This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost India, which closed in 2020. Some features are no longer enabled. If you have questions or concerns about this article, please contact indiasupport@huffpost.com.

Updates: China Says It Opposes Any International COVID-19 Probe That Presumes Its Guilt

The phase three clinical trial of remdesivir for the treatment of the coronavirus patients has shown positive results, pharma company Gilead announced .
Medical workers from a hospital collect swabs from high school teachers for nucleic acid tests at a school, in Yichang, Hubei province, China April 27, 2020.
China Daily CDIC / Reuters
Medical workers from a hospital collect swabs from high school teachers for nucleic acid tests at a school, in Yichang, Hubei province, China April 27, 2020.

India’s confirmed coronavirus cases crossed 33,000 on Thursday with 23,651 Covid-19 patients currently under treatment, the Union health ministry’s update said.

Over 8,300 patients have recovered from the disease, while 1,074 people have died.

What you need to know today:

1. China says it opposes international COVID-19 probe that presumes its guilt

China “resolutely opposes” any international inquiry into the coronavirus pandemic that presumes its guilt, said Le Yucheng, a vice-foreign minister, in comments published on Thursday.

Citing an interview Le gave to NBC, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on its website that Beijing firmly opposes a “politicised” international investigation aimed at stigmatising China. (Reuters)

2. Indian-American-led clinical trial of remdesivir in COVID-19 treatment shows positive results

The phase three clinical trial of the antiviral drug remdesivir, led by a team of investigators including an Indian-American physician, for the treatment of the coronavirus patients has shown positive results, a US pharma company announced on Wednesday.

The California-based pharma company Gilead Sciences said that the preliminary results showed that 50 per cent of the COVID-19 patients treated with a 5-day dosage of remdesivir improved and more than half were discharged from the hospital within two weeks. A phase three clinical trial is said to be the final step in the process of the drug approval. Read more

3. 90% of Delhi’s containment zones have not reported new COVID-19 cases recently: Health minister

There have been no new coronavirus case in 90% of the containment zones recently in the national capital, Delhi Health minister Satyendar Jain said on Wednesday.

There are currently 100 containment zones in Delhi.

Jain said earlier the doubling rate of COVID-19 cases was four or five days but the current doubling rate is 13 days in Delhi, which is more than the national average.

“There are 3,314 cases in Delhi currently including 206 from Tuesday. Thirty-two per cent of the patients, which means 1,000 patients have recovered so far,” he told reporters.

4. Govt allows stranded migrants, students to go home

To help these people who have been stuck in various cities for over a month, many of whom have been left jobless and homeless due to the lockdown, the Union Home Ministry has now passed an order to allow their inter-state movement to reach their respective destinations, subject to certain conditions. This will also apply to pilgrims, tourists, students and other people stranded at different places.

In the order, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla said buses shall be used for transport of such groups of stranded people and these vehicles will be sanitised and will have to follow safe social distancing norms in seating.

Listing the conditions, the ministry said all states and union territories should designate nodal authorities and develop standard protocols for receiving and sending such stranded persons. In case of movement beyond states or UTs, the sending and receiving states will need to consult each other and mutually agree to the movement by road.

These people would be screened and only those found asymptomatic would be allowed to proceed. On arrival at their destination, they would be assessed by local health authorities and kept in home or institutional quarantine, as required by the assessment, the order said.

In Maharashtra, Home Minister Anil Deshmukh said his government is in talks with chief ministers of other states over facilitating return of migrant workers to their native places in a planned manner.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said he is in touch with other state governments on the Home Ministry order and told migrant workers to stay put till he informs them about the final decision in one or two days.

5. Kerala collector advised to quarantine after journalist tests positive

After a television journalist in Kerala’s Kasaragod tested positive for coronavirus on Wednesday, the health authorities advised the district collector, his driver and gunman to go into self-quarantine. The district collector had given an interview to the journalist a few days ago.

The journalist who works for a prominent television channel in the state is the first positive case from the media fraternity in the state.

A cameraman, driver and two other staff members of the media organisation have also been asked to remain quarantined.

Close
This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost India, which closed in 2020. Some features are no longer enabled. If you have questions or concerns about this article, please contact indiasupport@huffpost.com.