of the Jamaica cricket team and is the only Test cricket ground in the Caribbean island nation.
The minister expressed hope that the new scoreboard would witness many memorable innings, including those symbolising the enduring friendship between the two countries.
Cricket has long been a strong cultural bridge between India and Jamaica, which is part of the West Indies cricket team.
Jamaican players, including Chris Gayle, Courtney Walsh and Michael Holding, have played a major role in shaping the legacy of West Indies cricket in the international arena, contributing to its dominance in earlier decades and its continued global appeal.
