Coronavirus news highlights: India's active Covid-19 cases remain below 2.3 lakh; recoveries surge past 1 crore

Daily new Covid-19 cases in the country went above 20,000, breaking the five-day streak. The nation reported 20,346 new Covid-19 cases on Thursday, 19,587 recoveries and 222 more deaths. India's death toll has now crossed 1,50,000. Stay tuned to DH for the latest updates.

Andhra Pradesh government issues some fresh guidelines for surveillance, containment, control and proper treatment of Covid-19 patients and directs district collectors to be vigilant and personally monitor the day-to-day status of cases.

Karnataka reported 761 new Covid-19 cases, 812 discharges, and 7 deaths today.

Total cases: 9,24,898

Total discharges: 9,03,629

Death toll: 12,131

Active cases: 9,119

Manipur reported 47 new Covid-19 cases and 35 recoveries today, says State Health Department.

Total cases so far: 28,531

Total recoveries: 27,677

Active cases: 490

Total Deaths: 364

Recovery rate is 97.00 %

Tamil Nadu reported 805 new Covid-19 cases, 911 discharges, and 12 deaths in the last 24 hours: State Health Department

Total cases: 8,23,986

Total discharges: 8,04,239

Death toll: 12,200

Active cases: 7,547

Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan will visit Tamil Nadu on Friday to review preparedness and oversee dry run of Covid-19 vaccination.

Pan-India dry run for Covid-19 vaccine on January 8: Harsh Vardhan

Maharashtra reports 3,729 new Covid-19 cases, tally rises to 19,58,282; toll goes up to 49,897 as 72 die.

Croatia President, cabinet get Covid-19 vaccines publicly to fight fears

Croatia's president and most of the cabinet received coronavirus jabs before TV cameras on Thursday as part of a campaign to counter widespread vaccine hesitancy among the public.

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Union Health Secy has written to Maharashtra, Kerala, Chhattisgarh, and West Bengal urging them to take steps to curb the spike in Covid-19 cases.

The States are advised to maintain a strict vigil & keep a check on the rising cases, especially in view of the new strain of virus.

(ANI)

Covid-19 vaccine dry run to be conducted at 263 places across Karnataka

Karnataka has planned to conduct Covid-19 vaccination dry run at a total of 263 different health facilities across the state on January 8, Health Minister K Sudhakar said on Thursday.

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Are Covid-19 vaccine manufacturers or governments on the hook if things go wrong?

The Covid-19 vaccines are here and distribution has begun. But what if something goes wrong?

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7 private labs in Bengaluru fined for delaying Covid-19 test reports

Seven private Covid-testing labs, caught off-guard after being penalised by the BBMP for failing to issue reports within 48 hours as mandated by the government, insist that they issued reports on time.

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Kerala: BJP State President K Surendran tested positive for Covid-19 and has been admitted to MIMS hospital in Kozhikode.

Private investigators' body APDI forms global alliance against fake Covid-19 vaccines

As India gears up for a massive Covid-19 vaccination drive, private investigators' body APDI has formed an international alliance to check the circulation of fake vaccines.

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Protective immunity against novel coronavirus may last for over eight months: Study.

(PTI)

China reports 63 new Covid-19 cases, of which 52 were locally transmitted and 11 were imported infections.

Andhra Pradesh reports 295 Covid-19 cases, 368 recoveries and one death in the last 24 hours.

Total cases: 8,84,171
Total recoveries: 8,74,223
Death toll: 7,126

Active cases: 2,822

Students undergo thermal screening as they arrive to attend classes after the authorities reopened schools, amid coronavirus pandemic, at Govt Victoria School in Patiala. Credit: PTI Photo

Fact-check: Homoeopathic drug ‘Arsenicum album 30’ can't prevent coronavirus infection, as claimed by AYUSH Ministry

The novel coronavirus is the latest pandemic that has emerged from Wuhan, China and has spread to 16 countries including Thailand, France, Philippines, USA, Australia and India. Over 170 people have died and more than 6000 people have been infected. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared Coronavirus as a global health emergency.

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UK scrambles for hospital beds as coronavirus surges

Hospital chiefs in England were scrambling for hospital beds on Thursday as the surge in coronavirus cases risked overwhelming the system, healthcare providers and medics said.

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Delhi Govt orders re-opening of medical colleges under the UT govt with immediate effect, following a reduction in the number of Covid-19 cases in the national capital and assessment of the current situation. The medical colleges will be reopened by observing social distancing & SOPs.

(ANI)

Maharashtra: 451 new Covid-19 cases in Thane; death toll reaches 6,000.

Nine new Covid-19 cases push Mizoram's tally to 4,256.

No fresh Covid-19 case in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, tally at 4,949.

Nine new Covid-19 cases in Arunachal Pradesh; tally rises to 16,753.

With 230 more people testing positive for the infection, Odisha's Covid-19 tally mounts to 3,31,151.

A World Health Organisation (WHO) team visits a Covid vaccination centre in Gurugram for inspection

What does a new state of emergency mean for Japan?

The state of emergency declared in Japan on Thursday to tackle a record-breaking third coronavirus wave will be much less strict than lockdowns seen elsewhere, and softer even than the country's first Covid emergency last spring. So how will it impact daily life?

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Why lift ban on UK flights and expose people to risk? asks Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal

Delhi reports 486 new Covid-19 cases, 780 recoveries and 19 deaths in the last 24 hours, as per Delhi Health Department.

Total cases: 6,28,838

Total recoveries: 6,14,026

Death toll: 10,644

Active cases: 4,168

35 new Covid-19 cases, 47 recovered cases & 1 death reported in Puducherry today.

Total number of cases: 38,369
Total active cases: 359
Total recovered cases: 37,374
Death toll: 636

SC expresses concern over large gathering of farmers during Covid-19

The Supreme Court Thursday expressed concern over large gatherings of farmers protesting against the new farm laws at Delhi borders and asked the Centre whether they were “protected” against the spread of Covid-19.

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Indonesia reports record 9,321 new Covid-19 infections

Indonesia on Thursday reported a daily record 9,321 new coronavirus infections, bringing its total cases to 7,97,723, data from its Covid-19 task force showed.

It was the second consecutive day of reporting record infections. Thursday's data showed 224 people died due to the virus, bringing total fatalities to 23,520.

(Reuters)

Malaysia reports 3,027 new coronavirus cases, biggest daily jump

Malaysia on Thursday reported 3,027 new coronavirus cases, the biggest daily increase recorded in the country since the start of the pandemic.

A recent surge in infections has spooked investors, with the Kuala Lumpur stock index falling as much as 1.2% on Thursday, a day after authorities said the rise in cases was straining the country's health system.

(Reuters)

377 more Covid-19 positive cases have been reported on January 6 in Bihar, taking the total count of active cases in the state to 4,533.

Feedback on a dry run of Covid vaccine in 4 states was reviewed: Harsh Vardhan

Feedback on a dry run of Covid vaccine in 4 states was reviewed. We have made improvements based on the feedback. Tomorrow dry run will be done in 33 states & Union Territories: Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan at the meeting with health ministers of all states & UTs.

Indonesia Islamic council aims for halal ruling before mass vaccination

Indonesia's highest Muslim clerical council aims to issue a ruling on whether a Covid-19 vaccine is halal, or permissible under Islam before the country is due to start a mass inoculation programme using a Chinese vaccine next week.

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The two 'made in India' Covid-19 vaccines have instilled a new confidence in the people of India: Prime Minister Narendra Modi

India's Covid-19 tally inches closer to 1.04 crore

India reports 20,346 new Covid-19 cases, 19,587 discharges, and 222 deaths in last 24 hours, as per Union Health Ministry.

Total cases: 1,03,95,278 Active cases: 2,28,083 Total discharges: 1,00,16,859 Death toll: 1,50,336

At DDMA meeting, Baijal directs Delhi govt agencies to coordinate COVID immunisation drive

Lt Governor Anil Baijal in a meeting of DDMA on Wednesday directed all concerned agencies of the Delhi government to work in close coordination with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare for effective roll-out of thecoronavirusvaccine.

The 15th meeting of the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) chaired by Baijal was also attended by Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain and Revenue Minister Kailash Gahlot.

Global virus deaths hit record high as EU approves second vaccine

The EU cleared a secondcoronavirusvaccine for use on Wednesday bringing relief to European countries struggling with spiralling infections, as the world clocked up a record number of deaths in a single day.

The Moderna vaccine is now set to join Pfizer-BioNTech's jab for use in the 27-nation European Union, where governments have been criticised for slow rollouts of the doses already available.

"We'll have more than enough safe and effective vaccines for protecting all Europeans," promised European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen.

The breakthrough came as a record 15,769 Covid-19 deaths around the world were registered in 24 hours.

Bihar's Covid-19 tally mounts to 2,55,096 as 408 more people test positive, 5 new fatalities push death toll to 1,420; active case count 4,156: Health department bulletin