Coronavirus news highlights: Delhi records 399 new Covid-19 cases, 12 deaths

India's Covid-19 tally climbed to 1,04,50,284 on Sunday with 18,645 new cases, 201 deaths. The national recovery rate rises to 96.42 per cent. Currently there are 2,23,335 active cases in the country, which is 2.13 per cent of the total caseload. Meanwhile, India is set to launch its Covid-19 vaccination drive on January 16. Priority will be given to nearly three crore healthcare and frontline workers, the government said on Saturday.

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Coronavirus news live: Preparations underway in states for first phase of Covid-19 vaccination drive | Deccan Herald

Centre asks states to conduct door-to-door survey to enroll students, relax detention norms

"The states and UTs have been advised to carry out proper identification of Out-of-School Children (OoSC) for 6 to 18 years age group through a comprehensive door-to-door survey and prepare an action plan for their enrolment," the official added.

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Indian economy heading towards V-shaped recovery in 2021: Assocham

"The high-frequency data is a strong pointer to a V-shaped recovery in 2021 with the seeds bursting into green shoots over the last two months of 2020 itself," Assocham Secretary General Deepak Sood said.

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Now, Japan says it found new coronavirus variant similar to UK strain

In a separate statement, Japan’s Ministry of Health said the four passengers who arrived at Japan’s Haneda airport from Brazil on Jan. 2 were later diagnosed with a variant of the virus. One male in his 40s, who was asymptomatic upon arrival, was hospitalized as his respiratory system worsened.

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Two sisters Qurat-ul-Ain Zohra and Aiman Zohra along with their mother give a final touch to a snow sculpture to honour health workers and their fight against COVID-19, after a heavy snowfall, outside their residence in Srinagar, Jan. 10, 2021. | PTI

Covid-19 ICU patients at risk of acute brain dysfunction, says study

The research, published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine journal, tracked the incidence of delirium and coma in over 2,000 Covid-19 patients admitted before April 28, 2020, to 69 adult intensive care units across 14 countries.

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Rajasthan: 4.5 lakh health workers to be vaccinated in first phase, says health minister

Preparations for rolling out Covid-19 vaccination programme in Rajasthan have been made and around 4.5 lakh health workers will be vaccinated in the first phase, Health Minister Raghu Sharma said on Sunday.

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India's Covid-19 fatality rate declines to 1.44%; daily deaths below 300 for last 16 days

As part of the Covid-19 management and response policy, there has been a sharp focus of the Centre on not only containing the viral disease but also to reduce deaths and to save lives by providing quality clinical care to the critical and severely diseased patients.

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CoWIN shall form foundation of Covid-19 inoculation drive: Centre

India will launch its Covid-19 vaccination drive from January 16 in what Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called the world's largest inoculation programme with priority to be given to nearly three crore healthcare and frontline workers.

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89 locations identified as Covid-19 vaccination centres in Delhi

Health Minister Satyendar Jainsaid that the first batch of vaccines is likely to arrive by Tuesday or Wednesday and health workers will be the first ones to be vaccinated followed by frontlineworkers and those above 50 years with comorbidities.

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With 399 new cases, Delhi's Covid-19 count rises to 6,30,200, while 12 deaths take toll to 10,678: Health bulletin

People are seen at a market amidst the spread of the coronavirus disease, in the old quarters ofDelhi. Credit: Reuters File Photo

Covid-19 situation in Karnataka under control, but we are taking all precautions: Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa

89 sites -- 36 govt and 53 private hospitals -- finalised for Covid-19 vaccination in Delhi from Jan 16. Only health workers will be vaccinated in the first phase: Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain

No new mutant virus vases in last 24 hours: UK Health Ministry

Total number infected with new strain of coronavirus from United Kingdom stands at 90; no addition in the last 24 hours: Ministry of Health (ANI)

Karnataka CM Yediyurappa says Karnataka's Covid-19 situation under control

COVID-19 situation in Karnataka under control, but we are taking all precautions: Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa(PTI)

Vietnam to limit inbound flights ahead of Lunar New Year

Vietnam will limit flights bringing citizens home from now until the end of the Lunar New Year in mid-February, when big gatherings indoors are expected, to reduce coronavirus risks, the country's prime minister said.

With a newCovid-19 variant spreading around the globe and the upcoming Lunar New Year, the country's most important holiday, only necessary flights approved by health, foreign, defence, public security and transport ministry are allowed to enter the country, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said.

After the Lunar New Year, which falls on February 10-16, the transport ministry will study the possibility of international flights resumption, Phuc added. (Reuters)

Want to thank scientists for developing Covid-19 vaccine: Punjab Minister

89 vaccination sites finalised: Delhi Health Minister

Expect to vaccinate 4.5 lakh people in first phase of vaccination; 18,000 personnel trained: Rajasthan Health Minister

351 test Covid positive, two die due to coronavirus in Telangana

Telangana recorded 351 newCovid-19 cases and two related deaths, taking the total infection count to 2,89,784 and the toll to 1,565, the state government said on Sunday.

A total of 4,756 patients were under treatment, a health department bulletin said, providing data as of 8 PM on January 9.

Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation accounted for the most number of fresh cases with 65, followed by Ranga Reddy 30 and Medchal Malkajgiri 28. (PTI)

Coronavirus vaccine to be free in West Bengal, says Mamata

33k tonnes of Covid-19 waste generated in India since June: CPCB

India generated around 33,000 tonnes ofCovid-19 biomedical waste in the last seven months, with Maharashtra contributing the maximum (3,587 tonnes) to it, according to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data.

Over 5,500 tonnes ofCovid-19 waste was generated across the country in October -- the maximum for a month so far.

Covid-19 biomedical waste could include PPE kits, masks, shoe covers, gloves, human tissues, items contaminated with blood, body fluids like dressings, plaster casts, cotton swabs, beddings contaminated with blood or body fluid, blood bags, needles, syringes etc. (PTI)

8.43 Lakh samples tested on Saturday: ICMR

A year after first death, Coronavirus origin still a puzzle

January 11 marks the anniversary of China confirming its first death fromCovid-19, a 61-year-old man who was a regular at the now-notorious Wuhan wet market.

Nearly two million deaths later, the pandemic is out of control across much of the world, leaving tens of millions ill, a pulverised global economy and recriminations flying between nations.

Yet China, which has broadly controlled the pandemic on its soil, is still frustrating independent attempts to trace the virus' origins and the central question of how it jumped from animals to humans.

There is little dispute that the virus which brought the world to its knees sparked its first known outbreak in late 2019 at a wet market in the central Chinese city of Wuhan where wildlife was sold as food, and the pathogen is believed to have originated in an undetermined bat species.

But the trail ends there, clouded by a mishmash of subsequent clues that suggest its origins may predate Wuhan as well as conspiracy theories -- amplified by US President Donald Trump -- that it leaked from a Wuhan lab. (AFP)

After Australian GP, Chinese GP seeks to postpone race

Organisers of the Chinese Grand Prix say they have asked Formula One management to move the Shanghai race from April to later in the 2021 calendar, Motorsport.com has reported.

"We have been in contact (with F1) via conference call almost every week," Yibin Yang, the general manager of race promoter Juss Event, was quoted as saying by the website.

"Despite the calendar being in place as usual, I think it's hugely uncertain the F1 race would take place in the first half of the year, in April.

"We aim to swap it to the second half of the year, and we have formally submitted the request that we hope to move it to the second half of the year." (Reuters)

Jharkhand sees 236 new Covid-19 cases

Jharkhand reported 236 new cases ofCovid-19, taking the tally to 1,16,672, a health official said on Sunday.

Two more people died in the state in the last 24 hours, following which the toll rose to 1,045.

So far, 1,14,133 people have recovered from the disease in the state.

There are 1,494 active cases in Jharkhand at present.

The latest deaths were reported from Ranchi and Dhanbad.

Maharashtra: 371 new infections in Thane

Thane has added 371 new cases of coronavirus, taking the infection count in the Maharashtra district to 2,46,702, an official said on Sunday.

Apart from these new cases recorded on Saturday, seven more people also died ofCovid-19, raising the death toll in the district to 6,021, he said.

TheCovid-19 mortality rate in the district currently stands at 2.44 per cent, the official said. (PTI)

Four security personnel among 17 who tested Covid positive in Mizoram

Seventeen more people tested positive forCovid-19 in Mizoram, taking the state's tally to 4,292 on Sunday, an official said.

Eleven of the new cases were reported from the Aizawl district, four from Lawngtlai and two cases were detected in the Lunglei district, he said.

Two Army personnel and two Border Security Force (BSF) jawans were among the newly-infected people. (PTI)

India sees 18,645 fresh Covid-19 cases, 19,299 recoveries and 201 deaths

India recorded 18,645 new Covid-19 cases, 19,299 recoveries, and 201 deaths, according to data from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW).

Total cases: 1,04,50,284

Active cases: 2,23,335

Total discharges: 1,00,75,950 '

Death toll: 1,50,999

(ANI)

Mexico registers 16k positive cases; new record daily Covid-19 tally

Mexico on Saturday reported a record 16,105 new confirmed coronavirus cases, along with 1,135 additional fatalities, according to health ministry data, bringing its total tally to 1,524,036 infections and 133,204 deaths.

The new daily death toll marks the fifth consecutive day that officials have reported more than 1,000 fatalities due to the highly contagious disease caused by the virus.

The real number of infected people and deaths is likely significantly higher than the official count, the ministry has said, due to little testing. (Reuters)

New Covid-19 case tally doubles in China; infections largely in Hebei

Mainland China reported 69 newCovid-19 cases on Jan. 9, more than double the 33 reported cases a day earlier, the country's national health authority said on Sunday.

The National Health Commission said in its daily bulletin that 21 of the new cases were imported.

The bulk of locally transmitted cases, 46 out of 48, were in Hebei, the province surrounding Beijing which entered a "wartime mode" this week as it battles a new cluster of coronavirus infections. (Reuters)

Over one lakh yet to get Rs 5,000 lockdown dole

Nearly a year after the Covid-19 lockdown snatched livelihoods, thousands of construction workers, barbers and washermen are yet to receive the direct cash benefit of Rs 5,000 the state government had promised.

According to data tabled in the Assembly in response to a question, the government had stated that compensation for at least one lakh construction workers and 14,000 washermen and barbersis still pending.

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Sudhakar sees Covid-19 flip side, says OPD cases slid during pandemic

Finding the silver lining amidst the Covid-19 pandemic crisis, Health and Medical Education Minister Dr K Sudhakar on Saturday said that the common Out Patient Department (OPD) cases in all major hospitals across Karnataka had come down drastically due to the pandemic-accelerated new normal — hygiene, frequent washing of hands and social distancing rule.

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Not to worry, but Karnataka should watch Covid-19 numbers

Karnataka's daily Covid-19 caseload has seen a slight spike for the last few days, raising concerns of a further surge in numbers that have remained in triple digits for a while now.

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