Biden warns US may lose more lives due to COVID despite vaccine, urges vigilance

News Network
December 23, 2020

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Wilmington, Dec 23: US President-elect Joe Biden on Tuesday warned that the United States may lose "tens of thousands" of more lives due to COVID-19, despite the vaccine rollout and urged Americans to remain vigilant as cases continue to spike.

Speaking at a virtual address here, Biden said: "Experts say things are going to get worse before they are going to get better -- notwithstanding the fact that we have a vaccine. As you know, we are averaging a death rate of 3,000 people a day -- that means that we are going to loose tens of thousands of more lives in the months to come and the vaccine would not be able to stop that. We will still have to remain vigilant."

The President-elect who received his first dose of the Pfizer vaccine on Monday expressed full confidence in the vaccine. "I have absolute confidence in the vaccine but, we are in short supply. Taking the vaccine from the vile into the arms of millions of Americans is one of the biggest operational challenges the United States has ever faced," he stated.

Biden urged Americans to "mask up, stay socially distanced and avoid large gatherings" calling for the public to work in a bipartisan manner to get through the tough times.

About his plans for the COVID-19 vaccination drive, he said: "Early next year, I am going to put forward my plans to Congress as to what comes next. We need more help to fully distribute the vaccine. We are going to need more testing... Congress did its job this week and I can and I must ask them to do it again next year."

Stating that the US' "darkest days" of the pandemic are "ahead of us" and "not behind us", he asserted it is going to take patience, persistence and determination to beat this virus.

According to the latest update by Johns Hopkins University, the COVID-19 pandemic has raged in the United States in recent weeks, after a respite in the summer to early fall period. Infections have risen above 18 million since January, hospitalisation has hit daily record highs of above 100,000 and the death toll has reached over 320,000.

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News Network
December 2,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 2: Mangaluru International Airport responded to a medical emergency late on Monday night. Air India Express flight IX 522, travelling from Riyadh to Thiruvananthapuram, was diverted to Mangaluru Airport after a passenger in his late 30s experienced a medical emergency on board.

The Airport’s Operations Control Centre received an alert regarding the passenger’s health condition. The airport activated its emergency response protocol, mobilising the airport medical team and coordinating with stakeholders including CISF, immigration, and customs. 

Upon landing, airport medical personnel attended to the passenger, assessed his condition, and arranged to shift him to a local tertiary-care hospital for further treatment. The passenger’s relatives accompanied the passenger, who incidentally received necessary medical care on board, which helped stabilise the situation.

Following the handling of the emergency, the flight departed for Thiruvananthapuram at 2:05 am on Tuesday.

"We appreciate the cooperation of all parties involved, and this incident reaffirms our ongoing commitment to prioritising passenger safety and readiness to respond to unforeseen emergencies with professionalism and care," the Airport spokesperson said. 

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News Network
November 22,2025

Mangaluru: Police Commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy C H has warned of strict action against individuals spreading rumours and attempting to create insecurity within the Muslim community and fuel hatred between Hindus and Muslims through social media.

Referring to a recent social media post alleging that police personnel had entered a masjid premises to check whether beef was being cooked, the commissioner said miscreants were attempting to push their communal agenda. 

“A group of people, both from Mangaluru and abroad, are trying hard to spread rumours. For the past 10 days, they have been attempting to rake up old issues, highlight routine matters as controversies, or fabricate news altogether,” he said.

He reiterated that any such attempts to disturb communal harmony would invite legal action. “Cases will be registered and the accused will be brought to book,” he stated.

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News Network
November 26,2025

Mangaluru, Nov 26: Assembly Speaker and local MLA U.T. Khader has initiated a high-level push to resolve one of Mangaluru’s longest-standing traffic headaches: the narrow, high-density stretch of National Highway-66 between Nanthoor and Talapady.

He announced on Tuesday that a formal proposal has been submitted to the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) seeking approval to prepare a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the widening of this crucial corridor.

The plan specifically aims to expand the existing 45-meter road width to a full 60 meters, coupled with the construction of dedicated service roads. Khader highlighted that land for a 60-meter highway was originally acquired during the initial four-laning project, but only 45 meters were developed, leading to a perpetual bottleneck.

"With vehicle density rising sharply, the expansion has become unavoidable," Khader stated, stressing that the upgrade is essential for ensuring smoother traffic flow and improving safety at the city's main entry and exit points.

The stretch between Nanthoor and Talapady is a vital link on the busy Kochi-Panvel coastal highway and connects to major city junctions. The move to utilize the previously acquired land for the full 60-meter width is seen as a necessary measure to catch up with the region's rapid vehicular growth and prevent further traffic gridlocks.

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