The Global Task Force on Pandemic Response also announced creation of the Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) India Action Group to provide ideas and practical information to help people
India received the fifth consignment of 545 oxygen concentrators from US on Tuesday. Pic/PTI
A newly created global task force of CEOs of top American 40 companies on Wednesday announced an effort to provide massive Covid-19 emergency relief material, including 1,000 ventilators and 25,000 oxygen concentrators, to India in its fight against the coronavirus.
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India is struggling with a second wave of the pandemic with more than 3,00,000 daily new coronavirus cases being reported in the past few days, and hospitals are reeling under a shortage of medical oxygen and beds.
The Global Task Force on Pandemic Response, whose steering committee members include Julie Sweet, CEO, Accenture; Andy Jassy, CEO, Amazon; Tim Cook, CEO, Apple; Brian Moynihan, Chairman of the Board and CEO, Bank of America; Raj Subramaniam, president FedEx; and Arvind Krishna, Chairman and CEO, IBM; also announced creation of Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) India Action Group to provide ideas and practical information to CHROs to help their people in India.
Among other members of the steering committee are Gail McGovern, president and CEO, American Red Cross; Mike Parra, CEO Americas, DHL Express.
Established as a public-private partnership organised by the US Chamber of Commerce and supported by Business Roundtable, the Global Task Force on Pandemic Response is working in close collaboration with US and Indian government officials to share information and coordinate efforts.
It is working with the Chamber’s US-India Business Council and the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum to take three immediate actions to help address the Covid-19 surge in India. First sourcing, shipping and delivering 1,000 Puritan Bennett ventilators desperately needed by healthcare facilities across India. Second, delivering 25,000 oxygen concentrators to India by the end of May, with transportation support from FedEx. And finally creating the Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) India Action Group to provide ideas and practical information to CHROs to help their people in India.
Biden’s aims for vaccination
US President Joe Biden has set a new vaccination goal to deliver at least one shot to 70 per cent of adult Americans by July 4 as he tackles the vexing problem of winning over the ‘doubters’ and those unmotivated to get inoculated.
WTO mulling intellectual property waivers
Ambassadors from World Trade Organisation countries on Wednesday resumed discussions on trade rules protecting the technological know-how behind Covid-19 vaccines amid growing pressure on rich nations to relax them as a way to help poorer countries fight the pandemic.
The WTO’s General Council was taking up a temporary waiver for intellectual property protections that South Africa and India first proposed in October. The idea has gained support in the developing world and among some progressive lawmakers in the West.
Authors of the proposal, which has faced resistance from many countries with influential pharmaceutical and biotech industries, have been revising it in hopes of making it more palatable.
No consensus — which is required under WTO rules - was expected to emerge from the ambassadors’ two-day meeting on Wednesday and Thursday.
Australian sues Morrison govt
A 73-year-old Australian, who is stranded in India since March last year, has filed a lawsuit before a Sydney court against the federal government for banning flights from India and threatening to prosecute those attempting to enter the country with the possibility of a jail term and a penalty, saying the move is ‘unconstitutional. The lawyers of Gary Newman, who is stranded in Bengaluru since March last year, have argued in the federal court in Sydney that the ban was ‘unconstitutional’.
5,49,003
No. of new cases reported globally in the past 24 hours
15,37,38,171
Total no. of cases worldwide
32,17,281
Total no. of deaths worldwide
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