Coronavirus news highlights: Karnataka sees 973 new Covid-19 cases, 7 deaths

India reported 20,550 new Covid-19 cases, 26,572 recoveries, and 286 deaths in last 24 hours, as per Union Health Ministry on Wednesday. A total of 20 people in India now have the new coronavirus strain, according to ministry data. This includes results of the six who tested positive and were announced to have the new strain on Tuesday. The samples that tested positive for the new strain were 8 from NCDC, Delhi; 7 from NIMHANS, Bengaluru; 2 from CCMB, Hyderabad; 1 from NIBG Kalyani near Kolkata; 1 from NIV, Pune and 1 from IGIB, Delhi. Meanwhile, experts believe that Covid-19 vaccines will work on the new variant. Meanwhile, Britain on Wednesday became the first country in the world to approve a coronavirus vaccine developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca as it battles a major winter surge.

Thank you for following our coverage on the coronavirus crisis, to stay updated on the latest Covid-19-related news, click here.

Nagpur records 368 Covid-19 cases; 6 UK returnees in hospital

Nagpur district on Wednesday registered 368 new coronavirus cases, taking its tally to 1,23,374, while sixpeople who returned from the UK recently are undergoing treatment here after testing positive, said officials.

A senior Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) medical officer told PTI thatsixUK returnees are under treatment in the city after testing positive for Covid-19 and swab samples of four of them were sent to Pune-based NIV to ascertain if they are infected by the new strain found in Britain.

Noida: 47 new Covid-19 cases, UK-returnee detected with new strain

Uttar Pradesh's Gautam Buddh Nagar recorded 47 new Covid-19 cases that pushed the district's inflection tally to 24,917 on Wednesday, official data showed.

Also, a person who returned to Gautam Buddh Nagar from the United Kingdom was detected with the new strain of the coronavirus, which is stated to have a high transmissibility, government officials in Lucknow said.

Covid-19: 677 fresh cases in Delhi, positivity rate 0.8%

Delhi recorded 677 fresh Covid-19 cases and 21 fatalities on Wednesday, even as the positivity rate dropped to 0.8 per cent, authorities said.

The infection tally in the city mounted to over 6.24 lakh and the death toll rose to 10,523 on Wednesday, they said, adding that over 84,000 tests were conducted on the previous day.

14 more detected with new coronavirus strain in India; Flights connecting UK suspended til Jan 7

Fourteen more people were found infected with the UK strain of the coronavirus on Wednesday in the country, with West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh reporting such cases for the first time, taking the total tally to 20 in two days.

A cautious government extended the temporary suspension of passenger flights between the UK and India for a week till January 7 and said the services would resume in a "strictly regulated" manner thereafter.

714 new coronavirus cases in Mumbai, 13 deaths

The tally of Covid-19 cases in Mumbai rose to 2,92,722 on Wednesday with 714 new cases coming to light, a civic body said.

The death toll due to the pandemic in the city reached 11,107 with 13 new fatalities, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said.

The financial capital of the country had reported less than 600 new cases on each of the last five days. On Tuesday, the city had reported 537 new cases.

973 new Covid-19 cases in Karnataka, 7 deaths

Karnataka added 973 new coronavirus cases and seven related fatalities, taking the infection count to 9,18,544 and the toll to 12,081, the health department said on Wednesday.

The day also saw 1,217 patients getting discharged after recovery and there are 11,610 active cases in the state. The state's cumulative Covid-19 tally stood at 9,18,544, which includes 12,081 deaths and 8,94,834 discharges, the health department said

UK imposes further English lockdowns as Covid-19 variant spreads

The British government said on Wednesday that more areas of England would be placed under the strictest Covid-19 restrictions as a highly infectious variant of the virus is spreading across the country.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the Midlands, the north east, parts of the north west and parts of the south west were being moved into Tier 4, where people will face tight social mixing restrictions and hospitality must close.

MP adds 866 new Covid-19 cases, over 1,000 recover; 13 die

Madhya Pradesh on Wednesday reported 866 fresh coronavirus positive cases, taking the count of infections to 2,40,947, health officials said.

With 13 more people succumbing to the viral disease, the overall death toll in the state rose to 3,595, they said.

A total of 1,061 patients were discharged from hospitals in the last 24 hours, taking the cumulative count of recoveries in Madhya Pradesh to 2,27,965.

449 new Covid-19 cases, 9 deaths in Uttarakhand

The coronavirus cases rose to 90,616 in Uttarakhand on Wednesday with 449 more people testing positive for the infection, the Health Department said.

Nine more coronavirus patients died, taking the toll to 1504, the bulletin said.

There are 4,963 active cases, while 82,967 people have recuperated, the department said.

Jammu and Kashmir reports 217 new coronavirus cases, death toll up to 1,880

Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday recorded 217 new Covid-19 cases, while one virus-related fatality took place in the last 24 hours, taking the overall tally to 1,20,744 and the death toll to 1,880, officials said.

Of the fresh cases, 101 were from Kashmir and 116 from Jammu division of the Union territory, they said.

The officials said Jammu recorded the highest with 77 cases followed by 48 in Srinagar district.

Sweden registers 8,846 new Covid-19 cases, 243 deaths on Wednesday

Sweden registered 8,846 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, health agency statistics showed.

The country registered 243 new deaths on Wednesday, taking the total to 8,727. The deaths registered have typically occurred over several days and sometimes weeks.

The health agency has said statistics over the Christmas period are less reliable than usual due to less testing and delays in reporting of deaths.

Punjab govt to check 5% of positive samples per week for new coronavirus variant

The Punjab government will send five per cent of the total positive samples per week to premier central units of epidemiology to check the prevalence of the mutated strain of coronavirus, an official said here on Wednesday.

Medical Education and Research Principal Secretary D K Tiwari said the move was part of a state government master plan to contain the spread of the new strain of the deadly virus in Punjab.

After the emergence of the new UK-linked coronavirus variant, which has high transmissibility, the Centre issued an advisory that it could also be circulating in India too, he said in a statement here.

Two cases of new coronavirus strain detected in UP

Traces of a new strain of coronavirus were found in two people who recently returned from the United Kingdom, an Uttar Pradesh official said on Wednesday.

The two cases were found in Meerut and Gautam Buddh Nagar and samples of their contacts are also being taken, Additional Chief Secretary Health Amit Mohan Prasad said.

Tests of those returning from the United Kingdom after December 9 are continuing and till now around 2,500 samples have been sent to the labs, he said, adding that so far 10 people who returned from the UK have tested positive.

Seven new coronavirus cases found in Dharavi

The slum-dominated Dharavi area here reported seven new Covid-19 cases on Wednesday, a civic official said.

It took the area's caseload to 3,806.

As many as 3,477 persons have recovered from the viral infection in Dharavi so far, and there are only 17 active Covid-19 cases in the area, the official said.

On December 25, the area had reported zero new cases for the first time since the outbreak of coronavirus.

UAE shatters record for new daily infections

The United Arab Emirates has shattered its single-day record of new coronavirus infections, with 1,723 cases recorded on Wednesday.

The record figure comes after the UAE said it detected its first known cases of the new, fast-spreading variant of the virus in people arriving from abroad. With an economy that runs on aviation and hospitality, the UAE has remained open for tourism and business.

UK approval of Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine positive news, waiting for India's approval: SII

Serum Institute of India (SII) on Thursday termed the approval for Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine in the UK as encouraging news and said that the company would now wait for the final nod for the medication in India.

Earlier in the day, the UK approved the Covid-19 vaccine developed by scientists at Oxford University and produced by AstraZeneca for human use, the second coronavirus vaccine to be cleared for rollout in Britain after the Pfizer/BioNTech jabs.

Wuhan virus cases may be 10 times higher than reported: China health study

The number of coronavirus cases in the Chinese city where the pathogen was first detected may have been 10 times higher than official figures suggest, according to a study by health authorities in Wuhan.

About 4.4 percent of the city's 11 million residents had developed antibodies against the virus causing Covid-19 by April, the report by the Chinese Centre for Disease Control (CDC) said.

That correlates to around 480,000 infections in Wuhan by April, nearly 10 times the official tally to date of 50,000 cases in the city.

Odisha reports 305 new Covid-19 cases, 3 fresh fatalities

Odisha's Covid-19 tally mounted to 3,29,306 on Wednesday as 305 more people tested positive for the infection, while three fresh fatalities pushed the state's coronavirus death toll to 1,871, a health official said.

As many as 174 new cases were reported in quarantine centres, while 131 infections were detected during contact tracing, he said.

Sundargarh and Sambalpur districts registered the highest number of new cases at 28 each, followed by Angul (26), the official said.

Suspension of scheduled international passenger flights extended till Jan 31

The coronavirus-induced suspension of scheduled international passenger flights has been extended till January 31, aviation regulator DGCA said on Wednesday.

"However, international scheduled flights may be allowed on selected routes by the competent authority on a case-to-case basis," the Directorate General of Civil Aviation added.

Scheduled international passenger services have been suspended in India since March 23 due to the coronavirus pandemic. But special international flights have been operating under the Vande Bharat Mission since May and under bilateral "air bubble" arrangements with selected countries since July.

Fight against Covid-19 kept health ministry on its toes in 2020

The Union health ministry was in the thick of action throughout 2020 in India's fight against coronavirus, ramping up testing facilities as well as health infrastructure while simultaneously issuing Covid-19 treatment and management guidelines from time and time.

At the same time, it put on track the development of a vaccine which is likely to be available early next year.

The first case of coronavirus infection in the country was recorded on January 30 in Kerala and the first death on March 10 in Karnataka. By September, India became the second worst-hit nation, after the US, in terms of Covid-19 cases.

Danger of coronavirus still not subsided, says Yediyurappa

The danger of coronavirus has still not subsided and even the slightest ignorance regarding the pandemic is not done, Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa said on Wednesday, as he ruled out any change in the safety guidelines for now.

Appealing citizens to follow guidelines and take precautions, he also called on the UK returnees who have gone untraceable to get necessary health check or tests done aimed at controlling the spread of the new variant of coronavirus that is prevalent in the European country.

Covid-19: Kerala govt relaxes curbs on temple festivities

Traditional stage artistes in Kerala can now heave a sigh of relief as the state government has decided to relax the curbs imposed on temple festivals in the wake of the spread of Covid-19.

Read more here

Survey highlights change in educational needs of underprivileged children

With the Covid-19 pandemic bringing in a new normal by disrupting everyday lives, a survey has shown that the educational needs of the poor and underprivileged have undergone a change with more than half highlighting the need for textbooks and support system like mobile phone, internet and other accessories to continue the learning process with desired results.

Read more here

Expert panel to consider SII's emergency use approval for Covid-19 vaccine

Subject Expert Committee (SEC) of Drugs Controller of India is set to hold a meeting to consider Serum Institute of India's application for emergency use approval of its Covid-19 vaccine, says a government official, according to news agency ANI.

Read more here

Oxford Covid-19 vaccine clears path out of pandemic by Spring: Matt Hancock

The Oxford University-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine approved by Britain on Wednesday provides a path out of the pandemic by the spring, by which time millions of vulnerable people will be protected, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said.

Read more here

West Bengal reports first case of mutated Covid-19 strain

West Bengalreported its first case of a mutated Covid-19 detected in a person who returned to Kolkata from London 10 days ago, State Health Department officials said on Wednesday.

Read more here

In Uttarakhand, 202 out of 227 returnees from the United Kingdom to the state have been traced; 25 people untraced. Police, Local Intelligence Unit and other units are tracing them: Dehradun SP City.

7 in Karnataka test positive for UK coronavirus strain

Seven people who returned to Karnataka from the UK were found to be infected with the mutated strain of coronavirus, state Health Minister K Sudhakar said on Wednesday.

Read more here

UK approves Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine. (BBC)

Tokyo governor Yuriko Koike warns of possible 'explosion' in Covid-19 cases

"Please emphasise life over fun," she told a news conference, calling on people to stay at home as much as possible over the holiday, one of Japan's longest, in which people hold parties, gather in their homes and return to their hometowns from the capital.

Read more here

Health Secretary writes to all states to keep strict vigil to curb “super spreader” events in the wake of New Year celebrations. Credit: DH.

Coronavirus restrictions in Maharashtra extended till January 31

Amid tense moments over the new coronavirus strain and the threat of a second Covid-19 wave, the Uddhav Thackeray-government in Maharashtra has decided to extend lockdown measures into the new year.

Read more here

Shhhh! Fans urged to cheer quietly at SCG amid Covid-19 outbreak

Australian authorities are asking fans at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) not to cheer too loudly during the third test against India next week as the city grapples with an outbreak of Covid-19.

Read more here

A decision has been taken to extend the temporary suspension of flights to and from the United Kingdom till 7 January 2021: Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri.

Entry to Dakshina Kannada beaches banned for two days

The district administration has banned the entry of visitors to beaches in District Kannada from 12 pm on December 31 to 12 pm on January 2 to avoid large gatherings to check the spread of Covid-19.

Read more here

India reports 20,550 new Covid-19 cases, 26,572 recoveries, and 286 deaths in last 24 hours, as per Union Health Ministry.

Singapore starts Covid-19 vaccination for healthcare workers

More healthcare institutions will follow in the coming weeks, with public healthcare institutions and private hospitals to progressively arrange for their staff to be vaccinated within their premises, The Straits Times reported.

Read more here

US detects first case of UK coronavirus variant in Colorado

The US state of Colorado has recorded what is reportedly America's first case of the particularly infectious coronavirus variant that emerged recently in Britain, the governor said Tuesday.

Read more here

New coronavirus variant hits US, rest of the world; Biden vows to improve vaccine distribution

A worrying new variant of Covid-19 was detected for the first time Tuesday in the United States and Latin America as President-elect Joe Biden vowed he will significantly ramp up a fledging vaccination drive.

Read more here

Will Covid-19 vaccines work on the new coronavirus variant?

A coronavirus variant in the United Kingdom has caused alarm because of the possibility that it might spread more easily. But even if that turns out to be true, experts say the Covid-19 vaccines being rolled out will likely still work on the variant.

Read more here

20 UK returnees in India have new coronavirus strain

This includes results of the six who tested positive and were announced to have the new strain on Tuesday. The samples that tested positive for the new strain were 8 from NCDC, Delhi; 7 from NIMHANS, Bengaluru; 2 from CCMB, Hyderabad; 1 from NIBG, Kolkata; 1 from NIV, Pune and 1 from IGIB, Delhi.

Read more here

Two more contacts of UK returnees test Covid-19 positive in Delhi

Two more contacts of people who were found infected with Covid-19 after returning from the United Kingdom have tested positive for the disease, officials said on Tuesday.

Read more here

Officials kept us in dark about new variant: Father of woman who tested positive for new Covid-19 variant

After learning in the news that his 34-year-old daughter and six-year-old granddaughter were carrying the new variant of the virus, he spoke to her on the phone.

Read more here

China is struggling to get the world to trust its vaccines

Of all the developing countries testing China’s Covid-19 vaccines, few are friendlier to Beijing than Pakistan. In the years leading up to the pandemic, China financed nearly $70 billion across the South Asian nation on roads, railways and power stations, and Pakistan now has two Chinese clinical trials underway, with even senior government officials being inoculated.

Read more here

In text message, West Bengal govt assures doctors of free Covid-19 vaccine

The West Bengal government has started sending text messages to doctors in state-run hospitals assuring them that they would get the Covid-19 vaccine free of cost once it is available, officials said.

Read more here