Coronavirus News Highlights: Today is the 311th day since India implemented a nationwide lockdown to help curb the novel coronavirus pandemic. So far, India has recorded 1,07,01,193 confirmed COVID-19 cases, including 1,53,847 deaths. A total of 1,03,73,606 people have recuperated from COVID-19 so far. There are 1,73,740 active cases in the country as of date, which comprises 1.62 percent of the total caseload, the data stated. India's recovery rate continues to rise and now stands at 96.94 percent. Globally, more than 10 crore people have been infected by the novel coronavirus and 21.88 lakh have died so far. Many countries, including India, have granted emergency use authorization for COVID-19 vaccines and have started vaccinating healthcare workers and high-risk groups. India's regulator has granted restricted emergency use approval for two vaccines -- Covishield and Covaxin. Over 23 lakh people have been given their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in India so far.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | UNICEF chief sees H1 "crush" in COVID-19 vaccine demand easing in H2
The U.N. Children’s Fund, the largest single buyer of vaccines in the world, expects a “crush” of demand for COVID-19 vaccines in the first year, with supplies only loosening in the second half, UNICEF executive director Henrietta Fore said on Friday.Fore, speaking to an event organised by the World Economic Forum, said: “What has happened in our world is that we now have a crush of demand here in the first half of the year and yet what it looks like from a manufacturing and availability point of view is that it’s the second half of the year when we are going to have the supply available. So timing is a big problem and a big issue but it gives us time to plan.”Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, chairman and ceo of DP World which signed a partnership with UNICEF earlier this week, said that demand for shipping goods was creating a shortage of empty containers in the market.
Coronavirus in Manipur LIVE Updates
|Manipur reported 15 new COVID-19cases and 25 recoveries today, says State Health Department. Total cases so far: 29,037, Total recoveries: 28,524, Active cases: 142, Total Deaths: 371, Recovery rate is 98.23%.
Coronavirus in Rajasthan LIVE Updates
|Rajasthan reports 103 new COVID-19cases, 265 recoveries, and 2 deaths today. Total cases: 3,17,292, Total recoveries: 3,12,132, Death toll: 2,765, Active cases: 2,395.
Coronavirus in Karnataka LIVE Updates
|Karnataka reports 468 new COVID-19 cases, 607 discharges, and 2 deaths in the last 24 hours, as per State Health Department.Total cases: 9,38,401, Active cases: 6,061, Total discharges: 9,20,110, Death toll: 12,211.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Government Official:
Vaccination for frontline workers will start from 1st week of February 2021.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Johnson & Johnson 1-dose shot prevents COVID-19, but less than some others
Johnson & Johnson’s long-awaited vaccine appears to protect against COVID-19 with just one shot – not as strong as some two-shot rivals but still potentially helpful for a world indire need of more doses.J&J said Friday that in the U.S. and seven other countries, the single-shot vaccine was 66% effective overall at preventing moderate to severe illness, and much more protective — 85% — against the most serious symptoms.
Coronavirus in Punjab LIVE Updates
|Punjab School Education Minister Vijay Inder Singla says pre-primary classes at govt, private schools will restart from February 1.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates
|Man dies hours after being administered coronavirusvaccine in UP's Pilibhitdistrict; chief medical officer attributes it to heart ailment citing autopsy report
Coronavirus LIVE Updates
|Karnataka govt appeals to Centre to treat teachers as frontline workers, include them in COVID-19vaccination drive for priority sector.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Swiss Drugmaker Novartis To Help Make Pfizer-Biontech COVID-19 Vaccine
Swiss drugmaker Novartis has signed an initial agreement to provide manufacturing capacity for Pfizer and Biontech’s COVID-19 vaccine, a move aimed at helping boost production as supplies fall shy of demand. Subject to reaching a final agreement, Novartis plans to commence production in the second quarter of 2021, the Basel-based company said on Friday, adding it would use manufacturing facilities at its site in Stein, Switzerland, near the Rhine River on the German border.Three vaccines from Western companies Pfizer-Biontech, AstraZeneca and Moderna have been approved by regulators, but limited production and delayed deliveries have hampered efforts to quickly vaccinate people most at risk for COVID-19.Novartis’s announcement that it was joining the push to remedy the shortfall follows a move by Sanofi this week to work with Biontech to supply 125 million doses of its mRNA vaccine to the European Union.“Novartis has been mobilizing on multiple fronts to support the global pandemic response,” said Steffen Lang, head of Novartis Technical Operations.Novartis, which did not give specifics on how much drug substance it would produce for Pfizer-Biontech if the deal goes through, added it is in “advanced discussions” with additional companies to take on production of mRNA, therapeutic protein and other raw materials for vaccines and therapeutics.
Coronavirus in Delhi LIVE Updates | Manish Sisodia:
Colleges, diploma institutions in Delhi to reopen from February 5.
Coronavirus in Karnataka LIVE Updates | 2.84 lakh people vaccinated in Karnataka so far: Health Minister
Karnataka has vaccinated over 2.84 lakh people since the launch of the vaccination drive on January 16, state Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar said. “The world’s largest vaccination drive is now also the fastest vaccination drive. After the launch on 16 Jan, India has crossed 2 million inoculations in just 11 days,” Sudhakar tweeted.He said that Karnataka had vaccinated 2,84,385 health warriors till Thursday, with 18,230 inoculations in a single day on Thursday.
Coronavirus in Andhra Pradesh LIVE Updates |
Andhra Pradesh reports 125 new COVID-19cases, & 175 recoveries in the last 24 hours.Total cases: 8,87,591, Total recoveries: 8,79,131, Death toll:7,152, Active cases: 1,308.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Supply of Covid-19 vaccines may meet, even outstrip demand in India by Q3: AstraZeneca chief
The supply of vaccines for COVID-19 may meet up or even outstrip the demand in India by the third quarter of this year, given the number of vaccines being developed in the country and its capacity, AstraZeneca Pharma India Country President and MD Gagan Singh said on Friday. The pandemic has shown how resilient healthcare is, and how important pillar biopharmaceutical industry is as part of the healthcare ecosystem. Therefore, support for academic research, a vibrant healthcare system that embraces innovation is going to be very critical, he added.
"I am very hopeful given our enterprise, given the number of vaccines India is developing and the capacity available, hopefully in my own personal read, by quarter 3, we may actually have a situation where supply will meet up the demand or even outstrip," Singh said.
We must compliment our government also in its efforts towards getting the country in putting the plan for vaccination together and now in the rollout, he added.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Thailand on track to distribute locally made COVID-19 vaccines in June
Thailand's plan to produce the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine locally is on track to be ready to begin mass inoculations in June, with a capacity to make up to 18 million doses per month, a senior official said on Friday. It was still unclear how many would go to Thai citizens and how many would be exported to other Southeast Asian countries under a deal with AstraZeneca that has come under fire from opposition critics for being too slow and lacking transparency. Thailand's vaccine strategy revolves around production of AstraZeneca shots by local firm Siam Bioscience, owned by the Thai king's vast business holdings. Tests of the first batches are due to be completed by the end of May, the head of the National Vaccine Institute, Nakorn Premsri, told Reuters in an interview. "The industrial batch will come out by June," Nakorn said. Siam Bioscience underwent a five-day virtual audit in December and all the batches it produces will also undergo quality testing, AstraZeneca said in a statement. Nakorn said Thailand chose to produce locally because it wanted to safeguard its own vaccine supply amid the global rush to protect against a virus that has killed more than two million people worldwide. Thailand signed the AstraZeneca deal in October, putting it months behind nations such as the United Kingdom, the United States and India. Thailand has ordered 61 million locally made doses from AstraZeneca enough for 30.5 million people, or just over half the adult population, excluding people under 18 and pregnant women. Until June, Thailand will rely on imported vaccines. The first 50,000 imported doses from AstraZeneca are expected in February with 100,000 more due in the next few months, but on Friday Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul warned that supply issues in Europe might cause delays. Thailand has also ordered two million doses of China's Sinovac Biotech Ltd vaccines with 200,000 doses due in February, though it has yet to be approved by the regulator.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | UP: Man dies after COVID shot, CMO says death due to heart ailment
In the second such case in Uttar Pradesh, a 55-year-old man died hours after being administered the coronavirus vaccine in Umaria township of the district here, though the Chief Minister's Office on Friday attributed it to a heart ailment citing the autopsy report. Pratap Ram, a Class IV employee of the Child Welfare and Nutrition department, was given vaccine at the Mahila hospital on Thursday morning. By evening, he took ill and died even before he could be rushed to hospital, his family members said. Pratap Ram, a Class IV employee of the Child Welfare and Nutrition department, was given vaccine at the Mahila hospital on Thursday morning. By evening, he took ill and died even before he could be rushed to hospital, his family members said.Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Seema Agarwal said the deceased man had a heart ailment and the post-mortem conducted in the early hours on Friday mentioned the disease as the cause of death.According to his family members, Pratap Ram had undergone a heart surgery in 2007 and a stent was implanted. But, since then he did not have any problem.Citing the autopsy report, the CMO said his heart was also found to be enlarged. He was getting treatment for the heart ailment in Bareilly, the CMO said.The statements of the family members and the autopsy report have been sent to the district magistrate, the CMO said. According to the district administration, Pratap Ram, a resident of Kimta Gangolihat village of Uttarakhand's Pithoragarh district, had been working here for a long time and was posted in the Child Welfare and Nutrition department, Umaria for the past six years.He was given the vaccine shot on Thursday morning around 11.35 am. His mobile phone has an SMS in this regard. He was taken ill around 5 pm and passed away before his family members and neighbours could arrange medical attention. Last week, a 46-year-old health worker died in Uttar Pradesh's Moradabad district a day after receiving the coronavirus vaccination, with the autopsy report attributing the death to 'cardio-pulmonary disease'.The family of Mahipal, who was working as a ward boy in the state-run Deen Dayal Upadhaya Hospital, said he was not suffering from any ailment other than fever and cough, and blamed his death on the vaccination. But the UP government said the man died due to septicemic shock and cardiac arrest and the death was not related to the COVID-19 vaccination.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Hungary becomes first EU country to approve Chinese Covid vaccine
Hungary on Friday became the first EU member to approve the Chinese-made Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine, Chief Medical Officer Cecilia Muller said.
"Today the National Institute of Pharmacy and Nutrition (OGYEI) gave its approval for the Sinopharm vaccine," she said. Last week Hungary also broke ranks with the EU by issuing a provisional licence to Russia's Sputnik V vaccine.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Ukraine bans use of Russian COVID-19 vaccines
Ukraine's parliament on Friday approved a bill intended to speed up the approval of COVID-19 vaccines, which also bans the approval of vaccines made in Russia. The government has said it expects to receive 100,000 to 200,000 doses of the vaccine made by Pfizer Inc and Germany's BioNTechunder the global COVAX scheme in February. No vaccine has yet been approved in Ukraine but authorities have repeatedly said Kyiv will not approve or use vaccines from Russia, with which Ukraine's ties are strained. "One political force just created some hysteria over the registration of the Russian vaccine," Ukraine's Health Minister Maksym Stepanov told a televised briefing. "I can say at once: You can be hysterical for a very long time, no one will register the Russian vaccine in the country." Biolik, a Ukrainian pharmaceutical company backed by Viktor Medvedchuk, a prominent Russia-leaning opposition figure, said earlier this month it had applied for state approval to make Russia's Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine, a sensitive move given the poor relations between Kyiv and Moscow. The two countries have been at loggerheads since Russia's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and involvement in a conflict in Ukraine's eastern Donbass region which Kyiv says has killed 14,000 people. (Reuters)
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | India's Covid-19 active cases tally contracts to 1.71 lakh; positivity rate drops to 5.50 %
Sustaining a downward movement, the tally of India's active Covid-19 cases has dropped to 1.71 lakh (1,71,686) which is just 1.60 per cent of the total infections, while the national cumulative positivity rate has fallen to 5.50 per cent, the Union Health Ministry said on Friday.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | India's Covid-19 active cases tally contracts to 1.71 lakh; positivity rate drops to 5.50 %
Sustaining a downward movement, the tally of India's active Covid-19 cases has dropped to 1.71 lakh (1,71,686) which is just 1.60 per cent of the total infections, while the national cumulative positivity rate has fallen to 5.50 per cent, the Union Health Ministry said on Friday.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Greece delays school reopening plans after COVID-19 infections rise
Greece on Friday postponed plans to reopen all high schools next month following a fresh rise in COVID-19 infections, saying schools in critical "red zones" would continue with distance learning. Athens said last week it would let high schools reopen on Feb. 1 for the first time in more than two months as pressure on its public health system had eased in the last few weeks. "High schools in red zones will continue to teach lessons from distance," Deputy Education Minister Zeta Makri said in an interview with state TV ERT. Parts of Northern Greece and West Attica are the regions suffering most from a fresh surge in COVID-19 cases, which have doubled since the beginning of the week. Civil Protection and Health Ministry experts will hold a press briefing later on Friday providing more details. (Reuters)
Coronavirus Live updates | Economic Survey:
India's lockdown strategy prevented 37 lakh COVID-19 cases, 1 lakh deaths.
Coronavirus Live updates: World can count on India to help overcome covid challenge, says Jaishankar
The world can count on India, billed the “Pharmacy of the World", to help it overcome the covid-19 challenge, Indian foreign minister S Jaishankar said in a Twitter post on Friday. The minister’s tweet was in response to UN Secretary General Antonio Gutteres saying overnight that India’s vaccine production capacity “is the best asset that the world has today".
“You can count on the Pharmacy of the World to help overcome the COVID-19 challenge," Jaishankar said in response. The exchange comes amid a rush among countries to vaccinate their populations and competition picking up among drug companies to distribute their vaccines. India which rolled out its domestic inoculation programme to safeguard its population against covid-19 on 16 January, already has a reputation in the international market as a major producer of vaccines and generic drugs.
Coronavirus Live updates: EU holds out for more after AstraZeneca offered 8 million extra COVID-19 shots
AstraZeneca offered eight million more doses of its COVID-19 vaccine to the European Union to try to defuse a row over supplies, but the bloc said that was too far short of what was originally promised, an EU official told Reuters. The Anglo-Swedish firm unexpectedly announced cuts in supplies to the EU last week, citing production problems at a Belgian factory, triggering a furious response from the bloc.
EU officials said that meant a 60% cut to 31 million doses in the period to the end of March, a major blow for its 27-member countries which are already lagging vaccination campaigns in Israel, Britain and the United States. The EU official directly involved in the talks said AstraZeneca offered earlier this week to increase deliveries to possibly 39 million doses in the first quarter, but that was deemed inadequate. The size of the AstraZeneca's offer has not previously been reported.
Coronavirus Live updates: Timely, calibrated decisions taken by govt saved lakhs of lives during COVID-19 pandemic, says President Ram Nath Kovind
"Timely and calibrated decisions" taken by the government during the COVID-19 pandemic saved the lives of lakhs of citizens, President Ram Nath Kovind said on Friday while highlighting the rapid decline in the number of new coronavirus cases and the significant increase in the number of recoveries. In his customary address to a joint sitting of both houses of Parliament that marks the start of the Budget session, Kovind said by making lakhs of COVID-19 vaccine doses available to several countries, India has fulfilled its obligation towards humanity in these times of difficulty.
During this period, the country has demonstrated its scientific capabilities, technical expertise and the strength of its start-up ecosystem by developing a network of over 2,200 laboratories in a short time span, manufacturing thousands of ventilators, PPE kits and test kits and thereby, attaining self-reliance. Two vaccines -- Covishield manufactured by the Serum Institute of India and the indigenously-developed Covaxin of Bharat Biotech -- have been approved for restricted emergency use in India.
"It is a matter of immense pride that India is conducting the world''s largest vaccination programme. Both the vaccines rolled out under this programme are produced indigenously. By making lakhs of corona vaccine doses available to several countries, India has fulfilled its obligation towards humanity in these times of difficulty. "The accolades being showered on India globally for this work, along with the essence of our age-old cultural tradition of ''Sarve Santu Niramayaha'' and the endeavour to work for human welfare, are imparting strength to our efforts," Kovind said.
During the coronavirus pandemic, which has affected every country in the world, India has emerged on the global stage with a renewed vigour, he underlined. "It gives me satisfaction that due to the timely and calibrated decisions taken by my government, we were able to save the lives of lakhs of our countrymen. Today, there is a rapid decline in the number of new cases of the coronavirus and at the same time, there is a significant increase in the number of recoveries," the president said.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates: Supportive monetary and fiscal policies needed until pandemic is in check, says IMF
Countries around the world urgently need supportive monetary and fiscal policies until the deadly coronavirus pandemic is in check, a senior IMF official has said, as he advocated building buffers against fluctuations in external capital flows that could impact financial stability in nations like India. Observing that the economies have been very negatively impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, Tobias Adrian, Financial Counsellor and Director of the Monetary and Capital Markets Department of the International Monetary Fund, said that in 2020 a vast majority of countries had sharp contractions in economic activities.
“Until the pandemic is in check, supportive monetary and fiscal policies remain urgently needed. That’s what we see in our membership around the world," he told PTI in an interview. "The good thing on the economic policy front is that there has been a synchronised support that was deployed around the world that has helped to mitigate the fallout from this pandemic and so the hope is that this is a bridge to recovery,” Adrian said.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates: COVID-19 cases explained in charts
The total number of COVID-19 cases in India is now at 1,07,20,048 with 1,03,94,352 recoveries and 1,54,010 deaths as per January 29, update. The mortality rate in the country now stands at 1.4 percent with Punjab reporting the highest (3.2 percent). Less than 8 lakh daily tests were reported on January 28 with more than 19.50 crore tests carried out till date.
Despite the high number of cases and deaths reported by India, the country fares better when compared with other nations in terms of per million population. Mexico now records the third highest COVID-19 deaths in the world, moving above India.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates: COVID-19 cases explained in charts
Maharashtra reported the most (50) new deaths, followed by Chhattisgarh (35), Kerala (19), Punjab (9) and West Bengal (9). These five states account for 75 percent of all the new deaths reported across the country.
About 18 states and union territories--Andaman and Nicobar, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli/Daman and Diu, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Ladakh, Lakshadweep, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Odisha, Sikkim and Tripura did not report any deaths today.
India’s recovery rate is now 97 percent. Dadra Nagar Haveli/Daman & Diu record the highest (99.7 percent) recovery rate. In terms of cases, Chhattisgarh recorded 6,479 new recoveries, the most, followed by Kerala (5,594), Maharashtra (3,181), Bihar (655) and Karnataka (644).
Coronavirus LIVE Updates: COVID-19 cases explained in charts
As many as 18,855 new cases of novel coronavirus were reported, with India’s total COVID-19 cases now above 1.07 crore, as per health ministry’s January 29, 2021 update. New cases above 15,000 mark after eight days.
India reported 163 new deaths and 20,746 new recoveries in the last 24 hours, the latest release show. Active cases drop to 1,71,686 with a fall of 2,054 cases on January 29.
As many as 29,28,053 beneficiaries have been vaccinated across India according to January 29, update.
Chhattisgarh reported the most (6,451) new cases in the last 24 hours, followed by Kerala (5,771), Maharashtra (2,889), Karnataka (550) and Tamil Nadu (503). These five states account for 86 percent of all the new cases reported in India.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates: Lockdown restrictions in Maharashtra extended till February 28
The Maharashtra government on Friday extended till February 28, 2021 the coronavirus-induced lockdown restrictions in the state. A circular to this effect was issued by the state government. "The state is threatened with the spread of COVID-19 virus and the government feels the need to take emergency measures," the circular said. The government's guidelines to operationalise 'Mission Begin Again' for easing of restrictions and phase- wise opening will remain in force till February 28, it said.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Sri Lanka kicks off coronavirus inoculations with Indian vaccine
Sri Lanka on Friday launched its national coronavirus immunisation campaign by administering the first shots to frontline health workers, soldiers and security personnel, a day after India gifted 500,000 doses of Covishield vaccine to the island nation.Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Thursday thanked India for its generosity after he received 500,000 doses of Covishield vaccine donated by the country under the 'Neighbourhood First' policy.The consignment was packed in 42 boxes.Rajapaksa was joined at the airport by the Indian envoy in Colombo Gopal Baglay.Frontline health workers, the Army and Police are on the priority list to receive the coronavirus vaccine, the Colombo Gazette reported.The coronavirus vaccination programme will begin at six hospitals in and around Colombo.The first jabs were given to three soldiers at the Army Hospital in Colombo, the report said.Senior Consultant Physician at the Infectious Diseases Hospital (IDH) in Angoda Dr. Ananda Wijewickrama became the first healthcare official to receive the vaccine, it said.The Health Ministry said earlier that the vaccination programme will be carried out on the staff at six hospitals on Friday, the report added.Health Services Deputy Director General Dr. Hemantha Herath said that selected staff at the Colombo National Hospital, Colombo South Teaching Hospital, Colombo North Teaching Hospital, Homagama Base Hospital, Colombo East Base Hospital and the Infectious Disease Hospital (IDH) in Angoda will be vaccinated, the report added.He said that around 25 per cent of the staff at these hospitals will be vaccinated at the start.A total of 250,000 people, mostly health frontline workers, members of the security forces and police and the vulnerable aged, will get the vaccine on a priority basis.
Coronavirus Live updates
|Supreme Court asks the Central government and the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to explain why no extra attempt can be given to civil services aspirants affected by COVID-19 when such relaxation has been extended earlier.
Coronavirus Live updates | Health Ministry:
Total number of persons infected with the UK variant of Coronavirus reaches 166.
Coronavirus in Maharashtra Live updates
|Maharashtra government extends lockdowntill February 28. "Activities already allowed and permitted from time to time shall be continued and all earlier orders shall be aligned with this order and shall remain in force up to 28 February," reads statement.
Coronavirus Live updates: Novavax' covid-19 vaccine shows 89% efficacy in phase 3 trial
In another potential boost to availability of robust covid-19 vaccines in India, Novavax early Friday announced its interim phase-3 results showing that its protein subunit jabs have an efficacy of 89.3% against the novel coronavirus. More importantly, the efficacy results of the vaccine come from a trial in UK and South Africa, where two more transmissible strains are more prevalent, indicating that the vaccine provides protection against them.
“NVX-CoV2373 is the first vaccine to demonstrate not only high clinical efficacy against COVID-19 but also significant clinical efficacy against both the rapidly emerging UK and South Africa variants," Novavax president and chief executive officer Stanley C. Erck said in a statement. In India, Serum Institute will be manufacturing around 1 billion doses of the vaccine under the local brand Covovax, with half of them expected to be reserved for India. The company will start manufacturing the vaccines from March, chief executive officer Adar Poonawalla has earlier said.
Coronavirus Live updates: Telangana adds 197 new COVID-19 cases, 2 deaths take toll to 1,596
Telangana recorded 197 fresh COVID-19 cases, taking the total positives to nearly 2.94 lakh while two fatalities pushed the toll to 1,596. Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) accounted for the most number of cases with 38, followed by Rangareddy and Karimnagar with 13 and 12 respectively, a government bulletin said on Friday providing details as of 8 PM on January 28.
The total number of cases stood at2,94,120 while recoveries were at2,89,987. As many as2,537 patients are under treatment and 31,486 samples were tested on Thursday. Cumulatively, nearly 78 lakh samples have been tested. The samples tested per million population was over 2.09 lakh, the bulletin said. The case fatality rate in the state was 0.54 per cent, while it was 1.4 per cent at the national level. The recovery rate in Telangana was 98.59 per cent, while it was 96.9 per cent in the country.
Coronavirus Live updates: Mizoram reports 1 new COVID-19 case, tally rises to 4,363
Mizoram's COVID-19 tally rose to 4,363 on Friday as a 33-year-old woman tested positive for the infection, a health official said. The infection was detected during a rapid antigen test, he said. The state now has 41 active cases, while 4,313 people have recovered from the disease and nine patients have succumbed to the infection so far, the official said.
Mizoram has so far tested over 2.05 lakh samples for COVID-19, including 870 on Thursday, the official said. The administration has so far administered the first dose of the COVID vaccine to 6,728 health workers, including 586 on Thursday, State Immunisation Officer Dr Lalzawmi said.
Coronavirus Live updates: 3 new cases push Arunachal's COVID-19 tally to 16,827
Arunachal Pradesh's COVID-19 tally rose to 16,827 on Friday as three more people, including an Army jawan, tested positive for the infection, a senior health official said. The fresh cases were reported in the Capital Complex region and West Kameng and Changlang districts, State Surveillance Officer Dr Lobsang Jampa said. Three more people have been cured of the disease, taking the recovery rate among the coronavirus patients in the state to 99.57 per cent, he said.
The state now has 15 active cases, while 16,756 people have recovered from the disease and 56 patients have succumbed to the infection so far, he said. Arunachal Pradesh has so far tested over 3.91 lakh samples for COVID-19, including 640 on Thursday, the official said. Meanwhile, 15,741 health workers have received the first dose of the COVID vaccine in the state so far, including 8,654 on Thursday, State Immunisation Officer Dr Dimong Padung said. The Health Department is carrying out the inoculation drive every Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, he said.
Coronavirus Live updates: UN chief Antonio Guterres receives COVID-19 vaccine
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has received his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and appealed to people to get vaccinated as soon as they can while stressing that nations must ensure the vaccine is available to everyone, everywhere. Guterres, 71, received the first dose of the Moderna vaccine at a New York City public school Thursday. Guterres gestured to make a victory sign as he was administered the shot.
My appeal is for all to take profit of the opportunities that exist and be vaccinated as soon as they can, he said, adding that it is important for everybody, everywhere to be vaccinated. In a tweet, he said, I was fortunate and grateful to get the first dose of my #COVID19 vaccine today. We must get to work to make sure the vaccine is available to everyone, everywhere. With this pandemic, none of us is safe until all of us are safe.
Coronavirus Live updates: India reports 18,855 new cases in a day, active cases at 1.71 lakh
India reported 18,855 new COVID-19 cases, 20,746 discharges and 163 deaths in last 24 hours, informed Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry on Friday. With that, the total cases of COVID-19 in the country has escalated to 1,07,20,048 including 1,71,686 active cases and 1,03,94,352 total discharges.
The death toll due to the COVID-19 virus has mounted to 1,54,010, including the new deaths. "A total of 19,50,81,079 samples have been tested for COVID-19 up to January 2. Of these, 7,42,306 samples were tested yesterday," informed Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) today.
The Government of India on Thursday extended the ban on international scheduled commercial flights to and from India till February 28 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the restriction shall not apply to international all-cargo operations and flights approved by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
Coronavirus Live updates: Jharkhand reports 62 new COVID-19 cases, 3 fresh fatalities
Jharkhand's COVID-19 tally rose to 1,18,557 on Friday as 62 more people tested positive for the infection, while three fresh fatalities pushed the state''s coronavirus death toll to 1,069, a health official said. Ranchi district reported the highest number of new cases at 43, followed by East Singhbhum (seven) and Koderma and Gumla (two each), he said.
Two fresh fatalities were reported in Ranchi and one in Dhanbad, the official said. The state now has 670 active cases, while 1,16,818 people have recovered from the disease so far, he said. Jharkhand has tested 9,934 samples for COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, the official said. A total of 5,587 more health workers received COVID vaccines, he added.
Coronavirus Live updates: UN chief Antonio Guterres lauds India’s COVID-19 vaccine assistance to nations
India's vaccine production capacity is one of the best assets the world has today, UN chief Antonio Guterres has said as he applauded India for supplying COVID-19 doses to nations around the world to combat the catastrophic global health crisis. The UN Secretary-General also expressed hope that India will have all instruments necessary to play a major role in ensuring a global vaccination campaign becomes possible as the world fights the pandemic.
“I would like to say how much we count on India. I mean, India has one of the most advanced pharmaceutical industries. India played a very important role in the production of generics for use that was a very important element of democratisation of access to medicines all over the world,” Guterres said. He was responding to a question by PTI during a press briefing on Thursday on India helping countries around the world in the fight against the global pandemic by supplying COVID-19 vaccines.
“And we strongly hope that India will have all the instruments that are necessary to play a major role in making sure that a global vaccination campaign becomes possible. I think that the production capacity of India is one of the best assets the world has today, and I hope the world understands that it must be fully used,” he said.
Coronavirus Live updates: India records 18,855 fresh cases, 163 more fatalities; recovery rate surges to 96.96%
With 18,855 fresh cases, India's COVID-19 tally has gone up to 1,07,20,048, while the number of people who have recuperated from the disease has surged to 1,03,94,352, pushing the national recovery rate to 96.96 percent, the health ministry said on Friday. The death toll due to the viral disease has climbed to 1,54,010 in the country with 163 more fatalities, the ministry's data updated at 8 am showed.
The number of people who have recuperated from the disease has surged to 1,03,94,352, pushing the national COVID-19 recovery rate to 96.96 percent, while the case fatality rate stands at 1.44per cent. The number of active COVID-19 cases in the country remained below two lakh for the 10th consecutive day. There are 1,71,686 active coronavirus cases in the country, which accounts for only 1.60 percent of the total number of cases, the data stated.
Coronavirus Live updates: India gifted over 55 lakh doses of coronavirus vaccines to several countries, says MEA
India has gifted over 55 lakh doses of coronavirus vaccines to its neighbouring countries and several of those in its extended neighbourhood, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday. MEA Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said at a media briefing that there has been interest in many countries in accessing vaccines from India and that it considers cooperation in the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic as its duty.
On Thursday, India sent 5,00,000 vaccine doses to Sri Lanka and 1,00,000 doses to Bahrain as part of grants assistance. "From January 20 onwards, we have gifted over 55 lakh doses of vaccines to our neighbouring countries and in our extended neighbourhood," Srivastava said. He said Bhutan has been supplied 1.5 lakh doses so far and Maldives one lakh doses. Nepal and Bangladesh were given 10 lakh and 20 lakh doses respectively.
Srivastava said Myanmar received 15 lakh doses, Mauritius one lakh doses and Seychelles got 50,000 doses. "These supplies are based on requests from these countries," he said. Over the next few days, Srivastava said India plans to "gift" one lakh doses to Oman, five lakh doses to CARICOM countries and two lakh doses to Nicaragua. The Pacific Island states are also getting two lakh doses.
The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) is a grouping of 20 island nations which are home to approximately 16 million people. "In line with the prime minister''s announcement that India sees international cooperation in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic as its duty, we have played the role of the first responder in our neighbourhood as well as undertaken supplies to countries beyond," Srivastava said. He said commercial exports have taken place to Brazil, Morocco and Bangladesh and further such supplies are likely to be made to Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Canada and Mongolia.
"Further, we are going to supply 1 crore doses to Africa and 10 lakh to UN health workers under GAVI''s COVAX facility," he said. GAVI is a global vaccine alliance. "Our external supplies, whether as gifts or on a commercial basis, are based on domestic availability, licensing issues and regulatory approvals in the countries concerned," he added.
Coronavirus Live updates: In 2020 India showed ability to meet all challenges, be it from coronavirus or at borders, says PM Modi
Prime MinisterNarendraModisaid on Thursday that India last year showed it is capable of taking all steps to meet challenges, be it from coronavirus or at its borders."We have to strengthen the emotion with which we dealt with big challenges last year, with one nation with one heart. We have to completely remove the ill effects of the pandemic on our economy," he said at a rally of the National Cadet Corps (NCC) here.
According to government projections released earlier this month, India''s GDP is estimated to contract by a record 7.7 per cent during 2020-21 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.The prime minister said, "Last year, India has shown that its capable of taking steps to meet all challenges, be it from coronavirus or at its borders."Indian and Chinese armed forces are engaged in a bitter standoff at their border areas in easternLadakhsince May last year.
"Whether it is developing protective shield of the vaccine or destroying with modern missiles intentions of those challenging India, the country is capable on all fronts," he stressed. If India is ''aatmanirbhar'' (self-reliant) in vaccine, it is also trying with equalvigourtomoderniseits armed forces,Modisaid. The prime minister asserted that all steps are being taken to ensure that every wing of India''s armed forces is the best, adding that the country now has excellent "war machines".
Referring to mid-airrefuellingof threeRafalefighter aircraft while they were on way to India on Wednesday,Modisaid it was done inUAEand Saudi Arabia, and Greece also helped. "This highlights our growing ties with the Gulf countries," he said. This was the third batch ofRafalefighter jets that arrived in India after flying non-stop from France. About his government''s efforts to boost domesticdefencemanufacturing,Modisaid, "India will soon be known as a big producer ofdefenceequipment instead of a big market as it is today." He said the indigenously developedTejasfighter jet is exhibiting its glory in the sea and sky and an order of more than 80 of these aircraft have been placed by the government recently.
Coronavirus Live updates: Bharat Biotech, SII approach DCGI for using COVID vaccine on those using blood thinners, says ICMR DG
ICMR chief Balram Bhargava on Thursday said COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers--Bharat Biotech and Serum Institute--have approached the country’s drugs regulator to make changes in the fact sheet to permit the use of the vaccine on people using blood thinners. Responding to a query during a press conference, he clarified that there is no contraindication in administering COVID-19 vaccines to those who are on blood thinners such as aspirin and clopidogrel.
The relative contraindication regarding blood thinners is mentioned in the fact sheet of both the vaccines, Covaxin and Covishield, he said. "Both the companies have written to the DCGI regarding changing this point and that will happen very soon," Bhargava said. Oxford COVID-19 vaccine ‘Covishield’ manufactured by the Serum Institute of India (SII) and indigenously developed ‘Covaxin’ of Bharat Biotech have been approved by the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) for restricted emergency use in the country.
Elaborating further, the ICMR Director General said there are two categories of blood thinners. The first one is ‘antiplatelets’ such as aspirin and clopidogrel, which is not a problem at all, he said. "The second category is anticoagulants like heparan, and these patients have a tendency to bleed much higher. The only worry is, there can be local hematoma or swelling can occur where the injection site is. Therefore, it is a very relative contraindication. The anticoagulants can be stopped for one or two days before giving the vaccine. "But as for blood thinners like aspirin and clopidogrel, there is no contraindication and that will be corrected in the fact sheet as soon as the drugs controller will give permission for the same," Bhargava added
Coronavirus Live updates: India carried out 5th highest no of COVID vaccinations till January 26, says govt
India carried out the fifth highest number of COVID-19 vaccinations by inoculating 2.03 million people till January 26, the Health Ministry said as the number of beneficiaries who received the shots across the country crossed 28 lakh till Thursday 7 pm. Addressing a press conference, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said that India was the fastest country to reach 1 million COVID-19 vaccinations in six days, while the US took 10 days, Spain 12, Israel 14, the UK 18, Italy 19, Germany 20 and UAE 27 days.
"As per ''Our World in Data'' till January 26, India, which launched its nationwide vaccination drive on January 16, had carried out the fifth highest number of vaccinations in the world by vaccinating 2.03 million people. The important point is many other countries are showing their progress for over 50 days while India is showing its vaccination on January 26 after just 11 days," Bhushan said.
Till January 26, the US had administered 23.54 million doses, the UK 7.64 million doses, UAE 2.76 million doses, Germany 1.99 million doses, Italy 1.58 million dose, Spain 1.36 million doses and France 1.14 million doses. Bhushan highlighted that Lakshadweep (83.4 pc), Odisha (50.7 pc), Haryana (50 pc), Andaman and Nicobar Islands (48.3 pc), Rajasthan (46.8 pc), Tripura (45.6 pc), Mizoram (40.5 pc), Telangana (40.3 pc), Andhra Pradesh (38.1 pc), Karnataka (35.6 pc) and Madhya Pradesh (35.5 pc) are among the better performing states with over 35 per cent vaccination coverage of healthcare workers, he said.
On the other hand, Tamil Nadu (15.7 pc), Delhi (15.7 pc), Jharkhand (14.7 pc), Uttarakhand (17.1 pc), Chhattisgarh (20.6 pc) and Maharashtra (20.7 pc) have less than 21 pc vaccination coverage and need to improve, he said. Thirteen states and UTs have each vaccinated more than 1 lakh beneficiaries (accounting for 83.31 per cent of the total), the Health Ministry said in a statement.
Coronavirus Live updates: China to donate 3 lakh COVID vaccine doses to Lanka as India rushes jabs to South Asian nations
China will donate three lakh COVID-19 vaccine doses to Sri Lanka, stepping up its vaccine diplomacy in South Asia as India rushed its domestically manufactured coronavirus vaccines to several countries in the subcontinent as well as across the globe. Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Thursday thanked India for its generosity after he received five lakh doses of Covishield vaccine gifted by New Delhi under the ''Neighbourhood First'' policy.
"China will donate three lakh COVID-19 vaccine doses to Sri Lanka to jointly fight the COVID-19 pandemic," state-run Xinhua news agency reported on Wednesday, citing a statement from the Chinese embassy in Colombo. China made the decision after a recent request by the Lankan government, it said. The jabs manufactured by the China National Pharmaceutical Group Co Ltd (Sinopharm) are expected to be handed over to the Lankan side in mid-February.
A number of countries in the subcontinent including Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and the Maldives, where Beijing has substantial investments, caught China by surprise by opting for Indian vaccines. So far, India has sent consignments of coronavirus vaccines under grant assistance to Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, the Maldives, Seychelles, Myanmar and Mauritius. India is one of the world''s biggest drug-makers and an increasing number of countries have already approached it for procuring the coronavirus vaccines. It is also undertaking commercial supplies of the doses to a number of countries, including Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Brazil and Morocco.
Coronavirus Live updates: Novavax COVID-19 vaccine works, but less so against variants
NovavaxInc. said on January 28 that its COVID-19 vaccine appears 89 percent effective based on early findings from a British study and that it also seems to work — though not as well — against new mutated versions of the virus circulating in that country and South Africa.The announcement comes amid worry about whether a variety of vaccines being rolled out around the world will be strong enough to protect against worrisome new variants – and as the world desperately needs new types of shots to boost scarce supplies.
The study of 15,000 people in Britain is still underway. But an interim analysis found 62 participants so far have been diagnosed with COVID-19 – only six of them in the group that got vaccine and the rest who received dummy shots.The infections occurred at a time when Britain was experiencing a jump in COVID-19 caused by a more contagious variant. A preliminary analysis found over half of the trial participants who became infected had the mutated version.
The numbers are very small, butNovavaxsaid they suggest the vaccine is nearly 96% effective against the older coronavirus and nearly 86% effective against the new variant. The findings are based on cases that occurred at least a week after the second dose.“Both those numbers are dramatic demonstrations of the ability of our vaccine to develop a very potent immune response,”NovavaxCEO StanleyErcksaid in a call with investors late Thursday.
