With new coronavirus variant emerging, no room for complacency
The Hindu
Low level of testing, heterogeneous nature of immunity in population concerns
The anxiety expressed by the Centre that the lack of sustained COVID-19 testing levels across States would “hide the true level of infection in a geography” seems to be justified now that a new SARS CoV-2 variant, B.1.1.529 or Omicron, has been reported from many nations.
With the waning of the second wave of COVID-19, a sense of complacency and a general feeling that the end of the pandemic is just around the corner, had set in everywhere. COVID-19 testing rates, which had dropped everywhere, might be back in relevance now that the vigil is being heightened to look out for the new variant.
From an average 1.3-1.5 lakh tests daily during the thick of the pandemic, the State’s testing had dwindled to about 50,000.
Chennai has two categories of Black kites: a larger group heading to the city from the western parts of India during the south west monsoon and heading back when the monsoon is past; and another group, smaller and resident, which would make minor movements in and around Chennai looking for an optimal atmosphere for nesting and raising the young. A couple of pylons in Perumbakkam suggest that Black kites have found an ideal nesting space there
This is part of the Karnataka Namakarana Suvarna Mahotsava celebrations organised to mark the naming of the State as ‘Karnataka’ during the tenure of the late D. Devaraj Urs. The statue, sculpted at an approximate cost of ₹21.24 crore, is 41-foot-tall including the pedestal and weighs around 31.5 tonnes.