India Covid crisis: Court asks Kerala govt to reduce cost of treatment
Web Report/Thiruvananthapuram Filed on May 1, 2021
The case came up when a public interest litigation was filed accusing private hospitals of fleecing patients.
Concerned over the high cost of Covid treatment at hospitals, a division bench of the Kerala high court asked the state government to find ways to reduce them as many ordinary citizens were unable to pay the hefty bills.
The court cited the comment by a Covid patient who had remarked: “it is easier to survive the shock of the disease than what is inflicted by hospital bills.” Hardworking citizens were torn between the social and emotional fallout of distance protocol and lockdown and the ‘excruciating load’ of treatment costs, it added.
However, international scheduled flights may be allowed on selected routes by the competent authority on a case-to-case basis, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation added. Scheduled international passenger services have been suspended in India since March 23 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
India has an existing air bubble agreement with the UAE. However, with the Covid-19 crisis worsening in India, the UAE has extended travel restrictions on inbound flights from May 4 to May 14.
UAE nationals and diplomatic missions between the two countries, official delegations, businessmen s planes and Golden Visa holders were excluded from the decision. Those exempted are required to undergo a mandatory 10-day quarantine. They also have to take PCR tests for Covid on fourth and eighth days of entry.
Coronavirus: Worldwide Covid cases pass 150 million
AFP/Paris
Worldwide, the number of new daily infections has more than doubled since mid-February.
Worldwide Covid-19 cases passed 150 million on Friday, according to an AFP count, with numbers soaring recently due to a relentless second wave in India.
150.3 million cases have been declared since the virus was first discovered in China in December 2019, according to an AFP compilation of official data.
Worldwide, the number of new daily infections has more than doubled since mid-February.
After the second wave from October to January, the figure had slowed to a little over 350,000 a day. It is now 821,000 a day.