India and COVID-19 an Update - VI

New Corona virus cases in India decline for second consecutive day and recovery rate improves. With every passing week; recovery rate in India is improving further and as on today it’s inching to 60% despite daily new active cases in thousands. ?The gap between recovered patients and active cases has widened to 1.20 lakhs whereas the fatality rate remain constant at 3%.

The government has announced the guidelines for the Unlock 2.0 starting from July 1 for the next one month. While enforcing stringent lockdown measures in the containment zones, the government has decided to open up more activities outside the containment zones in Unlock 2.0.

In Unlock 2.0, the government will further expand the domestic air and rail operations in a calibrated manner. While, it says that the international air operations will continue to be in Vande Bharat mission mode, further opening of the international operations will be considered in a calibrated manner in the next one month. (Source - https://travel.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/ministry/government-to-further-open-up-domestic-air-travel-in-unlock-2-0/76701372)

India’s first indigenous COVID-19 vaccine “COVAXIN” has been developed by Hyderabad’s Bharat Biotech alongwith the Indian Council of Medical Research and National Institute of Virology. Human Clinical trials of Phase I & Phase II are scheduled to start across the country in July. (Source ? TOI)

Foreign Missions in India have gradually started resuming Visa application process for specific categories for the UK, Ireland, South Korea, Turkey, UAE, Italy, Norway, Belarus, Denmark, Dominican Republic, and Portugal in some cities, with the approval of respective Embassies in India.

UK will begin accepting applications for all visa categories from 06th July an Ireland will do so only for student and long-stay categories for now. Turkey Belarus and UAE have started accepting applications for all categories. Italy, Denmark, Norway and Portugal will take only for same categories, for now. (Source ? TOI)