The Indian pandemic: A quick update
- First, the numbers. Total number of cases: 1,115,191. Total number of deaths: 28,084 Total number of recoveries: 724,578 . Points to note: We added 600,000 cases in July—which is higher than the combined total of all previous months. Another key data point: the number of deaths is on a steep rise in places like Karnataka.
- The government is still denying the reality of ‘community transmission’—Kerala is not.
- The Health Ministry has warned against the use of N95 masks with filters. It has also issued guidelines for gated communities—and extended WFH recommendations until December 31.
- Australian cricket authorities announced that the Indian team will have to undergo a mandatory 2-week quarantine when they arrive on tour later this year.
- The Amarnath Yatra has been (unsurprisingly) cancelled.
The global pandemic: A quick update
- Bahamas has banned visitors from the US. Still welcome: folks from the UK, EU and Canada.
- OTOH, Uzbekistan will pay you $3,000 if you visit the country and get Covid.
- LinkedIn is laying off 6% of its workforce around the world.
- A new global study—which includes researchers from the Indian Institute of Science—shows that cough and sneeze droplets travel farther in humid and cold weather.
- A Swedish firm claims that its mouth spray can neutralize 98.3% of any virus load within 20 minutes.
- The world’s filthy rich are already making plans to move to Covid-free parts of the world—and are buying passports and resident visas to do it.
Rahul Bajaj has left the building
He is stepping down as the chairman of Bajaj Finance after over 30 years. He will be replaced by his son. The company’s stock dropped 6%. (Economic Times)
A bizarre hostage crisis in Ukraine
A gunman seized a bus and took its passengers hostage—and an hours-long siege ensued. It finally ended—without any loss of life—after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke to him, and acceded to his single demand: Air a clip recommending Joaquin Phoenix’s movie ‘Earthlings’. The Guardian has the story.
Serena Williams' kid is a football owner
Los Angeles has a new women’s football team—and its glittering list of owners includes two-year-old Alexis Olympia Ohanian, who is named alongside her parents. Other celeb names include Natalie Portman, Mia Hamm and Jessica Chastain.
Also investing in a good deal: Genelia and Riteish Deshmukh who have set up a plant-based meat company called Imagine Meats. The vegan couple gave up meat a couple of years ago and now want the rest of the world to “imagine meat” as well.
Everyone’s mad at ‘Indian Matchmaking’
Mint reports on the reasons why. Yeah, we don’t have much more to say about a series that has already generated way too much talk.
