Responding to the need for fresh guidelines amid the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic, the Ministry of Ayush has released revised guidelines for Ayurveda and Unani practitioners for COVID-19 patients in home isolation and Ayurveda and Unani preventive measures for self-care.

In a media release, the ministry said the main focus of the guidelines is on self-care and home management of COVID-19, as the vast majority of COVID-affected families in the country are forced to negotiate the pandemic out of hospitals.

Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama on Tuesday announced to contribute to the PM-Cares Fund as a token of solidarity with fellow Indian brothers and sisters.

I have been following the continuing challenge that the Covid-19 pandemic has been posing across the world, including in India, with concern, the Dalai Lama said in a statement.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned against jumping to conclusions about a new coronavirus variant discovered in India, saying it had not yet classified it as worrying.

A WHO spokeswoman said that it was not clear at this point to what extent the variant was responsible for the rapid increase in cases in India in recent months, DPA news agency reported.

The authorities have directed for converting 100 rooms of Ashoka Hotel in Lutyens' Delhi into a COVID health facility for high court judges, judicial staff and their families.

In an order issued by the sub-divisional magistrate of Chanakyapuri on Sunday, it was stated that the COVID facility at Ashoka Hotel will be associated with Primus Hospital.

In a show of solidarity, CEOs of some 40 top American companies have come together to create a global task force to mobilise resources to help India fight the battle against COVID-19.

A collective initiative of the US-India Business Council of the US Chambers of Commerce, and the US-India Strategic and Partnership Forum and Business Roundtable, the task force during its meeting here on Monday committed to get 20,000 oxygen concentrators to India in the next few weeks, Deloitte CEO Puneet Renjen told PTI.

India will receive the first batch of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine against COVID-19 on May 1, the head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, Kirill Dmitriev, told Reuters on Monday.

He did not say how many vaccines would be in the first batch or where they would be made.

Standing in solidarity with India, France will supply India with substantial medical aid to help the country tackle a huge second wave of the new coronavirus infections that are overwhelming its hospitals, the Elysee presidential palace said on Monday. The shipments to India will include oxygen generators, respirators and cryogenic containers and will start next weekend.

India is facing a massive COVID-19 crisis as the second wave of the infection continues to claim lives even as people are grappling with problems of getting an oxygen-supported bed in hospitals. Crematoriums are witnessing mass funerals whereas burial grounds are also filled to the T. In times such as this, the international community is standing in solidarity with India by providing medical assistance in the form of oxygen generators, respirators, and cryogenic containers.

In the backdrop of Washington announcing assistance to India amid the COVID crisis, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden spoke to each other on Monday. India has been reporting over three lakh COVID-19 cases in the last few days, with allies rushing to assist it.

India PM Modi tweeted, saying, Had a fruitful conversation with @POTUS @JoeBiden today. We discussed the evolving COVID situation in both countries in detail. I thanked President Biden for the support being provided by the United States to India.

The Delhi High Court on Monday requested the AAP government to set up more testing centres in view of the rise in COVID-19 cases in the national capital which is recording over 24,000 fresh infections for the last few days.

A bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Jasmeet Singh also asked the Delhi government to put in place necessary infrastructure to streamline the sample collectionprocess.

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