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An experimental vaccine developed by China's Sinovac Biotech appeared to be safe in providing protection against the Covid-19 disease caused by the new coronavirus, preliminary results of a late stage clinical trial conducted in Brazil showed on Monday.

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Services on the financial capital's Metro rail began on Monday after remaining shut for nearly seven months due to the coronavirus pandemic, with a tepid response from the passengers.

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Community Durga Puja organisers in Kolkata said on Monday that they are staring at huge financial losses after the Calcutta High Court ordered that the pandals will be no-entry zones for visitors in wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

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Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Monday asked what was the issue with the Centre in admitting that there was a community spread of Covid-19, even though lakhs of positive cases have been reported in the national capital.

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World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Monday that 184 countries have now joined the COVAX facility, which aims to finance Covid-19 vaccines to be distributed fairly to both rich and poor countries.

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Interim results from Russia's late-stage human trial of a Covid-19 vaccine could include data from 5,000-10,000 participants, Denis Logunov, a director at the Gamaleya Institute that developed the vaccine, said on Monday.

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3,992 new Covid-19cases and 3,272 discharged cases reported in West Bengal today, as per the State Health Department. Total cases: 3,25,028 Active cases: 34,584 Death toll: 6,119

1,201 new #COVID19 cases and 8 deaths reported in Haryana today, according to the State Health Department.

Total cases: 1,51,234.

Death toll: 1,648

Recovered cases: 1,39,511

Active cases: 10,075 pic.twitter.com/HvRc7NFrCS

— ANI (@ANI) October 19, 2020

40 new Covid-19cases reported in Chandigarh in the last 24 hours. The total number of positive cases stands at 13,686 to date, including 861 active cases, 12,617 cured cases, and 208 deaths: Union Territory Health Department

Punjab reported 473 new Covid-19cases, 884 discharged cases & 17 deaths, taking total positive cases to 1,28,103 till date, including 1,18,767 discharges, 5,307 active cases & 4,029 deaths: State Health Department

Gujarat reports 996 new Covid-19cases, 8 deaths and 1,147 discharged/recovered cases today. Total cases now at 1,60,722 including 1,42,799 recoveries, 3,646 deaths and 14,277 active cases: State Health Department

Uttarakhand reports 336 new Covid-19 cases today, 504 patients cured. Total cases in the State rise to 58,360 including 51,486 recoveries and 933 deaths: Uttarakhand State Control Room

Karnataka reports 5,018 new Covid-19cases, 8,005 discharges, and 64 deaths today. Total cases in the State rise to 7,70,604 including 1,06,214 active cases, 6,53,829 discharges and 10,542 deaths: State Health Department, Govt of Karnataka

2,154 new Covid-19 cases, 31 deaths and 2,845 recoveries/discharges/migrations reported in Delhi today. Total cases rise to 3,33,171 including 3,04,561 recoveries/discharges/migrations and 6,040 deaths. Active cases stand at 22,570: Government of Delhi

Andhra Pradesh reports 2,918 new Covid-19cases today taking total positive cases to 7,86,050 including 35,065 active cases, 7,44,532 recoveries and 6,453 deaths: State Health Department

It is not true that during the Onam festival, Kerala Govt gave many relaxations. When the Kerala govt was focusing on Covid-19activities, the opposition parties sent the wrong message to society by organizing large scale protests violating all Covid-19 protocol: Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan

Manipur records 315 new Covid-19cases and 1 death today; the total number of positive cases in the State stands at 15,778 including 11,913 recoveries, 3,748 active cases and 117 deaths: State Health Department

Rajasthan detects 1,960 new Covid-19 cases and 15 deaths in the last 24 hours. Total positive cases in the state stand at 1,75,226 including 1,760 deaths, 1,52,573 recoveries and 20,893 active cases: State Health Department

Tamil Nadu reports 49 deaths and 3,536 new Covid-19cases today, taking the total number of cases in the State to 6,90,936. The death toll is at 10,691. 6,42,152 people have been discharged in the State so far including 4,515 discharges today: State Health Department

Kerala reports 5,022 new Covid-19cases, 7,469 recoveries and 21 deaths today. Active cases in the State stands at 92,731: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan

Jammu and Kashmir reports 427 new #COVID19 cases and 9 deaths today.

The total positive cases in the UT rises to 88,369 including 8,314 active cases, 78,667 recoveries and 1,388 deaths: Government of Jammu and Kashmir pic.twitter.com/kgEJPVQoYZ

— ANI (@ANI) October 19, 2020

The Calcutta High Court on Monday ordered that all Durga Puja pandals in West Bengal be declared no-entry zones in view of the Covid-19 pandemic. The High Court also stated that not more than 25 organisers will be allowed to enter the respective pandals and no visitors can enter the pandals.

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Vaccination procedures, training of staff & other logistics need to be coordinated by state & central govt when the time comes. We believe that India will make sure to not let Covid-19 cases increase & the slow decline trend which we're seeing will be maintained: Union Health Minister

India's cumulative Covid-19 positivity rate has remained below 8 per cent for four days, demonstrating that the rate of spread of infection is being effectively contained, the Union health ministry said on Monday.

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A campaign by coronavirus-stricken aviation giants to persuade the world it's safe to fly has been questioned by one of the scientists whose research it draws upon.

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Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday participated in a Civud-19 review meeting at Malappuram, which has been witnessing a spurt in positive cases of late.

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Residents of Australia's second-biggest city flocked to salons and golf courses Monday as some stay-at-home restrictions were eased after coronavirus infection rates fell.

Melbourne's five million people had been barred from leaving their homes with a few exceptions -- including shopping for essentials, exercising, or going to work -- for three months.

Poland's national stadium will double as a field hospital for Warsaw, a senior government official said on Monday, as a spike in coronavirus cases has strained health care facilities to the breaking point.

The decision came days after the government asked Poles to "stay home" and "work remotely" if possible as it announced a raft of restrictions to stem infections.

A decision on Haj 2021 will be taken after the Saudi Arabian government's final call on the pilgrimage and the national as well as international Covid-19 guidelines will have to be kept in mind to ensure the well-being of the pilgrims, Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said on Monday.

While chairing a Haj review meeting here, Naqvi said Haj 2021 is scheduled for June-July and the Haj Committee of India as well as other Indian agencies will formally announce the application process and other related preparations for the pilgrimage after a decision is taken by the Saudi Arabian government.

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister Govind Karjol has said eight members of his family have contracted coronavirus including his son Dr Gopal Karjol, who is on ventilator for the past 23 days.

In a long Twitter post, Karjol explained his inability to take up a long journey to physically monitor the flood situation in Bagalkote and Kalaburagi.

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister Govind Karjol has said eight members of his family have contracted coronavirus including his son Dr Gopal Karjol, who is on ventilator for the past 23 days.

In a long Twitter post, Karjol explained his inability to take up a long journey to physically monitor the flood situation in Bagalkote and Kalaburagi.

A sea of people has become a common sight at Kolkata's popular shopping destinations days ahead of Durga Puja, as Covid-19 protocols go for a toss with crowds maintaining precious little social distancing and removing masks at will.

"Durga Puja shopping cannot wait, corona or no corona," Rimpa Saha, a young homemaker, shot back when asked about venturing onto packed markets amid the raging pandemic in the city.

Police forces in England will have access to data of people told to self-isolate through the official National Health Service (NHS) Test and Trace system as part of their enforcement of coronavirus lockdown rules.

Forces will have access to information telling them if an individual has been told to self-isolate on a "case-by-case basis", the government's Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said on Friday.

The Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin has tested negative for coronavirus, her office said on Monday, after she had left the European Union summit prematurely on Friday due to coming near people who later tested positive.

Odisha on Monday reported 1,982 new Covid-19 cases, which took the tally in the coastal state to 2,70,346, while 17 fresh fatalities pushed the toll to 1,152, a health department official said.

Of the 1,982 cases, 1,156 were reported from various quarantine centres and the rest detected during contact tracing, the official said.

Sixty-four people tested positive for coronavirus in Ladakh, taking the virus caseload in the Union Territory to 5,598, officials said on Monday.

With 80 more patients recovered from the disease during the past 24 hours, the active cases in the region dropped to 917 – 755 in Leh district and 162 in Kargil district, the officials said.

German biotech company Evotec said on Monday it had received a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to help identify and develop potential monoclonal antibody (mAbS) drugs for the prevention of severe Covid-19.

Several drugmakers are testing antibody treatments for Covid-19 to help patients' immune systems fight the coronavirus that causes the disease which has killed more than 1 million people worldwide.

As fear of surge in Covid-19 numbers grows amid preparations for Durga puja, several pandal committees have made arrangements for virtual 'darshan' this time, while barring the physical entry of visitors.

There are, however, other puja associations that have argued that the festival is all about inclusiveness, and revellers cannot be stopped from visiting the marquees. They have given assurances that all necessary measures would be taken to manage crowds and ensure safety of one and all.

Long-time chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat was in "critical" condition and in a medically induced coma on Monday, said the Israeli hospital in Jerusalem treating him for coronavirus complications.

The Palestine Liberation Organization said on Sunday that Erekat had been admitted to Hadassah Ein Kerem hospital's coronavirus intensive care unit due to "chronic health problems in the respiratory system".

Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government hopes to reach an agreement shortly with local leaders in Manchester to impose a stricter Covid-19 lockdown, Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick said on Monday.

Jenrick said the government had offered Manchester more money. "This does now need to be brought to a conclusion," he said.

The total number of coronavirus cases in Ukraine has reached 303,638, while the death toll is at 5,673, the country's security council said on Monday.

Ukraine registered 4,766 new cases in the past 24 hours.

The country reported a record daily high of 6,410 new Covid-19 cases on Saturday.

The number of Covid-19 cases in Maharashtra's Aurangabad district rose to 36,576 after 120 more people tested positive for the viral infection, an official said on Monday.

Eight deaths due to Covid-19 were also reported in the district on Sunday, taking the toll to 1,034, he said.

For the first time after several weeks, Telangana reported new Covid-19 cases below the thousand mark with 948 fresh infections taking the tally to 2,23,059 while four more deaths pushed the toll to 1,275, the state government said on Monday.

The silver lining amidst the pandemic is that the total number of recoveries surpassed the two lakh mark at 2,00,686 with 1,896 people testing negative after treatment, it said in a bulletin, providing data as of 8 PM on October 18.

Antibody levels in the blood of Covid-19 patients drop rapidly during the weeks after their bodies have cleared the novel coronavirus, and symptoms have subsided, according to a study.

In the absence of approved, effective treatments for Covid-19, some hospitals have been treating patients with severe symptoms with blood plasma from recovering patients.

Wayne Rooney was "angry and disappointed" with a friend who had visited him despite being told to take a Covid-19 test and later testing positive, the former England captain's management said.

Rooney, a player-coach at Championship side Derby County, played in Derby's 1-0 home defeat by Watford on Friday, a day after the friend visited him at his home.

Seven more people succumbed to Covid-19 in Jharkhand, raising the toll to 839, while 385 fresh cases pushed the tally to 96,352, a health department official said on Monday.

Three deaths were recorded in Ranchi and one each in Palamu, Koderma, Dhanbad and Deoghar.

Punjab: Schools in the state reopen today, months after they were closed in the wake of #COVID19 pandemic. Only doubt clarification classes for std 9-12 are being allowed, online classes by the schools to continue. Visuals from a school in Ludhiana. pic.twitter.com/sTryDBMDvV

— ANI (@ANI) October 19, 2020

The number of Covid-19 recoveries in Arunachal Pradesh surpassed fresh cases on Monday, with 237 people recuperating from the disease, even as 55 new infections pushed the caseload in the northeast state to 13,406, a senior official said.

Barring 15, all new patients are asymptomatic and have been shifted to Covid care centres, State Surveillance Officer (SSO) Dr Lobsang Jampa said.

If you have pre-existing hearing impairment and have contracted Covid-19, chances are that the viral infection can worsen the hearing loss and you should seek help, say ENT doctors at Bengaluru hospitals.

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The state, which was reporting an average of 2,000 new cases per day till then, saw a surge in daily infections. The number rose rapidly that month to touch 11,755 cases on October 10.

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Worldwide coronavirus cases crossed 40 million on Monday, according to a Reuters tally, as the onset of winter in the northern hemisphere fuelled a resurgence in the spread of the disease.

The Reuters tally is based on official reporting by individual countries. Experts believe the true numbers of both cases and deaths are likely much higher, given deficiencies in testing and potential under-reporting by some countries.

South Korea has reported 76 new cases of the coronavirus as officials begin testing tens of thousands of employees at hospitals and nursing homes to prevent transmissions at live-in facilities.

The figures released by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency on Monday brought the national caseload to 25,275, including 444 deaths.

Governments and drugmakers have long faced skepticism, and even hostility, from a small but vocal group of anti-vaccination campaigners. In the battle against the coronavirus, they may also run into reluctance from a broader swath of the population

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Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte gave mayors the power to shut public squares from 9 p.m. to halt gatherings as he unveiled a further package of measures on Sunday to try to halt a sharp rise in Covid-19 cases.

As daily cases in Italy hit a new record 11,705 on Sunday, Conte said the situation had become critical but his government has been determined to avoid a repeat of the lockdown imposed at the start of the crisis in March.

South Africa's health minister, Zweli Mkhize, and his wife have tested positive for Covid-19, his office said late on Sunday.

"I am now in quarantine at home and both my wife and I remain optimistic that we will fully recover from this virus," Mkhize was quoted as saying in the statement

No new cases reported in Mizoram in the last 24 hours. The state's #COVID19 tally stands at 2253, including 2148 discharges. Active cases stand at 105: Department of Information and Public Relations, Government of Mizoram pic.twitter.com/cLRG7ns4wK

— ANI (@ANI) October 19, 2020

The Covid-19 death toll in West Bengal went past the 6,000-mark on Sunday with 64 more fatalities, even as a record number of 3,983 fresh cases pushed the tally to 3,21,036, the health department said.

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Reuters Photo

A devotee from Tamil Nadu, who was on a pilgrimage to Lord Ayyappa temple in Sabarimala, tested positive for coronavirus on Sunday during the mandatory antigen test conducted at Nilackal for pilgrims visiting the hill shrine, health authorities said....

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Europe passed the milestone of 250,000 deaths from Covid-19 on Sunday as Israel and Australia's second-largest city of Melbourne began to gradually ease their strict lockdowns.

European nations have ratcheted up restrictions on daily life to tackle soaring infections, with a 44 percent increase in cases this week.

Brazil reported 10,982 new cases of Covid-19 and 230 deaths from the disease caused by the novel coronavirus in the past 24 hours, the Health Ministry said on Sunday.

The South American country has now registered 5,235,344 cases since the pandemic began, while the official death toll from Covid-19 has risen to 153,905, according to ministry data, in the world's most fatal outbreak outside the United States.

China reported 13 new coronavirus cases in the mainland for Oct. 18, the same as a day earlier, the health commission said on Monday.

All of the new infections were imported, according to a statement by the National Health Commission.

China reported 33 new asymptomatic patients, compared with 34 a day earlier.

The Australian state of Victoria reported four new Covid-19 cases on Monday as people in Melbourne were granted more freedom to move about after a months-long lockdown, buoying hopes an outbreak in the city was nearing an end.

Case numbers were up from just two on Sunday, but extended a run of single-digit daily increases to almost a week and is well down from a peak of more than 700 cases in a single day in early August.