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Coronavirus News Highlights: Today is the 284th day since India implemented a nationwide lockdown to help curb the novel coronavirus pandemic. So far, India has recorded more than 1.03 crore confirmed COVID-19 cases, including 1.49 lakh deaths. A total of 99.06 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 96.1 percent. However, there are 2.50 lakh active cases in the country. Globally, more than 8.3 crore people have been infected by the novel coronavirus and 18.2 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.
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Thirty-seven people who returned from the UK to Kerala recently have tested positive for COVID-19, while the state recorded 5,328 new cases and 4,985 recoveries on Saturday, Health Minister K K Shailaja said. While thevirus caseload has gone up to 7,71,251, as many as 7,02,576 people have recovered. At least 2,40,490 people are under observation in various districts, including 11,811 in hospitals.
Japan will consider issuing a new emergency declaration after governors in the capital region urged action to tackle a record surge in COVID-19 cases, the head of the nation’s pandemic response said on Saturday.
The government needs to consult with health experts before deciding on a new declaration, Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura told reporters after a meeting with Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike and leaders from three neighbouring prefectures.
Delhi govt announces free COVID vaccine for people in city
The Delhi government on Saturday announced free COVID-19 vaccine doses to people in the capital city while and ensured the inoculation of one lakh people on a regular basis soon after it receives it from the Centre.
Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain made the announcement while reviewing the dry run of the Covid vaccination process at the Daryaganj dispensary in Central Delhi.
With India recording more recoveries from COVID-19 daily than the number of new infections, the active caseload dropped to 2.50 lakh and accounted for merely 2.43 per cent of the total cases, the Union Health Ministry said on December 1.
While 19,079 persons in India were found to be COVID-19 positive in a day, 22,926 new recoveries were registered during the same period. This has led to a net decline of 4,071 cases in the total active caseload in a span of 24 hours.
Five states -- Kerala, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Chhattisgarh -- contribute 62 per cent of the total active cases.
Over 50% of Indians opted for online mobile recharges in 2020 due to COVID-19 pandemic
Over 50 percent of mobile recharges in India were completed online in 2020 as people refrained from moving out of their homes due to the pandemic and the trend is likely to continue, according to a news report.
As many as 494 new COVID-19 cases, 496 recoveries and 14 deaths were reported in Delhi in the last 24 hours, according to the Delhi Health Department. Delhi’s COVID-19 tally stands at 6.26 lakh, including 6.10 lakh recoveries and a death toll of 10,571.
Bangkok's nightlife will go quiet as a ban on bars, nightclubs and restaurant alcohol sales goes into effect today, among a raft of restrictions aimed at curbing the kingdom's rising coronavirus toll. Thailand initially appeared to have escaped the worst of the virus, registering just under 4,000 total cases in November, despite being the second country to detect an infection in January.
In order to prepare the medical staff and infrastructure, the dry run for the COVID-19 vaccine will continue regularly across Assam till actual vaccination takes place, a senior official said today.
Talking to PTI, National Health Mission (NHM) Mission Director Lakshmanan S said the Health Department does not want to leave any stone unturned to find out any lacuna in the system before administering the vaccine to the people of the state.
Vietnam has detected its first imported case of the new coronavirus variant that is spreading rapidly around Britain, the health ministry said today. The variant was detected in a 44-year-old woman returning to Vietnam from Britain, who was quarantined upon arrival and was confirmed positive for the virus on December 24, the ministry said in a statement.
Vietnam is still operating repatriation flights to bring its citizens stuck in the UK home amid the pandemic. (Input from Reuters)
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat has been discharged from All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi. However, he will remain in isolation and rest at his residence in Delhi for a few days, news agency ANI has quoted the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) as saying. Rawat had tested positive for COVID-19 on December 18, 2020.
Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan has said that the COVID-19 vaccine shall be provided free of cost to most prioritised beneficiaries across the nation in the first phase.
“In the first phase of COVID-19 vaccination, free vaccine shall be provided across the nation to most prioritised beneficiaries that include one crore healthcare and two crore frontline workers," he said in a tweet.
The United States marked the New Year yesterday by passing the extraordinary milestone of 20 million COVID-19 cases, after global celebrations welcoming in 2021 were largely muted by the pandemic. The US has floundered in its efforts to quell the virus, which is spreading rapidly across the country and has already caused more than 347,000 deaths – by far the highest national death toll.
