India’s Coronavirus Infections Rise To 7.4 Million
Oct 16, 2020 | Pratirodh Bureau
Passengers wearing protective face masks stand in a queue on the platform of a railway station to get tested for the coronavirus disease in New Delhi on October 5, 2020
India’s tally of coronavirus infections stood at 7.37 million on Friday, having risen by 63,371 in the last 24 hours, Health Ministry data showed.
Deaths from COVID-19 infections rose by 895 to 112,161, the Ministry said.
India crossed the 7-million mark on Sunday, adding a million cases in just 13 days. It has the world’s second-highest tally after the United States, where the figure is nearing 8 million.
Meanwhile, a Chinese city is offering Sinovac Biotech’s experimental COVID-19 vaccine to essential workers and other high-risk groups, as part of a national programme, for about $60.
The eastern city of Jiaxin’s center for disease control and prevention (CDC) said in a statement on WeChat that two doses of the vaccine candidate, called CoronaVac, will cost 200 yuan ($29.75) per dose and that vaccinations for key groups, including medical professionals, have begun.
Chinese authorities have to date not released pricing details for potential COVID-19 vaccines. Hundreds of thousands of people have been given experimental vaccines in late-stage trials as part of an emergency inoculation programme launched in July.
It was not clear if Jiaxin city’s pricing includes subsidies. The city’s CDC declined to comment.