May 17 coronavirus news

Covid-19 vaccination drives were suspended in the city of Mumbai on Monday and in Gujarat state for Monday and Tuesday as Tropical Cyclone Tauktae bears down on southern and western states in India, officials said.

The storm intensified from "very severe" to "extremely severe" on Monday, according to the Indian Meteorological Department.

At least two people were killed on Sunday as a result of the storm, which caused heavy rainfall in Goa, the chief minister of the state, Parmod Sawant, said at a press conference.

“One boy died due to a tree falling on his head, and the second death, two people were on a motorcycle when an electric pole fell on them and one died on the way to the hospital,” Sawant said.

A total of 101 teams of India’s National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been deployed across six states of Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Goa and Maharashtra, and 22 teams have been readied for back up, according to Satya Pradhan, director general of the NDRF.

“The main impact state will be Gujarat, and that’s where we expect maximum impact,” Pradhan said, adding that more than 50 teams had been deployed to that region alone.

The Indian Coast Guard and Navy have also deployed ships and helicopters for search and rescue operations and the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has directed senior officials to take “every possible measure to ensure that people are safely evacuated by the State Governments and to ensure maintenance of all essential services,” a statement from the Prime Minister’s office on Saturday said.

Modi, who reviewed preparedness for the cyclone on Saturday, also directed officials to “ensure special preparedness on COVID management in hospitals, vaccine cold chain and other medical facilities on power back up and storage of essential medicines and to plan for unhindered movement of oxygen tankers,” according to a statement Saturday.

In Mumbai, 580 Covid patients from “jumbo centers” -- the city’s makeshift covid care centers -- were shifted to various hospitals ahead of the storm on Friday and Saturday, a statement from the city’s municipal corporation said.

Taiwan reported 335 new coronavirus cases Monday, all but two of which were domestically transmitted, officials from the Central Epidemic Command Center told reporters. This is the second record-breaking day in a row for the island, which had until now largely avoided the pandemic.

All schools from kindergarten to high school level in Taipei and New Taipei cities will be closed for two weeks starting Tuesday, the two city governments said earlier.

The suspension of on-site classes from May 18 to 28 includes elementary, junior and senior high schools, kindergartens, nurseries and cram schools, according to the two city governments. During that time, online learning platforms can be used to continue classes, the two city governments said.

Several local councils have also been suspended. Taipei City Council has been suspended from Monday until June 8, while Yilan County Council has been suspended from Monday until further notice, according to announcements on councils’ websites. Taichung City Council will also be suspended from Tuesday until May 31.

On Saturday, Taiwan raised its Covid-19 alert for Taipei and New Taipei to level 3, under which people are required to wear masks at all times and indoor gatherings of more than five people and outdoor gatherings of more than 10 people are prohibited until May 28.

India recorded 281,386 cases of Covid-19 today, bringing the number of daily cases below 300,000 for the first time in 25 days.

However, it is unclear how the approaching Cyclone Tauktae and heavy rainfall could be affecting testing numbers in southern and western parts of the country.

Monday's tally brings the nation’s total number of confirmed coronavirus cases to 24,965,463, according to figures released by the Indian Health Ministry. The country also reported 4,106 new deaths.

The number of deaths reported each day have been consistently above 3,000 since April 28, with the total death toll now standing at 274,390.

On April 22, India recorded the highest daily increase of coronavirus cases in the world since the start of the pandemic with 314,835 new cases. Since then, the country had added more than 300,000 cases each day, breaking its own record tallies, including 414,188 new cases on May 7 alone.

A slight drop in cases has continued since Friday, with 326,098 cases reported on Saturday and 311,170 cases on Sunday.

To date, 182.9 million vaccinations have been administered in India, with 691,211 people receiving their doses on Sunday, according to the Health Ministry.

The Indian government has announced a three-tier plan Sunday to combat the spread of Covid-19 in rural and tribal areas across the country.

The country's Health Ministry has directed states to set up coronavirus care centers which would cater to mild and asymptomatic cases. Health centers would be in charge of managing moderate cases, while dedicated hospitals would handle severe cases.

Rural health clinics, also known as primary health centers, will be equipped with a minimum of 30 beds along with oxygen support to treat Covid-19 patients.

More severe patients will be transferred to district or private hospitals with dedicated coronavirus blocks. 

Experts in India have cautioned that the current surge in cases will likely move slowly from cities to rural India, the portion of the country that is least equipped to deal with the pandemic.

The Health Ministry has also asked India's states to mobilize their social and community workers to spread information, detect emerging cases and provide basic monitoring equipment, like pulse oximeters, to those living in smaller villages.

China has decided to suspend the 2021 spring climbing season from the Tibetan side of Mount Everest due to concerns over coronavirus, the state-run Xinhua News Agency said Saturday.

A total of 21 Chinese climbers had obtained climbing permits in the spring climbing season of 2021 before the cancellation, according to Xinhua. 

On May 9, Chinese state media reported that the country was planning to set up a “line of separation” at the summit of Mount Everest to avoid climbers from the Nepal side mingling with those ascending from the Tibetan side, as a way to deter the spread of the coronavirus.

Coronavirus cases have been surging in Nepal, with roughly 20% of the country's total cases reported in the last 19 days. More than 8,000 were reported Friday, according to the Nepal Ministry of Health.

Covid-19 cases are also reportedly increasing at Mount Everest base camp, according to an Austrian expedition organizing company called Furtenbach.

Taiwan reported 207 new Covid-19 cases on Sunday, Health Minister Chen She-Chung said, the highest single-day total since the pandemic began.

All but one of those cases were locally transmitted.

The democratic island of 23 million has had one of the world's most effective responses to the coronavirus pandemic, at one point going more than 250 days without a case.

Taiwanese authorities began screening passengers on direct flights from Wuhan, where the virus was first identified, on December 31, 2019 -- back when the virus was mostly the subject of rumors and limited reporting.

To date, Taiwan has recorded 1,682 cases of coronavirus, and the overall death toll stands at 12, according to Taiwan’s Central News Agency.

Authorities are investigating whether the recent spike in cases is tied to airline employees who stayed at the same hotel, according to CNA.

UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock said “new, very early data” from Oxford University gives “a degree of confidence” that vaccines work against the Covid-19 variant first spotted in India.

Hancock told Sky News on Sunday that variant, called B.1.617.2, was now the dominant strain of coronavirus some parts of the UK and “spreads very fast.” 

Despite concerns about the variant, lockdown restrictions across England, Scotland and Wales are due to be relaxed from Monday. 

If you're planning to travel to India, here's what you'll need to know and expect if you want to visit during the coronavirus pandemic.

Read more here.