Current Affairs - Update of 07.04.2020

1. Neeraj Bassi joined Havas Group India

• Havas Group India has announced the appointment of Neeraj Bassi as its Chief Strategy Officer with immediate effect
• In this new role, Bassi will lead strategy and drive the next phase of growth across Havas Creative and Media
• Bassi was formerly with Publicis India, where he headed strategy and was the managing partner.

2. Kobe Bryant to be in Basketball Hall of Fame

• Kobe Bryant was selected to be inducted Spurs forwards and ex-Minnesota Timerwolves forward Kevin Garnett will also be inducted
• Honorees will be officially enshrined on 29 August 2020 in Springfield, Massachusetts.

3. Naveen Patnaik honoured by Pete India

• Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik has been honoured by Pete India for his exemplary nobility in allocating finds of feed animals
• CM Patnaik will be awarded 'Hero to Animal Award' for showing compassion towards animals
• He approved of Rs 54 lakh from a relief find to feed animals of the community
• The initiative undertaken to feed animals is being conducted in five municipal corporation.

4. AIIMS Jhajjar to function as COVID-19 hospital

• All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jhajjar will function as dedicated COVID-19 hospital consisting of 300 bed isolation wards
• Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan on 5 April 2020 visits AIIMS, Jhajjar and took stock of preparedness to overcome COVID-19
• AIIMS, Jhajjar is ensuring 24x7 monitoring of the wellbeing of COVID-19 patients using digital platforms and video call technologies.

5. Tiger at zoo tested positive for COVID-19

• A tiger at New York's Bronx has tested positive for COVID-19 and is believed to have contracted the virus from a caretaker who was asymptomatic at the time
• The four-year-old Malayan tiger named Nadia along with her sister Azul, two Amur tigers and three African lions all developed dry cough and are expected to fully recover.

6. BCG Vaccination linked with coronavirus cases

• The Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine, administered to millions of Indian children soon after birth to protect against tuberculosis, could be a 'game-changer' on the fight against the deadly coronavirus
• The severity of coronavirus impact may be linked to national policies on BCG childhood vaccination
• However, this study is yet to be published from the New York Institute of technology.

7. Wockhardt Hospital declared a containment zone

• The Wockhardt Hospital in Mumbai has been declared a containment zone by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC)
• 30 doctors and nurses are suspected to have been infected with the novel coronavirus here
• The COVID-19 suspected cases have been shifted to the Seven Hills Hospital in Mumbai, where further tests will be carried out.

8. 50 crore poor eligible for free COVID-19 testing

• More than 50 crore will be eligible for free COVID-19 testing and treatment under Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojna (PMJAY)
• Testing at private labs and treatment in designated hospitals is now free for Ayushman beneficiaries
• The scheme aims to provide free health coverage at the secondary and tertiary level to its bottom 40% poor and vulnerable population.

9. Grammy award winner Bill Withers passed away

• Bill Withers, who wrote and sang a string of soulful songs in the 1970s, including Less On Me, Lovely Day, passed away in April 2020
• The three time Grammy Award winner, who withdrew from making music in the mid-1980s, passed away in Los Angeles
• He has produced 9 albums, his debut album being 'Just As I Am' (1971) & last album 'Watching You Watching Me' (1985).

10. Airtel Payment Bank Partnered with Bharti AXA

• In Partnership with Bharti AXA General Insurance, Airtel Payments Bank has launched health insurance plans which offer financial protection against coronavirus as well
• Under the partnership, they have rolled out two different health insurance plans
• Bharti AXA Group Health Assure offers lump sum benefits of Rs. 25,000 and Group Hospital Cash provided daily benefit starting Rs. 500/ day.