COVID-19 Daily News Digest – July 19, 2020
Our Community: United Way to spread $1.6 million in grants
Our staff all breathed a sigh of relief when they got the news … this has a huge impact on our bottom line,” said Ron Rice, executive director of the Victoria Native Friendship Centre. “We could not do all that we do without support from funders such as United Way and Victoria Foundation, nor could we continue to provide the services we do to urban Indigenous families, elders, the disabled and the disenfranchised.”
COVID-19: AIIMS panel gives nod for human trial of indigenous vaccine
The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Ethics Committee on Saturday gave its approval for conducting the human clinical trial of the indigenously developed COVID-19 vaccine candidate Covaxin.
Community spread has started and the situation is bad, observes IMA
“This is now an exponential growth. Every day the number of cases is increasing by more than around 30,000. This is really a bad situation for the country. There are so many factors connected with it but overall this is now spreading to rural areas. This is a bad sign. It now shows a community spread.”
First Nations business owner promotes unity following racist vandalism
“We’re trying to keep this business alive and this vandalism came at a time when a lot of small businesses are struggling, and with the Black Lives Matter movement happening it really felt like it wasn’t just an attack just on me but all of our First Nations in the community so I was very upset.”
“We were really fortunate that that came right off the hood and one of our local businesses was able to help us right away,” he said. “There was no waiting, there was no paying a deductible and waiting for ICBC to approve and then having the car out of commission for two months which at this time we wouldn’t be able to afford.”
Bharat Biotech begins phase 1 trials for COVID-19 vaccine Covaxin: August 15 deadline remains, says ICMR
On Friday, Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech announced that the Phase-I clinical trials of India’s first indigenous COVID-19 vaccine Covaxin began across the country on July 15. According to a statement issued by the company, this is a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial on 375 volunteers in India
In French Guiana, virus exposes inequality, colonial legacy
France’s most worrisome virus hot spot is on the northern coast of South America: French Guiana, a territory of about 300,000 people where poverty is rampant and health care is scarce. Its outbreak has exposed deep economic and racial inequality that residents say leaders in Paris have long chosen to ignore.
https://wnyt.com/health/in-french-guiana-virus-exposes-inequality-colonial-legacy/5799490/?cat=656
Council of the Haida Nation reports case of COVID-19 on Haida Gwaii
“At this time, everyone must use extreme care, kindness and caution,” the bulletin said. “Continue to observe the Haida Gwaii state of emergency COVID-19 measures: respect physical distancing, wash your hands before and after touching your face.”
Around the same time as the CHN bulletin, the Old Massett Village Council emergency operations centre (EOC) announced it was considering setting a curfew “to assist with the safety of the community.”