8.30 am: World Health Organization ’s head of emergencies Dr Michael Ryan says governments that add political colour to coronavirus-relate...
8.30 am: World Health Organization’s head of emergencies Dr Michael Ryan says governments that add political colour to coronavirus-related statements would face backlash, AP reports. “If communities perceive that they’re getting information that is being politically manipulated or that it has been managed in a way that is distorting evidence, then unfortunately that comes back to roost,” Ryan says.
He adds that trying to present “oversimplified, simplistic solutions” to people is not a long-term strategy that does well. Transparency, consistency and honesty can build trust, he says.
8.20 am: The first batch of Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine has been released in public, ANI reports, citing a statement by the country’s health ministry. Regional deliveries would take place soon, it added.
“The first batch of the ‘Gam-COVID-Vac’ [Sputnik V] vaccine for the prevention of the new coronavirus infection, developed by the Gamaleya National Research Center of Epidemiology and Microbiology of the Ministry of Health of Russia, has passed the necessary quality tests in the laboratories of Roszdravnadzor [medical device regulator] and has been released into civil circulation,” the ministry says.
8.10 am: Globally, 8.91 lakh people have died from the disease, out of a total caseload of 2.72 crore, according to Johns Hopkins University tracker. Over 1.82 crore people across the world have recovered from the...
