Coronavirus News highlights: Today is the 281st day since India implemented a nationwide lockdown to help curb the novel coronavirus pandemic. So far, India has recorded more than 1.02 crore confirmed COVID- 19 cases, including 1.48 lakh deaths. A total of 98.07 lakh patients have recovered or been discharged, as per the latest data from the Union Health Ministry. India's recovery rate continues to rise and now stands at 95.92 percent. However, there are 2.68 lakh active cases in the country. Globally, more than 8.1 crore people have been infected by the novel coronavirus and 17.8 lakh have died so far. Many countries have granted emergency use authorization for COVID-19 vaccines and have started the process of vaccinating healthcare workers and high-risk groups. India's regulator is expected to grant a similar approval soon.
New COVID Strain LIVE Updates | 8 samples taken in Delhi positive; 7 in quarantine at LNJP
Of the 14 samples, including those of UK returnees, sent for testing to the National Centre for Disease Control in Delhi, eight have tested positive for the new strain of the coronavirus detected in that country, official sources said on Wednesday.
These eight people also included a woman who left the Delhi airport and travelled to Andhra Pradesh by train last week, they said.
The remaining seven are in quarantine at the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital, the sources said.
Coronavirus in Delhi LIVE Updates |
Delhi reports 677 new COVID-19cases, 940 recoveries and 21 deaths in the last 24 hours, as per Delhi Health Department. Total cases: 6,24,795; Total recoveries: 6,08,434; Death toll: 10,523; Active cases: 5,838.
Coronavirus in Tamil Nadu LIVE Updates |
Tamil Nadu reported 945 new COVID-19cases, 1,060 discharges, and 17 deaths in the last 24 hours: State Health Department. Total cases: 8,17,077; Total discharges: 7,96,353; Death toll: 12,109; Active cases: 8,615.
Coronavirus in Karnataka LIVE Updates |
Karnataka reported 973 new COVID-19cases, 1,217 discharges and 7 deaths today. Total cases: 9,18,544; Total discharges: 8,94,834; Death toll: 12,081; Active cases: 11,610.
Coronavirus vaccine LIVE Updates | Vaccinated U.S. nurse contracts COVID-19, expert says Pfizer shot needed more time to work: ABC
A nurse in California tested positive for COVID-19 more than a week after receiving Pfizer Inc's vaccine, an ABC News affiliate reportedon Tuesday, but a medical expert said the body needs more time to build up protection.
Matthew W., 45, a nurse at two different local hospitals, said in a Facebook post on December 18 that he had received the Pfizer vaccine, telling the ABC News affiliate that his arm was sore for a day but that he had suffered no other side-effects.
Six days later on Christmas Eve, he became sick after working a shift in the COVID-19 unit, the report added. He got the chills and later came down with muscle aches and fatigue.
Christian Ramers, an infectious disease specialist with Family Health Centers of San Diego, told the ABC News affiliate that this scenario was not unexpected.
Coronavirus in Odisha LIVE Updates |
Odisha government prohibits the congregation at public places including hotels, restaurants, clubs, convention halls etc. during New year celebrations on 31st and1st January in view of COVID-19pandemic.
Coronavirus vaccine LIVE Updates | Russia to distribute over 1 million Sputnik V shots at home by year-end: Minister
Russia will have supplied more than 1 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine Sputnik V to its own national inoculation programme by the end of this year, a government minister said on Wednesday.
Russia, which began rolling out the vaccine in early December, has so far produced over 2 million doses in total, Industry Minister Denis Manturov told state television.
The Sputnik V vaccine is administered in two doses, which use different components, 21 days apart.
Coronavirus in Punjab LIVE Updates |
Punjab Govt decides to lift night curfew (10 pm to 5 am) and restrictions on gatherings, and on timings of hotels, restaurants, marriage halls from January 1.
Coronavirus in Maharashtra LIVE Updates |
COVID-19 tally in Maharashtra rises to 19,28,603 withaddition of 3,537 new cases; 70 deaths push toll to 49,463, according to the state health department.
Coronavirus in Rajasthan LIVE Updates |
Rajasthan reported 770 new COVID-19cases, 6 deaths and 1,142 recoveries/discharges today. Total cases: 3,07,554; Death toll: 2,689; Total recoveries/discharges: 2,95,030; Active cases: 9,835.
Coronavirus in Kerala LIVE Updates |
6,268 new COVID-19cases, 5,707 recoveries and28 deaths reported in Keralatoday. The total number of active cases in the state is 65,394. The total recovered cases are 6,87,104.
New COVID Strain LIVE Updates | 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.
Coronavirus in India LIVE Updates |
COVID-19 impact:Average cost of tea at auction centres registers 48% rise till November 2020
The average cost of tea at several tea auction centres in India rose to Rs 215.90 a kg till November 2020 from Rs 145.93 in January-November 2019, registering a 47.95 per cent hike compared to the same period of 2019, says Tea Board data.
Experts state that the increase of Rs 69.97 a kg on tea (Y-o-Y) at auction centres has been due to the belief of people who consider tea could boost immunity, particularly in the backdrop of Covid-19 pandemic.
Coronavirus in Andhra Pradesh LIVE Updates |
Andhra Pradesh reports 349 new COVID-19cases, 472 recoveries and4 deaths, taking the total number of cases to 8,81,948, as per State Health Department. Recovered Cases: 8,71,588; Active Cases: 3,256; Total Deaths: 7,104.
Coronavirus in J&K LIVE Updates |
TheJammu and Kashmir Govt has extended lockdown restrictions till January 31.
Coronavirus in Thailand LIVE Updates | Thailand reports 250 new coronavirus cases
Thailand has reported 250 new cases of the coronavirus, including 241 local transmissions, as the country grapples with an intensifying outbreak of the virus.
After months of seeming to have the COVID-19 situation under control, Thailand has seen two major clusters developing since mid-December.
One has mainly infected hundreds of migrant workers from Myanmar at a seafood market near Bangkok, while in recent days a cluster has grown connected to a gambling den in an eastern province.
Bangkok has been designated a zone 2 area, meaning that more than 10 new cases have been confirmed there, and the the number is likely to increase.
New COVID Strain LIVE Updates | Karnataka Health Minister K Sudhakar:
7 people have tested positive for new strain of COVID-19 andare admitted to hospital. They're not showing any serious symptoms. 3 of their contacts have tested positive for COVID, their samples will be sent for genomic sequencing.
Coronavirus vaccine news India LIVE Updates | AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine: 5 things to know about landmark UK vaccine
Cheap and easy to store, the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine approved by the British regulator on Wednesday has given a shot in the arm to the global fight against coronavirus.
Coronavirus in Odisha LIVE Updates | 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.
The state now has 2,607 active coronavirus cases, while 3,24,775 people have been cured of the disease so far, the official said.
Coronavirus news LIVE Updates | Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij discharged from hospital
Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij was on Wednesday discharged from Gurgaon's Medanta Hospital where he had undergone treatment for COVID-19.
Vij (67), a senior BJP leader, will now stay at his Ambala residence on oxygen support, he said in a tweet.Over the past some days, Vij had been showing steady improvement. He was admitted to Medanta hospital on December 15.
With God's grace, day and night efforts of doctors and your prayers today, I have been shifted from the ICU to a room. Thanks to all, Vij, who also holds the Health Department portfolio, said in another tweet a week ago.
Vij, a BJP MLA from Ambala Cantt, had tested positive for COVID-19 on December 5. Initially, he was admitted to the Civil Hospital at Ambala and later shifted to the PGIMS, Rohtak, before being hospitalised at Medanta.
Coronavirus news LIVE Updates | Asian Beach Games postponed again due to COVID-19
The sixth edition of the Asian Beach Games in Sanya, China, have been postponed for a second time due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) said on Wednesday.
The Games were originally scheduled for Nov. 28 to Dec. 6 but were pushed back to April 2-10, 2021 after China said the only international sports events allowed in the country this year would be trials for the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.
"The OCA consulted all members of the Executive Board to seek their approval of the move to postpone, and it was met with unanimous agreement," the continental governing body said in a statement.
Coronavirus in Maharashtra LIVE Updates |
Hotels, pubs to function till 11 PM on New Year eve: Maharashtra govt
Hotels, restaurants, pubs and bars in Maharashtra will remain open till 11 PM on December 31, state Home Minister Anil Deshmukh said on Wednesday.
Speaking to reporters, he said gathering of five or more people at public places is prohibited, but there are no restrictions on people stepping out for the purpose of buying medicines, and visiting friends and relatives (after 11 PM in view of the night curfew).
He said local authorities have been authorised to ensure that the pandemic-related restrictions are enforced in hill stations where New Year revellers gather in large numbers.
Coronavirus in Kerala LIVE Updates | 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.
State Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran said restrictions in connection with the festivities, would be relaxed in temples managed by the Travancore Devaswom Baord (TDB).
TDB is an apex temple body in the southern state which manages over 1200 shrines.
"With the permission of the respective local police and in adherence to COVID criteria, stage performances can be conducted in temples," the ministersaid.
Coronavirus Live updates: New Year celebrations could be potential Covid-19 'super-spreader' events, says govt
Union Health Ministry on Wednesday asked all states, UTs to keep strict vigil on New Year celebrations, which that could be potential Covid-19 "super-spreader" events and also to curb crowding as precautionary measure during winter season.
Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan wrote to chief secretaries of all States and administrators of UTs to consider imposing restrictions on 30 December, 31 December and 1 January.
In his letter, Bhushan stated that the number of active COVID-19 cases has been declining steadily in the country for the last three-and-half months.
Keeping in view the fresh surge of coronavirus cases in Europe and the Americas, there was still a need for maintaining comprehensive precaution and strict surveillance within India, he underlined.
Coronavirus Live updates: UK nod of Oxford Univ/AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine strengthens case for India approval
The UK government on Wednesday approved the use of Oxford University-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine. The UK government said the approval is based on “thorough analysis of the data by experts at the MHRA, which has concluded that the vaccine has met its strict standards of safety, quality and effectiveness.”
AstraZeneca said it continues to work with regulatory authorities around the world to support their ongoing rolling reviews for emergency supply or conditional marketing authorisation during the health crisis. AstraZeneca is also seeking Emergency Use Listing from the World Health Organization (WHO) for an accelerated pathway to vaccine availability in low- and middle-income countries.
The Britain nod for Oxford University-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine will strengthen the case for a quick approval of their partner Serum Institute of India’s emergency use authorisation application. The subject expert committee (SEC) of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), India’s drug regulator, is likely to meet today to examine and take a possible decision on SII’s emergency-use authorisation (EUA) application for Oxford-AstraZeneca’s vaccine.
Coronavirus Live updates: President Ram Nath Kovind confers Digital India awards, says tech helped us to overcome COVID crisis
President Ram Nath Kovind while presenting Digital India Awards 2020 acknowledged that it was the technological advances that helped us to ride through the darkest hours during the pandemic. "Technological advances are often termed as ‘disruptions’, but this year they helped us overcome the big disruption to a great extent," said the President
Coronavirus Live updates: 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. State Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran said restrictions in connection with the festivities, would be relaxed in temples managed by the Travancore Devaswom Baord (TDB).
TDB is an apex temple body in the southern state which manages over 1200 shrines. The temple art forms can be staged in compliancewith the COVID protocol, the minister said here. "With the permission of the respective local police and in adherence to COVID criteria, stage performances can be conducted in temples," he said. The decision was taken based on the petitions submitted by various organisations of artistes, the minister added.
Coronavirus Live updates: India likely to approve Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine today
India is likely to approve Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine on December 30 hours after the UK approved the coronavirus jab. A top source at Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation told News18, "India approval of Oxford vaccine expected today in all likelihood."
Britain on December 30 became the first nation to approve the Oxford University-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. The United Kingdom government said that it has accepted a recommendation from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) "to authorise Oxford University/AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine for use". The rollout is expected to begin as early as next week.
Read full story here
Coronavirus Live updates: Pakistan's COVID-19 death toll crosses 10,000-mark
The coronavirus death toll in Pakistan crossed the 10,000-mark on Wednesday with 55 new fatalities, according to the latest data shared by the National Command and Operation Center for the last 24 hours.
The NCOC data reads that 2,155 people tested COVID-19 positive during the last 24 hours after tests of 36,390 people.
Coronavirus Live update: UK to give 2 doses in interval of 4 and 12 weeks
A Covid-19 vaccine being developed by drug firm AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford has been approved for use in the United Kingdom, the government announced on Wednesday, adding the mass rollout will begin on 4 January.
Britain health regulators recommended two doses in an interval of four and 12 weeks. The administration, shown in clinical trials, has been found to be safe and effective in the battle against the pandemic and will lead to a massive expansion in Britain's immunisation programme.
Coronavirus Live update: Covishield launch moves closer as UK MHRA authorises AstraZeneca’s covid-19 jab
The UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) on Wednesday authorised emergency use of AstraZeneca’s covid-19 vaccine for immunising people 18 years or older. The authorisation recommends two full doses administered with an interval of between four and 12 weeks, the Anglo-Swedish firm said.
The authorisation for the shots, developed under the codename AZD1222, paves the way for an emergency licensure by the Drug Controller General of India V.G. Somani for Serum Institute of India’s version of the vaccine, branded ‘Covishield’.
Coronavirus Live updates: 26 more COVID-19 cases detected in Pondy, tally touches 38,096
Puducherry logged 26 new cases of coronaviruson Wednesday pushing the aggregate to 38,096, a government official said. No fresh fatality was reported and the toll remained 633. Director of Health and Family Welfare S Mohan Kumar said in a release that 26 cases were spread over Puducherry (16), Karaikal (9) and Mahe (one).
The fatality and recovery rates were 1.66 percent and 97.39 percent respectively. The official noted that 4.81 lakh samples were tested so far and it was found that 4.39 lakh out of them turned out to be negative. The Director said 26 patients recovered and were discharged during last 24 hours. He said there were 363 active cases while 37,100 patients were discharged after recovery so far.
Coronavirus Live updates: China's Sinopharm says its vaccine 79% effective against Covid-19
Phase 3 trials of a Sinopharm coronavirus vaccine found it was 79% effective, the Chinese pharma giant said Wednesday, lower than rival jabs developed by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna but a potential breakthrough in the battle to stem the pandemic in Asia.
China has been racing against the West to develop its own Covid-19 vaccines, with five already in large-scale Phase 3 clinical trials.
Coronavirus Live updates: Taiwan reports first case of new coronavirus variant found in Britain
Taiwan reported on Wednesday its first case of a new coronavirus variant discovered in Britain, in a person who returned to the island on Sunday and whose infection had previously been confirmed.
Coronavirus Live updates: Latest updates on COVID-19 crisis around the world
Here are the latest updates on the coronavirus crisis in India and other parts of the world on on December 30.
12:30 p.m.
Bangladesh and India consolidate bilateral ties in 2020 amidst challenges posed by COVID-19.
Lockdown restrictions in Maharashtra extended till January 31.
12:15 p.m.
Apex environment adjudication body NGT handled disputes involving multi-disciplinary issues relating to air and water pollution through a smooth digital workflow despite the novel coronavirus pandemic this year resulting in a nationwide lockdown.
Indian women's hockey team to resume international competition with tour of Argentina in January.
12:10 p.m.
Himachal sees tourist influx due to snowfall and new year celebrations.
12:05 p.m.
Passenger flights between the UK and India would remain suspended till January 7 and they will resume in a "strictly regulated" manner thereafter, Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said on Wednesday.
12:04 p.m.
A sample taken in 30-40 seconds, upwards of 200 a day and at least 30,000 in five months -- add it up and you get lab technician Ashfaque Ahmed, a profile of commitment and courage in a pandemic told in numbers.
11:57 a.m.
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.
11:14 a.m.
The Congress-led government in Chhattisgarh coped with coronavirus and naxal menace during the year, consolidating rural economy with a slew of financial relief and employment-oriented measures in a bid to buck the post-pandemic trend in the country.
US Vice President-elect Kamala Harris has received the first dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine live on television as part of efforts to build public trust in the inoculation and urged Americans to get vaccinated for the virus.
11:09 a.m.
Twenty people who returned to India from the United Kingdom have tested positive for the new UK variant genome of SARS-CoV-2 so far, the Union Health Ministry said on Wednesday.
11:06 a.m.
As many as 13 new COVID-19 cases push Arunachal Pradesh's tally to 16,709.
11:00 a.m.
West Bengal has reported its first case of a mutant coronavirus strain that surfaced in the
United Kingdom, a senior health official said on Wednesday.
10:52 a.m.
Key flyovers in Thane to be shut during New Year celebrations.
10:42 a.m.
Jharkhand reports 230 new COVID-19 cases and five more deaths.
10:22 a.m.
India's COVID-19 caseload rose to 1,02,44,852 with 20,549 new infections being reported in a day while death toll increased to 1,48,439 with 286 new fatalities.
9:54 a.m.
Seven new cases push COVID-19 tally of Andaman and Nicobar Islands to 4,936.
Six security personnel were among nine new COVID-19 patients in Mizoram.
7:06 a.m.
Singapore starts COVID-19 vaccination for healthcare workers.
Coronavirus Live updates: Switzerland documents five cases of UK virus variant, two of South African variant
Switzerland has documented five cases of a coronavirus variant from Britain and two cases of a South African variant, a Swiss health ministry official said on Tuesday, adding he anticipates more cases of these faster-spreading mutations will emerge.
Patrick Mathys, the health ministry’s crisis management section leader, also said the Swiss supply of COVID-19 shots will be limited until more vaccines are approved by the nation’s regulator, likely next year.
Switzerland is the latest nation to record variant cases, as country after country reports similar infections, prompting some nations to ban travel to Great Britain and South Africa amid fears a more-virulent virus could exacerbate strapped health care systems.
Coronavirus Live updates: Jharkhand reports 230 new COVID-19 cases, five more deaths
Jharkhand's COVID-19 tally mounted to 1,14,650 as 230 more people tested positive for the virus, a health department official said on Wednesday. The COVID-19 death toll in the state rose to 1,025 after five more patients succumbed to the disease in the last 24 hours, he said.
Of the five fresh fatalities, three were reported from Ranchi district and one each from East Singhbhum and Dhanbad. Ranchi district registered the maximum number of fresh cases at 107, followed by East Singhbhum (26) and Bokaro (25).
Jharkhand now has 1,604 active COVID-19 cases, while 1,12,021 people have been cured of the disease so far, the official said. The state tested 14,533 samples for COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, he added.
Coronavirus Live updates: UK approves Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine
The UK medicines regulator the MHRA has approved Oxford University-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.The vaccine is expected to be rolled out next week and would be added to the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine which has so far been given to 600,000 people in the UK.
Read full story here
Coronavirus Live updates: Lockdown restrictions in Maharashtra extended till January 31
The Maharashtra government has extended till January 31, 2021 the lockdown restrictions in the state on account of coronavirus. A circular to this effect was issued on December 29. "The state is threatened with the spread of COVID-19 virus. Therefore, to take certain emergency measures to prevent and contain the spread of the virus, the lockdown in the state has been extended till January 31," the circular said.
The activities already allowed and permitted from time to time shall be continue, it added. Over the past few months, the government has eased several lockdown restrictions. Last month, the government had allowed reopening of places of worship. Schools for students from Std 9th to 12th were also reopened in some parts of the state.
Coronavirus Live updates: 7 in Karnataka found positive for new coronavirus strain: Health Minister
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.
The swab samples of 26 people who tested positive for COVID-19 were sent to NIMHANS to ascertain whether it is the new strain and seven of them were found to have contracted the UK variant. The 26 were among the 1,614 UK returnees, who were subjected to the tests.
"Of the seven people, three are in Bengaluru and four in Shivamogga. All of them have been admitted to designated hospitals," Sudhakar told reporters here. Forty six primary contacts of the seven people have been quarantined.
Coronavirus Live updates: Harris receives first dose of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine on camera
US Vice President-elect Kamala Harris has received the first dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine live on television as part of efforts to build public trust in the inoculation and urged Americans to get vaccinated for the virus.
Harris and her husband Doug Emhoff were administered the vaccine at United Medical Center in Washington, DC. "Let's do it," Harris said before she received her shot on Tuesday.
She took the vaccine one week after President-elect Joe Biden received his. Describing the process as "relatively painless", Harris urged all Americans to get vaccinated.
"It's about saving your life, the life of your family members, and the life of your community," she said. "I trust scientists. And it is the scientists who created and approved this vaccine. So I urge everyone, when it is your turn, get vaccinated."
Coronavirus Live updates: 13 new COVID-19 cases push Arunachal's tally to 16,709
Thirteen more people, including three security personnel, have tested positive for COVID-19 in Arunachal Pradesh in the last 24-hours, pushing the coronavirus caseload to 16,709, a senior health department official said on Wednesday. Of the fresh cases, seven were reported from Tawang, two each from the Capital Complex Region and West Kameng and one each from East Siang and Lohit district, State Surveillance Officer (SSO) Dr Lobsang Jampa said.
All the new cases were detected through rapid antigen test, the official said. Two army personnel and an ITBP jawan are among the fresh cases, he said.
Seventeen more people recovered from the infection on Tuesday, taking the total number of recoveries in the northeastern state to 16,538. The COVID-19 recovery rate in the state is 98.97 percent, the SSO said.
Coronavirus Live updates: Chinese tourists, gripped by coronavirus fears, scale back domestic travel plans
Chinese tourists, millions of whom have shunned overseas travel this year because of the global pandemic, are further narrowing the scope of their journeys, visiting nearby cities and avoiding trips out of their provinces. Recent cases of the novel coronavirus in Beijing and northern China have rekindled public concern, already shaken by calls to avoid non-essential travel during the festive season between Jan. 1 and the start of Lunar New Year in mid-February.
Millions of domestic tourists travel in the week before and after January1 in a typical year. Although hotel bookings for the upcoming three-day New Year weekend had reached 1.8 times of bookings a year earlier as of Dec. 24, plane tickets were nearly 20% cheaper on average, with many people not travelling far, Beijing-based online travel platform Qunar.com said. “The trend is taking a train to visit cities within the reach of one hour,” the company said.
Coronavirus Live updates: 474 new cases, 3 deaths in Telangana
Telangana clocked 474 fresh cases of coronavirus, taking the total positives to nearly 2.86 lakh while three related fatalities pushed the toll to 1,538. Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) accounted for the most number of cases with 102, followed by Rangareddy and Medchal Malkajgiri with 49 and 45 respectively, a government bulletin said on Wednesdayproviding details as of 8 pm on December 29.
The total number of cases stood at 2,85,939 while the recoveries were at 2,78,523. As many as 5,878 patients are under treatment and 45,590 samples were tested on Tuesday. Cumulatively, over 68.39 lakh samples have been tested. The samples tested per million population was over 1.83 lakh, the bulletin said. The case fatality rate in the state was 0.53 per cent, while it was 1.4 per cent at the national level. The recovery rate in Telangana was 97.40 per cent, while it was 96 percent in the country.
Coronavirus Live updates: Thane district reports 348 fresh COVID-19 cases, 11 deaths
With the addition of 348 coronavirus positive cases, the infection count in Thane district of Maharashtra mounted to 2,42,445 an official said on Wednesday. These new cases were reported on Tuesday, he said. As the virus claimed the lives of eleven persons, the death toll in the district rose to 5,940. The mortality rate is 2.45 percent, he added. So far, 2,32,460 patients have recuperated from the infection, which took the recovery rate to 95.88 percent. There are 4,045 active cases in the district at present, the official said. In neighbouring Palghar district, the COVID-19 case count has gone up to 44,193, while the death toll is 1,182, another official said.
Coronavirus Live updates: 7 new cases push COVID-19 tally of Andamans to 4,936
The COVID-19 tally of Andaman and Nicobar Islands rose to 4,936 on Wednesday as seven more people tested positive for the infection, a health official said. All the fresh infections were detected during contact tracing, he said. Eight more people have recovered from the disease, the official said. The archipelago now has 63 active cases, while 4,811 people have recovered and 62 patients have succumbed to the infection so far, he said. The administration has tested over 1.79 lakh samples for COVID-19 so far, the official said.
Coronavirus Live updates: West Bengal reports first case of new COVID strain
West Bengal has reported its first case of a mutant coronavirus strain that surfaced in the United Kingdom, a senior health official said on Wednesday.
The patient, the son of a senior official of the Calcutta Medical College and Hospital, tested positive for the mutant strain VUI-202012/01 after returning from London, the official said.
"The youth is undergoing treatment at the state-run hospital''s super-specialty section. He is under observation. We have advised all those who have come in contact with him to isolate themselves," the official told PTI, adding that the new strain is believed to be significantly more transmissible.
The youth had tested positive for COVID-19 at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport upon his return to Kolkata 10 days ago, he said.
"Six others who had come in contact with the youth at the airport tested negative for the infection. As he had returned from the UK, we had sent his samples for genetic analysis as per the protocol set by the Centre.
Coronavirus Live updates: US congressman-elect Luke Letlow dies of COVID-19
US Representative-elect Luke Letlow of Louisiana has died of COVID-19, Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards said on Tuesday. Letlow, 41, announced on December18 that he had tested positive for the novel coronavirus. “It is with heavy hearts that @FirstLadyOfLA and I offer our condolences to Congressman-elect Luke Letlow’s family on his passing after a battle with COVID-19,” Edwards said on Twitter. Letlow, a Republican, won a runoff election on December 5 for the 5th District seat, which represents Northeast and Central Louisiana, and was due to be sworn in on Sunday.
