Coronavirus news highlights: Covid-19 cases in India cross 95 lakh-mark, death toll nears 1.40 lakh

With 36,604 new Covid-19 infections, 501 deaths India's total cases rise to 95,37,944. However, the daily caseload has remained below 50,000 for 25 days now. In a major development, the UK gave its nod to the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for rollout, to begin vaccinating people as early as next week.

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President Vladimir Putin orders Russia to begin mass Covid-19 vaccinations

President Vladimir Putin ordered Russian authorities on Wednesday to begin mass voluntary vaccinations against COVID-19 next week as Russia recorded 589 new daily deaths from the coronavirus.

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Karnataka sees 1,440 new Covid-19 cases, 16 deaths

Karnataka has reported 1,440 new Covid-19 cases and 16 related fatalities, taking the total number of infections to 8,87,667 and the death toll to 11,808, the Health Department said on Wednesday.

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UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson likely to be Republic Day chief guest

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is likely to be the Chief Guest for the Republic Day of India on January 26 next year.

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CBSE officials rule out conducting board exams online, to be in written mode only

Board exams in 2021 will be in written mode only and not online, Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) officials said on Wednesday even as consultations on dates for the conduct of the examination are still underway.

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Bengal minister Firhad Hakim becomes first volunteer to take Covid-19 vaccine 'Covaxin' in phase III trial in Kolkata

Odisha govt slashes price of RT-PCR tests for detection of Covid-19at private laboratories to Rs 400 from existing Rs 1,200: Notification

Safety of the vaccine has been scrutinised independently by our Commission on Human Medicines & no stone has been left unturned so absolute confidence in safety, effectiveness & quality of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine: UK's medicine regulator MHRA chief Dr. June Raine

Delhi reports 3,944 new COVID-19 cases, 5,329 recoveries, and 82 deaths, as per Delhi Health Department

NGT says total ban on sale, use of all fire crackers during COVID-19 pandemic in NCR and all cities/towns where air quality is 'poor'

During Christmas, New Year, green crackers can be used from 11:55 pm to 12:30 am at places where air quality is 'moderate' or better. District Magistrates to ensure banned fire crackers are not sold, recovery of compensation from violators.

India coming out of pandemic-induced degrowth, fourth quarter of FY21 to see positive growth, says Niti Aayog VC Rajiv Kumar

It’s the protection of vaccines that will ultimately allow us to reclaim our lives and get the economy moving again: Boris Johnson

SpiceJet ogears up to provide logistics support for COVID-19 vaccination

Budget carrier SpiceJet on Wednesday said it is gearing up to provide logistics support for COVID-19 vaccination with its dedicated freighter division SpiceXpress having capability to transport extremely sensitive drugs and vaccines in controlled temperatures ranging from -40°c to +25°c.

60 new cases of coronavirus in Pondy, tally touches 37,079

With 60 fresh infections and one related death, Puducherry's tally of COVID-19 cases reached 37,079 on Wednesday. The new cases were identified after testing 3,432 samples in the last 24 hours ending 10 am today.

Russell to replace Covid-stricken Hamilton for Sakhir Grand Prix

George Russell will step up from Williams to replace world champion Lewis Hamilton, who tested positive for Covid-19, at Formula One's Sakhir Grand Prix in Bahrain, Mercedes announced Wednesday.

Williams reserve Jack Aitken will replace Russell at Williams this weekend, joining regular driver Nicholas Latifi.

"Firstly, I want to say a huge thank you to everybody at Williams for giving me this opportunity," said Russell.

"I might be wearing a different race suit this weekend, but I'm a Williams driver and I'll be cheering my team on every step of the way."

Russell becomes just the third Briton to represent Mercedes in Formula One after Stirling Moss and Lewis Hamilton.

"A big thank you also to Mercedes for putting their faith in me," added Russell.

Maharashtra: Thane detects 481 new COVID-19 cases; seven more deaths

The COVID-19 caseload in Maharashtra's Thane district has reached 2,29,561 after the detection of 481 new infections, an official said on Wednesday.

Besides the new cases, the district also recorded seven casualties that took the toll to 5,692, the official said.

The district has recorded a recovery rate of 94.21 per cent, while the mortality rate stood at 2.4 per cent, he said.

West Bengal: Governor Jagdeep Dhankar inaugurates Phase 3 of Covaxin at the Indian Council of Medical Research- National Institute of Cholera & Enteric Diseases (ICMR-NICED) in Kolkata

480 new Covid-19 cases and 669 recoveries reported in Odisha on 1st December

The total number of positive cases in the state at 3,19,583 till date, including 3,12,734 recovered cases & 5,046 active cases: State Health Department, Govt of Odisha

Odisha Government caps the price of RT-PCR test by private labs at Rs 400

Telangana reports 565 new Covid-19 cases, 1 death and 925 recoveries on 1st December.

I hope 3rd phase will be very successful & will be devoid of adverse effects on any individual: Health Minister K Sudhakar

Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa virtually inaugurates Phase 3 of clinical trial of Covaxin

UK approves Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for use, first in the world

Britain on Wednesday became the first country in the world to approve the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for use and said that it will be rolled out from next week.

"The Government has today accepted the recommendation from the independent Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to approve Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine for use," the government said.

"The vaccine will be made available across the UK from next week."

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the programme would begin early next week.

Gujarat High Court orders compulsory community service at Covid-19 care centres for those who do not wear masks, directs State Government to issue a notification

Recovery rate stands at 94.03%; fatality rate 1.04%

Total recoveries touch 89,32,647, up by 43,062. Total deaths 1,38,122

Uncertain recovery to follow coronavirus shock

The coronavirus pandemic triggered a historic global economic shock that required determined government initiative to confront it, while reinforcing China and big US tech companies.

One figure underscores the level of crisis: in April, 20.5 million jobs disappeared in the United States.

In 1929, the world suffered a stock market crisis, in 2008 it was a financial crisis. In 2020, an external shock paralysed from one day to the next all "physical" economic sectors.

Lockdowns that affected half of the world's population were an incredible shock for a global economy that employed lean manufacturing methods that reduced stocks to a minimum and extended production lines around the planet.

Aircraft that typically carry 4.3 billion passengers a year were grounded, and tourism that accounts for 10.5 percent of global output stopped dead in its tracks.

Shipping containers piled up on docks, public transportation and factories slowed and small shops, restaurants and theatres locked their doors.

Meanwhile, information technology, telecommunications, online retailing and pharmaceutical companies benefited from what some called a "Darwinian" crisis that accelerated the transition towards digital operations.

Unlike 2008, emerging economies were immediately hit head-on by the crisis as exports plunged, along with commodity prices.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) forecasts a global economic contraction of 4.4 percent this year.

Hopes for a sharp "V-shaped" recovery have been dashed by a second wave of virus-induced restrictions in the past few months, resulting in an uncertain outlook for 2021.

Japan to allow 'large-scale' overseas visitors for Tokyo Games: Nikkei

Japan aims to allow "large-scale" numbers of overseas visitors to attend next year's Tokyo Olympics without mandatory vaccinations or quarantine provided they submit negative COVID-19 test results and download tracking apps, the Nikkei business daily reported on Wednesday.

The report, which did not identify the source of the information or detail how many visitors would be allowed, also said Japan would not restrict tourists from using public transportation systems.

Under current restrictions imposed to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus, travellers are required to self-isolate for 14 days on arrival as well as sign up for contact-tracing apps.

Word leaders to address high-level, special session of UN General Assembly on COVID-19 pandemic

World leaders, the top leadership of the UN and vaccine developers will address a two-day, special session of the UN General Assembly on COVID-19 this week and discuss the pandemic's impact as well as the multi-faceted, coordinated response required to address the greatest global health crisis in decades.

The Special Session of the United Nations General Assembly in Response to the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Pandemic will take place on December 3 and 4 at the UN Headquarters.

Australian Open in February, players to train in quarantine: report

The start of the Australian Open will be delayed until February 8 because of coronavirus prevention measures, a newspaper reported, as negotiations on players' arrival and quarantine in Melbourne continued on Wednesday.

International players would be allowed by the Victoria state government to arrive from January 15-17, according to detailed plans seen by French sports daily L'Equipe, meaning the first Grand Slam of the year will be delayed by three weeks.

The proposals would allow players to train during a mandatory 14-day quarantine period.

Tennis Australia would not comment on the report on Wednesday, which came a day after CEO Craig Tiley said arrangements for the tournament, originally scheduled for January 18-31, would be revealed soon.

US says ready for immediate domestic shipment of Covid-19 vaccines

The US Transportation Department said Tuesday it has made preparations to enable the "immediate mass shipment" of Covid-19 vaccines and completed all necessary regulatory measures.

The department said US agencies have been coordinating with private sector companies that will carry vaccines from manufacturing facilities to distribution centers and inoculation points.

It added it has established "appropriate safety requirements for all potential hazards involved in shipping the vaccine, including standards for dry ice and lithium batteries used in cooling."

The department is preparing to ensure deliveries of vaccine doses for about 40 million US residents through January, or about 20 million a month, officials told Reuters.

Healthcare workers and others recommended for the first inoculations could start getting shots within 24 hours after the vaccine receives regulatory authorization, the chief adviser for the US government's Operation Warp Speed program said on Tuesday.

S.Korea coronavirus outbreak adds new stress to gruelling, 8-hour exam

From avoiding family members to skipping extra study at "cram schools", the coronavirus has forced nearly half a million South Korean test-takers and proctors to rethink their strategies ahead of a hyper-competitive university entrance exam this week.

The gruelling, almost eight-hour test on Thursday is seen as a life-defining event for high school seniors. A degree from a prestigious university is seen as a minimum requirement for securing one of the coveted but limited corporate jobs in Asia’s fourth-largest economy.

This year teachers, proctors and students drastically changed their study and teaching practices to try to ensure those taking the test don't ruin their chances by getting sick.

India's daily spike of infections remains below 50,000 since Nov 7

An employee in personal protective equipment (PPE) removes vials of AstraZeneca's COVISHIELD, coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine from a visual inspection machine inside a lab at Serum Institute of India, in Pune, India.

Credit: Reuters

Total active cases at 4,28,644

Total discharged cases at 89,32,647 with 43,062 new discharges in last 24 hrs

With 36,604 new Covid-19 infections, India's total cases rise to 94,99,413

With 36,604 new Covid-19 infections, India's total cases rise to 94,99,413
With 501 new deaths, toll mounts to 1,381,22.

Total number of samples tested up to 1st December is 14.24 cr

Total number of samples tested up to 1st December is 14,24,45,949 including 10,96,651 samples tested yesterday: Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)

Total cases in Mizoram at 3,869

Cold, hard mission for a US warehouse: Help stop Covid

A warehouse in the US city of Baltimore may seem an unlikely place to help save the country from the Covid-19 pandemic, but Brian Gallizzo is prepared to do just that.

"We are ready, we have our tanks full," Gallizzo, chief financial officer for the six-decade-old family firm Capitol Carbonic, told AFP.

How his company will help is by keeping things cool -- extremely cool.

Capitol produces dry ice, a necessary component to distribute pharmaceutical giant Pfizer's Covid-19 vaccine, which could receive government approval soon.

Pfizer called Capitol because it was on the hunt for the quarter-inch pellets it spits out of a machine resembling a giant spaghetti maker in its Baltimore warehouse.

The dry ice pellets are needed to keep Pfizer's vaccine at just the right, very chilly, temperature.

US regulators will decide next week whether to allow Pfizer to become the first major drugmaker to deploy its vaccine, and manufacturers like Capitol Carbonic are already finding themselves involved in one of the most important medical supply chains in history.

More than 2,500 US virus deaths in 24 hours

The United States, the country hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic and in the throes of a surge in cases, on Tuesday registered more than 2,500 deaths in a 24-hour period, the highest total since late April, Johns Hopkins University said.

More than 180,000 new infections were recorded, according to real-time data provided by the Baltimore-based university at 8:30 pm (0130 GMT Wednesday).

The last time the daily death toll was higher than Tuesday's total of 2,562 was in late April, at the height of the pandemic's first wave.

The number of hospitalizations in the United states hit 99,000 on Tuesday, a new record, according to the Covid Tracking Project. The situation is particularly dire in several Midwestern states, including Indiana and South Dakota.

Eighth Covid case hits Pakistan cricketers in New Zealand

An eighth member of Pakistan's cricket squad has tested positive for Covid-19 as the team undergoes quarantine in Christchurch, New Zealand health authorities said Wednesday.

The health department said there was one new confirmed case among the squad and a further two members were being investigated, adding to the seven who previously tested positive over the past week.

The department said the team would not be allowed to train together until doctors were confident it would not lead to more coronavirus cases.

Lockdown: Goodbye, blazers; hello, ‘coatigans.’ women adjust attire to work at home

As many professional women have found themselves in an extended period of remote work, their notions of work wear have transformed, shaking up businesses that have sought to outfit them for the office. American office attire was already facing the effects of “casualization” — even Goldman Sachs loosened its dress code last year — but as the pandemic drags on, the shift is accelerating and may stick around for good.

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Why Covid-19 has made streets more dangerous for the blind

For pedestrians who cannot see or have limited vision, navigating the chaotic sidewalks and crosswalks of New York City was dicey enough before the pandemic. But the outbreak, blind people say, has made crossing the city’s streets even riskier and more harrowing.

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Sunny Deol tests positive for Covid-19

Bollywood actor and BJP MP from Gurdaspur Sunny Deol has tested positive for Covid-19, the Himachal Pradesh health secretary said on Tuesday.

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Daily new cases remain below 50,000 as a million tests conducted daily: Ministry of Health & Family Welfare

US CDC to shorten Covid-19 quarantine to 10 days

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will soon shorten the length of self-quarantine recommended after potential exposure to the coronavirus to 10 days, or 7 days with a negative test, a federal spokesperson said on Tuesday.

CDC currently recommends a 14-day quarantine in order to curb the transmission of the virus.

Covishield won't be released unless it is safe for mass use: Serum Institute of India

With the Chennai vaccine trial volunteer's complaint compounding into a huge issue, the Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII) said that the vaccine would not be released for mass use unless it was safe and immunogenic.

The Chennai-based 40-year-old volunteer, a married male with two children, has sought Rs 5 crore as compensation for neurological complications that he developed after being administered the dose during the trials. The SII, however, responded with a Rs 100-crore defamation suit against the volunteer.

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Mexico reports 8,819 new coronavirus cases, 825 more deaths

Mexico's health ministry on Tuesday reported 8,819 new confirmed cases of coronavirus infection and 825 additional fatalities, bringing the total in the country to 1,122,362 cases and 106,765 deaths.

The government says the real number of infected people is likely significantly higher than the confirmed cases.

US reveals rapid rollout plan for vaccine after record coronavirus surge

US officials on Monday unveiled details for the swift distribution of Covid-19 vaccines to millions of Americans after the United States broke records for new coronavirus infections and hospitalizations.

The rampant virus infected 4.36 million more people in November, more than doubling the previous month, as large numbers of Americans still refuse to wear masks and travel for holiday gatherings against the recommendations of health experts.

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Mainland China reports nine new Covid-19 cases, down from 12 a day earlier

Mainland China reported nine new Covid-19 cases on Dec. 1, down from 12 cases a day earlier, the country's national health authority said on Wednesday.

The National Health Commission, in a statement, said seven of the new cases were imported infections originating from overseas. Two new local cases were reported in the Inner Mongolia region, the commission said.