Coronavirus News Highlights: Today is the 285th 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 99.27 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 96.2 percent. However, there are 2.49 lakh active cases in the country. Globally, more than 8.4 crore people have been infected by the novel coronavirus and 18.3 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.
Coronavirus News LIVE Updates | Aim is to run vaccination process without glitch, tackling administrative, public challenges, says AIIMS Director
With vaccine roll out on the cards after Drugs Controller General of India's (DCGI) approval, the country needs to tackle public and administrative challenges to have a smooth vaccination roll-out, said Randeep Guleria, Director, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) on Sunday.
"The challenges are going to be both from the administration point of view and public point of view. From the administration, the challenge is to ensure that things run smoothly, and from point of view of public the challenge is to reassure them that this is a safe and effective vaccine," said Dr Guleria.
Coronavirus News LIVE Updates | ICMR says clinical trial data show Bharat Biotech's Covaxin is 'safe'
Hours after Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) approved restricted use in an emergency situation to Bharat Biotech's COVID-19 vaccine, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Sunday said data generated through pre-clinical studies and various phases of clinical trial shows COVAXIN is 'safe.'
Coronavirus News LIVE Updates |
Gujarat sees 715 new COVID-19 cases, 938 recoveries
Gujarat's tally of coronavirus positive cases rose to 2,47,228 on January 3 with the addition of 715 fresh infections, the state health department said.
With four more deaths, the number of people who have succumbed to the viral disease in the state went up to 4,318, it said.
A total of 938 patients were discharged from various hospitals during the day, taking the count of recoveries in Gujarat to 2,33,660, the health department said in a in a release.
Coronavirus News LIVE Updates | Schools, colleges to reopen in Bihar from Monday; Govt issues safety guidelines
Educational institutions including schools, colleges, universities, coaching institutes will reopen in Bihar from January 4 after a gap of over nine months since the outbreak of COVID pandemic.
Slide in number of coronavirus cases and high recovery rate of 97.61 per cent in the state seem to have boosted the confidence to resume studies physically in the educational institutions.
Coronavirus News LIVE Updates | Homes of Pelosi and McConnell vandalised amid political tussle over COVID stimulus
The homes of the two highest-ranking members of the US Congress — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell — have been vandalised, police said, amid a political battle over a stimulus package to coronavirus-hit Americans.
Fake blood and a severed pig''s head were reportedly left outside top Democrat Pelosi''s California house, which was also daubed with graffiti.
The words "where''s my money" and some expletives were scrawled on Republican McConnell''s house in Kentucky.
The two separate incidents come as Senate Democrats pushed, without success, for a Senate vote on USD 2,000 stimulus cheques on Friday.
Coronavirus News LIVE Updates |
Delhi records 424 fresh COVID-19 cases, lowest in over 7 months
Delhi recorded 424 fresh COVID-19 cases, the lowest in over seven months, and 14 more fatalities due to the disease on Sunday, even as the positivity rate slipped to 0.62%, authorities said.
The COVID-19 case tally in the city stands at over 6.26 lakh and the death toll due to the disease has climbed to 10,585, they said.
Coronavirus News LIVE Updates | Thailand detects first patients with UK-linked strain of COVID-19
Thailand has identified its first four cases of the new coronavirus strain that originated in the United Kingdom, the Thai PBS reported Sunday, citing the chief of the Center of Excellence in Clinical Virology at Chulalongkorn University, Yong Poovorawan.
According to the news outlet, the new mutated strain was found in a family of four UK nationals, who are currently being quarantined at a private hospital. (ANI)
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Zydus Cadila gets DCGI nod to initiate Phase-3 clinical trials for COVID-19 vaccine
Drug firm Zydus Cadila on Sunday said it has received DCGI approval to initiate Phase III clinical trials of its COVID-19 vaccine ZyCoV-D. The company will now be initiating Phase III clinical trial in around 30,000 volunteers, Zydus Cadila said in a statement.
ZyCoV-D was found to be safe, well-tolerated and immunogenic in phase I and II clinical trials, it added.
Coronavirus News LIVE Updates | Thailand mulls more restrictions amid second wave
Thailand's government held off from ordering new nationwide business shutdowns today amid a wave of coronavirus cases but empowered some provincial governors to set their own restrictions and pleaded with the public not to travel.
Thailand, which had largely controlled the virus by mid-2020, saw a second wave of outbreaks beginning in December. Today it confirmed 315 new cases, the majority of which are local transmission, bringing its total to 7,694 cases and 64 deaths since its first case last January. (Input from Reuters)
Coronavirus News LIVE Updates | Schools are safe, say UK PM Boris Johnson as COVID-19 cases surge
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said today that schools were safe, and advised parents to send their children in, in areas where rules allow it, responding to concerns about the surge in COVID-19 cases as classes are due to restart after Christmas. "There is no doubt in my mind that schools are safe, and that education is a priority," he told the BBC.
Johnson said the government might need to consider tightening lockdown restrictions, but declined to give examples of what that might look like. (Input from Reuters)
Coronavirus News LIVE Updates | Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan:
These vaccines are a fitting tribute to our corona warriors! My heartfelt gratitude to all healthcare professionals andfrontline workers for their exemplary efforts during these unprecedented times. Congratulations to all the scientists and researchers for their untiring efforts.
Coronavirus News LIVE Updates | Russia reports 24,150 new COVID-19 cases, 504 deaths
Russia today reported an additional 24,150 new COVID-19 cases from the previous 24 hours, including 3,851 in Moscow, taking the national tally to 32.36 lakh. Authorities said an additional 504 people had died, taking Russia's official death toll to 58,506. (Input from Reuters)
Coronavirus News LIVE Updates | India's COVID-19 active caseload drops below 2.5 lakh
The COVID-19 active caseload in India has dropped below 2.5 lakh with the recoveries exceeding new cases and low number of fatalities per day, the Union Health Ministry said today.
"India's present active caseload consists of just 2.39 percent of India's total positive cases. The new recoveries of 20,923 in the last 24 hours have led to a net decline of 2,963 in the total active cases," the health ministry said in a statement. (Input from PTI)
Coronavirus News LIVE Updates |
New supply of office space down 30-35% in 2020 amid pandemic: Reports
Fresh supply of office space fell 30-35 percent year-on-year in 2020 across major cities mainly on lower demand because of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to property consultants JLL and Savills.
While JLL India reported that new supply of office space across seven major cities declined 30 percent to 36.34 million sq ft in 2020 from 51.62 million sq ft in the previous year, the UK-based Savills said fresh supply dropped to 30.6 million sq ft from 47.1 million sq ft across six big cities.
Coronavirus News LIVE Updates |
With India becoming the fourth country to approve a COVID-19 vaccine developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca, a rollout of doses will begin in coming weeks in the country that has recorded the second highest number of infections. So, where are we in the global COVID-19 vaccine race?
Coronavirus News LIVE Updates |
“The approval of Covaxin for emergency use is a giant leap for innovation and novel product development in India. It is a proud moment for the nation and a great milestone in India’s scientific capability, a kickstart to the innovation ecosystem in India,"Dr. Krishna Ella, Bharat Biotech's Chairman and Managing Director hassaid.
"While this vaccine addresses an unmet medical need during this pandemic, our goal is to provide global access to populations that need it the most. Covaxin has generated excellent safety data with robust immune responses to multiple viral proteins that persist,”Dr. Ella added.
Coronavirus in Pakistan LIVE updates |
Total confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Pakistan have risen to 4,86,634, according to Dawn. This figure includes patients who have recovered (4,40,660) and the death toll in the country which stands at 10,311.
Coronavirus News LIVE Updates | Puducherry reports 50 new COVID-19 cases
The Union Territory of Puducherry added 50 new COVID-19 cases during the last 24 hours while no new fatalities were reported, a top health department official said today. The new infections were detected at the end of the examination of 3,039 samples pushing the overall tally to 38,224, Director of Health and Family Welfare S Mohan Kumar said in a release. (Input from PTI)
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Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain to news agency ANI: In the first phase, healthcare workers and frontline workers will be vaccinated. There are three lakh healthcare workers and six lakh frontline workers in Delhi who will be administered with the COVID-19 vaccines.
Coronavirus News LIVE Updates |
Meanwhile, Russia has said it is ready to conduct clinical trials in Ukraine of a COVID-19 vaccine combining its Sputnik V with the vaccine developed by AstraZeneca together with Oxford University.
Coronavirus News LIVE Updates | WHO South-East Asia region’s Regional Director, Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh:
WHO welcomes the first emergency use authorisation given to COVID-19 vaccine in the WHO South-East Asia Region. This decision taken today by India will help intensify and strengthen the fight against COVID-19 pandemic in the region. The use of vaccine in prioritised populations, along with continued implementation of other public health measures and community participation will be important in reducing the impact of COVID-19.
Coronavirus News LIVE Updates | DCGI Dr. VG Somani to reporters after the news conference:
We will never approve anything if there is slightest of safety concern. The vaccines (Covishield and Covaxin) are 100 percent safe. Some side effects like mild fever, pain and allergy are common for every vaccine. It (rumours of people becoming impotent) is absolute rubbish.
Coronavirus News LIVE Updates |
The DCGIhas also granted permission to Cadila Healthcare for conducting phase-III clinical trial of their COVID-19 vaccine candidate.
Coronavirus News LIVE Updates |
In a series of tweets, Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Serum Institute and Bharat Biotech on getting the DCGI’s approval. “A decisive turning point to strengthen a spirited fight! DCGI granting approval to vaccines of @SerumInstIndia and @BharatBiotech accelerates the road to a healthier and COVID-free nation. Congratulations India. Congratulations to our hardworking scientists and innovators. DCGI approves restricted emergency use of Serum Institute, Bharat Biotech's COVID-19 vaccines,” PM Modi said.
"It would make every Indian proud that the two vaccines that have been given emergency use approval are made in India! This shows the eagerness of our scientific community to fulfil the dream of an Aatmanirbhar Bharat, at the root of which is care and compassion," PM Modi said in a another tweet.
Coronavirus News LIVE Updates |
Both vaccines have been approved for 'restricted emergency use', the DCGI said. The ‘Covishield’ vaccine, developed by University of Oxford and pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca, is being produced in the country by the Serum Institute. Bharat Biotech has developed ‘COVAXIN’ – India’s first indigenous vaccine against COVID-19. Both vaccines need to be administered in two doses each.
Coronavirus News LIVE Updates | JUST IN:
The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has granted restricted emergency use authorisation for the Serum Institute of India (SII)’s ‘Covishield’ and Bharat Biotech’s ‘COVAXIN’ vaccines against COVID-19 for 'restricted use'.
This comes after clearances from the Subject Expert Committee (SEC).
Read more:Covishield, Covaxin first COVID-19 vaccines to be approved for restricted emergency use in India
Coronavirus News LIVE Updates |
Dr. VG Somani, the Drugs Controller General of India, is providing details of Serum Institute and Bharat Biotech’s COVID-19 vaccine candidates.
Coronavirus News LIVE Updates | DCGI:
Subject Expert Committee has recommended allowing restricted use of COVID-19 vaccines developed by Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech.
Coronavirus News LIVE Updates |
The DCGIwill be holding a news conference on the COVID-19 vaccine shortly. At least two vaccine candidates are awaiting final emergency use authorisation from the authority.
Coronavirus News LIVE Updates | Thailand reports 315 new COVID-19 cases in second wave
Thailand confirmed 315 new COVID-19 cases today in a second wave of infection where the majority of the cases were local transmission. The new cases include 21 cases imported from abroad, the government's COVID-19 taskforce said. Thailand has confirmed a total of 7,694 cases and 64 deaths since its first case last January. (Input from Reuters)
Coronavirus News LIVE Updates | Explained: Drugs Controller General of India
The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) heads the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization and is responsible approving licences for drugs. The agency comes under the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and also prescribes standards for manufacturing, sale and import of drugs in the country. Dr. VG Somani is the current DCGI.
At least two COVID-19 vaccine candidates are awaiting final emergency use authorisation from the agency.
Coronavirus in India LIVE updates |
The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has said that 17,48,99,783 samples were tested for COVID-19 in the country till yesterday (January 3). Of these, 9,58,125 were tested yesterday.
Coronavirus News LIVE Updates |
The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) will be holding a news conference on the COVID-19 vaccine about an hour from now. At least two vaccine candidates are awaiting final emergency use authorisation from the DCGI.
Coronavirus in India LIVE updates |
As many as 18,177 new COVID-19 cases and 217 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours, according to data from the Union Health Ministry. India’s COVID-19 recovery rate stands at 96.2 percent.
Coronavirus in India LIVE updates | JUST IN:
Reported active COVID-19 cases in India now stand at 2,47,220. As many as 99,27,310 COVID-19 patients have been cured and discharged so far, the Union Health Ministry has said in its latest update.
Coronavirus in India LIVE updates | JUST IN:
The death toll in India due to the novel coronavirus pandemic has risen to 1,49,435, the Union Health Ministry has said.
Coronavirus in India LIVE updates | JUST IN:
Total confirmed COVID-19 cases in India have risen to 1,03,23,965 (1.03 crore), according to the latest update from the Union Health Ministry. This number includes cases involving foreign nationals, patients who have recovered and the death toll.
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Countries that have begun their inoculation drives against COVID-19 also started reporting some cases of adverse reactions to Pfizer and BioNTech’s vaccine and Russia’s Sputnik V.
Yesterday, Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan said that COVID-19 vaccines that get approval will be safe and urged people to not believe in rumours. "I appeal to people not to pay heed to rumours. Ensuring safety and efficacy of vaccine is our priority. Different kinds of rumours were spread during polio immunisation but people took the vaccine and India is now polio-free," the union minister said.
Coronavirus News LIVE Updates |
India’s drugs regulator is likely to approve administering two doses of the AstraZeneca-Oxford COVID-19 vaccine, produced by the Serum Institute of India, and another locally-developed shot by Bharat Biotech, each four weeks apart, Reuters has reported two sources with knowledge of the matter.
The expert committee at the Central Drugs Standards Control Organisation (CDSCO) has already approved these vaccines and the final nod is expected to be announced at a news conference at 11 am today.
Coronavirus News LIVE Updates | Night curfew in 13 districts of Rajasthan including Jaipur, Udaipur till January 15
Taking cognizance of the rising COVID-19 cases, the Rajasthan government has imposed a night curfew in within urban limits of 13 districts, namely, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Kota, Ajmer, Bikaner, Nagore, Alwar, Pali, Tonk, Bhilwara, Sikar and Ganganagar.
Coronavirus News LIVE Updates |
JUST IN: The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) will brief the media at 11.00 am today on the COVID-19 vaccine, news agency ANI has reported. At least two vaccine candidates are awaiting final emergency use authorisation from the DCGI.
Coronavirus News LIVE Updates |
China reports 24 new COVID-19 cases vs 22 a day earlier
China (mainland) reported 24 new COVID-19 cases yesterday, up from 22 cases a day earlier, the national health authority said today.
The National Health Commission said in a statement that 16 of the new cases were imported infections originating from overseas. Of the eight locally transmitted cases, four were found in the northeastern province of Heilongjiang, two in Liaoning, one in the capital city of Beijing and one in Hebei. (Input from Reuters)
Coronavirus News LIVE Updates |
The COVID-19 Subject Expert Committee (SEC) has made recommendations to speed up the process of considering vaccine candidates being developed by Serum Institute of India, Bharat Biotech and Cadilla Healthcare.
According to a statement, the recommendations included allowing restricted emergency use of the vaccine, subject to multiple regulatory conditionalities to Pune-based Serum Institute of India.
Read: SEC recommends speeding up process of considering Indian COVID-19 vaccine candidates
Coronavirus News LIVE Updates |
The Subject Expert Committee (SEC) of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) yesterday recommended granting emergency use authorisation for Bharat Biotech’s COVID-19 vaccine, news reports suggest.
Coronavirus News LIVE Updates |
No new COVID-19 case in Nagaland
Nagaland's COVID-19 tally remained unchanged at 11,929 yesterday as no new case was reported in the state, a health official said. This was the second day since the outbreak when the state did not report any COVID-19 case, the first being December 27, 2020. (Input from PTI)
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United Kingdom hits record 57,725 daily COVID-19 casesThe United Kingdom has registered a record 57,725 daily COVID-19 cases. Government figures show the UK has recorded five straight daily highs all above 50,000 and nearly double the levels of two weeks ago.
Meanwhile, hospitals in Britain have started receiving batches of the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca, approved by British regulators last week. (Input from the Associated Press)
Coronavirus in India LIVE updates |
Total confirmed COVID-19 cases in India stand at 1.03 crore. This number includes cases related to foreign nationals, reported active cases, patients who have recovered and the COVID-19 death toll in the country.
While 99.06 lakh patients have recovered, 1.49 lakh have died. Total active cases in the country stand at 2.50 lakh. Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka are the worst-affected.
Coronavirus News LIVE Updates |
Total confirmed cases of COVID-19 across the world stand at 8.3 crore, according to the Reuters tracker. This figure includes COVID-19 patients who have recovered and the overall global death toll which stands at more than 18.2 lakh.
With over 2 crore reported cases so far, the United States is the worst-affected country in the world. The US is followed by India, Brazil, Russia and France.
While restrictions have been eased significantly in China, where the novel coronavirus outbreak as first reported in late 2019, new hotspots continue to emerge across the world. Besides this, many countries, especially in Europe are witnessing a strong second wave of cases.
Hello and welcome to Moneycontrol’s LIVE coverage of the novel coronavirus pandemic and its socio-economic impact.
The COVID-19 outbreak has spread across 220 countries and territories. Today is the 285th day since India implemented a nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of the infectious disease. Daily cases being reported in India have been dropping consistently over the last couple of months. Thus, the reopening process is also speeding up. Yet, states and Union Territories have continued to impose some local restrictions when and where required.
Stay tuned to this LIVE blog for the latest updates through the day.
