Coronavirus news highlights: Delhi LG amends Epidemic Disease Management of Covid-19 Regulations 2020

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a meeting to review India’s vaccination strategy and the way forward. He reviewed various issues like prioritisation of population groups and reaching out to healthcare workers. India's Covid-19 tally crosses 90.4 lakh with over 39,600 new cases, 426 new fatalities. The death toll rose to 1,32,691. Night curfew imposed in four cities in Gujarat and five districts in Madhya Pradesh. Delhi LG amends Delhi Epidemic Disease Management of Covid-19 Regulations 2020. Wealthy nations reiterated their opposition to a proposal to waive intellectual property rules for Covid-19 drugs, three trade sources said, despite pressure to make an exception to improve access to drugs for poorer countries.

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Total number of confirmed positive cases in India reaches 90,48,425; death toll stands at 1,32,691 as of November 20

West Bengal reports 3,626 new Covid-19 cases

West Bengal reports 3,626 new Covid-19 cases, 3,850 discharges, and 53 deaths, says State Health Department

Total cases: 4,45,505

Active cases: 25,599

Death toll: 7,923

Total discharges: 4,15,609

Delhi reports 6,608 new Covid-19 cases

Delhi reports 6,608 new Covid-19 cases (out of 62,425 tests), 8,775 recoveries, and 118 deaths, according to Delhi Health Department

Total cases: 5,17,238

Total recoveries: 4,68,143

Active cases: 40,936

Death toll: 8,159

148 more Covid-19 cases detected in Nagaland, tally rises to 10,608

Nagaland's Covid-19 tally went up to 10,608 after 148 people tested positive for coronavirus on Friday, Health and Family Welfare Minister S Pangnyu Phom said.

He said, 97 patients have also recovered during the day.

"148 +ve cases of Covid-19 detected today. Dimapur- 138, Kohima- 8, Mon and Tuensang- 1 each," the minister tweeted.

Of the confirmed 10.608 cases, 9,104 have recovered while 1,340 are active patients, said Director of Health Department Dr Denis Hangsing in the daily Covid-19 bulletin.

The recovery rate in the state is 85.82 per cent now, he said.

'Tis The Season!

People walk in the rain past Christmas decorations in central London on November 20, 2020, as life under a second lockdown continues in England. - The current lockdown in England has shuttered restaurants, gyms and non-essential shops and services until December 2, with hopes business could resume in time for Christmas.

Credit: AFP Photo

Andhra Pradesh reports 1,221 new Covid-19 cases taking the total positive cases in the State to 8,57,037 There are 15,382 active cases and 8,34,735 recovered cases in the State; the death toll is at 6,920 as per the State Health Department

Maharashtra reports 5,640 new COVID-19 cases, tally rises to 17,68,695; fatality count goes up to 46,511 as 155 die: Official

Gujarat govt imposes night curfew from 9pm to 6am in Surat, Vadodara, Rajkot as well, until further notice The curfew will be effective from Saturday onwards, according to multiple media reports

Night curfew to be imposed between 10 pm to 6 am, starting from November 21 in Indore, Bhopal, Gwalior, Vidisha, and Ratlam districts. People engaged in essential services & factory workers are exempted: Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan

Delhi LG amends Delhi Epidemic Disease Management of Covid-19 Regulations 2020

Delhi LG amends Delhi Epidemic Disease Management of Covid-19 Regulations 2020, empowering 'authorised persons' to impose Rs 2000 fine for violation of quarantine rules, social distancing norms, not wearing face masks & consumption of pan, gutka etc in public places.

Around 172 students and an equal number of teachers of various schools in state have tested Covid-19 positive. So it has been decided to shut down the schools for the next 15 days. We will be conducting more tests: Haryana Education Minister Kanwar Pal

Karnataka reports 1,781 new Covid-19 cases, 2,181 discharges and 17 deaths today Total cases in the state rise to 8,69,561, including 8,33,169 discharges and 11,621 deaths. Active cases stand at 24,752

661 new Covid-19 cases reported in Jammu and Kashmir

661 new Covid-19 cases reported in Jammu and Kashmir today; 253 from Jammu division and 408 from the Kashmir division.

Total number of cases now at 1,05,376 including 5,678 active cases, 98,076 recoveries, and 1,622 deaths: Govt of Jammu and Kashmir

5 deaths and 512 fresh Covid-19 cases reported in Uttarakhand today. The total number of positive cases in the state is 70,205 including 64,939 recoveries, 4,051 active cases and 1,138 deaths

Kerala records 6,028 new Covid-19 cases today; active cases in the state at 67,831. Total 4,81,718 recoveries have been reported so far: Kerala Government

Centre may send high-level teams to states, UTs reporting rise in Covid-19 cases

The Centre had on Thursday rushed high-level teams to districts of Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Manipur to support these states’ efforts towards strengthening containment, surveillance, testing and efficient clinical management of coronavirus positive cases.

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I miss the audience: a French performer's life in Covid-19 lockdown

On the stage at the Hebertot theatre in Paris, Trinidad Garcia is re-enacting a scene from her one-woman show, "For you to keep loving yourself," to an audience of zero.

The show premiered in September and was meant to run at the theatre until December, before Covid-19 intervened. A nationwide lockdown has forced the closure of the theatre, and the cancellation of the shows.

"There are days when, what weighs on me in this solitude, is the lack of contact with the public," said the 55-year-old, who goes by the stage name Trinidad.

"I do the play for the people, do be with people, I've always done that," she said, reprising for Reuters a performance that she last gave to a live audience of 8 people on Oct. 29, the day before the lockdown came into force.

Nearly a year into the global pandemic, many workplaces have found a way to keep ticking over, but live performance is struggling. The industry's business model, packing spectators into a confined space, does not sit well with social distancing.

Trinidad receives a stipend from a government insurance scheme for out of work people in the performing arts, of 1,500 euros ($1,780) a month.

(Reuters)

No lockdown to be imposed in the state: Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister

2,840 new Covid-19 cases, 20 more deaths in UP

Uttar Pradesh reported 20 more Covid-19 fatalities on Friday, taking the death toll to 7,500, while 2,840 new cases pushed the state's infection count to 5,21,988.

The number of active coronavirus cases now stands at 23,357, Additional Chief Secretary, Health, Amit Mohan Prasad told reporters here.

"The active cases now are 23,357 and the number of those who have recovered from the infection is 4,91,131. The death toll has gone up to 7,500," Prasad said.

The state recorded 2,840 fresh Covid-19 cases and the total number of cases has reached 5,21,988, he said.

(PTI)

Infectiousness peaks earlier in Covid-19 patients than thought, study says

People infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus, that causes Covid-19, are most likely to be highly infectious in the first week after symptom onset, highlighting the need to identify and isolate cases early, according to a study.

The research, published in The Lancet Microbe journal, says that although the genetic material of the novel coronavirus may still be detected in the respiratory or stool samples of COVID-19 patients for several weeks, no infectious virus particle was found beyond nine days of symptom onset.

"This is the first systematic review and meta-analysis that has comprehensively examined and compared viral load and shedding for these three human coronaviruses," said study lead author Muge Cevik from the University of St Andrews in the UK.

(PTI)

What you need to know about the coronavirus right now

Reinfection unlikely for at least 6 months

People who've had Covid-19 are highly unlikely to contract it again for at least six months after their first infection, according to a British study of healthcare workers.

The findings should offer some reassurance for the more than 51 million people worldwide who have been infected, researchers at the University of Oxford said.

"This is really good news, because we can be confident that, at least in the short term, most people who get COVID-19 won’t get it again," said David Eyre, a professor at Oxford's Nuffield Department of Population Health, who co-led the study.

WHO advises against remdesivir for hospitalised patients

Gilead's remdesivir is not recommended for patients hospitalised with Covid-19, regardless of how ill they are, as there is no evidence the drug improves survival or reduces the need for ventilation, a World Health Organization panel said on Friday.

(Reuters)

Sinovac may get Phase III trial results of COVID-19 vaccine by Dec, executive says

Chinese vaccine maker Sinovac Biotech could have the results of its experimental Covid-19 vaccine from late-stage clinical trials as soon as next month, an executive said on Friday.

Sinovac's CoronaVac is in large late-stage trials in Brazil, Indonesia and Turkey. Preliminary results of early to mid-stage trials showed this week that it triggered a quick immune response but lower levels of antibodies than those seen in people who have recovered from Covid-19.

"Phase III is now running quite well," Weining Meng, senior director of Sinovac, told the Global Town Hall 2020 conference held online. "I guess maybe next month we'll have data available."

(Reuters)

Covid-19 vaccine should be available for public by April 2021: Adar Poonawalla

Serum Institute of India's CEO Adar Poonawalla said the Oxford Covid-19 vaccine should be available for healthcare workers and elderly people by around February 2021 and by April for the general public.

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Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation restricts celebration of Chhath Puja on beaches

"There's usually a lot of crowd here on Chhath Puja but because of Covid-19 we're going to celebrate it at home. We support govt's decision," says a visitor

Gujarat CM rules out Covid-19 lockdown, curfew only in Ahmedabad

As Ahmedabad city prepares for a 57-hour-long curfew following a spike in cases, the Gujarat government on Friday ruled out a fresh statewide lockdown to contain the spread of coronavirus.

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More people in twenties flew post Covid-19 lockdown: Survey

More passengers who are in the 20-29 age group have been travelling after the coronavirus-triggered lockdown, according to a survey released by AirAsia India on Friday.

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Serum Institute of India decided to bet early on Covid-19 vaccine to save lives: Adar Poonawalla

Adar Poonawalla set out to double the capacity of Serum Institute of India (SII) way back in 2011 and today it is the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer by volume.

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More than 50,000 Ayushman Bharat-Health and Wellness Centres (AB-HWCs), which aim at providing primary health care services to communities closer to their homes, are now operational across the country and have witnessed over 28.10 crore footfalls, the Health Ministry says.

Centre has rushed four high-level teams to Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat & Manipur to visit the districts reporting high number of Covid cases & support State's efforts. Centre is also contemplating about sending teams to other States/UTs reporting a rise in cases: Govt of India

Almost a million people inoculated with Chinese Covid-19 vaccine

Nearly a million people have taken an experimental coronavirus vaccine developed by Chinese company Sinopharm, the firm said, although it has not yet provided any clear clinical evidence of efficacy.

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EU could pay over $10 billion for Pfizer and CureVac vaccines

The European Union could pay more than $10 billion to secure hundreds of millions of doses of the vaccine candidates being developed by Pfizer-BioNTech and CureVac, an EU official involved in the talks told Reuters.

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Health experts clash over use of certain drugs for Covid-19

Health officials around the world are clashing over the use of certain drugs for Covid-19, leading to different treatment options for patients depending on where they live.

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All schools in BMC jurisdiction to remain closed till 31 December. The decision has been taken in the wake of rise in Covid-19 cases in Mumbai. Schools will not re-open on November 23: Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar

Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij volunteers for Covaxin trial

India stands with Bhutan in difficult hour of Covid-19 pandemic, its requirements will always be top priority for us: PM Modi

Contact tracing is already underway at a large scale. House-to-house survey would be conducted in containment zones from today to check on symptomatic patients. Govt rates will be charged for 60% Covid-19 beds reserved by Delhi govt in private hospitals: Delhi Health Minister

Questionable testing belies drop in India's Covid-19 infections

India’s daily coronavirus infections have been cut in half since a peak of more than 97,000 in mid-September, but the significant drop has raised fresh questions over the South Asian nation’s testing regime and whether it reflects the true state of its epidemic. '

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Covid-19 patients likely to be most infectious during first week after symptom onset: Study

Although the genetic material of the novel coronavirus may still be detected in the respiratory or stool samples of Covid-19 patients for several weeks, no infectious virus particle was found beyond nine days of symptom onset, a new study says.

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Jharkhand reports 230 new Covid-19 cases, three more fatalities. Infection tally mounts to 1,06,972, death toll reaches 937. The state now has 2,600 active cases of the disease.

Andaman & Nicobar Islands reports 19 new Covid-19 cases; infection tally rises to 4,604. The archipelago now has 145 active cases of the disease.

Helping Hand: Robots, immune from virus, pack Thanksgiving food to spare elderly helpers

Star Wars robot R2-D2 cannot deliver Thanksgiving dinner to your door, but his relatives are doing the packing.

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Top Pentagon official tests positive for coronavirus

A Pentagon official installed in a top policy job last week has tested positive for Covid-19, the Pentagon said Thursday, just days after he met with the Lithuanian defence minister, who had contracted the virus.

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Superspreader events key driver in Covid-19 pandemic

At churches, on cruise ships, and even in the White House, superspreading events that can sicken dozens, even hundreds, of people have illustrated the potential for the coronavirus to infect in dramatic bursts.

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Fauci says Pfizer, Moderna Covid vaccine data is 'solid'

The United States' top infectious disease official said Thursday that two coronavirus vaccines being tested were "solid," and that the speed at which they were developed has not compromised safety or integrity.

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A total of 12,95,91,786 samples tested for Covid-19, up to 19th November. Of these, 10,83,397 samples were tested yesterday: Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)

India's active coronavirus caseload stands at 4,437,94 with 93.58 % recovery rate.

44,807 recovered from the disease in the last 24 hours taking the recovery tally to 84,28,409.

With 584 new fatalities India's death toll rose to 1,32,162.

India reports 45,882 new Covid-19 cases taking the tally to 90,04,365.

WHO advises against Gilead's remdesivir for all hospitalised Covid-19 patients

Gilead's drug remdesivir is not recommended for patients hospitalised with Covid-19, regardless of how ill they are, as there is no evidence it improves survival or reduces the need for ventilation, a World Health Organization panel said on Friday.

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Small chance of Covid surge after schools reopen in Karnataka: experts

As the government mulls reopening schools amid the ongoing Covid-19 outbreak, medical experts said a surge in cases is likely to occur depending on how much children end up driving disease transmission.

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Germany's BioNTech gives hope as US coronavirus deaths top 2.5 lakh

The German maker of a top coronavirus vaccine said on Friday its jab could be delivered as early as December, offering more promising news even as virus deaths in the world's worst-affected country, the United States, passed a quarter of a million.

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EU says could approve two coronavirus vaccines this year

The European Union could approve two coronavirus vaccines being tested by Pfizer-BioNTech and by Moderna before the end of next month, EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said Thursday.

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Passengers stand in a queue to register themselves for a RT-PCR test for the Covid-19 at Inter-State Bus Terminal (ISBT) in New Delhi. Credit: AFP Photo

As Covid-19 cases rise in US, jobless claims follow

The United States saw a sharp increase in new filings for jobless benefits last week, a sign that the unemployment crisis could be intensifying again as the world's largest economy endures a surge in Covid-19 infections.

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Pfizer, BioNTech to seek emergency Covid-19 vaccine approval in US on November 20

An emergency use authorisation request for the Covid-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech was expected to be filed with the FDA Friday, the US government and BioNTech's co-founder said.

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Biden says won't order 'national shutdown' despite Covid-19 surge

US President-elect Joe Biden said Thursday he would not order a nationwide shutdown to fight the Covid-19 pandemic despite a surge in cases.

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South Australia faces strict lockdown after 22 new Covid-19 cases emerge

While Australian state of Victoria, Queensland and New South Wales have recorded no new Covid-19 cases, South Australia is facing a strict lockdown after a cluster of 22 cases was identified this week.

Almost 22 new cases were linked to the Parafield cluster, including one positive case who was a pizza worker at Woodville, in Adelaide’s western suburbs on Wednesday.

(PTI)

Mizoram reports 28 new Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours, taking the total cases in the state to 3541.A total of 3025 discharged from hospital after recovering from the disease, death toll 5. Active cases stand at 511.

Coronavirus could disrupt global economic recovery: IMF director

The head of the International Monetary Fund said on Thursday that the while the United States and other major economies turned in better-than-expected economic performances in the third quarter, the world now faces slower momentum with a resurgence in coronavirus cases.

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Coca-Cola looks to energize growth amid pandemic slump

The Coca-Cola Company said Thursday it was shaking up its product mix as part of an effort to revive sales which have been slumping during the coronavirus pandemic.

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December vaccine rollout possible, BioNTech CEO says

BioNTech co-founder Ugur Sahin said on Thursday the frontrunner Covid-19 vaccine his German firm is developing with Pfizer could be rolled out before the year is over in the United States or Europe.

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New contact tracing apps stir hope for virus fighters in US states

A new wave of mobile apps that help track exposure to the coronavirus is coming to US states ahead of the holidays as public health officials bet that recently introduced features from Apple Inc and Alphabet Inc's Google will significantly boost adoption and impact.

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US CDC reports 249,670 deaths from coronavirus

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Thursday reported 11,465,722 cases of the novel coronavirus, an increase of 165,087 cases from its previous count, and said that the number of deaths had risen by 1,836 to 249,670.

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