Coronavirus News Highlights: Today is the 286th day since India implemented a nationwide lockdown to help curb the novel coronavirus pandemic. So far, India has recorded more than 1,03,40,469 confirmed COVID-19 cases, including 1,49,649 deaths. A total of 99,46,867 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 96.19 percent. However, there are 2,43,953 active cases in the country. Globally, more than 8.5 crore people have been infected by the novel coronavirus and 18.42 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 has granted restricted emergency use approval for two vaccines -- Covishield and Covaxin.
After ITC Grand Chola, another luxury hotel property in Chennai has emerged as a coronavirus hotspot. Twenty employees of Leela Palace Hotel in Chennai have tested COVID-19 positive between December 31 and January 2. Most of those who tested COVID-19 positive are reportedly asymptomatic patients.
Delhi reported 384 fresh COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours taking its total COVID-19 case tally to 6,27,256.
This is the lowest daily spike in coronavirus cases Delhi has reported since May 11. The last time Delhi reported less than 400 fresh cases in 24 hours was on May 11, when 310 new COVID-19 cases were recorded.
Maharashtra’s capital Mumbai reported only three coronavirus-related deaths for the second day in a row on January 4. The last time Mumbai saw a COVID-19 death toll this low was in March.
With 516 new COVID-19 cases, Mumbai’s total coronavirus caseload rose to 2,94,986. The total COVID-19 death toll in Mumbai is 11,138 as of January 4.
Odisha Health Minister Naba Kishore Das said on January 4 that the coronavirus vaccine will likely reach the state by January 30.
Das said: “The Odisha government is in touch with the Union government. I am hopeful that the COVID-19 vaccine will reach the state by January 30.”
As per protocols, COVID-19 warriors will get the first shot of the vaccine in the first phase of the vaccination drive.
Kerala for the first time reported six cases of infection of the mutant coronavirus variant that was first detected in the United Kingdom. Two of these cases were from Kozhikode, two from Alappuzha, and one from Kottayam and Kannur each. Kerala Health Minister KK Shailaja said on January 4 that all the six COVID-19 patients have been kept in isolation.
|Jharkhand reported 160 new COVID-19 cases & 232 recoveries & 1 death today.The total number of cases now stands at 1,15,689 including 1,13,125 recoveries, 1036 deaths, and 1528 active cases: State Health Department (ANI)
|Karnataka reported 600 new COVID-19 cases, 1283 discharges, and 3 deaths today. The total cases are at 9,22,538
with total discharges 9,00,202, death toll 12,110 and active cases 10,207. (With inputs from ANI)
The Maharashtra Health Department said on January 4 that the state has recorded 2,765 fresh COVID-19 cases. The total coronavirus tally of Maharashtra now is 19,47,011. With 29 COVID-19 deaths reported on January 4, the total coronavirus death toll of the state now is 49,695.
Chandigarh Administrator VP Singh Badnore said on January 4: “A total of 8,830 healthcare workers including private healthcare providers have been registered in Chandigarh for the administration of vaccination in the first phase.”
The Drugs Controller General of India (DGCI), while granting permission to the Serum Institute of India to “manufacture for sale or distribution” of Oxford-AstraZeneca’s ‘Covishield’, said the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine should be administered between four to six weeks after the first dose.
It said: “The second dose should be administered between 4 to 6 weeks after the first dose. However, there is data available for administration of the second dose up to 12 weeks after the first dose from the overseas studies.”
The Board of Control for Cricket in India said on January 4 that the “playing members of the Indian Cricket Team and support staff underwent an RT-PCR Test for Covid-19 on January 3, 2021. All tests have returned negative results.” The statement comes as five Indian players are under the scrutiny of authorities in Australia for alleged breach of COVID-19 protocols in the country. The third test match between India and Australia is slated to start on January 7 at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
The Centre has worked out the terms of the coronavirus vaccine purchase agreement with Serum Institute of India, which is manufacturing Oxford University-AstraZeneca’s vaccine Covishield, sources told CNBC-TV18 on January 4.The Centre will be procuring 6.6 crore doses of the coronavirus vaccine from SII for 30 million frontline and healthcare workers at Rs 200 per dose. The government would be signing a Rs 1,300 crore purchase agreement with SII for the same soon.
The German government and the 16 federal states have agreed to extend the lockdown until Jan. 31 to curb the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.
Germany was more successful than many European countries in keeping the coronavirus under control in the first wave in the spring but that changed with the second wave. -- Reuters
