North Korea abruptly stopped importing COVID-19 prevention and control products from China in May, trade data released by Beijing showed, after the country bought face masks and ventilators from its neighbour in previous months.
Thailand announced Friday it would drop rules requiring people to wear masks outdoors and no longer require foreign visitors to register before travel, as Covid-19 cases fall and the kingdom seeks to lure tourists back.
BJP chief JP Nadda on Wednesday praised what he called "Modiji's Suraksha Kavach", pointing to the laxity in observance of Covid safety measures in Kolkata.
The lack of masks at airports and in flights has been made actionable again as Covid numbers started climbing in parts of the country.
The Mumbai metropolitan region, Pune and Thane are among six districts of Maharashtra where coronavirus cases are rising rapidly, state health minister Rajesh Tope has said, urging people to wear masks.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday said people should use face masks, vaccinate themselves and follow discipline if they don't wish to experience COVID-19 restrictions again.
Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope has said residents of districts in the state that are reporting an increase in daily coronavirus infections should start taking more caution and wear masks.
More than 4,500 people have been fined for Rs 22 lakh in total in the city for not wearing masks since the mask mandate returned amid a spike in coronavirus cases, according to government data.
South Africa on Thursday ended mask-wearing for school children despite a surge of infections driven by two new Omicron sub-variants of coronavirus.
Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope has said there is no need for making face masks compulsory in the state as of now, but if there is an increase in new COVID-19 cases, then face coverings will be made mandatory.
Malaysia will ease more COVID-19 curbs from the start of next month, including lifting restrictions on those who are not vaccinated against the coronavirus and scrapping the need to wear masks outdoors, its health minister said.
People in Delhi must wear mask in public places, the state government said today. Those found violating the rule amid rising COVID-19 cases will be fined Rs 500, it said. Those travelling in cars, however, do not need to wear mask.
People in Delhi must wear mask in public places, the state government said today. Those found violating the rule amid rising COVID-19 cases will be fined Rs 500, it said. Those travelling in private cars, however, do not need to wear mask.
The Punjab government on Thursday advised people to wear face masks at crowded places amid a surge in coronavirus cases in some of the states.
The government is not planning to impose a fine for not wearing face masks in Delhi, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said on Tuesday.
The Haryana government today made it compulsory for people to wear a face mask in public places in Gurugram, Faridabad and two other districts amid a rise in Covid cases in New Delhi.
A crucial meeting of DDMA on Wednesday is likely to discuss mandatory use of face masks and hybrid mode of offline and online teaching for school children, in view of rising number of infections in past many days, official sources said.
The Uttar Pradesh government on Monday made it compulsory for people to wear a face mask in public places in capital Lucknow and six NCR districts amid a rise in Covid cases in some adjoining states, an official said.
In view of an uptick in COVID-19 cases in the national capital, the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) will hold a meeting on April 20 in which it may consider reimposing the mandatory use of face masks, officials said on Thursday.
Haryana's Gurugram, located near Delhi, has recorded 129 cases of coronavirus after more than a month. The numbers travelled upwards as the Haryana government lifted the mandatory tag on masks. A similar trend was observed in Delhi.
Even though compulsion has ended, people should wear masks in public as long as he and his deputy Ajit Pawar continue to wear them, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said on Saturday.
Not wearing a mask will no longer attract a fine in Delhi, the Delhi Disaster Management Authority said in a formal order today a day after Maharashtra and Bengal decided to do away with Covid-related restrictions.
With the COVID-19 situation having considerably improved in West Bengal, the state government on Thursday announced that that all curbs related to the contagion would stand withdrawn from midnight.
The Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) decided on Thursday that there will be no fine for not wearing face masks at public places in the national capital, official sources said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today announced a total lockdown in India from midnight for 21 days to fight the spread of coronavirus.
India must also straight away allow internationally-recognized testing kits to be used here - these are already in use in the USA and Europe (do not delay by waiting for Indian clearance).
Coronavirus outbreak: Take necessary precautions. Practise personal hygiene and social isolation. Utilise this time to do all the things you never found the time to do earlier. Here are some more tips to maintain your mental health by Psychiatrist Dr Sanjay Chugh
Hopefully, you are following social distancing and not mingling, especially with large groups or in crowded places. Can wearing a mask help? Here's what doctors say:
People across the world are worried about the rising cases of COVID-19, a highly contagious disease caused by the Novel Coronavirus that was first detected in China's Wuhan in December last year. What should you do if you're feeling any little ill, flu-ish and you are worried that you have symptoms of coronavirus?
Coronavirus India: Airlines have been asked to ensure distance at check-in counters and enough space as passengers wait for their flights
With some 400 positive cases within a population of 1.3 billion, the burning question in the minds of many is whether India is under-reporting. Until a couple of days ago, there were strict, conservative criteria for COVID 19 testing.
Soap and water is still the best way to clean your hands. Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
Wash hands with warm or cold water. Lather soap to get it on the backs of hands, between fingers and under finger nails before rinsing off. According to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, the time spent should be 20 seconds (or the time taken to sing the “Happy Birthday” song from beginning to end twice).
If soap and water are not available, use a hand sanitizer with at least 60 per cent alcohol.
The hand sanitizer should be applied to one palm before rubbing the hands together. While rubbing, the gel should be spread all over the hands and fingers, covering all surfaces until completely dry.
Cleansers and wipes are effective in cleaning and disinfecting objects and surfaces that are frequently touched.
Alcohol is effective at killing different types of microbes, including both viruses and bacteria. Coronavirus is the type of virus with an outer wrapping, called an envelope, which alcohol can kills.
Despite many DIY sites and programmes suggesting it, vodka doesn’t have enough alcohol content to effectively kill microbes.
India Coming Together Against COVID-19 campaign, an RB and NDTV initiative, aims to provide a platform to highlight the works of the unsung heroes, NGOs and community leaders at the frontline of the hygiene battle against COVID-19.
It is a small effort to keep Indians well informed with medical facts and the news that matters the most in their daily lives during the current lock-down. A campaign of hope despite of all of us being isolated.
The campaign will recognise and acknowledge the unsung heroes who are at the forefront of this battle against the coronavirus – doctors, the police, community kitchens, the suppliers of essential commodities. Pan-India stories on the effort being made to combat the virus – narrated by the administrators, the police and government bodies. We will also showcase how hygiene and handwashing are critical in this fight against Novel Coronavirus.