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Coronavirus returns! Kerala, Delhi, Gujarat report spike in cases, maximum deaths in…, THIS state issues advisory for students, Centre directs hospitals to…

Coronavirus returns! Kerala, Delhi, Gujarat report spike in cases, maximum deaths in…, THIS state issues advisory for students, Centre directs hospitals to…

India.com4 days ago

Coronavirus returns: India is witnessing a concerning spike in Covid-19 cases with Kerala, Delhi, Gujarat, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Karnataka reporting more than a hundred cases so far. As per the data released by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, India reported 3,395 active COVID-19 cases. As many as 685 more COVID-19 cases were reported in a day. Meanwhile, four more deaths due to coronavirus infection — down from seven deaths a day earlier – were reported in the country in the last 24 hours.
One death each was reported in Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Karnataka and Kerala. There have been 26 COVID-19-related deaths in India since January 1, 2025. COVID-19 update: 8 worst-hit states
1. Delhi has 375 cases
2. Gujarat has 265 cases
3. Karnataka has 234 cases
4. Kerala has 1336 cases
5. Maharashtra has 467 cases
6. Tamil Nadu has 185 cases
7. West Bengal has 205 cases
8. Uttar Pradesh has 117 cases Karnataka Issues Advisory to Students
Owing to the rise in the covid cases, the Karnataka government has asked parents not to send their children to school, if they have fever, cough, cold and other symptoms. 'If fever, cough, cold and other symptoms are found in school children, do not send the children to school and follow appropriate treatment and care measures as per doctor's advice,' the circular, issued late on Friday, was cited by news agency PTI.
The health department said, 'If children come to school with fever, cough, cold and other symptoms, inform their parents and send them back to home.' 'If these symptoms are found among the school teachers and non-teaching staff, they should be advised to follow appropriate precautionary measures,' the department said. Fully Prepared to Deal with Any Situation: Centre
On Friday, Union Minister of State for Health and AYUSH (Independent Charge), Prataprao Jadhav, assured that the Centre is fully prepared to handle any situation that may arise.
'Both our Central Health Department and the AYUSH Ministry are fully alert and closely monitoring the situation across all states. We have spoken with the respective Health and AYUSH Secretaries, as well as other concerned ministers,' Jadhav told news agency ANI.

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NCL finds Covid signals in Pune's sewage; levels similar to build-ups of past surges
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  • Time of India

NCL finds Covid signals in Pune's sewage; levels similar to build-ups of past surges

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Post-Covid immunisation: Childhood measles vaccination rates plunge in several US counties; cases hit 30-year high, study finds
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Representative image Immunisation coverage for measles among children has declined, after the Covid pandemic in nearly 80 per cent of over 2,000 US counties analysed in a new study. The drop includes several regions currently experiencing outbreaks. The study, conducted by Johns Hopkins University and recently published in JAMA, was cited by the Associated Press. It highlights increased vulnerability in many areas, in line with state and national data showing declining routine childhood vaccination rates. "When you look at the state level or national level ... you really don't see those drastic drops. Those are there. They're real and they're really problematic," said Lauren Gardner, the study's senior author and infectious disease modelling specialist at Johns Hopkins University, who also developed the university's Covid-19 database. As of Friday, the US has recorded 1,088 measles cases in 2025, the highest year-to-date total in more than three decades. The vast majority of cases have affected unvaccinated individuals and have been traced to both international and domestic travel. Three deaths have occurred during the current outbreaks. Although measles was declared eliminated in the US in 2000 due to the availability of a safe and effective vaccine, declining vaccination rates now threaten that status. All 50 states require two doses of the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine for public school attendance, yet non-medical exemptions reached record highs in the 2023–2024 school year. Experts emphasise that a 95 per cent vaccination rate is necessary to prevent outbreaks. The Johns Hopkins researchers analysed 2,066 counties in 33 states, comparing average kindergarten vaccination coverage from pre-pandemic years (2017–2020) with post-pandemic rates (2022–2024). When kindergarten-specific data was unavailable, alternative metrics were used to approximate coverage. Outbreaks in affected counties Since late January, Texas has reported 742 measles cases, most concentrated in West Texas. Gaines County leads with 411 cases, nearly two per cent of its population. Though vaccination coverage rose two percentage points post-pandemic, it remains at just 82.4 per cent, well below herd immunity levels. Terry and Yoakum counties, with 60 and 20 cases respectively, also fall short of the 95 per cent threshold, at 93.7 per cent and 91.8 per cent. Lubbock County, near Gaines, reported 53 cases, with coverage slipping from just under 95 per cent to 91.8 per cent. El Paso County, despite maintaining above-threshold coverage at 96.5 per cent, saw a 2.1-point decline alongside 57 reported cases. Kansas has also seen outbreaks. Gray County reported 25 cases, with vaccination coverage plunging from 94 per cent to 71 per cent. Haskell County saw an 18-point drop to 65 per cent with 11 cases, while Stevens County, with seven cases, dipped to 90.5 per cent. In Colorado, seven cases were traced to a mid-May arrival at Denver International Airport, affecting six residents and one visitor. Arapahoe County logged two cases with coverage at 88.4 per cent. El Paso County reported three cases and a drop to 80 per cent. North Dakota researchers analysed only post-pandemic years due to limited earlier data. Williams County recorded 16 cases with fluctuating coverage: 84.6 per cent in 2022, 87.7 in 2023, then falling to 83.5 per cent in 2024. Cass County, with seven cases, held steady at around 92.7 per cent. Grand Forks County reported 10 cases, with coverage dropping from 95.4 to 93.4 per cent.

State pitches for wellness tourism, summit today
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Time of India

time2 hours ago

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State pitches for wellness tourism, summit today

1 2 3 Bhopal: Inspired by PM Narendra Modi's slogan of 'Heal in India', the state is gearing up to position itself as a leading destination for spiritual and wellness tourism, with a high-profile summit in Ujjain on Thursday. Organised by the departments of happiness, tourism and AYUSH, the one-day event will showcase the state, especially Ujjain, as a hub for holistic health, traditional healing and inner well-being. Besides, the summit will focus on attracting investment and fostering collaboration across sectors such as yoga, ayurveda, naturopathy, public wellness and spirituality. Located in the heart of India, Ujjain is famous as an ancient and religious city. "Due to its peaceful environment, natural resources and traditional healing systems, it is an ideal location for the wellness sector," an official said. Renowned spiritual saints/practitioners, key investors in the wellness sector, policy-makers, Ayush and health experts, wellness and tourism operators will participate in the event. CM Mohan Yadav will also hold one-on-one meetings with major investors, policymakers and representatives of other relevant institutions participating in the summit. An official of the MP Tourism Development Corporation said: "Madhya Pradesh is developing itself as a wellness hub, leveraging its diverse landscapes and rich cultural heritage to attract wellness tourism. The state is actively promoting yoga, meditation, ayurveda, and naturopathy centres and plans to develop specific locations like Amarkantak and Pachmaas as wellness destinations." "Initiatives like 'Hridayam MP' are incentivising the creation of wellness centres and offering support for their development. Madhya Pradesh provides a variety of wellness options, including yoga, meditation, panchakarma, and spa centers," he added. The 'Hridayam MP' initiative emphasises the use of digital technologies like AI and telemedicine to enhance the wellness tourism experience. Besides, the state's natural bounty and diverse landscapes, including forests, rivers, and hills, are being used to create a rejuvenating and transformative wellness experience. The state is also promoting medical value tourism, attracting international patients seeking affordable and effective treatments. "Overall, MP is making significant strides in positioning itself as a premier destination for wellness and spiritual tourism, leveraging its natural resources, cultural heritage, and strategic initiatives to create a vibrant and attractive wellness ecosystem," the official said.

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