-The Hindu Measuring excess deaths is the best possible way to estimate the count of COVID-19 deaths The real time mortality impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is an important statistical measure to guide policy responses. But measuring the actual count is not an easy task. WHO, in January 2021, had estimated, based on excess deaths data in Europe and the American continents, that actual deaths were at least 1.6 times over the...

India is facing a second and worse wave of Covid-19 pandemic. At this time, the country requires journalism to tell the stories of courage, of loss and grief, of the state of preparedness and about the efforts being made by communities, individuals, civil society and government. Journalists are needed to document with rigour the gaps and lacunae in governance when it appears. At the same time, journalists need to be vigilant about...

-The Hindu Chennai: It is the only State which goes entirely by RT-PCR testing, says Health Secretary Nearly nine months after it started testing samples for COVID-19, Tamil Nadu on Sunday hit the milestone of one crore tests using RT-PCR kits. “Tamil Nadu is the only State which goes entirely by RT-PCR testing. With laboratories in all districts, the State’s capacity is over one lakh tests per day,” Health Secretary J. Radhakrishnan said. With...

-The Hindu Incidents took place during Bakrid on August 1 and Ram temple bhoomi pujan on August 5. Chennai: The police have decided to register cases against thousands of Muslims and Hindus on charges of violating prohibitory orders promulgated under Section 144 of the CrPC and participating in religious events during the ongoing COVID-19 lockdown. Muslims held special prayers and offered qurbani (slaughtering of cattle) across the State on July 31/August 1 in...

-The Hindu As infections surge in Odisha, many guest workers are relieved to have stayed on Like several other migrant workers from Odisha, Sumant Naik made innumerable calls throughout May to enquire about a train back home from Perundurai in Erode; he also weighed the costs of returning by bus. Despite several calls, the journey back did not materialise. Now two months later, as the pandemic induced lockdown has eased in Tamil Nadu,...