India reports smallest rise in COVID-19 cases in 543 days despite huge festivals
November 23, 2021, 5:25 am

India reports smallest rise in COVID-19 cases in 543 days despite huge festivals

India-Jaipur-Amber Fort-Fortress/Pixabay

The Arab News reported according to Reuters, India reported 7,579 new coronavirus infections on Tuesday, the smallest rise in one-and-a-half-years despite huge festival gatherings in recent weeks, thanks to rising vaccinations and antibodies from prior infections.

The country of 1.35 billion celebrated Durga Puja in October and Diwali this month, during which millions of people shopped, traveled and met family, mostly without masks. Mask-wearing is nearly non-existent outside the big cities.

Indian women wear traditional clothing/Pixabay

“Even after Diwali, we are not seeing a surge,” said M.D. Gupte, a former director of the state-run National Institute of Epidemiology, attributing it mainly to the presence of antibodies in a huge majority of Indians through natural infection. He added: “I think we are much safer now.”

Government surveys have estimated that nearly 70 percent of Indians had been naturally infected by July, following a record rise in infections and deaths in April and May.

So far, 81 percent of India’s 944 million adults have received at least one dose of vaccine and 43 percent have had two doses. Vaccination for people under 18 has not yet begun.

India has reported a total of 34.5 million COVID-19 cases, second only to the tally in the United States. India’s COVID deaths rose by 236 in the past 24 hours to 466,147.

Daily testing has also fallen, dipping below 1 million on Monday compared with a capacity of more than 2 million.

Source: arabnews

French Prime Minister Jean Castex tested positive for COVID-19 Bahrain arrests gang of armed terrorists linked to groups in Iran

BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”