Coronavirus live updates | WHO says ‘will do everything’ to discover origin of COVID-19

The World Health Organization (WHO) insisted on Monday it would do everything possible to find the animal origins of Covid-19, insisting that knowledge was vital to preventing future outbreaks.

Cautioning that shop-owners, employees and visitors living in containment zones shall not be allowed entry into marketplaces the Union Health Ministry, on Monday, released its SOP on “preventive measures in markets to contain spread of COVID-19”.

These include levying of fines/penalties on defaulters for not wearing mask/face cover, or for not following physical distancing norms, exploring option of allowing markets/shops to open on alternate days and possible incentive/ discounts for those who shop during non-peak hours.

You can track coronavirus cases, deaths and testing rates at the national and State levels here. A list of State Helpline numbers is available as well.

Here are the updates:

Govt. cuts price of RT-PCR test to ₹800; city sees 3,726 cases

The Delhi government has reduced the maximum rate that can be charged for RT- PCR tests for COVID-19 in private facilities, according to an official order.

The maximum rate for one RT-PCR has been fixed at ₹800, when the sample is collected at a facility and ₹1,200 when it is collected from a person’s home.

The rate before Mondays order was ₹2,400 per test, which was higher than many other States. “I have directed that the rates of RT-PCR tests be reduced in Delhi. Whereas tests are being conducted free of cost in govt. establishments, this will help those who get their tests done in private labs,” Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said in a tweet.

BRICS media wrestle with disinformation challenge in COVID-19 fight

Representatives of media organisations from BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) on Monday called for the five nations to work together to jointly combat the “virus of disinformation” in the pandemic era.

At the fifth BRICS Media Forum, held virtually to coincide with the recently concluded BRICS summit, media organisations discussed ways in which journalists from the grouping could collaborate more closely to tell stories, with the countries facing many similar challenges, from economic issues to public health, as they grapple with COVID-19.

N. Ram, Director of The Hindu Publishing Group and former Editor-in-Chief of The Hindu Group of Publications, noted that India, Brazil and Russia were among the five in the world with the highest number of confirmed cases. “The news media around the world, especially daily newspapers, and also other forms of the media, have taken a big hit during the pandemic,” he said.

WHO says ‘will do everything’ to discover origin of COVID-19

The World Health Organization (WHO) insisted on Monday it would do everything possible to find the animal origins of Covid-19, insisting that knowledge was vital to preventing future outbreaks.

“We want to know the origin and we will do everything to know the origin,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters.

He insisted the UN health agency was intent on getting to the bottom of the mystery, and urged critics who have accused it of handing the reins of the probe to China to stop "politicising" the issue. 

“WHO’s position is very, very clear. We need to know the origin of this virus, because it can help us prevent future outbreaks,” Mr. Tedros said.

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