Coronavirus News Highlights: India has become the fastest country to vaccinate 6 million beneficiaries countrywide, says Health Ministry

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Russia’s updated statistics on coronavirus-linked deaths show that 162,429 people with COVID-19 had died in the pandemic last year, a number much higher than previously reported by government officials.The state statistics agency, Rosstat, released figures for December on Monday, updating its count of coronavirus-linked deaths that includes cases where the virus wasn’t the main cause of death and where the virus was suspected but not confirmed.December accounted for the highest number of deaths since April — 44,435 — according to Rosstat. That’s when infections in Russia soared and officials regularly reported over 27,000 daily new coronavirus cases.The agency’s count is much higher than the 77,068 deaths that have been reported by the Russian government’s coronavirus task force so far, including deaths that occurred in January and February.Russian officials ascribe the differences between the numbers reported by the task force and Rosstat to different counting methods, saying the task force only includes deaths where COVID-19 was the main cause.

A total of 36,266 healthcare and frontline workers were administered COVID-19 vaccines in Maharashtra on Monday, taking the tally of beneficiaries beyond the 5-lakh mark, the state government said.According to an official statement, 22,200 healthcare and 14,066 frontline workers were vaccinated against coronavirus during the day.The government said 36,013 of the beneficiaries were administered the Covishield vaccine, while the remaining 253 beneficiaries received the home-grown Covaxin.The statement said 5,09,746 persons have been vaccinated in the state till now.Of these, 4,854 were administered Covaxin vaccine.The vaccination drive began in the state on January 16 as part of the nationwide programme.

|Punjab government extends time limit for healthcare workers to get their first shot of coronavirus vaccine from February 12 to 19.

|Karnataka reports 328 new COVID-19cases, 350 discharges and 3 deaths today. Total cases: 9,42,846, Total discharges: 9,24,654, Death toll: 12,239, Active cases: 5,934.

Delhi reports 125 new COVID-19 cases, 138 discharges, and 3 deaths in the last 24 hours, as per Delhi Health Department. Total cases: 6,36,160, Total discharges: 6,24,182, Active cases: 1,096, Death toll: 10,882.

Gujarat reported 232 new coronavirus cases on Monday, pushing the tally to 2,63,676, while 450 more patients were discharged from hospitals following recovery, the state health department said.With one death, the state's COVID-19 fatalities rose to 4,396, it said.At the same time, recovery far exceeded new cases with a total of 450 patients getting discharged from hospitals during the day, the department said in a release.This took the total number of recovered cases in Gujarat to 2,57,120.With this, the state's recovery rate rose to 97.51 per cent, the release said.There are now 2,160 active cases in the state, of which 23 patients are in critical condition, said the department.Meanwhile, with 49,005 more people getting vaccinated against coronavirus on Monday, the number of beneficiaries in the state rose to 6,04,184, it said.Vadodara continued to report the highest number of new cases at 57 followed by Ahmedabad at 49, Rajkot 42, and Surat 25.Among other districts, Gandhinagar reported eight new cases, Devbhumi Dwarka and Kutch five each, Kheda and Morbi four each, Bharuch three, Gir Somnath three and Amreli two, the release said.The only COVID-19 death in the state was reported from Ahmedabad, it said.Meanwhile, the number of active cases in the Union Territory of Daman, Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli dropped to zero after the only patient undergoing treatment for COVID-19 recovered on Monday, officials said.The UT, which has now become COVID-19-free, has so far recorded 3,370 positive cases, of which 3,368 people have recovered, while two patients died, the officials said.Gujarat's COVID-19 figures are as follows: Positive cases 2,63,676, new cases 232, death toll 4,396, discharged 2,57,120, active cases 2,160, people tested so far (figures not released).

More than 9,700 healthcare workers received COVID-19 vaccine shots inDelhion Monday in the fourth week of the inoculation drive, with a turnout of over 54 percent.Besides healthcare workers, frontline workers, who include, police, civil defence staff, DJB and electricity department employees, among others, are also getting jabs since the last couple of days.Also, the number of scheduled days, from initially being four days -- Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday -- have now been extended to six days a week, Monday-Saturday.After a sluggish start, since the exercise was kicked off January 16, the inoculation drive had picked up pace in the last several days.The targeted number for vaccination on February 8 was 18,000, officials said.''Today, 9,740 people were administered coronavirus vaccine, andAEFI(adverse events following immunisation) was reported in 11 persons,'' a senior official of theDelhiHealth Department said.On the previous day of the vaccination drive, 9,510 healthcare workers had got the jabs, with a turnout of about 50 percent.The number of people vaccinated against COVID-19 till date inDelhi, majority of them being healthcare workers, has crossed the onelakh-mark, officials said on Saturday.

Maharashtra on Monday reported 2,216 fresh coronavirus positive cases, taking the count of infections to 20,46,287, while 15 fatalities pushed the toll to 51,325, the state Health department said.Of the 15 deaths, eight fatalities occurred in the past 48 hours, while six others were from the previous week. One death had occurred before the last week, it said, adding that six of these fatalities were from Yavatmal district in Vidarbha region.With 3,423 patients being discharged from hospitals on Monday, Maharashtra's overall recovery count rose to 19,58,971, the department said.Maharashtra's case recovery rate now stands at 95.73 per cent, while the fatality rate is 2.51 per cent. The state has 34,720 activecases, the department said.At 399, Mumbai city reported the highest number of cases in the day in the state and three deaths, taking the cumulative count of infections to 3,12,280 and fatalities to 11,395, the department said in a release.The Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), which includes Mumbai city and satellite areas, accounted for 705 new cases, taking the tally past the 7 lakh-mark to 7,00,539, while the cumulative death toll is19,635, it said.Nagpur city reported 230 new coronavirus positive cases and the Pune Municipal Corporation areas 167 cases.Currently, 1,67,764 people are in home quarantine and 1,976 in institutional quarantine in Maharashtra.With 32,354 new tests on Monday, the number of samples tested so far for coronavirus in Maharashtra went up to 1,50,10,037, the department said.Maharashtra's COVID-19 tally is as follows: Positivecases: 20,46,287; newcases: 2,216; deaths: 51,325; discharged: 19,58,971; active cases: 34,720; people tested so far: 1,50,10,037. (PTI)

Haryana recorded 76 more coronavirus cases on Monday, taking the tally to 2.69 lakh on Monday, while there was no new fatality due to the pathogen, the Health Department said.There are 870 active cases, while 2.65 lakh people have recuperated, taking the recovery rate to 98.55 per cent, according to a medical bulletin.The 76 new infections include 22 from Gurgaon and eight from Faridabad districts, taking the tally 2,68,507. With no death the previous day, the total number of fatalities stands at 3,029, the bulletin stated. (PTI)

|Odisha Government to construct a COVID Warrior Memorial in Bhubaneswar to "recognise sacrifice & service rendered bu COVID warriors". The war memorial shall be ready for its inauguration on 15th August 2021.

A COVID-19 vaccination drive for over 3.31 lakh frontline workers began across 825 centres in Madhya Pradesh on Monday, with a state minister informing that doses would be administered four days a week.MP health minister Prabhuram Choudhary, who inspected the site to check arrangements, said the frontline workers who will be covered during this drive include police and revenue department staff.He said 3.31 lakh frontline workers have registered for the vaccine, and the drive will take place four days a week."I found laid down norms and protocol being followed at the all the sites," he added. (PTI)

Punjab reports 192 new COVID-19cases, 245 recoveries and 11 deaths today. Total cases: 1,74,838, Total recoveries: 1,67,073, Death toll: 5,653, Active cases: 2,112.