Coronavirus news highlights: Bengal reports 1,435 new Covid-19 cases, 29 fresh fatalities

With 18,732 new Covid-19 infections, India's total cases rose over one crore eighty-seven lakh today. The country's tally currently stands at 1,01,87,850. The daily new Covid-19 fatality count was reported below 300 after over six months for the second consecutive day. On the vaccine front, sources believe that the Indian drug regulator may give nod to the Oxford Covid-19 vaccine next week, before deciding on giving emergency use authorisation to the Serum Institute.

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Indian Covid-19 mutation 'N440k' found in one-third of Andhra's coronavirus genomes

Indian researchers have found 19 coronavirus variants circulating in India with "escape mutations" that allow them to evade the antibodies generated by immune systems and one such variant is spreading fast in Andhra Pradesh.

3 UK returness among 911 fresh Covid-19 infections in Karnataka

Karnataka on Sunday reported 911 fresh coronavirus infections and 11 deaths taking the total cases and fatalities to 9,16,256 and 12,062 respectively.

Three more UK returnees were among those who tested positive, taking their total to 26, the state government said.

The total infections comprised 8,91,095 cumulative discharges of them 1,214 on Sunday and 13,080 active cases, including 209 in the intensive care units of various hospitals, a health department bulletin said.

Bengal reports 1,435 new Covid-19 cases, 29 fresh fatalities

West Bengal's Covid-19 tally mounted to 5,47,443 on Sunday as 1,435 more people tested positive for the infection, a health bulletin said.

Twenty-nine more people succumbed to the infection, pushing the state's coronavirus death toll to 9,598, it said.

As many as 1,740 more people have been cured of the disease, taking the recovery rate among the coronavirus patients in the state to 95.73 per cent, the bulletin said.

Maharashtra sees 3,314 new Covid-19 cases, 66 deaths

The Covid-19 tally in Maharashtra rose to 19,19,550 on Sunday with the addition of 3,314 fresh infections, the state health department said.

With 66 more people succumbing to the viral disease, the overall death toll in the state mounted to 49,255, it said in a statement.

A total of 2,124 patients were discharged in the state during the day, taking the number of recoveries to 18,09,948, it said.

Gujarat sees 850 new Covid-19 cases, 920 recoveries; 7 die

Gujarat on Sunday reported 850 fresh coronavirus positive cases, taking the count of infections to 2,41,845, the state health department said.

With seven more persons succumbing to the viral disease, the total death toll in the state reached 4,282, it said.

A total of 920 patients were discharged in the day, taking the cumulative number of recoveries in the state to 2,27,128.

J&K records 260 fresh Covid-19 cases, two deaths

Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday recorded 260 fresh coronavirus cases, raising the tally to 1,20,137, while two more deaths pushed the fatality count to 1,869, officials said.

Of the fresh cases, 119 were reported from Kashmir and 141 from the Jammu division of the union territory, they said.

The officials said Jammu recorded the highest of 93 cases, followed by 69 in Srinagar district.

Tamil Nadu records 1,009 new Covid-19 cases, 10 deaths

Tamil Nadu added 1,009 fresh infections to its coronavirus tally on Sunday, taking the total count to 8.14 lakh while 10 more fatalities pushed the toll to 12,069, the health department said.

Daily recoveries continued to outnumber the new cases with 1,091 people getting cured, taking the aggregate to 7,93,154, a bulletin said. The number of active cases stood at 8,947.

Four contacts of UK returnees in AP test Covid positive

Four contacts of the UK- returned Covid-19 positive persons contracted the infection in Andhra Pradesh on Sunday, the health authorities here said. So far, six of the 1,216 people, who returned from the UK in recent days tested positive for coronavirus in East Godavari, Krishna, Anantapuramu, Guntur and SPS Nellore districts.

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Covid: 843 new cases, six more deaths in Rajasthan

Rajasthan reported 843 fresh Covid-19 cases and six more fatalities due to the disease on Sunday, a Health Department bulletin said.

The total number of people infected by Covid-19 now stands at 3,05,360, of which 11,157 people are undergoing treatment.

The state's death toll has reached 2,670, while 2,91,533 people have been discharged so far.

Indians may put off travel plans amid spread of new virus strain, possible flight bans: Survey

Many people may put off their international travel plans due to concerns over the spread of new variant of coronavirus in some countries and possibility of flight bans by nations like Dubai, France and Singapore, a survey has revealed.

The survey, which is based on over 15,000 responses from over 10,000 people from across 204 cities and conducted by online platform LocalCircles, also revealed that as many as 42 per cent of the respondents did not have any travel plan for domestic travel at all.

Post lockdown, the government hasn’t yet allowed regular operation of international flights, instead it operates transport bubbles with 23 countries, including the UK via the Vande Bharat Mission.

Mumbai civic body issues revised SOP against new Covid strain

In view of the emergence of a new coronavirus variant in the UK, the Mumbai civic body on Sunday issued revised guidelines to ensure the compulsory quarantine for 14 days for all passengers arriving from the UK, Europe, and the Middle East.

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Andhra Pradesh adds 349 Covid-19 cases, tally touches 8.81 lakh

For the first time since May, a district in Andhra Pradesh reported zero cases of coronavirus even as a total of 349 were added afresh across the state in 24 hours ending 9 am on Sunday.

Vizianagaram achieved the distinction by not adding a single case in a day and incidentally, it was the last district in the state to join the Covid-19 chart on May 7.

31 more die of Covid, 959 found positive in UP: Official

With 13 more people succumbing to coronavirus infection in Uttar Pradesh, the Covid-19 death toll rose to 8,306 on Sunday in the state.

The number of total cases touched 5,81,980 with 959 more people found positive for the infection, an Uttar Pradesh government statement said. Of the 13 Covid-19 deaths, three were reported from Lucknow and two from Varanasi. Of the 959 fresh cases, 199 were reported from Lucknow.

MP: 61 Assembly staff, 5 MLAs test Covid-19 positive on eve of session

On the eve of the three-day session of the Madhya Pradesh Assembly, 61 employees and officials of the Assembly secretariat and five MLAs have tested coronavirus positive.

Protem Speaker of MP Assembly Rameshwar Sharma told this to reporters on Sunday.

"As many as 61 employees and officials of the state Assembly secretariat have tested coronavirus positive so far. Besides, five MLAs were also found infected as per the reports received till now," he said, after taking stock of the preparation for the session that begins from Monday.

Pune remains in focus during pandemic for various reasons

From earning the dubious distinction of reporting the first coronavirus positive case in Maharashtra in March this year to being the headquarter of one of the country's leading manufacturers of Covid-19 vaccine, Pune has remained at the centre-stage of the pandemic.

During the nine difficult months, the pandemic forced the city, like several other places in India, to witness a large-scale exodus of migrant workers, indefinite closure of educational institutes and financial impact on people's lives.

Iran reports lowest daily deaths from coronavirus in more than three months

Iran reported 119 deaths from the new coronavirus on Sunday, the lowest daily fatalities in more than three months, the health ministry said.

Ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari told state TV that 5,502 people had been infected in the past 24 hours, taking the total number of Covid-19 cases in the Middle East’s worst-affected country to 1,200,465.

Sunday’s death toll was the lowest since Sept. 12 when it registered 116 deaths.

Israel enters third nationwide lockdown

Israel was set Sunday to begin its third coronavirus lockdown, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu voiced optimism that a "world record" vaccination drive will restore a degree of normality within weeks.

After a sharp rebound in detected infections, Netanyahu's government announced three days ago that it would re-impose the strict measures that had previously helped limit transmission.

Thai hospital banned from offer to sell Covid-19 vaccine

A private Thai hospital was ordered on Sunday to stop advertising Covid-19 vaccinations for sale in advance on the grounds that no vaccine is yet approved in Thailand.

Vibhavadi Hospital told Reuters its online offer for 1,000 initial reservations for the two-dose Moderna vaccine had been the result of a misunderstanding. With reservations priced at 4,000 baht, the total cost of getting vaccinated would have been 10,000 baht ($330).

39 new Covid-19 cases in Ladakh

Thirty-nine more people tested positive for the coronavirus in Ladakh, taking the infection count in the Union Territory to 9,394, officials said on Sunday.

Ladakh has so far recorded 126 Covid-related deaths -- 83 in Leh and 43 in Kargil -- while 9,050 patients or 96 per cent of the total cases have recovered from the infection in the UT.

Beijing tightens Covid-19 curbs as cases detected across capital

Beijing has tightened Covid-19 curbs over concerns that China's mass travel during the holiday period could cause cases to spike in the capital, as it reported locally transmitted cases for a fourth straight day on Sunday.

A meeting led by the capital's Communist party boss, Cai Qi, urged all districts in Beijing to enter an "emergency" mode, sealing off residential compounds and villages where infections are found.

Sikkim suffers Rs 600-crore blow as coronavirus pandemic cripples tourism industry

The picturesque Himalayan state of Sikkim, with a population of under seven lakh, reeled under a serious crisis in 2020 as the Covid-19 pandemic crippled its tourism industry, the mainstay of its economy.

The tourism sector suffered losses to the tune of Rs 600 crore this year due to the pandemic, Sikkim Tourism Development Corporation (STDC) chairman Lukendra Rasaily said.

Odisha logs 303 new Covid-19 cases, 4 more fatalities

Odisha's Covid-19 tally on Sunday mounted to 3,28,504 after 303 more people tested positive for the infection, while four more fatalities pushed the toll to 1,861, a senior health department official said.

Of the 303 cases, 172 were reported from various quarantine centres, and 131 detected during contact tracing.

Ship captain tests Covid-19 positive after return from London, under isolation in Bareilly

A Merchant Navy captain, who returned from the US and the UK recently, has been put under isolation here after testing positive for Covid-19, officials said on Sunday.

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India to play vital role in equitable distribution of Covid-19 vaccines around the world: Pharma industry

With vaccine rollout beginning in some countries, the world ravaged by the Covid-19 pandemic is looking to India for the large-scale production and supply of coronavirus vaccines as it enters 2021.

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UK's new Covid-19 strain spreads globally despite flight bans, border closures

After a new, more infectious strain of the coronavirus emerged in the United Kingdom in early December, countries across the world shut their borders to flights to and from the UK in a bid to prevent the spread of the virus, but to no avail.

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Former Himachal Pradesh CM Shanta Kumar, who was hospitalised after testing Covid-19 positive, says PM Narendra Modi called him to enquire about his health, thanks him for the gesture.

(PTI)

Hyderabad set to emerge as global hub for Covid-19 vaccine in 2021

As the world is set to brace for a new year amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the city is poised to emerge as a 'saviour' from the killer virus, with as many as five vaccine manufacturing firms based here racing to bring out an antidote.

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72.37% of the new recovered cases are observed to be concentrated in 10 states/UTs. 76.52% of the new cases are concentrated in 10 states & UTs. Kerala reported highest daily new cases at 3,527. It is followed by Maharashtra with 2,854 new cases. Ministry of Health, Govt of India

(ANI)

More Covid-19 centres to be closed in Mumbai amid improving situation

With a significant improvement in various parameters in India’s financial capital of Mumbai vis-à-vis spread of Covid-19 pandemic, the Maharashtra government and civic administration may take a call on closing or scaling down jumbo treatment centres.

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9 more people test Covid-19 positive in Arunachal Pradesh, pushing tally to 16,687; active case count 154: Official

(PTI)

Tom Hanks says cinema halls will ‘absolutely’ survive Covid-19

Hollywood veteran Tom Hanks believes movie theatres will "absolutely" sail through the coronavirus pandemic.

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Thailand confirmed 121 new infections of the novel coronavirus, a senior official said on Sunday, up from the 103 cases reported earlier in the day.

(Reuters)

Due to Coronavirus, the supply chains got disrupted the world over but we learnt new lessons from each crisis. The nation also developed new capabilities. We can call this capability 'Aatmanirbharata' or self-reliance: PM Modi during Mann Ki Baat

(ANI)

State-wise total number of confirmed cases, deaths on December 27

The total number of confirmed positive cases in India reaches 10,188,898; death toll stands at 1,47,622 as of December 27.

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Mizoram reports 4 new Covid-19 cases, state's infection tally now 4,182; number of active cases stands at 128: Official

Covid-19 not the last pandemic, warns WHO Director General Tedros Ghebreyesus

The coronavirus crisis will not be the last pandemic, and attempts to improve human health are "doomed" without tackling climate change and animal welfare, the World Health Organization's chief said.

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Study sheds light on critical windows for Covid-19 vaccination for pregnant women

Scientists have found evidence of lower than expected transfer of protective antibodies against the novel coronavirus via the placenta from mothers who are infected in the third trimester, findings that shed light on critical windows in pregnancy that may be most desirable for vaccination.

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France mulling third lockdown amid spike in Covid-19 cases

France has not ruled out imposing a third nationwide lockdown if coronavirus cases continue to rise, its health minister said Sunday, as the country braces for a possible post-Christmas spike.

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A worker cleans a hall, as theatres prepare to re-open from tomorrow after nearly nine months of closure due to coronavirus lockdown, in Hyderabad. Credit: PTI Photo

Jharkhand's Covid-19 tally mounts to 1,14,146 as 192 more people test positive, death toll reaches 1,018 with two new fatalities; active case count 1,598: Health Department official

(PTI)

A total of 16,81,02,657 samples tested for Covid-19 up to December 26. Of these, 9,43,368 samples were tested yesterday: Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)

A total of 472 new Covid-19 cases, 509 discharges and 2 deaths were reported in Telangana yesterday, says State Health Department.

Total positive cases: 2,84,863

Total recoveries: 2,76,753

Active cases: 6,579

Death toll: 1,531

(ANI)

India's active cases dropped to 2,78,690. The recovery rate stands at 95.78%.

With 21,430 recoveries in the last 24 hours, India's recovery tally stands at 97,61,538.

India reports 279 deaths in 24 hours, toll rises to 1,47,622.

With 18,732 new Covid-19 cases, India's tally rose to 1,01,87,850.

Canada detects first two cases of UK coronavirus variant

The first two cases of a particularly infectious coronavirus variant that recently emerged in Britain have been confirmed in Canada, health authorities said Saturday.

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EU begins vaccine rollout as new coronavirus strain spreads

Some European countries started rolling out their first coronavirus vaccines on Saturday, even as a reputedly more contagious variant spread around the world and the WHO warned that the current pandemic would not be the last.

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UK to roll out Oxford Covid-19 vaccine from January 4: Report

The United Kingdom will roll out Oxford University’s Covid-19 vaccine from January4, according to plans being drawn up by ministers,The Sunday Telegraphreported.

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South Korea reported 970 new coronavirus cases for Saturday, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said on Sunday, bringing the national tally to 56,872 cases, with 808 deaths.

That is the smallest in five days but still not far off from the record 1,241 infections logged on Friday.

(Reuters)

Japan to halt all new entries from abroad next week

Japan will halt all new non-resident foreign arrivals coming from overseas from Monday until late January, Tokyo said Saturday, as the country reported its first cases of a new strain of the novel coronavirus.

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Jammu and Kashmir recorded its 1,19,877 positive cases of Covid-19 and 1,867 deaths so far. Credit: PTI Photo

Bengaluru cops plan to impose Section 144 on New Year

Bengaluru city police are considering clamping Section 144 during New Year's eve across Bengaluru to prevent public revelry and, with it, the threat of a possible second wave of Covid-19, particularly in the wake of the emergence of the new strain of the virus.

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103-year-old man with diabetes beats Covid-19

A symptomatic 103-year-old man with serious comorbidities has become one of the oldest persons in the city to catch Covid-19 and survive it.

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From the lab to the jab: How BioNTech-Pfizer won the Covid-19 vaccine race

It was over breakfast on the wintry morning of January 24 that Ozlem Tureci and her husband Ugur Sahin decided, "we need to fire the starting gun on this".

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