Coronavirus News Highlights: India's active COVID-19 caseload slips below two lakh after nearly 7 months

Coronavirus Vaccine LIVE Updates |

COVID-19 vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and manufactured by Serum Institute of India (SII) could be authorised by WHO in January or February: Reuters

Coronavirus Vaccine LIVE Updates | World leaders who got inoculated with Chinese COVID-19 vaccine:

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Seychelles President Wavel Ramkalawan, top leaders of the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Egypt, and Indonesia have been publicly inoculated with Chinese vaccines, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said.

Coronavirus Vaccine LIVE Updates | China silent on why its top leaders are yet to take COVID-19 vaccine

China on Wednesday boasted that several world leaders have taken its COVID-19 vaccines, but remained silent on why the top Chinese leaders are yet to take the jab. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying in her daily media briefing here named leaders of several countries who have taken one of the two COVID-19 vaccines made in China, publicly reposing their faith in them.

Coronavirus Vaccine LIVE Updates | People who contract COVID-19 should also get vaccinated after 4-6 weeks of recovery: AIIMS Director

While interacting with personnel of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) at their 16th Raising Day celebrations in New Delhi, AIIMS Director Dr Randeep Guleria said people who have already contracted COVID-19 should also get vaccinated after around four to six weeks of recovery.

He explained: “A vaccine jab is essential for them (recovered from coronavirus) due to two reasons. One is you are not sure how strong is your post-COVID-19 immunity and it has been seen quite a few times that those who had a mild to moderate infection their anti-body response has been less, and we also don’t know how long it will be.”

He added that a vaccine would act as a booster dose for such individuals.

Coronavirus Vaccine LIVE Updates | Easy to immunize children with intranasal COVID-19 vaccines: AIIMS Director

Intranasal COVID-19 vaccines would be easier to administer to school children who bear “very mild” disease load but are infectious nonetheless, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Director Dr Randeep Guleria said on January 20.

“It (coronavirus infection) is very mild in children, but they are infectious. They can spread the disease,” he said.

The AIIMS Director added: “The vaccines that have come are not approved for children because there have been no studies conducted on children, but this (vaccination) is a very important step and trials are being done.”

Coronavirus LIVE Updates |

1,12,007 beneficiaries received COVID-19 vaccine shots across 20 states and UTs on January 20 till 6 pm, says Centre

Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Manohar Agnani, Additional Secretary, Union Health Ministry:

A total of 7,86,842 beneficiaries have been vaccinated till 6 pm today as per the provisional reports. No case of severe/serious AEFI has been attributed to vaccination till date.

Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Govt:

In total 7,86,842 beneficiaries administered COVID-19 vaccine till Wednesday 6 pm since launch of inoculation drive on January 16.

Coronavirus in Maharashtra LIVE Updates | Health Department:

Maharashtra records 3,015 new COVID-19 cases to take tally to 19,97,992; toll up to 50,582 as 59 patients die.

Coronavirus in Karnataka LIVE Updates

|Karnataka reported 501 new COVID-19cases, 665 discharges, and 4 deaths today. Total cases: 9,33,578 Total discharges: 9,13,677, Death toll: 12,185, Active cases: 7,697.

Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Israel includes pregnant women on COVID-19 vaccines priority list

Israel has included pregnant women among those getting priority access to COVID-19 vaccines, seeing no risk to them or their foetuses, a senior public health official said on Wednesday.The decision followed the hospitalisation this week of several pregnant women with COVID-19 complications amid surging coronavirus contagions. At least one was put on a ventilator and her baby delivered by Caesarean section, Israeli media said. Israel launched a vaccination drive on Dec. 19 with a focus on the elderly, those with risky medical conditions and some emergency workers. More than a quarter of its citizens have now received the Pfizer Inc. vaccine, health officials say.“Today we are recommending that pregnant women, mainly those with high morbidity risk factors, get the vaccine,” Nachman Ash, the national coordinator on the pandemic, told public broadcaster Kan radio. “We have put them on the priority list.”

Coronavirus in Kerala LIVE Updates

|6,815 fresh COVID19 cases and 7,364 recoveries reported in Kerala today. Total numbers of active and recoveries cases in the state are 69,693 and 7,90,757 respectively.

Coronavirus LIVE Updates | EU reports nearly 300,000 excess deaths in 8 months of 2020

Around 297,500 more people died in the European Union between March and October last year compared with the same period in 2016 to 2019, according to EU data published on Wednesday.March 2020 was when the coronavirus pandemic began spreading across most of Europe and October is the last month for which data for all 27 EU member states are available.Statistics from Eurostat showed that across the bloc, excess mortality - the increase in total number of deaths, from any cause, compared to that of previous years - peaked during the early rise of COVID-19 in April 2020 at 24.9%.Summer lulls began at different times across the region, before numbers rose again in autumn, and still further in November in all member states with available data.Poland led the excess mortality at 97.2% in November, followed by Bulgaria and Slovenia with 94.5% and 91.4% respectively.Denmark, Finland and Estonia saw the smallest number of excess deaths in November, with 5.5%, 5.6% and 6.4% respectively.With 0.7% less excess deaths, Norway - not an EU member state - was the only country Eurostat covered which did not see the number rise in November.

Coronavirus in Jammu and Kashmir LIVE Updates | J-K records 109 new COVID-19 cases; no death in 24 hours

Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday recorded 109 new coronavirus cases that raised its tally to 1,23,647, officials said. They said no fresh death due to the infection took place in the past 24 hours.Of the fresh cases, 45 were reported from the Jammu division and 64 from the Kashmir division of the union territory, the officials said. They said Jammu district recorded the highest of 38 cases, followed by 36 in Srinagar district.While four districts -- Ganderbal, Kathua, Kishtwar and Ramban -- did not report any new case, 14 other districts had fresh cases in single digits, the officials said. The number of active cases dropped to 1,099 in the union territory, while 1,20,625 patients have recovered so far, they said. There was no death due to COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, the officials said, adding the fatality count remained at 1,923. (PTI)

Coronavirus LIVE Updates

|CAPFs' facilities to be used after concerns raised over COVID-19 immunisation of forces' health workers

Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Bulgarian finance minister tests positive for coronavirus

Bulgaria's Finance Minister Kiril Ananiev has tested positive for coronavirus during a routine test, the finance ministry said on Wednesday. Ananiev's general health is good and he does not have any symptoms of the disease for the time being, the ministry said in a statement. Deputy Finance Minister Rositsa Velkova will take over as finance minister while Ananiev is under quarantine, it said. (Reuters)

Coronavirus LIVE Updates | China steps up COVID-19 vaccine drive ahead of Lunar New Year

When American restaurant worker Simon Sunwoo was offered a Chinese-made COVID-19 vaccine in Shanghai this month through his employer he jumped at the chance. "They wouldn't roll out something that could backfire on them," he said. "I feel like there's too many eyeballs on this for the Chinese to not be relatively sure." Sunwoo is part of China's expanding effort to get its home-grown vaccines to key workers, including restaurant workers like him, and increasingly to the general public. China is stepping up its vaccinations as several countries including Brazil, Indonesia and Turkey begin mass vaccination programmes using its vaccines. Inconsistent data disclosures have raised concern that Chinese vaccines are not subject to the same public scrutiny as U.S. and European ones. China's domestic effort is intensifying amid a spate of new outbreaks and with a goal of vaccinating nine key groups before the travel-heavy Lunar New Year in February. China has approved three vaccines for emergency use but only one for the general public. A fourth is only being used by the military. People aged 60 and over will not get a shot until the safety is confirmed. The same goes for children. In many countries, older people, who are more vulnerable to serious illness from COVID-19, are at the front of the vaccine queue. Chinese authorities said on Wednesday 15 million vaccine doses had been delivered, enough for just over 1% of the population.

Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Healthcare worker in Telangana dies after receiving COVID-19 shot, Official says death unrelated to vaccine

A 42-year-old healthcare worker inNirmaldistrict ofTelangana, who received COVID-19 vaccination, died early Wednesday after complaining of chest pain, with preliminary findings suggesting the death is unrelated to the vaccination, a health official said.

Read more here

Coronavirus in Uttar Pradesh LIVE Updates | Uttar Pradesh Reports Eight More COVID-19 Deaths, 390 New Cases

Uttar Pradesh recorded eight COVID-19-linked fatalities on Wednesday, taking the death toll to 8,591, while 390 fresh cases pushed the infection tally to 5,97,628, officials said here. The number of active cases of the disease in the state stands at 7,873, they said. "In the past 24 hours, eight deaths and 390 fresh cases were reported in the state and 682 people were discharged," a health bulletin issued here said. "There are 7,873 active cases in the state, and the total number of recoveries has risen to 5,81,164. Of the active cases, 2,657 are in home-isolation, while the death toll rose to 8,591," it added.So far, over 2.65 crore samples have been tested for COVID-19, including more than 1.29 lakh on Tuesday, the officials said. The state has recorded the highest number of consultations through eSanjeevani, a web-based comprehensive telemedicine solution, in the country, they said. Till now, 4,16,512 people in Uttar Pradesh have used the facility, the officials added. (PTI)

Coronavirus in Haryana LIVE Updates | State Education Minister Kanwar Pal:

Schools in Haryana will reopen for classes 6 to 8 from February first week, they will have to follow all COVID-19 guidelines like wearing face masks, using sanitisers and maintaining social distancing.

Coronavirus in Telangana LIVE Updates | Official:

Healthcare worker in Telangana, who received COVID-19 vaccination, dies after complaining of chest pain; preliminary findings suggest death is unrelated to the vaccination.

Coronavirus LIVE Updates

|Around 30 disability rights organisations write to PM Narendra Modi and Health Minister Harsh Vardhan, urge them to accord priority to persons with disabilities for COVID-19 vaccination.

Coronavirus LIVE Updates | UK hospitals like war zones as COVID-19 death toll approaches 100,000

Some British hospitals look like war zones with doctors struggling to cope with an influx of patients infected with COVID-19, the government’s top scientific adviser said, as the death toll rose by a record daily amount towards 100,000.The United Kingdom’s official death toll is 91,470 - Europe’s worst figure and the world’s fifth worst after the United States, Brazil, India and Mexico. Deaths rose by a record on Tuesday.As hospital admissions soared, the British government’s chief scientific adviser, PatrickVallance, said there was enormous pressure on the National Health Service with doctors and nurses battling to give people sufficient care.“It may not look like it when you go for a walk in the park, but when you go into a hospital, this is very, very bad at the moment with enormous pressure and in some cases it looks like a war zone in terms of the things that people are having to deal with,”Vallancetold Sky.

Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Jammu and Kashmir LG Manoj Sinha:

There is a need to spread awareness about the vaccine. Both the COVID19 vaccines were given emergency use approval only after scientists were convinced of their safety. Appeal to all beneficiaries to get themselves vaccinated. (ANI)

Coronavirus in Odisha LIVE Updates

|Odisha Government asks private schools to implement the school fees waiver for the period of COVID-19 lockdown. School & Mass Education Dept has issued an official notification following the ruling of the Orissa High Court in regard to the waiver of school fees on January 7th. (ANI)

Coronavirus LIVE Udates | Health Ministry:

India's COVID-19 active caseload falls below 2 lakh-mark after nearly 7 months and comprises just 1.86 per cent of the total infections.

Coronavirus LIVE Udates | Odisha logs 157 new COVID-19 cases, tally rises to 3,33,723

Odisha'sCOVID-19 tally on Wednesday surged to 3,33,723 after 157 more people tested positive for the infection, a health department official said.The coronavirus death toll remained at 1,902, as no new fatality due to the infection was reported since Tuesday, the official said.The 157 new COVID-19 cases were detected in 24 of the state's 30 districts, 93 were reported from different quarantinecentreswhile the remaining 64 were contact cases.Sundergarhdistrict recorded the highest of 30 new cases followed by Puri (20) andSambalpur(18). Six districts-Dhenkanal,Deogarh,Kendrapara,Keonjhar,MalkangiriandNayagarh- did not register any new positive case since Tuesday, he said.Apart from 1,902 coronavirus fatalities reported so far, 53 COVID-19 positive patients have also died due to comorbidities.Of the 1,902 fatalities,Khurdadistrict of which the state capitalBhubaneswaris a part alone accounted for 334 deaths followed byGanjam(248),Sundrgarh(171),Cuttack(140) and Puri (117).

Coronavirus Live updates: GoAir airlifts 15,91,000 doses of COVID vaccine to various destinations today

Wadia Group-owned no-frills airline GoAir has airlifted 15,91,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine to various destinations from Mumbai, Pune and Chennai on Wednesday in the second phase of vaccine transportation amid the on-going inoculation drive in the country.GoAir is operating flights carrying the vaccine doses to Lucknow, Chennai, Cochin, Port Blair and Kolkata on Wednesday, it said.

In the first phase, which started from January 13, the city-headquartered air operator transported a total of 7,20,000 doses to five destinations. "Vaccine transportation continues our on-going work since the beginning of the first movement to keep critical supply-chain operating, meet the increased level of domestic delivery and ship more than seven lakh across India,” GoAir Chief Executive Officer, Kaushik Khona said in a statement to PTI.

Coronavirus Live updates: Active caseload slips below two lakh after nearly 7 months

India's COVID-19 active caseload has fallen below the 2-lakh mark after nearly 7 months and comprises just 1.86 percent of the total infections, the Union Health Ministry said on Wednesday. It said that 72 percent of the active cases are concentrated in Kerala, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, West Bengal. Thirty-four states and UTs have less than 10,000 active cases.

"The active cases have fallen to 1,97,201.This is the lowest after 207 days. The total active cases were 1,97,387 on June 27, 2020," the ministry underlined. A total of 16,988 people have recovered in a span of 24 hours. This has led to a net decline of 3,327 from the total active caseload, it said.

India's daily new cases are on a steady decline which has also contributed to the shrinkage in active caseload, it underscored. "Globally, India has one of the lowest daily new confirmed COVID-19 cases per million population in the last 7 days," the ministry said. As on January 20, 2021, a total of 6,74,835 beneficiaries have received the vaccination. In a span of 24 hours, 2,20,786 people were vaccinated across 3,860 sessions. A total of 11,720 sessions has been conducted so far.

Coronavirus Live updates: Zimbabwe foreign minister dies from COVID-19

Zimbabwe's foreign minister, Sibusiso Moyo, has died after contracting COVID-19, presidential spokesman George Charamba said on Wednesday. Moyo, a former army general who rose to national fame when he announced the military coup that led to the removal of the late long-serving leader Robert Mugabe in November 2017, died at a local hospital early on Wednesday, Charamba said.

Coronavirus Live updates: Zydus Cadila starts enrolment for phase 3 trial of COVID-19 vaccine

In a move that could boost availability of vaccines in India, Zydus Cadila has started enrolling and dosing participants for its phase 3 trial to determine the efficacy of its covid-19 shot ZyCov-D, two officials in the know told Mint. “We started enrolment and dosing of participants from Saturday. The enrolment and dosing happens between 9 am and 5 pm," the principal investigator at one of the sites said.

Zydus Cadila plans to recruit 28,216 volunteers across five sites in four cities, according to information provided to the government’s clinical trial registry. Bharat Biotech had enrolled 25,800 participants across 26 sites in 23 cities for its phase 3 trial of Covaxin. The five sites are Zydus Hospitals and Healthcare Research Pvt Ltd at Ahmedabad, BAPS Pramukh Swami Hospital at Surat, HCG Manavata Cancer Centre at Nashik, and Imperial Hospital & Research Center and Marudhar Hospital in Jaipur, according to the clinical trial registry.

Coronavirus Live updates: One new COVID-19 case in Andamans; tally rises to 4,989

The COVID-19 caseload of Andaman and Nicobar Islands rose to 4,989 as one more person tested positive for the disease in the Union Territory, a health department official said on Wednesday. The fresh case was detected during contact tracing, he said. Altogether 645 people have been vaccinated in the Union Territory since the launch of the inoculation programme on January 16, the official said.

No recovery was reported on Tuesday, he said, adding that 4,897 people have so far been cured of the disease in the archipelago. The death toll remained at 62 as no new fatality due to the infection was recorded in the last 24 hours. The Union Territory now has 30 active cases.

The Andaman and Nicobar administration has conducted 2,06,732 sample tests for COVID-19 so far, and the positivity rate stands at 2.41 per cent, the official added.

Coronavirus Live updates: Loss of smell may be best sign of COVID-19, research confirms

Loss of smell may be the best predictor of COVID-19 among patients with symptoms of respiratory diseases, according to new research.
The findings of two new international studies, published in the journal Chemical Senses, show that there is frequent loss of smell in COVID-19 patients which often lasts for a long time.

Over 4,500 COVID-19 patients from a total of 23 nationalities responded to the researchers'' questionnaire. The studies found that the average loss of the sense of smell was 79.7 on a scale from 0-100, indicating a large to complete sensory loss. "This emphasises how important it is to be aware of this symptom, as it may be the only symptom of the disease," said Alexander Wieck Fjaeldstad from Aarhus University in Denmark.

The research found that only around half of patients with a loss of smell got their sense of smell back after forty days. "This differs from the picture we see with other viral infections and causes long-term discomfort for patients, both in relation to food and social contact, while at the same time causing them worry," Fjaeldstad said. The researchers also found that the sense of taste was also significantly reduced, to 69.0 on a scale from 0-100, adding the remaining sense of feeling in the mouth was also reduced to 37.3 on a scale from 0-100.

Coronavirus Live updates: UK still in COVID-19 peril so too early to talk about lifting lockdown, minister says

The COVID-19 death toll and the level of hospital admissions means it is far too early to speculate about when the lockdown may be lifted or eased, one of Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s senior ministers said on Wednesday. “We are still in a perilous situation,” Home Secretary Priti Patel told Sky.

“When we still see hospitalisation figures, now standing at over 38,000 people, with the number of people still dying with coronavirus, with the number of hospital admissions increasing, this is no time to speak about the relaxation of measures,” she said. “We have a long way to go.”

Coronavirus Live updates: Goa gets 18,000 vaccine doses, inoculation to resume on January 22

A consignment of 18,000 vaccine doses against COVID-19 reached Goa by a flight from Mumbai on Wednesday morning and the immunisation drive in the state will resume from Friday, a senior health department official said. The vaccination process began in the state last Saturday at seven centres, including two private hospitals.

Talking to PTI on Wednesday, Goa Health Services Director Dr Jose D'Sa said the next round of vaccination would be held across the state from Friday onwards. He said the state is adding more facilities, including private hospitals, for the inoculation process.

A consignment of 18,000 vaccine doses reached the state in the morning by a flight from Mumbai, he informed. Last week, the state had received a stock of 23,500 vaccine doses, out of which 426 were given to health workers on the first day of the inoculation drive.D'Sa said the vaccination will continue on Saturday also and they are thinking of holding the immunisation programme four days a week from the next week.

Coronavirus Live updates: COVID-19 shots to cost $3 to $10 under African Union vaccine plan

African countries will pay between $3 and $10 per vaccine dose to access 270 million COVID-19 shots secured this month by the African Union (AU), according to a draft briefing on the plan prepared by the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) and provided to Reuters. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, who serves as AU chair, said last week arrangements had been made with the bank to support member states who want access to vaccines. Countries can pay back the loans in instalments over five to seven years, the document showed.

Afreximbank's press office declined to answer questions on the terms outlined in the briefing, saying the document was in draft form and meant for confidential discussion by members of a team created by Ramaphosa to secure vaccines and financing for the continent's coronavirus immunization programs. The AU team also declined to comment. The document, which was shared with Reuters by two sources, provides the first public details on the prices manufacturers are offering African nations outside of the COVAX global vaccine sharing scheme led by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the GAVI vaccine alliance.

Coronavirus Live updates: Jharkhand reports 101 new COVID-19 cases, 3 more deaths

Jharkhand's COVID-19 tally rose to 1,17,887 as 101 more people tested positive for the infection, a health official said on Wednesday.
The state''s coronavirus death toll rose to 1,057 after three more patients succumbed to the infection in the last 24 hours, he said. Ranchi district registered the highest number of fresh cases at 53, followed by Dhanbad (16) and Bokaro (9).

Jharkhand now has 1,147 active COVID-19 cases, while 1,15,683 people have been cured of the disease so far, the official said. The state has tested 13,886 samples for COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, he added. Meanwhile, 2,749 health workers were vaccinated at 48 centres in the state on Tuesday, another health official said.

Eighteen of them complained of Adverse Events Following Immunication (AEFI) but none required hospitalisaiton, he said. A total of 3,200 health workers were vaccinated on the first day of the nationwide immunisation drive on Saturday and 2,964 on Monday, the official added.

Coronavirus Live updates: UK coronavirus strain detected in at least 60 countries, says WHO

The UK coronavirus strain has been detected in at least 60 countries, the World Health Organization said Wednesday, 10 more than a week ago. With the global death toll now well past two million, and new variants of the virus causing deep concern, countries across the world are grappling with how to slow infections until vaccines become widely available.

The South African strain, which like the UK one is believed to be more infectious, has now been reported in 23 countries and territories, the WHO also announced in its weekly update. It added that the number of new deaths climbed to a record high of 93,000 over the previous seven days, with 4.7 million new cases reported over the same period.

Coronavirus Live updates: 267 new COVID-19 cases, 2 deaths in Telangana

Telangana saw 267 fresh coronavirus cases, taking the total caseload to over 2.92 lakh while two more fatalities pushed the toll to 1,583. Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) accounted for the most number of cases with 55, followed by Karimnagar and Medchal Malkajgiri with 20 and 18 respectively, a government bulletin said on Wednesday providing details as of 8 pm on January 19.

The total number of cases stood at 2,92,395 while recoveries were 2,86,893. As many as 3,919 patients are under treatment and27,471 samples were tested on Tuesday. Cumulatively, over 75.42 lakh samples have been tested. The samples tested per million population was over 2.02 lakh, the bulletin said.

The case fatality rate in the state was 0.54 percent, while it was 1.4 percent at the national level. The recovery rate in Telangana was 98.11 percent, while it was 96.7 percent in the country.

Coronavirus Live updates: Three new COVID-19 cases in Arunachal, tally at 16,815

The COVID-19 tally of Arunachal Pradesh rose to 16,815 on Wednesday as three more persons tested positive for the infection in the state, a health department official said. Two fresh cases were reported from Changlang district and one from the Capital Complex region, State Surveillance Officer (SSO) Dr Lobsang Jampa said. One new case was detected through TrueNat method and two through rapid antigen tests, he said. A total of 1,075 health workers had received shots of COVID-19 vaccine in the first couple of days of inoculation in the state, Jampa said, adding that the vaccination programme was temporarily halted on Tuesday.

According to him, 891 people were vaccinated on January 16, the opening day of the nationwide inoculation programme, and 184 received the jabs on Monday. The state has received a total of 32,000 doses of Covishield vaccine from the Centre till now. Eight more people were cured of the disease on Tuesday, taking the total number of recoveries to 16,707, the official said.

The recovery rate among coronavirus patients in the state currently stands at 99.35 per cent. Arunachal Pradesh now has 52 active cases, and 56 people have succumbed to the infection so far. West Kameng district has the highest number of active cases at 23 and Changlang at 7. The Capital Complex region, comprising Itanagar, Naharlagun, Nirjuli and Banderdewa areas, has 11 active cases. The state has so far conducted 3,88,013 sample tests, including 322 on Tuesday, the official said, adding that the positivity ratio is at 0.30 per cent.

Coronavirus Live updates: COVID-19 cases explained in charts

The total number of COVID-19 cases in India is now at 1,05,95,660 with 1,02,45,741 recoveries and 1,52,718 deaths as per January 20, 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 (below 10 lakh for the last 19 days) were reported on January 19 with more than 18.85 crore tests carried out to 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.

As many as 6,74,835 beneficiaries have been vaccinated across India according to January 20, update.

Coronavirus Live updates: COVID-19 cases explained in charts

About 14 states and union territories--Andaman and Nicobar, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli/Daman, and Diu, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Lakshadweep, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Puducherry, and Tripura did not report any deaths today.

India’s recovery rate is now 96.7 percent. Dadra Nagar Haveli/Daman & Diu record the highest (99.6 percent) recovery rate. In terms of cases, Maharashtra recorded 4,516 new recoveries, the most, followed by Kerala (4,296), Karnataka (807), Uttar Pradesh (789), and Tamil Nadu (772).

Coronavirus Live updates: COVID-19 cases explained in charts

As many as 13,823 new cases of novel coronavirus were reported, with India’s total COVID-19 cases now above 1.05 crore, as per the health ministry’s January 20 update.

India reported 162 new deaths and 16,988 new recoveries in the last 24 hours, the latest release show. Active cases drop to 1,97,201 with a fall of 3,327 cases on January 20.

Kerala reported the most (6,186) new cases in the last 24 hours, followed by Maharashtra (2,294), Karnataka (645), Tamil Nadu (543), and Gujarat (485). These five states account for 73 percent of all the new cases reported in India.

Maharashtra also reported the most (50) new deaths, followed by Kerala (26), West Bengal (11), Chhattisgarh (10), and Delhi (10). These five states account for 66 percent of all the new deaths reported across the country.

Coronavirus Live updates: 300 new COVID-19 cases in Thane, tally crosses 2.5 lakh

Thane's COVID-19 tally has gone up to 2,50,035 with the addition of 300 new cases of the disease in the Maharashtra district, an official said on Wednesday. Apart from these new cases recorded on Tuesday, six more people also died due to the viral infection, taking the toll in the district to 6,063, he said. At present, the COVID-19 death rate in the district stands at 2.42 percent.

So far, 2,40,196 patients have recovered from the infection, taking the recovery rate in the district to 96.06 percent, the official said. There are 3,776 active COVID-19 cases in the district as of now, he added. In neighbouring Palghar district, the COVID-19 case count has reached 44,896, while the death toll has risen to 1,195, an official from the district administration said.

Coronavirus Live updates: Five new cases push Mizoram's COVID-19 tally to 4,334

Five more people, including two minors, have tested positive for COVID-19 in Mizoram, pushing the tally in the northeastern state to 4,334, an official said on Wednesday. Three fresh cases were reported from Aizawl district and two from Lunglei and Siaha. Three new patients have travel history and it is yet to be ascertained how the remaining two have contracted the infection, the state information and public relations department official said.

Two new cases were detected through RT-PCR and TrueNat methods and three through rapid antigen tests. Altogether 537 health workers have received shots of COVID-19 vaccine on Tuesday, state immunisation officer Dr Lalzawmi said. "At least 204 healthcare professionals from Aizawl district, 133 from Lunglei and 100 each from Mamit and Lawngtlai have received the jabs on January 19," she said.

Lalzawmi said 1,082 people have been vaccinated since the launch of the nationwide inoculation programme on January 16. Mizoram now has 67 active cases, while 4,258 people have recovered from the disease and nine died. The recovery rate among coronavirus patients in the state currently stands at 98.25 percent.The state has so far conducted 1,95,535 sample tests, including 1,119 in the last 24 hours, and the positivity ratio is at 2.22 per cent, the official added.

Coronavirus Live updates: COVID-19 vaccines safe, concerns about adverse effects seem 'insignificant', says Health Ministry

The apprehensions raised over the side-effects linked to COVID-19 vaccine are "insignificant", the Health Ministry said in a press briefing on January 19. Covaxin and Covishield, the two vaccines approved for emergency use by India, are "safe", the government reiterated. The statement came amidst reports of adverse events following immunisation (AEFI) being reported in some parts of the country.

"The concerns about adverse effects and serious problems, as of now, seem to be insignificant. Data show that we are in a comfortable situation and we would like to reassure you that the two COVID-19 vaccines are safe," Dr VK Paul, NITI Aayog member, said at the Health Ministry's press briefing. Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan announced that the country has so far inoculated 4.54 lakh persons. Only a miniscule proportion of 0.18 percent reported adverse events so far.

The AEFI includes those cases where the beneficiaries report mild symptoms, including anxiety, Bhushan clarified. The serious cases of AEFI, which required hospitalisation, account for only 0.002 percent of the total beneficiaries.

Coronavirus Live updates: India's COVID-19 caseload rises to 1,05,95,660; recovery rate at 96.7%

With 13,823 infections reported in a day, India's COVID-19 caseload rose to 1,05,95,660, while the recoveries surged to 1,02,45,741, the Union health ministry said on Wednesday. The death toll due to the disease increased to 1,52,718 in the country as 162 new fatalities were recorded, the ministry data updated at 8 am showed.

The total number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 1,02,45,741, pushing the national COVID-19 recovery rate to 96.70 percent. The COVID-19 case fatality rate stands at 1.44 percent, it said. The active caseload remained below 3 lakh. There are1,97,201 active coronavirus infections in the country, which comprises 1.86 percent of the total caseload,the data stated.

Coronavirus Live updates: Government launches real-time COVID-19 vaccination tracker; check details

The government has now launched a new COVID-19 vaccination tracker on MyGov.in, where you can see real-time data on how many citizens in India are being vaccinated on daily basis and other vaccination updates on the go. The government website has always been the go-to place to access all data on how India is fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. It already provides real-time details on testing status and active cases. All important news alerts for the public are also available on the site.

When India rolled out its nationwide vaccination drive on January 16, the CoWIN developed by the government was the backbone of this massive drive. While for now the app is only being used to collect data of priority groups that are getting vaccinated, the app will soon be opened up to the public as well to register for the vaccine.

Coronavirus Live updates: 1,000 doses of Covishield vaccine found 'frozen' in Assam, probe ordered

A total of 1,000 vaccine doses were found "frozen" in Cachar district of Assam, which compelled the State Health Department to launch a probe. The case was reported at Silchar Medical College College Hospital (SMCH), one of the premier medical facilities based in the Barak Valley region. The 100 vials which were found frozen cumulatively contained 1,000 doses of Covishield, the vaccine developed by Serum Institute of India.

Both the vaccines approved in India, Covishield and Covaxin, are required to be stored at a temperature of 2-8 degree celsius. The frozen vials at SMCH were allegedly stored at sub-zero temperature. The Health Department officials have sent the frozen vaccine doses to a lab to ascertain their efficacy.

Coronavirus Live updates: India's records 13,823 new cases in a day, active tally at 1.97 lakh

As many as 13,823 new COVID-19 infections were reported in the country in the last 24 hours, taking the cumulative caseload to 1,05,95,660 on Wednesday, the Union Health Ministry said. With 16,988 more recoveries, the total number of discharges reached 1,02,45,741. The death toll mounted to 1,52,718 after 162 more deaths were recorded in the last 24 hours.

At present, the country's active coronavirus cases stand at 1,97,201. According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), a total of 18,85,66,947 samples tested for COVID-19 up to January 18, of which 7,64,120 samples were tested on Tuesday. Regarding the nationwide vaccination drive, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MHFW) said that the cumulative number of healthcare workers vaccinated against COVID-19 has touched 6,31,417 till 6 pm on Tuesday.