The Daily dose: January 24, 2022 

# WHO meeting: Later today the WHO executive board meets to discuss various issues including governance, funding and a pandemic treaty.

# Cases dip in India: On a day, India logged 3,06,064 new coronavirus infections taking the total tally of Covid-19 cases to 3,95,43,328, according to Health Ministry data updated on Monday.The death toll has climbed to 4,89,848 with 439 fresh fatalities, the data updated at 8 am stated.

# On the poll path : Meanwhile, the Election Commission’s ban on physical rallies in five poll-bound states since January 8 due to the ongoing COVID-19 wave has hit the business of charter flight operators, a report said. Just 10-15 per cent of the 350-400 flight hours per month are election-related travel at this stage, the operators said.

# Scramble for fever-medicines: Beijing residents who purchase antipyretics, antivirals and drugs that target coughs and sore throats will get an alert on the mobile app China uses for contact tracing and which is frequently checked to allow entry to public venues. The buyer will then need to take a Covid-19 test within 72 hours or face movement restrictions, the Beijing Municipal Health Commission said on Sunday.

# Protesting vaccine passports: Thousands of people gathered in European capitals to protest vaccine passports and other requirements governments have imposed in hopes of ending the coronavirus pandemic.Demonstrations took place in Athens, Helsinki, London, Paris and Stockholm.

#New Zealand’s “red setting”: New Zealanders are set to face new Covid-19 restrictions after nine cases of the omicron variant were detected in a single family that flew to Auckland for a wedding earlier this month, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced on Sunday.

The so-called “red setting” of the country’s pandemic response includes heightened measures such as required mask wearing and limits on gatherings.

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