Brazil suspends Covaxin deal, orders probe

Brazil says suspension will last till the probe is complete. File pic

The Brazilian government on Wednesday announced temporary suspension of its 20 million dose Covid-19 vaccine contract with Bharat Biotech following allegations of irregularities in the deal.

The firm said it has not received any advance payments and that the company has followed a "similar approach" in Brazil towards contracts, regulatory approvals and supplies in several countries worldwide, where Covaxin is being supplied successfully.

According to the Comptroller General of the Union's (CGU) preliminary analysis, there are no irregularities in the contract, but, due to compliance, the Ministry of Health opted to suspend the contract for further analysis," Brazil's Health Minister Marcelo Queiroga tweeted.

Bharat Biotech in a statement stated, "As of 29th June 2021, Bharat Biotech has not received any advance payments nor supplied any vaccines to MOH Brazil... Bharat Biotech has followed a similar approach towards contracts, regulatory approvals and supplies in several countries worldwide, where Covaxin is being supplied successfully."

The Covaxin contract landed in controversy after the Brazil's Attorney General reportedly launched a probe into the deal.

The minister of the CGU, Wagner Rosrio, said, "We opened a preliminary investigation last week, that is, a specific audit in relation to the contract. The suspension time will only last for the period of calculation. We put the reinforced team to be very quick in the process."

‘Make new rules on ex-gratia to kin of victims'

A man mourns as he prepares to perform the last rites of his child who died of Covid-19, at a crematorium in New Delhi on May 12. Pic/AFP

The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the National Disaster Management Authority and the Centre to issue fresh guidelines within six week for providing minimum standards of financial help to families of those who lost their lives to Covid-19. The bench said the court can't direct the Centre to fix a particular amount of financial help but the government can fix the minimum standard of amount to be paid as ex-gratia to kin of Covid-19 victims. It said the Centre can fix a reasonable amount while keeping in the mind the funds and resources available with the country. India has so far lost 3,98,454 people to Covid-19, including 817 fresh fatalities government recorded on Wednesday morning. The deadly respiratory disease has infected 45,951 more people nationwide.

AI pilots' widows seek better aid, job

The wives of Air India (AI) pilots who lost their lives due to Covid-19 in the line of duty have formed a joint forum - Widows Forum for Justice - to seek adequate compensation. It has written to the Air India management expressing anguish that they are eligible for R10 lakh as ad-hoc Covid-19 death compensation, an amount which in normal circumstances would have been less than two months of their average net earnings. They also demanded an offer of suitable alternative employment to the imme-diate kin of the deceased.

Cabinet approves Rs 6-lakh cr Covid-19 relief package

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the Rs 6.29-lakh crore relief package announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to support the Covid-19 hit economy. This includes Rs 1.5 lakh crore of additional credit for MSMEs, more funds for health sector, loans to tourism agencies and guides, and waiver of visa fee for foreign tourists, announced on Monday. Together with previously announced Rs 93,869-crore spending on prov-iding free foodgrains to the poor till November and additional Rs 14,775 crore fertiliser subsidy, the package, totalled up to Rs 6.29 lakh crore.

Over 2,000 kids in Delhi lost parents

Over 2,000 kids in Delhi have lost either one or both their parents due to Covid-19. While 67 children lost both their parents, 651 lost their mothers and 1,311 their fath-ers, according to a survey by the Delhi Commission For Protection of Child Rights.

3,03,62,848
Total no. of Coronavirus cases in India so far

3,98,454
Total no. of deaths due to the virus in India so far

5,37,064
Total no. of active cases in India

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