The Indian pandemic: A quick update
- First the numbers: Total cases: 1,238,635. Total recoveries: 782,606. We recorded the highest ever number of recoveries in a single day (58,028). We are now, however, #7 in the number of deaths (29,861).
- Maharashtra is still rising, reporting the highest single-day spike of 10,576 cases.
- Pune-based Serum Institute of India will produce 3-4 million doses of the Oxford vaccine—which is the most promising and way ahead of the vaccine race (see our explainer here).
- CEO Poonawalla promised that it will be affordable: “We are going to give it at a very affordable price… We are planning to put it at about Rs 1000 or less than that… I don’t think any citizen of India or of any other country is going to have to pay for it because it is going to be bought by the government and distributed free,” said CEO Adar Poonawalla.
- Indian Express explains the government’s recent guideline warning against the use of N95 masks with air filters.
- Delhi plans to conduct a serological survey every month. Also read: our analysis of the results released on Tuesday.
- Lockdown shopping data is out: Indians bought more bread, cheese, coffee, and jams—but less ice cream and Britannia cakes.
- Borosil has rolled out an ultraviolet disinfecting box called Suraksha for Rs 11,990. You can sanitise anything from rupee notes to smartphones and even groceries in 2-8 minutes.
- Construction workers will now receive “migration certificates” that will make them eligible for a variety of welfare benefits. Why this matters: Data shows that most states did not distribute most of the relief packages (be it food or cash) to workers because they did not have Aadhaar cards or other forms of ID.
- TV serials like ‘Taarak Mehta…’ have resumed shooting—with a variety of safety measures and severe script limitations.
The global pandemic: A quick update
- A South Korean study shows that people are most likely to be infected by members of their own household. It found that just two out of 100 caught the virus from non-household contacts.
- New York Times has an excellent report on why wealthy European nations were caught off-guard by the virus. The reason: They assumed “an epidemic is a disease that only occurs in developing countries.”
- EU has approved an $858 billion recovery fund. Indian Express explains why the package is noteworthy and how it is different from India's relief efforts
- Reuters reports on the plight of Indian and Nepalese workers in the Middle East.
- Switzerland health authorities warn that wearing face shields without a mask will not protect you against infection.
In better medical news: Researchers have developed a blood test that can detect cancer four years before the first symptoms appear. Scientific American has all the details.
A ‘Bollywood Chhodo’ campaign on Twitter
Anubhav Sinha—director of ‘Thappad’ and ‘Article 15’—tweeted: “Enough! I hereby resign from Bollywood. Whatever the f*** that means." Then he declared: "Bollywood was, Hindi films will." This was after Sudhir Mishra urged everyone: "Bollywood chhodo”—to which Hansal Mehta replied: "Chhor diya (have quit). It never existed in the first place." In other words, they’re rejecting commercial mainstream cinema—which is always a good thing. We have enough Salman Khan movies to last us a lifetime. (NDTV)
A pretty comet cometh our way
NEOWISE will make its closest approach to Earth on July 22 and 23—sidling as close as 64 million miles from the earth’s orbit. And that’s when we will be able to see it with our naked eye. Stellarium Web shows you exactly where to spot it from your precise location. Scientific American offers the best way to watch the comet. EarthSky has a brilliant collection of photos of the comet from around the world.
IPL is moving to the UAE
It’s official. After months of playing coy, Indian cricket authorities confirmed that the tournament will be held between September 26 and November 7—and will feature 60 matches in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. (The Telegraph)
Kim Kardashian speaks out on Kanye
The rap star has been on a Twitter rampage for a few days, making often outlandish claims. His wife finally spoke up about his mental health, and the effect on their family. BBC News has more.
