COVID-19 Live Updates: India toll is 10,802,591 while positive cases globally rise to 60,534,526

Coronavirus LIVE Updates: The centre has announced that free coronavirus vaccines will be provided to 3 crore frontline workers in the first base of the mega vaccination drive in India. Two Covid-19 vaccines, Serum Institute of India’s (SII’s) Covishield and Bharat Biotech’s ‘Covaxin’, have been approved for emergency use in India.

Meanwhile, the number of confirmed cases in the country has jumped to 10,838,194 and as many as 1,55,080 people have lost their lives to this condition, according to data on the Union Health Ministry website. Globally, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases has reached 105,394,301 including 2,302,302 deaths, reports the World Health Organization (WHO).

Published : February 7, 2021 11:55 am | Updated:February 8, 2021 11:31 am

LIVE UPDATES

11:36 IST 8 Feb

2 UP districts report zero coronavirus cases

Uttar Pradesh recorded only one Covid-19 death on Sunday, including which the toll in the state now stands at 8,687. The state reported 113 fresh cases 687 on Sunday, pushing the count to 6,01,385. No new cases were reported in 32 districts in Uttar Pradesh, according to the state health department.

11:50 IST 7 Feb

Covid-19 kills over 100,000 people in the US since January this year

The US, which accounts for the largest number of Covid-19 fatalities in the world, has witnessed more than 100,000 deaths due to the novel coronavirus since January 1, 2021. The country’s death toll as of Sunday morning stood at 461,910, according to the Johns Hopkins University. The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington, has predicted an estimated 631,000 Covid-19 deaths in the US by June 1, as reported by IANS.

09:35 IST 6 Feb

Novavax Covid vaccine's bridging trials in India recommended

The Subject Expert Committee of India’s central drug regulatory authority has given a go-ahead to the Serum Institute of India to conduct Phase 2 and 3 clinical trials for Novavax’s Covid vaccine candidate in the country. According to the minutes of meetings accessed by IANS, the Pune-based vaccine manufacturing giant will be conducting bridging trials of American vaccine manufacturer’s Covid vaccine in India. The SII had applied for the trails earlier but the SEC was not satisfied with the trial protocols and recommended the firm to re-submit the revised protocols.

09:49 IST 5 Feb

Population exposed to Covid could be thrice the tally: ICMR

The latest sero survey conducted by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has revealed that nearly three times more Indians may have been exposed to coronavirus as compared to the country’s current Covid-19 tally. As per the survey findings released on Thursday, over 21 per cent of the population, aged 10 years and above, showed evidence of past exposure to Covid-19. It noted that a large proportion of people are still vulnerable to the infection. The seroprevalence percentage translates to roughly 27.9 million people who were likely exposed to novel coronavirus in India, as per the ICMR serosurvey.

21:10 IST 4 Feb

Covid cases in Kerala: Over 6,000 people tested positive on Thursday

A total of 84,007 samples were tested in Kerala on Thursday, out of which 6,102 people tested Covid positive. The state’s commercial and industrial hub, Ernakulam reported the maximum number of cases (833), while Kasargod, had the least number of cases, at 96. The state’s test positivity rate has dropped to 7.26 per cent, as reported by IANS.

08:15 IST 4 Feb

Police personnel, sanitation workers in Delhi to get COVID-19 vaccine jabs from Thursday

Frontline workers, including police personnel and sanitation workers, in the national capital will receive COVID-19 vaccine jabs starting Thursday, officials said on Wednesday. There are around six lakh frontline workers in Delhi, of which nearly 3.5 lakh have registered for inoculation, an official said. Registration of the remaining frontline workers is underway, he said. On Tuesday, the officials had said that coronavirus vaccine jabs would to be given six days a week in Delhi from now on instead of four days. The number of vaccine centres was also increased from 106 to 183. Under the nationwide coronavirus vaccination programme, health workers are being administered the shots first. The priority group which will receive the vaccine include health workers, frontline workers, people above 50 years of age and those with co-morbidities.

08:20 IST 3 Feb

At 99.61%, Arunachal tops among 28 states in Covid recovery

With a recovery rate of 99.61 per cent, Arunachal Pradesh has topped among 28 states across the country in terms of Covid-19 recoveries. According to the data released by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Tuesday, besides Arunachal Pradesh, four other states — Odisha (99.13 per cent), Bihar (99.09 per cent), Mizoram (99.09 per cent) and Andhra Pradesh (99.05 per cent) — have a recovery rate of above 99 per cent against the national average of 97.05 per cent. According to the health officials, six other northeastern states – Nagaland (98.83 per cent), Tripura (98.78 per cent), Assam (98.66 per cent), Meghalaya (98.49 per cent), Manipur (98.25 per cent) and Sikkim (96.44 per cent) – also exceeded national recovery rate.

18:08 IST 2 Feb

More than half of Delhi’s population have antibodies against Covid-19

Delhi Health Minister Satyender Jain on Tuesday announced the results of the fifth sero survey done in Delhi. More than half of the population in the city (56.13 per cent) have developed antibodies against Covid-19, he said.

According to Jain, it was the largest survey in any state, involving around 28,000 samples. “Though Delhi has largely won over Covid-19, but I would appeal to people of the city to follow health advisories,” IANS quoted Jain as saying.

15:37 IST 2 Feb

105 cases of South African Covid variant identified in Britain, urgent testing launched

As many as 105 cases of the coronavirus variant initially detected in South Africa, called B.1.351, have been identified in Britain. To prevent community transmission of the strain, the UK government has launched urgent testing for the variant across eight areas in England, media reported. Those over 16 years old would be tested regardless of whether they have symptoms or not.

09:05 IST 2 Feb

As cases shrink, AIIMS restricts PPEs' use to Covid ICUs

In view of the reduction in Covid-19 transmission, the administration of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) on Monday decided to limit the use of coverall-based PPE kits to Covid-19 intensive care units (ICU) in the hospital, and that too during surgical procedures. The order stated that PPE coveralls would be worn by the hospital staff only during invasive procedures which generate large aerosols. “The PPEs are not required in all other patient care procedures inter-alia Covid-19 wards, ICUs, Covid-19 suspected areas, non-Covid wards and ICUs,” the order copy read. The hospital also mandated that such areas do not require PPEs and their usage “ought to be restricted here”. However, the AIIMS has recommended the use of N-95 masks, face shields and surgical gowns in such areas. “Their (N-95 masks, face shields and surgical gowns) use may be continued along with standard precautions, whenever required,” it said.

21:02 IST 1 Feb

Serum Institute delivers first batch of AstraZeneca vaccine to South Africa

South Africa on Monday received 1 million shots of the AstraZeneca vaccine, produced by the Serum Institute of India (SII). The country’s President Cyril Ramaphosa and other top officials received the coronavirus vaccine doses at the OR Tambo international airport. The Pune-based drug company will be sending another 500,000 doses later this month.

12:55 IST 1 Feb

Union Budget 2021: FM announces Aatmanirbhar Health Yojana with an outlay of Rs 64,180 crore

Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a new centrally sponsored scheme, called ‘PM Atmanirbhar Swasth Bharat Yojana’ with a total outlay of Rs 64,180 crore over a period of next 6 years in Budget 2021 on Monday.

According to Sitharaman, the scheme will be in addition to the National Health Mission and focus on developing capacities of healthcare systems, as well as institutions for detection and cure of new and emerging diseases.

In addition, she said that the government will provide Rs 35,000 crore for Covid-19 vaccines in 2021-22, launch ‘Mission Poshan 2.0’ and set up 15 Health Emergency Centres.

21:02 IST 31 Jan

Another Anganwadi worker dies 10 days after Covid vaccination in Telangana

A 55-year old Anganwadi worker from Mancherial district in Telangana who was administered the Covid-19 vaccine on January 19, died at NIMS hospital in Hyderabad on Saturday night. While the deceased’s family members alleged that she died due to the vaccination, the state government said that the death occurred due underlying health problems the Anganwadi worker already was suffering from.

This is the third such incident in Telangana. Previously, a 42-year-old ambulance driver from Nirmal district died within 18 hours of Covid-19 vaccination and a 48-year-old Anganwadi worker died within five days of vaccination.

16:51 IST 31 Jan

India's covid vaccination drive faster than anywhere in the world: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that India is not only undertaking the world’s biggest Covid vaccine programme, but the country is also vaccinating its citizens “faster than anywhere in the world”. India has left the US andthe UK far behind in the exercise, Modi said while addressing the country in his first ‘Mann Ki Baat’ radio programme of this year. On Sunday, India’s Covid inoculation drive completed 15 days.

14:18 IST 31 Jan

US lawmaker tests Covid-19 positive after receiving a second dose of Pfizer's vaccine

Stephen Lynch, a Democratic lawmaker from Massachusetts, has tested positive for Covid-19 after he received a second dose of Pfizer and BioNTech’s Covid-19 vaccine earlier this month. He had tested negative before attending the inauguration ceremony for President Joe Biden on January 20, IANS reported.

09:44 IST 30 Jan

UN chief receives COVID-19 vaccine in New York

United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres received his first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine here, according to a report published on the UN official website. The UN chief said on Twitter that he was fortunate and grateful to get the shot, and urged the international community to ensure that vaccines become available to everyone on an equitable basis, Xinhua news agency reported on Friday. “With this pandemic, none of us are safe until all of us are safe,” he wrote. The 71-year-old UN secretary-general was eligible to receive the vaccine on the basis of his age: New York residents over the age of 65 are included in the current phase of vaccinations in the city, which also includes school workers, first responders, public transit workers and grocery workers, said the report.

08:18 IST 29 Jan

WHO experts complete quarantine: Spokesperson

An international expert team of the World Health Organization (WHO) will complete their 14-day quarantine, according to a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson. Spokesperson Zhao Lijian told a daily news briefing on Thursday that the quarantine was in line with standard international practice. He said the expert team would conduct interviews and discussions while complying with China’s epidemic prevention regulations, Xinhua news agency reported.

08:35 IST 28 Jan

Surgeries, OPDs to resume at all Delhi government hospitals

In the wake of a decrease in the number of coronavirus cases in the national capital, the Delhi government on Wednesday directed that all kinds of surgeries, invasive procedures, in-patient and outpatient departments and other medical services be restarted in all the hospitals. “In suspension of all previous orders in this regard and in view of the decrease in number of Covid-19 cases in Delhi, it is hereby directed that all kinds of surgeries, invasive procedures, IPD, OPD, and other medical services shall be started in all hospitals under the GNCT of Delhi, including society hospitals,” an order by Special Secretary S.M. Ali stated.

09:32 IST 27 Jan

Chinese mainland reports 55 new locally transmitted Covid-19 cases

The Chinese mainland on Tuesday reported 75 newly confirmed Covid-19 cases, including 55 locally transmitted and 20 arriving from outside the mainland, the National Health Commission said on Wednesday. Of the locally transmitted cases, 29 were reported in Heilongjiang, 14 in Jilin, seven in Hebei, four in Beijing and one in Shanghai, the commission said in its daily report. One suspected case was newly reported in Shaanxi. No deaths related to the disease were reported on Tuesday, the Xinhua news agency reported.

19:01 IST 20 Jan

Healthcare worker dies hours after getting Covid vaccine in Telangana

A healthcare worker, who was given Covid-19 vaccine at Kuntala Primary Health Centre in Telangana on Tuesday, died on Wednesday. He was given the jab on Tuesday at around 11.30 a.m. A few hours later, at about 2.30 a.m., he developed chest pain and was brought to District Hospital, Nirmal around 5.30 a.m, where he was declared dead. Citing preliminary findings, Director of Public Health and Family Welfare, Dr G. Srinivas Rao, suggest that the death seems to be unrelated to vaccination. The post-mortem will be conducted, the director said, as reported by IANS.

12:10 IST 20 Jan

India records 162 deaths in the last 24 hours

With 162 deaths reported in the past 24 hours, India on Wednesday posted overall death toll of 1,52,718. The daily toll has remained below the 300-mark for the past 26 days. The country has been recording less than 20,000 daily new cases from the past 13 days. With 13,823 new coronavirus infections reported in the last 24 hours, the overall tally has gone up to 1,05,95,660, according to the Union Health Ministry. A day before, India had recorded 10,064 cases, which the lowest since June 6.

14:34 IST 19 Jan

Don't take Covaxin if you have allergies, fever, bleeding disorder: Bharat Biotech

Bharat Biotech, the maker of Covaxin, has advised people not to take the vaccine if they have allergies, fever, bleeding disorder, are on blood thinners, immune-compromised, or are on medicines that affect immune system. Even pregnant and nursing women should not take the vaccine, the Hyderabad-based firm said in a fact sheet for recipients and caregivers.

09:58 IST 19 Jan

After 2-day halt, vaccination drive to resume in Maha from Tuesday

After a two-day break, the Covid-19 vaccination drive will resume for four days all over Maharashtra starting Tuesday, officials said here on Monday. Halted owing to glitches in the CoWIN app for January 17-18, the campaign will be taken up simultaneously at 285 centres in the state, besides nine in Mumbai, as per the schedule already announced. This has been possible with a fully digital registration process for the vaccination programme amid optimism that there will not be any more technical issues, said a BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) health department official.

16:12 IST 18 Jan

Side-effects of vaccine will not result in death: AIIMS Director

AIIMS Director Randeep Guleria on Monday allayed apprehensions about the coronavirus vaccines and assured that the side-effects will not result in death of the beneficiary. “Even if a person takes Crocin or Paracetamol, they may develop allergic reactions. There is nothing to worry about. There is no side-effect which would result in death,” Dr Guleria told IANS. He added, “Main side-effects are body ache, fever, pain at injection site which subside in 1-2 days and take place in less than 10 per cent of people. If the side-effects are severe, there could be skin rashes, nausea, difficulty in breathing.”

12:33 IST 18 Jan

India registers 13,788 new covid infections in the last 24 hours

India on Monday continued with its low streak of single-day cases. The country recorded 13,788 new coronavirus infections in the last 24 hours, taking the overall tally to 1,05,71,773, according to the Union Health Ministry. From the past eleven days, India has been recording less than 20,000 daily new cases. Daily death toll has also went down below the 300-mark. With 145 deaths reported in the past 24 hours, the death toll now stands at 1,52,419, said the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare .

23:01 IST 17 Jan

Covid-19 vacciantion in India: 447 adverse events reported, 3 serious

A total of 447 Adverse Events Following Immunisation (AEFI) have been reported from across India in the last two days of the massive inoculation drive against Covid-19. Of them, three cases were serious in nature and required hospitalisation, the Union Health Ministry said on Sunday.

17:51 IST 17 Jan

Third peak of corona in Delhi almost down now: Satyendar Jain

Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain said on Sunday that the third peak of coronavirus had almost come down as positivity rate had dipped to 0.42 per cent a day earlier. “Now, we can say that the third peak of Covid-19 infections has come down, though I will still urge the people of Delhi to follow the prescribed health guidelines,” IANS quoted Jain as saying.

11:43 IST 17 Jan

India’s Covid cases: 15,145 new infections reported in last 24 hours

India on Sunday continued with its low streak of single-day cases, with 15,145 new coronavirus infections reported in the last 24 hours. With this the overall tally has reached 1,05,57,986, according to the Union Health Ministry. The country has been recording less than 20,000 daily new cases from the past eight days. On Tuesday, India had recorded 12,584 new cases, the lowest single-day figure in over seven months.

09:25 IST 16 Jan

WHO experts start quarantine in Wuhan

An international expert team of the World Health Organization (WHO) arrived in China and started quarantine at a hotel in Wuhan on Thursday, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said. The 13-member team will conduct joint scientific research with Chinese scientists on the origin-tracing of the novel coronavirus, Zhao told a press briefing on Friday, Xinhua news agency reported. China’s regulations involving the nucleic acid tests monitoring are formulated based on the current global pandemic situation and in line with the arrangements made by other countries, Zhao said, adding that the purpose is to guarantee the orderly exchange of Chinese and foreign personnel on the premise of ensuring epidemic prevention and control.

09:52 IST 15 Jan

Delhi: Vaccination points to scale up to 225 within a week

The Delhi government is expecting to scale up the vaccination centres to 225 within a week of the COVID-19 immunisation programme launch, officials informed. Dr Suneela Garg, member of the task force for Covid vaccination confirmed to IANS that the government is looking to extend the sites by the week of immunisation drive launch. “We may have close to 225 centres. Eventually, we have demarcated 1,000 centres and will be spawning over them gradually,” she said. The massive inoculation drive slated to begin January 16 onwards will be launched in Delhi with 81 hospitals, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal informed earlier in the day.

21:09 IST 14 Jan

China blocks 2 WHO team members after they failed coronavirus antibody test

A World Health Organisation (WHO) team landed in Wuhan on Thursday to study the cause of the Covid-19 outbreak. But China blocked two members of the 13-member international team from travelling to the epicentre of the pandemic after they failed the coronavirus antibody test in Singapore, reported IANS. In a tweet, WHO also confirmed that two members of that team remain in Singapore after they were “tested positive for IgM antibodies”.

10:10 IST 14 Jan

J&K sees day with no COVID death after seven months

For the first time in 7 months amid the ongoing pandemic, J&K did not record any COVID-19 related death on Wednesday while the recoveries continued to outnumber new cases. An official bulletin said no Covid-related death was reported from anywhere in J&K, and 174 patients were discharged from different hospitals after recovery, while 121 people tested positive — 55 from the Jammu division and 66 from the Kashmir division.

20:12 IST 13 Jan

Health Minister Banna Gupta to take first Covid shot IN Jharkhand

Jharkhand Health Minister Banna Gupta would take the first Covid-19 vaccine dose in the state on January 16. “As the head of the health department, it is my duty to wipe out any fear regarding vaccine among the health workers, so I will take the first dose,” the Health Minister said while speaking to mediapersons on Wednesday. The minister had also contracted the Covid-19 virus earlier. (IANS)

15:39 IST 13 Jan

Bharat Biotech sends Covaxin vaccine to 11 cities

A day after the Serum Institute of India’s Covishield vaccine was transported across the country, pharma major Bharat Biotech has started shipping out its Covaxin vaccines to 11 cities. “After having received the government purchase order for 55 lakh doses, Bharat Biotech shipped the first batch of vaccines (each vial containing 20 doses) to Ganavaram, Guwahati, Patna, Delhi, Kurukshetra, Bangalore, Pune, Bhubaneswar, Jaipur, Chennai and Lucknow. While some shipments have arrived in the respective cities, others will be delivered later this evening,” the pharma major said in a statement, as quoted by IANS.

09:35 IST 13 Jan

Researchers find Italian woman infected with Covid-19 in November 2019

Researchers from the University of Milan have recently found that a woman in the northern Italian city was infected with Covid-19 in November 2019, according to media reports. Through two different techniques on skin tissue, the researchers identified in a biopsy of a 25-year-old woman the presence of RNA gene sequences of the SARS-CoV-2 virus dating back to November 2019, according to Italian regional daily newspaper L’Unione Sarda.

19:42 IST 12 Jan

Gujarat receives first batch of Covishield

The first batch of 2,76,000 doses of Covishield, the Covid-19 vaccine produced by the Serum Institute of India (SII) in Pune, reached the Sardar Patel international airport in Ahmedabad on Tuesday. The vaccine will be kept safely at various storage depots in Gandhinagar, Bhavnagar and Ahmedabad till the first phase of vaccination begins on January 16 at 287 booths across the state.

13:50 IST 12 Jan

First batch of Covid vaccine to reach Kerala on Wednesday

Kerala will receive the first batch of the Covid-19 vaccine, which is around 4,35,500 vials, on Wednesday. The vaccine will be stored in three regional centres – Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Kozhikode. Later the vaccine will be dispatched to nearby districts thus ensuring smooth distribution, IANS reported.

10:52 IST 12 Jan

Biden aims to release nearly every available COVID vaccine dose

US President-elect Joe Biden has recently announced a controversial shift in COVID-19 vaccination strategy, aiming to release all available doses as soon as possible. According to a CNN report, it could also be a risky strategy as both Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna’s vaccines require two doses, administered at specific intervals and vaccine manufacturing has not ramped up as rapidly as many experts had hoped.

15:34 IST 11 Jan

Total 96 persons detected with the UK coronavirus strain: Health Ministry

The Union Health Ministry on Monday confirmed that a total of 96 persons have been detected with the new ‘more transmissible’ UK coronavirus mutant strain. All of them are kept in single room isolation in designated Health Care facilities by respective state governments and their close contacts have also been put under quarantine, the ministry said in a statement.

12:17 IST 11 Jan

4 more UK returnees test Covid positive in Bengaluru

Total 289 passengers who returned from the UK took the RT-PCR test at Bengaluru airport on Sunday, out of which 4 turned positive. According to Karnataka Health Minister K. Sudhakar, swab samples of the infected passengers have been sent to the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro-Sciences (Nimhans) to ascertain the strain of the virus. meanwhile, they have been quarantined, he said.

18:23 IST 10 Jan

Covid vaccination drive: 89 Delhi hospitals chosen for first phase

The Delhi government has finalised 89 hospitals for the first phase of Covid-19 vaccination,which is slated to begin across India from January 16. Of the 89 Delhi hospitals, 40 are government-run and 49 are private, Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain told a press conference on Sunday.

12:42 IST 10 Jan

UK's Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip receive Covid-19 vaccines

The UK’s Queen Elizabeth II and her husband Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, have been vaccinated against the novel coronavirus, the Buckingham Palace confirmed in a statement. The vaccinations were administered on Saturday by a household doctor at the Windsor Castle where the royal couple have been staying since early last year, Xinhua news agency reported.

11:11 IST 9 Jan

WH Covid-19 Task Force warns of possible 'USA variant'

The White House Coronavirus Task Force has warned of a possibility that there would be a more transmissible Covid-19 variant that evolved in the US. The new strain, in addition to the variant found in Britain, is already spreading in communities and may be 50 per cent more transmissible, according to a report obtained by US media that the task force issued to states on January 3. The task force said the recent spike in cases has been at nearly twice the rate seen in the spring and summer seasons, Xinhua news agency quoted the report as saying.

10:38 IST 8 Jan

US suffers record-high daily cases, deaths, hospitalizations

The US witnessed another grim milestone on Wednesday amid the chaos at the Capitol, with the country’s daily Covid-19 cases, deaths as well as total hospitalisations all set new world records over the course of the pandemic. A total of 2,99,904 new cases and 3,844 deaths were reported across the nation on Wednesday, according to data updated on Thursday by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

16:18 IST 7 Jan

Govt school in Bihar shut after headmaster tests positive for Covid-19

A government high school in Bihar’s Gaya district has reportedly suspended all its classes for an indefinite period as a precautionary measure after the headmaster of the institution tested positive for coronavirus. The state government on December 4 reopened all the government and private schools after a nine-month-long hiatus, in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. Sources told IANS said that over 1,000 students study in the school, situated in Saraiya village.

09:36 IST 7 Jan

Centre rushes high-level team to review Covid situation in Kerala

The Centre on Wednesday said that a high-level team has been deployed to Kerala to review the public health interventions in management of Covid-19 by the state government and support the health authorities in these measures. The team will be headed by National Centre for Disease Control Director, Dr S.K. Singh. Kerala has been reporting very high daily new coronavirus cases since the past few days. A total of 35,038 new cases were logged during the last seven days.

19:03 IST 6 Jan

73 persons detected with new UK coronavirus mutant strain

he Central government on Wednesday said that a total of 73 persons have been detected with the new “more transmissible” UK coronavirus mutant strain, and they are being kept in physical isolation in health facilities. The new UK variant has already been reported by Denmark, the Netherlands, Australia, Italy, Sweden, France, Spain, Switzerland, Germany, Canada, Japan, Lebanon and Singapore. (IANS)

14:14 IST 6 Jan

Kerala minister A.K. Balan tests Covid positive

Kerala Minister for Culture, Law and SC/ST departments and CPM leader A.K. Balan has been admitted to Palakkad district hospital after he tested positive for Covid-19. A health bulletin from the Palakkad district hospital said the minister’s condition is stable and he is undergoing medication. Balan is the sixth Kerala minister to test Covid positive, as reported by IANS.

09:02 IST 6 Jan

Vaccine dry run in Delhi today

A dry run for COVID-19 vaccine will be conducted at 8 sites in the national capital on Wednesday, officials said. The dry run will be held at two hospitals under the North Delhi Municipal Corporation while six sites under the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) including Maternity Mother and Child Welfare (MCW) Centre, Maternity Home (MH) and polyclinics would take part in it. MCW Hari Nagar, Poly Clinic Madipur, MCW Bijwasan, MH Sriniwas Puri, MCW Fatehpur Beri, MCW Defence Colony (all SDMC), Bara Hindu Rao Hospital and Kasturba Hospital (both North MCD) are among the centres which would participate in the drive.

16:19 IST 5 Jan

6 UK returnees test positive for new corona strain in Kerala

An alert has been sounded after six UK returnees to the state after December 14 tested positive for the new coronavirus strain, including two each in Kozhikode and Alappuzha and one each in Kottayam and Kannur, officials said on Tuesday. Health Minister KK Shailaja called upon the people to opt for self-imposed lockdown, IANS reported.

10:13 IST 5 Jan

Dry run for Covid vaccination in Taj city on Tuesday

The administration was all set to conduct a dry run of Covid-19 vaccination in Agra on Tuesday. And in a big relief, the district reported only nine new cases in the past 24 hours. The updated tally now is 10,295 cases, including 170 deaths and 145 active cases. A total of 4,40,707 samples have been tested so far. The recovery rate remains healthy at 96.72 per cent. The arrangements were in place for the dry run to test the vaccine. Six centres have been set up, three in rural and three in urban areas. The whole exercise would be carefully monitored, officials said.

20:39 IST 4 Jan

Bharat Biotech says it vaccine works against UK strain, releasing data within a week.

Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech said on Monday that its vaccine is efficient against the mutant strain of novel coronavirus found in the UK while announcing that its data would be made public within a week. “We have taken 3-4 strains and studied it. It will come in publication on Medrevix on January 10. In a week’s time, our confirmative data would come,” IANS quoted CMD Dr Krishna Ella, as saying during a virtual press conference.

19:01 IST 4 Jan

Mumbai to convert Covid jumbo hospitals into mega-vaccination centres

Brihan Mumbai Municipal Corporation has decided to transform the jumbo Covid Care Centres set up in the city after the Covid-19 pandemic outbreak into mega-vaccination centres. The sprawling facilities, designed on the lines of the Wuhan field hospitals, are currently lying virtually vacant owing to the steep decline in cases in Mumbai in the past couple of months.

17:02 IST 4 Jan

9 more patients with UK Covid strain detected, taking the total toll to 38

The Union Health Ministry said on Monday confirmed detection of nine more Covid patients with the new strain of novel coronavirus from the UK. With this, the total number of such cases has reached to 38 in the country.

All the latest cases have been reported from the Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB). The National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) have also reported 8 cases till date. Together, NCDC and IGIB have detected 18 of the total 38 cases, as reported by IANS.

14:51 IST 3 Jan

Covid vaccine approval "a decisive turning point", says PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday lauded scientists of the country after the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) gave approval to Serum Institute of India’s ‘Covishield’ vaccine and Bharat Biotech’s ‘Covaxin’ for emergency use. “A decisive turning point to strengthen a spirited fight! DCGI granting approval to vaccines of @SerumInstIndia and @BharatBiotech accelerates the road to a healthier and COVID-free nation. Congratulations India. Congratulations to our hardworking scientists and innovators,” the Prime Minister said in a series of tweets, as reported by IANS.

10:50 IST 3 Jan

Withdraw approval for Bharat Biotech's Covaxin: AIDAN asks DCGI

The All India Drug Action Network (AIDAN) has urged the DCGI to reconsider the recommendations of the SEC in granting the REU approval to Bharat Biotech’s COVAXIN. “It is not clear if there is any scientific basis to claim that COVAXIN will be effective in the “context of infection by mutant strains” when its efficacy has not been established and is currently unknown against any strain of the virus”, AIDAN said. (IANS)

11:02 IST 2 Jan

Maha Covid vax dry run starts in 4 districts

Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope on Saturday kicked off the dry run exercise for the much-anticipated coronavirus vaccination programme likely to be launched in the country soon. The full-fledged dry runs shall be carried out at multiple locations in Jalna, Nandurbar, Nagpur and Pune after the health workers underwent intensive training for the purpose last month.

10:06 IST 1 Jan

Delhi private hospitals asked to set up isolation units for positive UK passengers

The Delhi government has directed four prominent private hospitals to establish isolation units for international passengers who have travelled from or transited through UK in the past four weeks and tested Covid positive, on payment basis with immediate effect. These private hospitals are Max Smart Super Speciality Hospital in Saket, Batra Hospital and Research Centre in Tughlakabad Institutional Area, Fortis Super Speciality Hospital in Vasant Kunj and Sir Ganga Ram City Hospital. As many as 38 positive patients, who have travelled to Delhi from international locations, are admitted in the Delhi government-run Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan hospital. Out of those, four have been infected with the new coronavirus strain.

10:15 IST 31 Dec

Experts warn of catastrophic post-holiday Covid surge in US

As lots of Americans are heading home or travelling for holidays, public health experts are warning of another possible catastrophic Covid-19 surge that could hit the US hard. Holidays have proven to be a catalyst of Covid-19 infections across the country. The US has witnessed significant upticks in infections during or after holidays earlier this year, with the largest surge in infections, deaths and hospitalizations appearing after Thanksgiving.

21:13 IST 30 Dec

No vaccine approval yet, expert committee to meet again on January 1

The Central Drug Standard Control Organisation’s (CDSCO) Subject Expert Committee met on Wednesday to consider the Emergency Use Authorisation (EUA) request of Pfizer, SII and Bharat Biotech Private Ltd. But no vaccine has been approved yet. “The analysis of the additional data and information is going on. SEC will convene again on 1st January 2021 (Friday),” the Centre said in a statement, as reported by IANS.

15:20 IST 30 Dec

Curb crowding on New Year: Centre tells states

Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan has written to all the states and union territories asking them to curb crowding in the wake New Year celebration and keep a strict vigil on all events that could be a potential superspreader, the ministry said on Wednesday. A total of 107 samples have undergone genome sequencing till now, and as many as 20 people who have returned from the UK to India have tested positive for the new ‘more infectious’ coronavirus strain. (IANS)

09:23 IST 30 Dec

Dry run of COVID-19 vaccination concludes in Andhra's Krishna district

The administration in Andhra Pradesh’s Krishna district successfully completed the two-day dry run of Covid-19 vaccination on Tuesday. A day after conducting various activities as part of the process, the state health authorities submitted a report on the dry run to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, listing the issues involved for necessary action The feedback on the dry run was provided by the District Task Force and the State Task Force via video conferencing conducted by the Joint Secretary (Public Health) with officials of Andhra Pradesh and three other states where the process was conducted on Monday.

17:02 IST 29 Dec

Dry run for the Covid-19 vaccination conducted successfully in 4 states

The two-day dry run for the Covid-19 vaccination was successfully conducted in Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab and Gujarat, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said on Tuesday. The inoculation campaign is likely to commence in January 2021. Serum Institute-Oxford’s Covishield, Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin and Pfizer vaccine are in the fray for emergency use authorisation.

15:24 IST 29 Dec

New Covid-19 mutant strain has not entered Maharashtra: Surveillance Officer

So far, from among all UK returnees in the past few days, 30 have tested positive for Covid-19, but there’s nobody detected so far with the new strain, Maharashtra Surveillance Officer, Epidemiology Department (ED) Dr. Pradip Awate told IANS. “There’s absolutely no cause for worry although the new strain of virus is said to spread rapidly. All must follow the relevant SOPs of the government,” said Dr. Awate in a cautionary note.

09:46 IST 29 Dec

Indonesia to close borders temporarily over new Covid variant

The Indonesian government announced the temporary closure of entrances for foreign nationals from all countries on January 1-14, 2021, due to the emergence of a new virus variant that causes Covid-19. The regulation exempts foreign state officials at the level of ministers and above, who are required to apply tight protocols to prevent further Covid-19 transmissions, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi told a virtual press conference on Monday following a limited cabinet meeting, Xinhua news agency reported.

10:56 IST 28 Dec

Delhi's COVID-19 positivity rate plummets to 1%

The national capital reported 757 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday as the positivity rate of the infections has reduced to 1 per cent in the last 24 hours while the deaths due to Covid also saw a significant drop as the city reported 16 fatalities in the same duration, the health bulletin by Delhi government stated. Meanwhile, 939 patients recovered from the disease and 75,210 tests were conducted in the last 24 hours, the bulletin showed. (IANS)

20:34 IST 27 Dec

6 UK returnees and four of their contacts test positive for Covid-19 in Andhra Pradesh

Six returnees from the UK to Andhra Pradesh and four of their contacts have so far tested positive for the new strain of the coronavirus, health officials said on Sunday. In all 1,216 people from the UK returned to Andhra Pradesh and of them 1,187 were traced. Efforts were on to trace the remaining 29. Officials also traced 3,282 contacts of UK returnees and sent their samples for testing. (IANS)

09:39 IST 27 Dec

Ahmedabad city launches online facility for Covid-19 vaccine registration

The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation has launched an online facility for people from priority groups to register for the Covid-19 vaccine. Those who have not yet registered themselves with health workers carrying out house-to-house survey or at Urban Health Centers (UHCs) can get themselves registered on the website www.ahmedabadcity.gov.in

09:40 IST 26 Dec

Global Covid-19 cases top 79.8mn: Johns Hopkins

The overall number of global coronavirus cases has topped 79.8 million, while the deaths have surged to more than 1.74 million, according to the Johns Hopkins University. In its latest update on Saturday morning, the University’s Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed that the current global caseload and death toll stood at 79,802,494 and 1,749,995, respectively.

13:33 IST 25 Dec

Positivity rate found in UK passengers at IGI lower than daily figure

Amid the detection of the latest mutation of coronavirus in the UK, 11 passengers who arrived in Delhi from London have tested positive for the Covid-19 at Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) in the last two days, creating panic in the national capital. However, the head of the laboratory that tests international passengers at IGIA, told IANS that on the basis of cases detected at the airport, the situation seems far from alarming since the rate of positivity found in the UK passengers is way lesser than what the laboratory detects daily at the airport.

18:15 IST 24 Dec

Argentina registers Russia's coronavirus vaccine Sputnik V

Argentina is the first country in Latin America to officially register Sputnik V. The vaccine was registered under the emergency use authorisation procedure and was approved by the regulator, National Administration of Drugs, Foods and Medical Devices of Argentina (ANMAT), based on the results of Phase 3 clinical trials in Russia, without additional trials in Argentina. The Russian Direct Investment Fund, the country’s sovereign wealth fund, announced the news on Thursday, as reported by IANS.

09:50 IST 24 Dec

Bharat Biotech's Covaxin administered to 1,000 volunteers this month in Kanpur

The first dose of indigenously developed coronavirus vaccine, Covaxin, was successfully administered to 1,000 volunteers at Prakhar Hospital in Kanpur as part of phase III trial this month, Dr JS Kushwaha, principal investigator at Prakhar hospital, told IANS. The second dose of Bharat Biotech’s vaccine would also be administered to these 1,000 volunteers from January 3, he said.

22:14 IST 23 Dec

Bengaluru civic body chief admitted to hospital after testing Covid positive

Bengaluru civic corporation chief N. Manjunath Prasad tested Covid positive on Tuesday and has been admitted to Mallige hospital after he complained of fever and related symptoms, an official told IANS on Wednesday. Prasad had met Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa, and BBMP administrator Gaurav Gupta at an event on Sunday and a couple of civic officials at a budget meeting on Monday.

15:50 IST 23 Dec

Covid-19 positivity rate in Delhi falls below 1%: Health Minister

According to Delhi’s Health Minister Satyender Jain, the Covid-19 positivity rate in the capital has dropped to below 1 per cent. Jain also said on Wednesday that more than 80,000 samples are tested every day for the deadly virus. 82,386 samples were tested on Tuesday, as per the health bulletin.

09:29 IST 23 Dec

Four passengers from London test Covid positive at Ahmedabad airport

Four passengers from London on an Air India flight tested positive for coronavirus at the Ahmedabad airport on Tuesday. The four, all Indian citizens, have been admitted to the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Hospital, while the rest of the passengers and the crew will have to remain in home isolation for 15 days, District Development Officer, Ahmedabad, Arun Mahesh Babu told IANS.

13:56 IST 22 Dec

5 passengers from the UK test Covid positive at Delhi airport

Five passengers from the UK who arrived here at Indira Gandhi International Airport on Monday night have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, sources told IANS on Tuesday.These passengers have been sent to Sardar Patel Covid Centre in Chattarpur. As many as 470 passengers from the UK have landed IGI till now in two flights, Sources told the news agency.

09:28 IST 22 Dec

Joe Biden receives Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine

US President-elect Joe Biden on Monday was administered the first dose of the Pfizer BioNTech coronavirus vaccine during a televised event in his home state of Delaware. The vaccine requires a second dose weeks apart to reach 98 per cent efficacy. The 78-year-old former Vice President’s vaccination followed that of his wife Jill Biden earlier on the same day, a news agency reported.

20:00 IST 21 Dec

New UK Covid-19 strain also detected in Australia, Italy

The emergence of the new and deadly mutated variant of the coronavirus has put the world once again on high alert, with several countries in the world either suspending or temporarily halting flights to and fro from Britain. Now reports have surfaced that the UK Covid-19 strain have been detected in patients in Australia and Italy as well.

17:52 IST 21 Dec

India suspends flights from UK till Dec 31, travellers from this country to be tested at the airports

The Ministry of Civil Aviation has suspended all flights from the UK to India till December 31 in the wake of the new mutant strain of novel coronavirus. The Union Health Ministry on Monday said that those coming from the UK will be tested at the airports and if found positive, will be sent for institutional quarantine set up by the states and union territories. (IANS)

08:54 IST 21 Dec

Flights from Britain banned following discovery of a fast-spreading variant of Covid-19

Israel on Sunday announced a ban on flights from Britain following the discovery of a fast-spreading variant of Covid-19. A statement issued by the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office said that the coronavirus cabinet decided to ban also flights from Denmark and South Africa, where the new variant has been found, IANS reported.

12:47 IST 20 Dec

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu receives Covid-19 vaccine

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Health Minister Yuli Edelstein were vaccinated against the novel coronavirus on a live television broadcast on Saturday evening. The two leaders received the shot at Sheba Medical Center in Tel Aviv. Netanyahu was the first Israeli to receive the vaccine, hours before a major roll-out of the vaccinations was to begin in the country, reports IANS.

09:32 IST 20 Dec

Third Covid wave in Delhi under control: Arvind Kejriwal

The third Covid wave in the national capital is “under control”, according to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Saturday. The positivity rate, death count and active cases have now dropped significantly as compared to November.

There are around 12,000 active cases currently, as compared to 45,000 last month, he said. Kejriwal attributed the improved situation to increased testing, which helped isolate patients and prevented the transmission of the virus.

09:37 IST 18 Dec

Anil Vij's condition stable, responding to treatment: Bulletin

The condition of Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij, who is undergoing treatment for COVID-19 at the Medanta Hospital in Gurugram, is stable and he is responding to treatment, a bulletin issued by the hospital said on Thursday. In the bulletin, Medical Superintendent A.K. Dubey said that all investigations as per the protocol have been done and the results are satisfactory. “Vij is maintaining vitals parameters on high flow nasal cannula on oxygen support. He is well rested and a team of doctors examined him during morning rounds,” said the statement.

21:26 IST 17 Dec

French President Emmanuel Macron tested positive for coronavirus

French President Emmanuel Macron has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, the Elysee Palace confirmed in a statement on Thursday, according to an IANS report. The 42-year-old President was diagnosed following a PCR test performed at the onset of the first symptoms. The president will isolate himself for seven days, the statement said.

14:57 IST 17 Dec

Free Covid-19 vaccine to frontline workers, elderly persons in Odisha

The Odisha government on Thursday announced Covid-19 vaccine will be provided to healthcare workers and other frontline workers free of cost in the state.

“In the first phase, doctors, health workers who are our Corona warriors and elderly persons will be administered Covid-19 vaccine free of cost. In the second phase, we have requested the Centre to vaccinate municipality, electricity, drinking water and other public health workers in the state,” IANS quoted Health Minister Nabakishore Das as saying.

According to the Minister, the vaccination drive is likely to commence in January next year.

11:50 IST 17 Dec

WHO team to investigate origin of coronavirus in China's Wuhan

A team of 10 international scientists will travel to the Chinese city of Wuhan next month to investigate the origins of the novel coronavirus (Covid-19), the World Health Organization (WHO) has said, as per IANS.

22:37 IST 16 Dec

Once airline crew test positive for Covid, no retesting for 3 months: Civil Aviation Ministry

In a circular, the Ministry of Civil Aviation has clarified that any airline crew member who has tested positive for Covid-19 once should not be retested for at least a period of three months. However, crew members with comorbidities may be retested before three months in case they become symptomatic, the Ministry said, according to a news agency report.

20:28 IST 16 Dec

Kerala coronavirus update: 27 deaths recored on on Wednesday, total death toll stands at 2,707.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Wednesday that the state recorded 6,185 new coronavirus cases from 61,882 samples sent for testing. On the same day, it saw 27 Covid deaths taking the total death toll to 2,707. Also, 5,728 people turned negative taking the total cured in the state to 6,22,394, while there were 58,184 active cases. (IANS)

10:09 IST 16 Dec

Covid-infected Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij admitted to hospital in a critical condition

Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij, who is currently battling the Covid-19 infection, was on Tuesday admitted to Gurugram’s Medanta Hospital in a critical condition, officials said. The minister is suffering from lung infection, IANS reported quoting sources. Vij was transferred to Medanta from the Haryana government’s Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (PGIMS) in Rohtak where he was admitted on Saturday and had received convalescent plasma therapy.

22:34 IST 15 Dec

Delhi coronavirus update: Covid positivity rate drops to 1.9%

Delhi on Tuesday reported the lowest positivity rate of new Covid-19 cases recorded so far, which is 1.9 per cent. Of the total 85,105 samples tested in the last 24 hours, 1,617 returned positive. Meanwhile, 2,343 patients recovered from the disease while 41 succumbed to it in the same duration. (as reported by IANS)

17:10 IST 15 Dec

IIT-Madras coronavirus outbreak: 79 fresh cases reported on Tuesday

As many as 79 more students, staff members of IIT-Madras were tested positive for Covid-19 on Tuesday. With this, the total number of infections in the hotspot institution has climbed to 183. The campus is currently under a temporary lockdown. To curb the further spread of the disease, the IIT Madras on Sunday announced the shutdown of all departments and facilities.

09:21 IST 15 Dec

New variant' of coronavirus growing faster in Britain

A new variant of coronavirus has been found which is growing faster in some parts of England, British MPs have been told. Health Secretary Matt Hancock said at least 60 different local authorities had recorded Covid infections caused by the new variant, the BBC reported on Monday. He said the World Health Organization had been notified and UK scientists were doing detailed studies. (IANS)

19:30 IST 14 Dec

Chinese study that claimed Covid originated in India withdrawn from SSRN.com

A study that claimed the Indian subcontinent might be the place where the earliest human-to-human novel coronavirus transmission occurred was withdrawn from the preprint platform of the medical journal The Lancet, Global Times reported recently.

Global Times said the study was first posted on SSRN.com, the preprint platform of the medical journal The Lancet, on November 17, but the article was withdrawn.

The study was conducted by researchers from the Institute of Neuroscience under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), the Shanghai-based Fudan University and the University of Texas in Houston. A staff from the Institute of Neuroscience also confirmed with the Global Times that the study was withdrawn from the platform. (IANS)

15:56 IST 14 Dec

White House staff should not be among the first to receive coronavirus vaccinations: Donald Trump

US President Donald Trump has said that people working in the White House should receive the vaccine somewhat later in the program, unless specifically necessary. “I am not scheduled to take the vaccine, but look forward to doing so at the appropriate time,” Trump tweeted on Sunday.

09:43 IST 14 Dec

Major coronavirus outbreak reported inside IIT Madras, campus under temporary lockdown

India’s premier educational institution – IIT Madras – is placed under temporary lockdown following a major outbreak of coronavirus. According to health authorities, 71 Covid cases were reported in the last two weeks, with the single-day highest spike recorded on Sunday with 32 fresh cases.

Meanwhile, the IIT Madras issued an official circular on Sunday informing shutting down of all departments and facilities with immediate effect. The Tamil Nadu government has instructed the institute to test all the students on the campus.

22:59 IST 13 Dec

Gujarat coroanvirus updates: 1,175 new coronavirus cases, 11 fresh deaths registered on Sunday

Gujarat on Sunday registered 1,175 new coronavirus cases, taking its tally to 2,27,683, while the death toll climbed to 4,171, with 11 more patients. A total of 1,347 patients were discharged on Sunday, taking the total to 2,10,214, while the state has 13,298 active cases. (IANS)

16:10 IST 13 Dec

After Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine, Bahrain now approves Sinopharm vaccine for use

Bahrain, which has already approved a vaccine made by Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech, on Sunday announced the approval of a Chinese coronavirus vaccine for emergency use. The state-run Bahrain News Agency reported that the Sinopharm vaccine would be available in the island kingdom off the coast of Saudi Arabia in the Persian Gulf.

The Sinopharm vaccine, which is in late-stage clinical trials in 10 countries, has been approved for emergency use in a few countries.

13:24 IST 13 Dec

Music star Charley Pride passes away due to coronavirus complications

Country music star Charley Pride has died from complications related to Covid-19. He was 86. Pride, credited for being the first modern Black superstar of country music, died on December 12 in Dallas, Texas. His publicist shared the news of his demise. (IANS)

09:32 IST 13 Dec

More and more young people reporting cardiac issues post recovery from COVID-19

Recovery from Covid-19 may not be the end of the battle for people, including youngsters, who according to the public health experts are presenting cardiac symptoms post-recuperation from the deadly disease.

According to the doctors, hospitals are witnessing a rise in young people reporting cardiac issues post their recovery from the infection, the most common being the palpitations and in few cases as extreme as cardiac arrest or even heart attack. (IANS)

10:45 IST 12 Dec

More countries adopt Google-Apple COVID tracing system

The Google-Apple exposure notification system or ENS (earlier called contact tracing) is now helping public health authorities in more than 50 countries, states and regions in their efforts to control COVID-19. The two tech giants joined hands to first launch the exposure notifications system in May to provide the technical foundation on which public health authorities around the globe can build apps for contact tracing. The exposure notification app uses Bluetooth, which can be used to detect if two devices are near each other — without revealing where the devices are.

09:48 IST 11 Dec

Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine wins crucial approval as US cases soar

After nine hours of non-stop debate, a high powered US vaccine advisory panel endorsed mass use of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, putting the country just one step away from a historic vaccination campaign against a virus that has killed more than 292,000 Americans. Shots could come within days. The US Food and Drug Administration is expected to follow the panel’s recommendation anytime now, setting the stage for the largest vaccination drive in America’s history.

18:44 IST 10 Dec

Google Search will show authorised vaccines in your location

As the UK begins mass vaccination, Google has launched a new feature on Search that will show authorised locations to people who look up information for Covid-19 vaccines. “As other health authorities begin authorising vaccines, we’ll introduce this new feature in more countries,” Google said in a statement on Wednesday. (IANS)

16:04 IST 10 Dec

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announces additional $250mn for Covid-19 research

The Seattle-headquartered Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation on Thursday announced that it will offer an additional $250 million to fund the research, development and equitable delivery of tools for Covid-19 tests, treatments and vaccines.

In a statement, the Foundation called for global commitments to make Covid-related scientific innovations available in 2021 to everyone who needs them, IANS reported quoted Xinhua news agency.

09:29 IST 10 Dec

Those with serious allergies should not receive Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine: UK's medical regulator

The UK’s medical regulator has advised that anyone who has a history of significant allergic reactions to medicines, food or vaccines should not receive the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine currently in use in the country, according to media reports.

Wednesday’s precautionary advice by the country’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) came a day after two National Health Service staff members experienced allergic reactions after being vaccinated, Xinhua news agency quoted a Sky News report as saying. (IANS)

18:51 IST 9 Dec

Envoys of 64 countries visit facilities of Bharat Biotech and Biological E in Hyderabad

The Ambassadors and High Commissioners from 64 countries in Asia, Africa, Europe, North America, South America, and Oceania landed in Hyderabad on Wednesday to visit the facilities of Bharat Biotech and Biological E, which are developing vaccines for coronavirus. They reached Genome Valley on the city outskirts to visit the two companies. The visit was organised by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and was part of India’s efforts to develop partnerships for the manufacture and delivery of vaccines.(IANS)

13:51 IST 9 Dec

First case of Covid-19 triggering recurrent Guillain-Barre Syndrome reported

According to a case report, published in the journal Pathogens, a 54-year-old man who had suffered with Guillain-Barre Syndrome twice had a third occurrence after testing positive for Covid-19. Guillain-Barre Syndrome is a rare disorder where the body’s immune system attacks nerves and can lead to respiratory failure and death. While there have been several reports of Guillain-Barre Syndrome following Covid-19, this is the first in which Covid-19 actually triggered a recurrence of the condition. (IANS)

20:08 IST 8 Dec

30 crore Indians to receive the first COVID-19 vaccine shots

The government has marked 30 crore Indians for the large-scale immunisation of Covid-19 vaccine after it gets the necessary approval, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare informed in a press briefing on Tuesday. These include 1 crore healthcare workers, 2 crore frontline workers and 27 crore general population falling in priority groups set by the expert group, reported IANS.

12:00 IST 8 Dec

87-year-old Indian-origin Man First to Get Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine in UK

Hari Shukla, from the north east of England, will be receiving his first Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine shot at a hospital in Newcastle on Tuesday. Shukla, an 87-year-old, lives in the metropolitan county of from Tyne and Wear, will be vaccinated alongside his wife Ranjan, 83, at the city’s Royal Infirmary today. He will be the first to get the vaccine in UK on Tuesday, the day dubbed as V-Day or Vaccine Day in the UK. Shukla said he feels it is his duty to receive his first of the two-dose vaccine, as reported by PTI.

09:32 IST 8 Dec

Delhi govt marked over 2,000 containment zones in November - the highest in a month

The Delhi government sealed 2,933 localities between November 1 and December 7 while 2,361 new containment zones were marked between November 5 and December 5 — highest in a month since the Covid pandemic broke out earlier this year, as per the data accessed from the Delhi government by IANS.

So far, a total of 6,292 containment zones have been marked to contain the spread of coronavirus in the national capital taking .

22:16 IST 7 Dec

Bharat Biotech too seeks emergency use authorisation of its Covid-19 vaccine - Covaxin

Bharat Biotech has become the third company to file an application with the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) for emergency use authorisation of Covid-19 vaccine, after Pfizer and Serum Institute of India. The Hyderabad-based company filed the application for emergency use authorisation of its Covid-19 vaccine ‘Covaxin’ on Monday evening, a company source told IANS on the condition of anonymity.

To develop Covaxin, India’s first indigenous Covid-19 vaccine, Bharat Biotech has collaborated with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the National Institute of Virology (NIV).

19:50 IST 7 Dec

Chennai Covid-19 updates: Phase 3 human trial for Covaxin starts at SRM Hospital

The SRM Medical College Hospital and Research Centre here on Monday announced the launch of the third phase of human trials for Covaxin – a vaccine for Covid-19 developed by Bharat Biotech. In a statement issued here, the SRM Medical College Hospital said the vaccine in the third phase will be tested on about 1,000-1,500 volunteers. (IANS)

17:06 IST 7 Dec

PM Modi assures availability of Covid-19 vaccine soon

Referring to his recent talks with scientists, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday announced that there would not be much delay in the availability of Covid-19 vaccine in India. However, he once again reminded his countrymen to continue to exercise caution and follow all necessary Covid-19 protection measures like social distancing, use of mask and focus on hand sanitisation, until the vaccines are out.

“Awaiting Corona’s vaccine. As per my recent discussion with scientists, I hope there will be no more delay now. But there should be no carelessness in following Covid prevention measures,” the Prime Minister said while inaugurating the construction of Agra Metro Project through video conference .

13:07 IST 7 Dec

TV star Divya Bhatnagar dies of Covid-19 at age 34

Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai fame actress Divya Bhatnagar passed away on Monday after battling Covid-19 for the past few weeks. The television actress was hospitalised since November after contracting the virus. She was 34. Divya was reportedly on ventilator over the past few days. (IANS)

09:18 IST 7 Dec

Delh's emerging victorious in the war against Covid-19 : Satyendar Jain

Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Sunday said that the national capital is emerging victorious in the war against Covid-19 after it recorded 3.68 per cent positivity rate in the samples tested in the last 24 hours.

“Positivity rate in Delhi today has fallen down further to 3.68 per cent. Delhi is emerging victorious in this war against the virus,” he said. Jain also urged people to continue following the precautions. (IANS)

16:42 IST 6 Dec

Tamil Nadu Congress chief tests positive for coronavirus

Tamil Nadu Congress unit President K.S. Alagiri tested positive for coronavirus on Sunday and has been admitted to a private hospital, the party said. In a statement issued today, the party has also advised those who were in contact with Alagiri to get themselves tested. (IANS)

09:24 IST 6 Dec

Delhi's Covid positivity rate falls to 4%

The positivity rate of Covid-19 cases in the national capital has fallen further to around 4 per cent after the Delhi tested over 80,000 tests in the last 24 hours.

The capital city tested 81,473 samples, of which, 3,149 turned out positive while 4,916 people recovered from the Covid-19 on Saturday. Meanwhile, 77 deaths were recorded in the same duration. The continuous high number of tests have pushed the positivity rate further down to 4.2 per cent, the government data showed. (IANS)

09:37 IST 5 Dec

Citing tech issues, UN COVID-19 summit nixes Adar Poonawalla video

The United Nations COVID-19 summit passed up a pre-recorded video message from Adar Poonawalla, CEO of the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer, who was scheduled to speak in an afternoon session headlined ‘The Road to a COVID-19 Vaccine – a Global Public Good.’ “Unfortunately, the video couldn’t be provided in time in the required format,” General Assembly spokesman Brenden Varma told IANS. Varma did not provide details on the required format or whether the video arrived and when.

10:46 IST 4 Dec

France to launch COVID-19 vaccination program in "a matter of weeks"

French Prime Minister Jean Castex said a three-phase COVID-19 vaccination program will be launched in “a matter of weeks” and people will have the jabs free of charge and voluntarily. At a weekly briefing on the epidemic situation, Castex on Thursday said the vaccination campaign would be deployed gradually “according to a simple logic: priority is given to the most vulnerable people and those most likely to develop serious forms of the disease”, Xinhua news agency reported.

21:57 IST 3 Dec

Facebook removing false claims that Covid-19 vaccines contain microchips

Facebook on Thursday announced to step up its fight against the misinformation about Covid-19 vaccines, saying it will remove false claims about these vaccines that have been debunked by public health experts on its platform as well as Instagram. Facebook said it will remove false claims that Covid-19 vaccines contain microchips, or anything else that isn’t on the official vaccine ingredient list. (IANS)

15:53 IST 3 Dec

31 police personnel tested positive for coronavirus in Himachal

As many as 31 police personnel have tested positive for coronavirus in Himachal in the past 24 hours, officials said on Thursday.
Director General Sanjay Kundu has asked the police personnel to avoid taking short leaves and unnecessary movements, besides maintaining physical distancing and wearing of masks. (IANS)

10:32 IST 3 Dec

Delhi's Covid-19 positivity rate expected to drop below 5% in the next few days

Delhi health minister Satyendar Jain on Wednesday said the Covid-19 positivity rate has declined below 7% and it is expected to further go below 5% in the next few days.

The positivity rate in the national capital, which had crossed 15% on November 15, is hovering in 6-8% mark in the last few weeks.

Currently, there are more than 1600 ICU beds available in hospitals in Delhi, Jain said.

20:21 IST 2 Dec

Japan revises vaccination law to make Covid vaccines free for residents

Japan’s House of Councilors unanimously passed a bill on Wednesday to revise the current vaccination law to cover the costs of vaccination against Covid-19 for residents of the country. The revision came as Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has vowed to secure Covid-19 vaccines for all the residents in Japan in the first half of next year. However, the revised bill does not clarify whether the law will allow foreign residents in Japan to get free vaccination. (IANS)

09:59 IST 2 Dec

UP Covid-19 updates: RT-PCR test in private labs will cost just Rs 700

The Yogi Adityanath government has brought down the rate of Covid-19 RT-PCR tests in the private labs from Rs 1,600 to Rs 700. However, the labs have been allowed to charge Rs 900 per RT-PCR test if they collect the sample from the patient’s home. The rates are inclusive of GST. he Delhi government had earlier brought down the rate of Covid-19 testing through RT-PCR from Rs 2,400 to Rs 800. The Uttarakhand government, too, had reduced the rate from Rs 1,600 to Rs 850 and Rs 900 (for home collection). (IANS)

21:16 IST 1 Dec

Dr. Reddys begins Phase 2 and 3 clinical trials for Sputnik vaccine in India

Dr. Reddys Laboratories Ltd. and Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) announced on Tuesday that they have commenced adaptive Phase 2 and 3 clinical trials for Sputnik V vaccine in India for Covid-19 after receiving the necessary clearance from the Central Drugs Laboratory, Kasauli. The clinical trials are being conducted by JSS Medical Research as the clinical research partner.

16:23 IST 1 Dec

Gujarat Covid-19 updates: RT-PCR test price reduced to Rs 800

Following examples of Rajasthan and Delhi, the Gujarat government on Tuesday slashed the cost of RT-PCR tests for coronavirus at private laboratories from Rs 1,500 to Rs 800 each.
Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel said the decision will be effective from Tuesday itself. However, such tests at homes of those who wanted to get tested will cost Rs 1,100 each, the Minister said. (IANS)

11:47 IST 1 Dec

Centre’s new Covid-19 guidelines come into effect today

To tackle the rising cases of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) in the country, the Centre has issued a fresh set of guidelines which will come into effect from today and remain in force till December 31.

It includes a set of protocols for states and union territories to check the spread of the disease.

The Centre has allowed states and union territories to impose local restrictions, such as night curfew, in the containment zones. The Centre has also given freedom to the state governments to take administrative action against people not following the basic Covid safety measures.

21:12 IST 30 Nov

Moderna filing with US, European regulators for emergency use authorisation of its Covid-19 vaccine

Moderna Inc, which has reported its Covid-19 vaccine is 94 per cent effective, on Monday announced it is filing with US and European regulators for emergency use authorisation.

Moderna follows barely a week after Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech filed for US regulatory approval. By the end of 2020, Moderna expects to have approximately 20 million doses of its mRNA-1273 vaccine available in the U.S and is “on track to manufacture 500 million to 1 billion doses globally in 2021. (IANS)

10:31 IST 30 Nov

Rajasthan COVID-19 update: BJP MLA from Rajsamand Kiran Maheshwari passes away

BJP leader and MLA from Rajasthan’s Rajsamand, Kiran Maheshwari passes away at Medanta Hospital in Haryana’s Gurugram, where she was undergoing treatment after testing positive for COVID-19. (ANI)

10:12 IST 30 Nov

Andhra Pradesh covid-19 updates: Number of Covid-19 tests crossed one crore

Andhra Pradesh on Sunday reached a significant milestone as the number of Covid-19 tests crossed one crore. The health officials said the state has so far tested 1,00,17,126 samples of which 8,67,683 tested positive and 91,49,443 negative. The milestone was crossed with 54,710 new tests during the last 24 hours.

According to officials, 52,38,479 were RT-PCR tests, 7,41,711 truenat tests and 40,36,936 rapid tests. (IANS)

20:08 IST 29 Nov

PM to speak to three more Covid-19 vaccine developers on Monday

After his visit to three vaccine development centres, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on Monday scheduled to speak to three other teams involved in developing a Covid-19 vaccine.

The PMO, in a tweet, said: “Tomorrow, on 30th November 2020, PM Narendra Modi will interact, via video conferencing, with three teams that are involved in developing a COVID-19 vaccine. The teams he will interact with are from Gennova Biopharma, Biological E and Dr Reddy’s.” (IANS)

16:12 IST 29 Nov

Covid-19 cases are going down in Delhi: Arvind Kejriwal

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said that Covid-19 cases are going down since November 7 and Delhiites will win over the third wave of the disease.

“Since 7 Nov, cases and positivity in Delhi are going down. Today, less than 5000 cases, 89 deaths and 7.24 positivity. Hope this trend continues. Delhiites and Delhi govt together will win over this third wave also. Pl continue to observe all precautions,” he wrote in a tweet.

On Saturday, the COVID-19 positivity rate in Delhi dropped to 7.24 per cent, which is the lowest since October 23.

10:41 IST 29 Nov

Covid-19 found on imported frozen food

Authorities in the Chinese city of Wuhan, where the novel coronavirus is likely to have originated in December 2019, said that three imported frozen food packaging samples have tested positive for Covid-19.

The municipal health commission said on Saturday that two samples were taken from frozen beef from Brazil in a refrigerated warehouse and the other one from frozen basa fish from Vietnam in another warehouse, reports Xinhua new agency. (IANS)

09:59 IST 28 Nov

PM to visit 3 vaccine centres in Ahmedabad, Pune & Hyderabad today

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a three-city visit on Saturday to personally review COVID vaccine development and manufacturing process. Accordingly, he will visit the Zydus Biotech Park in Ahmedabad, Bharat Biotech in Hyderabad and Serum Institute of India in Pune. “PM will embark on a 3-city visit to personally review the vaccine development and manufacturing process. He will visit the Zydus Biotech Park in Ahmedabad, Bharat Biotech in Hyderabad and Serum Institute of India in Pune,” the PMO tweeted. “As India enters a decisive phase in the fight against Covid-19, PM’s visit to these facilities and discussions with the scientists will help him get a first hand perspective of the preparations, challenges and roadmap in India’s endeavour to vaccinate its citizens,” it added.

09:32 IST 27 Nov

Be ready to shell out Rs 1K for not wearing mask in Chandigarh

The Chandigarh administration on Thursday increased the penalty for not wearing face mask from Rs 500 to Rs 1,000. However, there would be no night curfew in the city. During a review meeting, UT Administrator V.P. Singh Badnore directed Deputy Commissioner Mandip Singh Brar to go for stricter punishment for violations of COVID-19 guidelines. The UT Administration has also decided to open classroom teaching for the students in Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Sector 32, from December 1, 2020. The Administration has also permitted the coaching institutions to open from December 1, subject to strict observance of Covid-19 protocols, both in classes and hostels.

18:25 IST 26 Nov

Pneumonia vaccine may reduce impact of viruses such as Covid-19

Pneumonia vaccines can potentially reduce the impact of viruses such as Covid-19, said researchers, adding that it has reduced illness and death in patients with pneumonia, serious lung conditions and rotavirus, a common disease which causes severe diarrhoea and vomiting.

They supported its introduction for ten-valent pneumococcal conjugate (PCV10) vaccine for children in other low and middle-income countries in that region. (IANS)

15:34 IST 26 Nov

AAP Govt. actively considering lockdown, night curfew

The Aam Aadmi Party government on Thursday informed the Delhi High Court that it is “actively considering” the option of imposing night curfews or lockdown and the same would depend on the situation of the Covid-19 infection in the national capital.

The response came in after a division bench of the high court presided by Justices Hima Kohli and Subramonium Prasad enquired from the Delhi government if its planning to impose night curfews or weekend curfews similar like various other cities in the country had done due to the rise in Covid-19 infections. (IANS)

10:32 IST 26 Nov

Maharashtra Coronavirus update: Over 6000 fresh cases reported

With 6,159 fresh COVID-19 cases, Maharashtra’s total count of infections jumps to 17,95,959. The state witnessed 65 more deaths due to the viral infection, taking the toll to 46,748. Meanwhile,as many as 4,844 patients were discharged after treatment during the day, taking the tally of recovered people to 16,63,723. Mumbai saw 1,144 new COVID-19 cases, taking its caseload to 2,78,598. With 17 fatalities, the total toll in the city rose to 10,725.

18:45 IST 25 Nov

China’s vaccine producer Sinopharm seeks govt nod to market Covid-19 shots

Sinopharm’s general manager Shi Shengyi announced on Wednesday that the company has applied with China’s regulators to market its Covid-19 vaccine, state media reported.

China’s leading vaccine producer, which is carrying out clinical trials of its Covid-19 vaccine candidate abroad, said it had already collected data from host countries such as UAE and results are expected to be good.

Earlier, Sinopharm had said that it had submitted data of the vaccine’s phase-3 clinical trials to China’s State Food and Drug Administration and was in the process of giving more detailed data.

08:40 IST 25 Nov

Senior Congress Leader Ahmed Patel Dies of Covid-19 Complications

Senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel, a close aide of Sonia Gandhi, died at a Gurgaon hospital on Wednesday morning due to Covid-19 complications. He was 71. The veteran politician was admitted at Medanta Hospital as his health worsened after testing positive for coronavirus a month back. His son Faisal Patel tweeted about the demise of the Rajya Sabha MP from Gujarat.

“With profound grief & sorrow, I regret to announce the sad and untimely demise of my father, Mr. Ahmed Patel at 25/11/2020, 03:30 AM. After testing positive for COVID-19 around a month back, his health worsened further due to multiple organ failures. May Allah grant him Jannatul firdaus, inshallah,” he tweeted, requesting all their well-wishers to adhere to the COVID-19 regulations by avoiding mass gatherings.

19:50 IST 24 Nov

Telangana ready to administer Covid vaccine, says Chief Minister Chandrasekhar Rao

Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao announced that the state government is ready to distribute and administer the “scientifically approved vaccine” for Covid-19 to the people. However, he opined that one has to take into consideration whether the vaccine has any side effects.

Rao expressed the opinion during a videoconference meet which Prime Minister Narendra Modi held with all the Chief Ministers to discuss the method pertaining to distribution and administering of the vaccine to people. (IANS)

15:12 IST 24 Nov

One crore healthcare workers to receive first dose of COVID-19 vaccine in India

The centre has asked states to accelerate the process of identifying frontline healthcare workers who will receive the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine.

Whenever COVID-19 vaccine becomes available, an estimated one crore frontline health workers will be covered in the first phase. So far around 92 per cent of government hospitals and 55 per cent of private hospitals across all states and UTs provided data identifying the workers, official sources told news agency PTI.

Five vaccine candidates are in advanced stages of development in India, out of which four are in Phase II/III and one is in Phase-I/II trials.

10:33 IST 24 Nov

UNICEF working with over 350 partners to deliver Covid-19 vaccines to over 92 countries

The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is working with more than 350 partners, including major airlines, shipping lines and logistics associations from around the world, to deliver Covid-19 vaccines to over 92 countries, as soon as doses become available, the agency said on Monday.

Etleva Kadilli, director of UNICEF Supply Division, highlighted the importance of the partnership to ensure capacity for the massive undertaking, the Xinhua news agency reported.

“As work continues to develop Covid-19 vaccines, UNICEF is stepping up efforts with airlines, freight operators, shipping lines and other logistics associations to deliver life-saving vaccines as quickly and safely as possible,” she said. (IANS)

21:34 IST 23 Nov

Rajasthan Health Minister tests Covid positive

Rajasthan Health Minister Raghu Sharma has been admitted to the RUHS Hospital in Jaipur on Monday after testing positive for Covid-19. The Health minister said that since he has tested positive for Covid-19, he can gauge the psyche of the other Covid patients and can understand the challenges faced by them. Rajasthan has so far reported 2,47,168 Covid cases and 2,181 deaths, health officials said. (IANS)

15:11 IST 23 Nov

HC refuses to entertain a petition seeking imposition of lockdown in Delhi

The Delhi High Court on Monday refused to entertain a petition seeking imposition of lockdown in the national capital despite growing number of Covid-19 cases, and even questioned whether “locking down” “is the only solution”.

“Is the lockdown an only solution? Will the policy matter of the government be decided by the courts?” a Division Bench of the High Court presided by Chief Justice D.N. Patel and Justice Prateek Jalan said.

While the matter was underway, the court was apprised by the Counsel for Delhi Government that according to Centre Notification dated September 30, no state had the power to impose lockdown without the Centre’s permission. Later the petitioner sought permission to withdraw the petition and it was granted. (IANS)

10:25 IST 23 Nov

Maharashtra covid update: Only 50 Covid-19 deaths reported on Sunday, but cases rise

After days of three-digit figures, Maharashtra’s Covid-19 deaths dropped to 50 on Sunday, health authorities said. This is the the second time Covid-19 deaths dropped below 100. Previously, the state had reported 51 fatalities on May 18. Death toll stands at 46,623 now.

However, new cases continued to increase. Crossing the 5,000 mark for the fifth day, the state recorded 5,753 new infections on Sunday, taking its tally to 17,80,208.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday hinted at Lockdown 2.0, saying the possible second wave may be a “Tsunami”. (IANS)

19:37 IST 22 Nov

Moderna CEO says it Covid-19 vaccine may cost govts $25-$37 per dose

Governments seeking to purchase Moderna’s potential Covid-19 vaccine may have to shell out $25 and $37 per dose, depending on the size of the order, the company’s CEO Stephane Bancel told German weekly ‘Welt am Sonntag’ (WamS).

Bancel said that the price he quoted was a “fair price” and that the company was not interested in “maximum profit,” according to the report on Sunday.

The US pharma giant last week said that its vaccine has shown more than 94.5 per cent effectiveness in preliminary data from the company’s ongoing study, raising hope delivering a potent weapon to beat the pandemic. By the end of 2020, Moderna expects to produce approximately 20 million doses of its mRNA-1273 vaccine. (IANS)

13:59 IST 22 Nov

FDA approves emergency use of Regeneron's Covid drug given to Trump

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted emergency use approval to the Regeneron Pharmaceuticals antibody treatment which was given to President Donald Trump after he was diagnosed with Covid-19.

The emergency use authorisation is for the antibody cocktail casirivimab and imdevimab to be administered together — also known as REGN-COV2 or REGEN-COV2 — for recently diagnosed, mild to moderate Covid-19 in high-risk patients, the FDA said late on Saturday.

Regeneron said that it is the first treatment of any kind to have prospectively confirmed and statistically significant anti-viral activity against SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for Covid-19. (IANS)

08:53 IST 22 Nov

Almost a million people inoculated with Sinopharm's Covid-19 vaccine

China’s Sinopharm said that nearly a million people have taken one of its experimental coronavirus vaccine under emergency use authorization. Mention may be made that the company has not yet provided any clear clinical evidence of efficacy.

Sinopharm’s chairman Liu Jingzhen said in an interview that they have not received a single report of severe adverse reaction, and only a few had some mild symptoms. The interview was re-published by the state-owned firm on Wednesday.

Since July, China has been giving experimental Covid-19 vaccines to people including state employees, international students and essential workers heading abroad.

18:09 IST 21 Nov

Urgent measure: House-to-house Covid survey begins in Delhi

The house-to-house Covid-19 survey has started in the national capital in close coordination with Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the Delhi Government — one of the major steps taken as part of the Centre’s multiple plans chalked out after a meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah last week. The MHA confirmed the move on Saturday, informing that “the Govt of NCT Delhi has started a house-to-house survey”. The screening exercise involves checking people for signs of flu such as fever, sore throat, cough and asking them about their travel history to map the virus. The aim is to identify people with Covid-like symptoms, create a comprehensive database and then get them tested.

11:23 IST 21 Nov

Spit in Delhi, attract a fine of Rs 2k

The Delhi Lieutenant Governor has amended the Delhi Epidemic Disease Management of Covid-19 regulations 2020, which empowers any ‘authorised person’ to slap a fine of Rs 2,000 for a series of activities including not wearing masks. “Authorised persons shall be empowered to impose a fine of Rs 2,000 for offence for violating directives/guidelines pertaining to the following,” says a Delhi government notification, dated November 20. The activities listed are observation of quarantine rules, maintaining of social distancing, wearing of face masks or cover in all public places. It also includes prohibition of spitting in public places as well as prohibition on consumption of paan, gutka, tobacco in public areas.

09:45 IST 20 Nov

Centre to electronically track details of COVID vaccine recipients

The Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Thursday informed that the Centre has modified an electronic network to monitor the dosage of COVID vaccines, vaccinators and geographical location of the vaccine recipients. He said that the central government has modified an existing vaccine intelligence network to monitor its appropriate usage and distribution. While speaking at the event organised by women wing of Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI), Harsh Vardhan said that a meticulous plan is underway to implement the vaccine administration process and in that regard, the government has developed COVID Vaccine Intelligence Network (COVIN).

17:18 IST 19 Nov

Covid Spike in Delhi: Centre deploys high-level teams to Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Manipur

In the wake of the alarming rise in the number of coronavirus cases in Delhi, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has deputed four separate high-level Central teams to Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Manipur to take stock of the situation there.

With the surge in the daily new cases and the spike in Covid fatalities in Delhi, the spillover effect is being felt in the National Capital Region (NCR) in the states of Haryana and Rajasthan where the number of Covid positive cases is on the rise, the ministry said while giving reasons for deploying the high-level teams. (IANS)

15:02 IST 19 Nov

Salman Khan's personal driver and two staff members test Covid-19 positive

Bollywood superstar Salman Khan and his entire family have isolated at home for the next 14 days after the actor’s personal driver and two staff members reportedly tested Covid-19 positive.

The staff members who tested positive have been admitted to a hospital in the city and are undergoing treatment, according to a media report. An official update on the report from the actor’s office is awaited. (IANS)

10:35 IST 19 Nov

Karnataka covid updates: Recovery rate more than new cases

Karnataka has registered 1,947 more recoveries than 1,791 new Covid cases in a day across the southern state.
“With 1,947 discharged on Tuesday, recoveries rose to 8,29,188, while 1,791 fresh cases increased the state’s Covid tally to 8,65,931, including 25,146 active cases,” said the state’s health bulletin on Wednesday.

The virus claimed 21 lives, increasing the state’s death toll to 11,578. (IANS)

21:24 IST 18 Nov

After Kejriwal's proposal, LG caps gathering at functions to 50

Acting upon the proposal sent by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, the Delhi Disaster Management Committee (DDMA) on Wednesday decided to reinforce the restrictions on gatherings at marriage related events, imposing a cap of a maximum of 50 persons. The decision came a day after Kejriwal wrote to the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, Anil Baijal, who is also the chairperson of the DDMA.

09:47 IST 18 Nov

Random COVID testing at Delhi-Noida border from Wednesday

Amid the rise in COVID-19 cases in the NCR, particularly in the national capital, authorities in Noida have decided that people coming from Delhi to Noida will be randomly tested for the virus from Wednesday onwards. Gautam Buddh Nagar District Magistrate Suhas L.Y. has chalked out an action plan regarding the surging COVID cases in the district. Cross-border movement is believed to be a major reason for the increase in the number of infections in the district in recent times. The DM has prepared a plan for random sampling on all the borders connecting the district. People coming from Delhi and other states will be specially monitored. There will be random sampling of delivery boys, rickshaw drivers and shopkeepers, among others.

20:38 IST 17 Nov

Delhi corona updates: City left with only 10% ICU beds with ventilators

As Delhi faces the wrath of coronavirus infections, both government and private hospitals are left with only 10 per cent ICU beds with ventilators, which are extremely crucial for patients with severe disease.

According to Delhi government’s corona application, 138 ICU beds with ventilators out of 1,349 are vacant, 283 ICU beds without ventilators out of 2,241 are free and 7,584 normal Covid-19 beds out of 16,874 are available.

About 10 per cent of the ICU beds with ventilators are vacant across the city, while 12 per cent of the ICU beds without ventilators are unoccupied, as per the latest data from the government’s mobile app on Covid-related information. (IANS)

15:31 IST 17 Nov

Delhi markets may shut to control the third wave of Covid-19

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday announced that markets in the national capital may be shut as a precautionary measure and only 50 people will be allowed in weddings not 200, as per strict norms to curb further spread of the Coronavirus.

Kejriwal said his government is sending a proposal to the Centre to implement lockdown in Delhi markets once again as they were becoming major hot-spots. (IANS)

08:57 IST 17 Nov

Karnataka colleges reopen today, students and teachers with only negative Covid test results allowed

The Karnataka government allowed state-run and private colleges to reopen from Tuesday after remaining shut for over seven months due to Covid-induced lockdown. But all students and teachers have to produce a certificate with negative result from a RT-PCR test, showing they are free from the infection, an official said.

As per the guidelines and standard operating procedure of the University Grants Commission (UGC) and the state government, students, teachers and staff will be allowed to enter the college only if their Covid test is negative,” said Bruhat Bengaluru Mahangara Palika Commissioner N. Manjunatha Prasad in a statement here on Monday.

Wearing of face masks, washing hands with sanitiser, and maintaining physical distance in classes and campuses are also mandatory for students, teachers and staff.

The state capital has 432 state-run and private colleges, with about 60,000 students, teachers and non-teaching staff. (IANS)

15:39 IST 16 Nov

No plans to implement another lockdown in Delhi: Delhi Health Minister

The Delhi government has clarified that it has no plans to implement another lockdown in the national Capital in the wake of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Delhi Health Minister and senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Satyendar Jain on Monday said, “There will be no lockdown imposed in Delhi again. I don’t think there is any need to enforce another phase of lockdown here.”

All markets in Delhi will remain open for the entire week as was the case before the Covid-19 pandemic. Apart from markets, government and private offices will also continue to function regularly following Covid-19 protocols such as washing hands regularly, wearing face masks and using hand sanitisers at regular intervals. (IANS)

13:31 IST 16 Nov

CM of Pak's Sindh province tests positive for the novel coronavirus

Chief Minister of Pakistan’s Sindh province Syed Murad Ali Shah has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, his office said on Monday.

Shah was tested for the virus on November 13 and the result went positive, following which he isolated himself, the office said, adding that he was in a stable condition with a slight fever, reports Xinhua news agency.

Pakistan is currently battling the second wave of COVID-19 and the number of positive cases are rising across the whole country. (IANS)

08:40 IST 16 Nov

Delhi to increase daily Covid tests from 60,000 per day to 1.25 lakh

After participating in a meeting convened by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Delhi’s grim Covid situation, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday said he had sought the Centre’s cooperation in jointly tackling the pandemic spread and in increasing the number of daily tests.

“It was also decided in the meeting that the number of tests in Delhi will increased from 60,000 per day to 1 lakh or 1.25 lakh.

“The Delhi government facilities are working at their highest capacity right now, therefore, the ICMR has assured that they will help us to increase the number of testing,” Kejriwal said. (IANS)

18:31 IST 15 Nov

Manipur CM Biren Singh tests positive for COVID-19

Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh announced on social media on Sunday that he had tested positive for Covid-19 and urged those who came in contact with him in the past few days to get themselves tested.

“Friends, I have tested Covid positive today after having some symptoms. All that have been in close proximity to me in the last few days are requested to get themselves tested,” Biren wrote on his Facebook page on Sunday.

The CM added that he’s “fine at the moment.”

16:03 IST 15 Nov

Odisha COVID-19 updates: Positive cases drop below 1,000 in last two days

Odisha continues to report declining trend of Covid cases with the state reporting positive cases below 1,000 in last two days, informed a health official on Sunday.

The state has reported 753 fresh positive cases in the last 24 hours, taking the total tally to 3,08,659 in the state. Meanwhile, the recovery cases have also touched over 96 per cent.
A total of 2,96,516 persons have recovered from the disease so far. The number of total active cases in the state stood at 10,563. (IANS)

09:45 IST 15 Nov

Bengaluru COVID-19 updates: 3,997 succumbed to the new disease since March

As many as 3,997 persons succumbed to Covid-19 in Bengaluru since the pandemic broke in March first week.

With Bengaluru Urban district accounting for 1,195 fresh cases and nine deaths on Friday, cumulatively, the city has reported 3,997 deaths, 3,56,440 infections and 3,34,258 discharges, the Covid-19 bulletin released by the health department for Friday on Saturday stated.
Despite the considerable dip in death rate as well as positive cases, the tech city still remains number 1 district in terms of casualties. According to the bulletin, Karnataka reported 2,154 fresh Covid-19 positive cases and 17 deaths, taking the infection count and toll to 8,60,082 and 11,508 respectively since the pandemic broke in March, the health department said. (IANS)

09:33 IST 14 Nov

Russian, N Korean hackers target COVID vaccine maker in India

Microsoft has detected cyber attacks from nation-state actors targeting seven prominent companies directly involved in researching vaccines and treatments for Covid-19, including in India. The targets include leading pharmaceutical companies and vaccine researchers in Canada, France, India, South Korea and the US, and came from Strontium, an actor originating from Russia, and two bad actors originating from North Korea called Zinc and Cerium. Although Microsoft did not reveal the names of the vaccine makers, at least seven Indian pharma companies are working to develop a vaccine against coronavirus, led by Serum Institute and Bharat Biotech.

12:20 IST 13 Nov

Global Covid-19 cases top 52.6mn: Johns Hopkins

The overall number of global coronavirus cases has topped 52.6 million, while the deaths have surged to 1,291,920, according to the Johns Hopkins University. As of Friday morning, the total caseload and death toll stood at 52,643,939 and 1,291,921, respectively, the University’s Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed in its latest update. The US is the worst-hit country with the world’s highest number of cases and deaths at 10,535,828 and 242,654, respectively, according to the CSSE. India comes in second place in terms of cases at 8,683,916, while the country’s death toll soared to 128,121.

22:06 IST 12 Nov

Govt announces Rs 900 cr support for R&D of Covid vccine

The government will provide Rs 900 crore to the Department of Biotechnology for the Covid Suraksha Mission, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Thursday while announcing another stimulus package, as part of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat 3.0’.
The government grant will be used for research and development (R&D) of the Indian Covid vccine.
Announcing the R&D fund, Sitharaman said that it would only cater to identified activity and would not cover the cost of vaccine or logistics required for its development. These will be provided separately, she said. (IANS)

16:22 IST 12 Nov

Results of Moderna Covid-19 vaccine likely by end of month

Moderna is hoping to make an announcement related to the efficacy of its Covid-19 vaccine after it finished accumulating data for a first analysis of the vaccine, which is expected by end of this month.

The company is conducting a clinical trial of about 30,000 participants, with half of the participants receiving the vaccine and the other half receiving a placebo.

According to reports, Moderna is now preparing data to send to the trial’s Data and Safety Monitoring Board, an independent panel of experts.

09:17 IST 12 Nov

Delhi reports 8,593 new Covid cases, the highest in a day so far

Covid-19 figures shattered all records in the national capital on Wednesday as it reported a whopping 8,593 new cases, the highest in a day so far, and an all-time high positivity rate of 13.40 per cent, while 85 persons succumbed to the virus in the last 24 hours. This is the highest ever single-day tally since the pandemic struck the city. With this, the overall Covid tally has reached 4,59,975 while the cumulative causality stood at 7,228. In total, 64,121 tests were performed in the national capital in the last 24 hours. (IANS)

15:56 IST 11 Nov

Andhra sets up steering committee to chalk out distribution of Covid-19 vaccine

Andhra Pradesh government has set up a steering committee of 18 members to chalk out Covid vaccine distribution, whenever the vaccine is ready. “Our government has set up a steering committee of 18 members to chalk out distribution of Covid-19 vaccine,” said Industries Minister Mekapati Goutham Reddy. As and when a vaccine is ready, Reddy said healthcare workers will be the first to be vaccinated against the coronavirus in the southern state. (IANS)

09:32 IST 11 Nov

Delhi reports 7,830 Covid cases on Tuesday - highest ever single-day tally

he number of Covid-19 cases shattered all records in the national capital as it reported as many as 7,830 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday and an all-time high positivity rate of 13.26 per cent, while 83 people succumbed to the virus in the last 24 hours.

It is the highest ever single-day tally since the pandemic struck the city. With this, the overall case tally has reached 4,51,382 while the cumulative causality stood at 6,989. In total, 51,97,924 tests have been conducted so far in the national capital. (IANS)

18:03 IST 10 Nov

Eli Lilly's antibody drug gets emergency approval for treatment of mild Covid-19 in US

Drug regulators in the US have given emergency use approval for Eli Lilly and Co’s investigational monoclonal antibody therapy for the treatment of mild-to-moderate Covid-19 in adult and pediatric patients.

The treatment called, bamlanivimab, is authorised for patients with positive results of direct SARS-CoV-2 viral testing who are 12 years of age and older weighing at least 40kg, and who are at high risk for progressing to severe Covid-19 and/or hospitalisation, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said on Monday. (IANS)

11:47 IST 10 Nov

Brazil Suspends Trials Of Chinese Covid-19 Vaccine After Serious Adverse Event

Clinical trials of a Chinese-developed Covid-19 vaccine has been suspended in Brazil due to serious adverse incident that occurred on October 29. It is the Sinovac Biotech Ltd.’s vaccine, called Coronavac.

Brazil’s health regulator, Anvisa, said in a statement on Monday that it had “ruled to interrupt the clinical trial of the CoronaVac vaccine after a serious adverse incident” on October 29. However, it didn’t give details on what happened citing privacy regulations.

09:04 IST 10 Nov

COVID-19 pandemic in India: Recoveries cross 8 lakh in Karnataka

Recoveries crossed eight lakh in Karnataka, with 2,686 discharged in a day, while 1,963 new Covid cases were reported on Sunday. “With 2,686 discharged on Sunday, recoveries rose to 8,04,485, while 1,963 fresh cases increased the state’s Covid tally to 8,48,850, including 32,936 active cases,” said the state health bulletin on Monday. With 19 succumbing to the infection in the last 24 hours, the state’s death toll rose to 11,410 till date. (IANS)

15:47 IST 9 Nov

Bangladesh makes wearing masks mandatory in places of worship

The Bangladesh government has made wearing masks at all places of worship across the country mandatory in a bid to stem the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. On Sunday, the Religious Affairs Ministry issued a notice after the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the country reached 420,238, while the death toll stood at 6,067, reports the Dhaka Tribune newspaper. All places of worship including mosques, temples, and churches have been requested to announce the directives regularly through their loudspeakers or megaphones, the report said. (IANS)

12:54 IST 9 Nov

Popular Telugu actor and politician K Chiranjeevi tests corona positive

Popular Telugu actor and politician K Chiranjeevi said on Monday that he had tested coronavirus positive. Only two days ago, Chiranjeevi along with fellow actor Akkineni Nagarjuna had met Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and all three were seen without masks in television news reports. The 65-year-old actor is asymptomatic at present and is in self-quarantine at his home in Hyderabad. (IANS)

08:32 IST 9 Nov

Indian-origin Vivek Murthy may lead US coronavirus task force

United States President-Elect Joe Biden would announce his own 12-person coronavirus taskforce on Monday that will be led by three co-chairs including former surgeon general Dr Vivek Murthy.

Murthy had served as the US’ top doctor for four years under the Barack Obama administration in 2015, before he was dismissed from his post by Donald Trump in 2017. He was the 19th surgeon general and the first Indian-American to hold the position.

18:55 IST 8 Nov

The bright side of COVID-19: Fossil-fuel CO2 emissions decreases

The Covid-19 pandemic has been affecting the global socio-economic activity, leading to a significant reduction in fossil-fuel-derived CO2 (FFCO2) emissions and other anthropogenic air pollutants in the world, say researchers, including one of Indian-origin. The FFCO2 emissions decreased by about 20 per cent during January-February 2020 as a result of the measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19 within China and to the outside world, according to the study published in the journal Scientific Reports. (IANS)

13:18 IST 8 Nov

Delhi currently passing through third wave of the pandemic but cases will soon drop: Health Minister

Nearly 7,000 new coronavirus cases were coming up daily in Delhi. Taking about the Delhi government’s preparedness to control rising coronavirus cases, State Health Minister Satyendar Jain has said that the national capital is currently passing through a “third wave” of the pandemic and asserted that the cases will “soon come down”.

In all, 6,953 new cases were recorded on Saturday, taking the cumulative tally to 4,30,784 cases that included 6,912 deaths. (IANS)

09:15 IST 8 Nov

Six countries report new coronavirus cases linked to mink farms

Denmark, the United States, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Sweden have reported new coronavirus cases linked to mink farms, the World Health Organization said in a statement.

Denmark has warned that a mutation of the virus had jumped from minks to humans and infected 12 people. Copenhagen has ordered the slaughter of all the estimated 15-17 million minks in the country.

17:21 IST 7 Nov

Odisha's COVID cases cross 3 lakh-mark

The total COVID-19 caseload in Odisha crossed the three lakh-mark while the death toll surpassed the 1,400-mark, said the health department on Saturday. The state has reported 1,372 fresh positive cases in the last 24 hours, taking the positive tally to 3,00,140. The total number of fatalities rose to 1,410 in the state as another 17 patients succumbed to the deadly virus in the last 24 hours.

10:00 IST 7 Nov

Karnataka to revamp ambulance service for COVID care

In view of its critical role in emergencies, the ‘108’ ambulance service in Karnataka would be revamped for better Covid care, state Health Minister K. Sudhakar said on Friday. “The ambulance service will be revamped to ensure better healthcare during the golden hour in Covid times,” Sudhakar told reporters here after a review meeting with health officials and representatives of iDeCK (Infrastructure Development Corporation (Karnataka) Ltd. iDeCK is a joint venture of the Karnataka government, the Infrastructure Development Finance Company Ltd (IDFC), and Housing Development Finance Corporation Ltd (HDFC).

10:39 IST 6 Nov

Swedish PM self-quarantines after possible exposure to COVID-19

Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven has self-quarantined after one of his close contacts was exposed to someone who had tested positive for the novel coronavirus. In a Facebook post on Thursday, the Prime Minister said that his contact had tested negative and that he himself was feeling well, reports Xinhua news agency. “We have no symptoms,” Lofven wrote of himself and his wife, adding that “in accordance with recommendations, we will take a corona test as soon as possible”. The Prime Minister plans to work remotely while he and his wife stay at home “for the time being”.

13:25 IST 5 Nov

Mental confusion can be early symptom of Covid

Another study adds to the growing body of evidence that delirium, a state of acute mental confusion, accompanied by a fever could be an early symptom of Covid-19.

The study, published in the Journal of Clinical Immunology and Immunotherapy, highlights the fact that, together with the loss of the senses of taste and smell and headaches that occur in the days prior to the manifestation of coughing and breathing difficulties, some patients also develop delirium. (IANS)

08:46 IST 5 Nov

Recoveries outnumber new Covid cases in K'taka, over 8,000 patients discharged on a single day

Maintaining its momentum, 8,045 recoveries outnumbered 3,377 new Covid cases on a single day in Karnataka.

“With 8,045 patients discharged on Tuesday, recoveries shot up to 7,88,780 till date, while 3,377 fresh cases were registered, taking the southern state’s Covid tally to 8,35,773, including 35,693 active cases,” said the state health bulletin on Wednesday. (IANS)

18:02 IST 4 Nov

Delhi hit by third Covid-19 wave: Arvind Kejriwal

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday said that the national capital is reporting a surge in Covid-19 cases over the past few days. He called it a “third wave” of the Covid-19 outbreak. Kejriwal said it while speaking to media persons at Hiranki village, where he visited to check the effectiveness of the bio-decomposing process of converting stubble into manure.

Kejriwal urged the public not to panic and assured that he is closely monitoring the situation. He is also holding a meeting to review Covid-19 management on Thursday.

Delhi reported 6,725 new Covid-19 cases on Tuesday after which the total tally crossed 400,000.

14:40 IST 4 Nov

46 more drivers and conductors of MSRTC test Covid positive

The number of drivers and conductors from the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation’s (MSRTC) Sangli division who contracted the novel coronavirus has reached 151, with 46 more staff tested positive for coronavirus this week. All were deployed to operate civic BEST buses in Mumbai, a senior MSRTC official said on Wednesday. Last week, 105 drivers and conductors from Sangli division had tested positive.

08:37 IST 4 Nov

Canada urges citizens to wear masks with a filter layer

The Public Health Agency of Canada has urged citizens of the country to wear face masks that are made of three layers, including a filter, amid an ongoing second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.

At Tuesday’s press conference in Ottawa, Chief Public Health Officer Theresa Tam said that masks with a filter will help trap small infectious particles and further protect against Covid-19 as the degree of protection varies based on the construction, materials, and particularly the fit of non-medical masks. (IANS)

18:36 IST 3 Nov

478 more test corona positive in J&K on Tuesday

As many as 478 more persons tested coronavirus positive in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday, while 578 others recovered and were discharged from different hospitals in the Union Territory.
So far, 96,188 coronavirus cases were reported in J&K, of which 88,718 have recovered. As many as 1,502 COVID patients have died in the UT, including 12 who succumbed on Tuesday. (IANS)

14:39 IST 3 Nov

Aspen signs deal with J&J for manufacturing Covid-19 vaccine

South African pharmaceutical company Aspen Pharmacare said it has entered into an agreement with ‘Johnson & Johnson’ (J&J) for the technical transfer and proposed commercial manufacturing of their Covid-19 vaccine candidate.

The vaccine candidate, Ad26.COV2-S is currently undergoing clinical trials. Aspen Pharmacare on Monday said it will perform formulation, filling and secondary packaging of the vaccine for supply to Johnson & Johnson. This agreement is still subject to the successful completion of the relevant technology transfer activities and finalisation of certain commercial manufacturing terms. (IANS)