Coronavirus News Highlights: Today is the 260th day since India implemented a nationwide lockdown to help curb the novel coronavirus pandemic. So far, India has recorded 97,03,770 confirmed COVID- 19 cases, including 1,40,958 deaths. A total of 91,78,946 patients have recovered, as per the latest data from the Union Health Ministry. However, there are around 3,83,866 active cases in the country, which comprise 3.96 percent of the total caseload. Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh have reported the highest number of cases so far. However, infections continue to rise rapidly in states like Kerala and West Bengal. India's recovery rate continues to rise and now stands at 94.59 percent. The country conducted 10.26 lakh tests during the previous 24-hour cycle. Globally, more than 6.75 crore people have been infected by the novel coronavirus and 15.43 lakh have died so far.
Coronavirus in India |
Assam reports 94 new cases and 102 discharges in past 24 hours. Total cases reach to 2,14,019, while 2,09,444 people recovered. Meanwhile, 997 people died.
Coronavirus in India |
Haryana reports 1,391 new cases, 1,557 discharges, and 13 deaths in past 24 hours. Total cases reach to 2,46,679, while 2,32,108 people recovered. Meanwhile, 2,624 people died.
Coronavirus in India |
Punjab reports 500 new cases, 792 discharges, and 30 deaths in past 24 hours. Total cases reach to 1,57,331, while 1,45,093 people recovered. Meanwhile, 4,964 people died.
COVID-19 update |
A visit is being organised for Foreign Heads of Missions (HoMs) in India to Hyderabad on December 9. More than 60 HoMs are being taken to leading biotech companies in Hyderabad, Bharat Biotech and Biological E. (Source: ANI)
Coronavirus in India |
Karnataka reports 1,280 new cases, 1,060 discharges, and 13 deaths in the past 24 hours. Total cases reach to 8,95,284, while 8,58,370 people recovered. Meanwhile, 11,880 people died.
Coronavirus in India |
Delhi reports 3,188 new cases, 3,307 recoveries and 57 deaths in the past 24 hours. Total cases reach to 5,97,112, while 5,65,039 people recovered. Meanwhile, 9,763 people died.
Coronavirus in India |
Uttarakhand reports 632 new cases, 436 recoveries and 12 deaths in the past 24 hours. Total cases reach to 79,141, while 71,541 people recovered. Meanwhile, 1,307 people died.
Coronavirus in India |
Three vaccine candidates are under consideration of the regulator for licensing. Very active consideration is going on. There is hope that early licensure is possible in respect of all of them or any one of them: Dr VK Paul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog
Coronavirus in India |
Andhra Pradesh reports 551 new cases, 744 recoveries, and 4 deaths in the past 24 hours. Total cases reach to 8,72,839, while 8,60,368 people recovered. Meanwhile, 7,042 people died.
Coronavirus in India LIVE Updates | Health Ministry:
The cases are increasing around the world. There has been a steady and continuous decline in new cases in India since mid-September.
Coronavirus in India LIVE Updates | Health Ministry:
Today the active cases in the country are less than 4 lakh. It is less than 4 percent of the total number of cases. Case positivity rate is decreasing.
Coronavirus vaccine LIVE Updates | Welling up on live TV, British health minister says vaccine brings hope
British Health Secretary Matt Hancock appeared to wipe tears from his eyes on live television on Tuesday as he spoke about the hope that the COVID-19 vaccine rollout would bring after the doom and gloom of the pandemic.
ITV interviewer Piers Morgan asked Hancock if he was emotional. Hancock closed his eyes, bowed his head and wiped the side of his eye.
"It's been such a tough year for so many people," Hancock said, his voice on the edge of breaking.
Coronavirus in Andaman & Nicobar Islands LIVE Updates |
Andaman and Nicobar Islands COVID-19 tally rose to 4,773 as 15 more people tested positive for the virus, a health department official said today. Seven more persons were cured of the disease on the day, taking the total number of recoveries in the archipelago to 4,631, the official said. The Union Territory now has 81 active cases, while61 people have so far died due to the infection, he said. (PTI)
Coronavirus in New Delhi LIVE Updates | Para-athletics coach Gajender tests positive for COVID-19
Para-athletics coach Gajender has tested positive for COVID-19 and is under home quarantine, the Sports Authority of India (SAI) said today. Gajender is the coach and husband of para-athlete Simran, who is training at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi. "Gajender who is the coach as well as husband of Para-athlete Simran training at New Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium tested positive for the coronavirus," SAI said in a release. "He is asymptomatic and in stable health condition," the release added.
Simran, on the other hand, has tested negative. The couple has been placed in home quarantine. (PTI)
Coronavirus vaccine India LIVE Updates |
To roll out vaccines for 1.3 billion people, India may have to borrow the just-in-time concept
The vaccine ecosystem may need to borrow the concept of just-in-time, which is widely used in the auto sector, to store, distribute and administer the couple of billions of COVID-19 vaccines that will be required in India.
This is especially so given the complexity of storing and transporting some of the vaccines that are being developed, and that includes the one by Pfizer and BioNtech that needs to be stored at -70 degrees.
"Just like in an auto assembly line, the system here also should run efficiently. Everything will be determined by capacity to administer the vaccine,"RS Subramanian, Senior Vice President and Managing Director, DHL Express India, told Moneycontrol in a recent interaction.
Coronavirus in China LIVE Updates | A year on, markets bustling in Chinese city where COVID-19 emerged
Hundreds of shoppers pack a wet market on a December weekday morning in the Chinese city of Wuhan, jostling to buy fresh vegetables and live fish, frogs and turtles.
Almost a year since the city reported the world's first cases of COVID-19 in one of its handful of vast wet markets, and even as several other countries remain firmly in the grip of the subsequent pandemic, life in Wuhan has largely returned to normal.
Few hints remain of Wuhan's early role in the coronavirus pandemic, which has since infected more than 67 million people globally, killing around 1.5 million people.
China first alerted the World Health Organization to 27 cases of "viral pneumonia" in Wuhan on December31. Authorities shut down a wet market in the city the next day, after discovering some patients were vendors or dealers.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Antibodies in mucous membrane may dominate early COVID-19 immune response: Study
Scientists have assessed the immune response against the novel coronavirus in over 150 COVID-19 patients and found that the antibodies found in the mucous membrane are activated much earlier than other types, an advance which may lead to the development of new vaccines against the disease. According to the scientists, including those from Sorbonne University in Paris, the IgA antibodies found in the mucosa dominate the early response to the SARS-CoV-2 virus compared to other antibodies such as the IgM and IgG. They said the findings, published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, are "somewhat unexpected" since IgM antibodies are usually the immune system's first responders.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates |
Microsoft founder Bill Gates has said he is optimistic that growth will return once a COVID-19 vaccine rolls out, which he expects will be available on a broad basis by the spring of 2021. Speaking virtually at the Singapore FinTech Festival, Gates said he expected six COVID-19 vaccines to be approved and ready for distribution by the spring of 2021, as efforts to combat the spread of the deadly virus gains pace.
Read more | Bill Gates says COVID vaccine will aid growth, expects 6 jabs by spring 2021
Coronavirus Vaccine LIVE Updates |
The second person in the world to receive the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine - marking the start of the UK's mass vaccination programme against the deadly disease -- is William Shakespeare from Warwickshire, the BBC reported.
Coronavirus Vaccine LIVE Updates |
A 90-year-old woman from Northern Ireland today became the first person in the world to receive the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine - marking the start of the UK's mass vaccination programme against the deadly disease. Margaret Keenan, from Enniskillen, said she felt "so privileged" to receive the jab at University Hospital, Coventry. Keenan became the first person in the world to receive the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine outside trial conditions, the BBC reported.
Coronavirus in Maharashtra LIVE Updates | Thane district's COVID-19 case count goes past 2.33 lakh
The COVID-19 tally in the Thane district of Maharashtra has risen to 2,33,324 with theaddition of 402 fresh infections, an official said today. With seven more people succumbing to the viraldisease, the toll in the district went up to 5,751, he said. The case recovery rate now stands at 94.56 percent while the mortality rate is 2.46 percent. The number of active patients stood at 6,953, the official added. (PTI)
Coronavirus in India LIVE Updates | PM Modi says mobile technology to be used for COVID-19 vaccination drive
With the chances of a COVID-19 vaccine being available soon increasing, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said the mobile technology will be used for mass inoculation against the pandemic. Speaking at the India Mobile Congress, he said mobile technology has enabled benefits worth billions of dollars to reach the deserving and also helped the poor and vulnerable during the pandemic.
Coronavirus in Mizoram LIVE Updates |
The Mizoram government has appointed Municipal Commissioner K Laldingliana the administrator of theAizawl Municipal Corporation (AMC) as the term of the present board is due to expire on December 10, officials said today. The term expires on Thursday and the election could not be held due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they said. The state poll panel also suggested the governmentthat in the wake of the COVID-19 situation in Aizawl city, holding elections is not in the interest of public health,Deputy Chief Minister Tawnluia said. (PTI)
Coronavirus LIVE Updates |
As many as 26,567 new cases of novel coronavirus were reported, with India’s total COVID-19 cases now above 97 lakh, as per the health ministry’s update. Reporting of new cases is now the lowest in five months since July 10. India reported 385 new deaths (below the 500 mark for the third day) and 39,045 recoveries in the last 24 hours, the latest release shows. Active cases continue to drop, to 3,83,866 (the last approximate number of cases was reported back on July 21) now with a fall of 12,863 cases in a day. India now ranks eighth in the world in active cases moving down from seventh.
Read more | COVID-19 cases explained in charts
Coronavirus in Japan LIVE Updates | Japan unveils $708 billion in fresh stimulus with eye on post-COVID growth
Japan announced a fresh $708 billion economic stimulus package today to speed up the recovery from the country's deep coronavirus-driven slump, while targeting investment in new growth areas such as green and digital innovation. The new package will include about 40 trillion yen ($384.54 billion) in direct fiscal spending and initiatives targeted at reducing carbon emissions and boosting adoption of digital technology, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said in a meeting with ruling party executives. Policymakers globally have unleashed a wall of monetary and fiscal stimulus to prevent a deep and prolonged recession as the coronavirus closed international borders and sent millions out of work. (Reuters)
Coronavirus in Jharkhand LIVE Updates |
Jharkhand's COVID-19 tally mounted to 1,10,457 with 179 fresh cases, while two more fatalitiespushed the death toll to 988, reported news agency PTI citing a health department official. Jharkhand now has 1,759 active COVID-19 cases, while1,07,710 people have been cured of the disease so far, the official said. The state has tested 17,057 samples for COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, he added.
Coronavirus Vaccine LIVE Updates | UK rolling out COVID-19 vaccine to public as world watches
UK health authorities are rolling out the first doses of a widely tested and independently reviewed COVID-19 vaccine, starting a global immunization program that is expected to gain momentum as more serums win approval. The first shot will come Tuesday at one of a network of hospital hubs around the country where the initial phase of the UK program will be rolled out on what has been dubbed V-Day. Public health officials are asking the public to be patient because only those who are most at risk from COVID-19 will be vaccinated in the early stages. Medical staff will contact patients to arrange appointments, and most will have to wait until next year before there is enough vaccine to expand the program. (AP)
Coronavirus in India LIVE Updates |
According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), a cumulative total of 14,88,14,055 samples have been tested for COVID-19 up to December 7 with 10,26,399 samples being tested on Monday.
Coronavirus in Japan LIVE Updates |
Japan has reported its economy expanded at a 22.9% annual rate in the last quarter, as businesses and personal spending recovered from pandemic-related shocks in the spring and early summer. Economists said the upward revision released today was in line with forecasts and suggests Japan's economy, the world's third-largest, is on the mend from the recession that started in late 2019, even before coronavirus outbreaks hit. (AP)
Coronavirus in India LIVE updates | JUST IN:
Total confirmed COVID-19 cases in India have risen to 97,03,770, according to the latest update by from the Union Health Ministry. This number includes cases involving foreign nationals, patients who have recovered and the death toll.
Coronavirus in India LIVE updates | JUST IN:
As many as 91,78,946 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 reported active COVID-19 cases in India stand at 3,83,866, according to the Union Health Ministry.
Coronavirus in India LIVE updates | JUST IN:
The death toll in India due to the novel coronavirus pandemic has risen to 1,40,958, the Union Health Ministry has said.
Coronavirus in Assam LIVE Updates |
Two more persons succumbed to COVID-19 yesterday taking the death toll to 995, while 166 newinfections pushed the tally to 2,13,925, Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said. He said that 131 coronavirus patients recovered from the disease and the number of total discharged people went up to 2,09,342. Assam currently has 3,585 active cases, while three patients had migrated out of the state. (PTI)
Coronavirus Vaccine LIVE Updates | 87-year-old Indian-origin man first to get COVID-19 vaccine in UK
An 87-year-old Indian-origin man from the north east of England will become one of the first people in the world to get a vaccine against COVID-19 when he receives his Pfizer/BioNTech jab at a hospital in Newcastle today. Hari Shukla from Tyne and Wear said he feels it is his duty to receive his first of the two-dose vaccine, a moment UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson hailed as a huge step forward as today was dubbed V-Day or Vaccine Day in the UK. (PTI)
Coronavirus in Sikkim LIVE Updates |
Sikkim's COVID-19 caseload rose to 5,203 as six more people tested positive for the disease,while two fresh fatalities pushed the toll to 117, an official said yesterday.A 27-year-old woman and a man, aged 50, died due to coronavirus infection, Sonam Bhutia, a member of Sikkim Information, Education and Communication (IEC) panel, said. Sikkim has 371 active cases, while 4,622 people have recovered from the disease and 93 migrated to other states. (PTI)
Coronavirus in Canada LIVE Updates | Canada set to receive first doses of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine this year
Canada will start receiving its first doses of Pfizer Inc's COVID-19 vaccine before the end of December, sooner than expected, with millions more to follow in early 2021, reported news agency Reuters citing officials. The news could help the minority Liberal government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau fend off attacks from opposition parties that have accused Ottawa of acting too slowly to tackle a worsening coronavirus second wave. Officials had initially expected to receive a total of six million doses of vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna Inc by the end of March. That would be enough to inoculate three million people as both vaccines require two shots about a month apart. But Trudeau said up to 249,000 doses of the vaccine Pfizer is producing with German partner BionNTech SE would arrive this month, and a further three million doses should be delivered at the start of 2021.
Coronavirus in West Bengal LIVE Updates | Bengal reports 2,214 new COVID-19 cases
West Bengal's COVID-19 tally rose to 5,05,054 yesterday as 2,214 more people tested positive forthe infection, a health department bulletin said. Forty-eight fresh fatalities pushed the state'scoronavirus death toll to 8,771 so far, it said. Altogether 2,231 people were cured of the disease in past 24 hours, taking the recovery rate among the coronaviruspatients in the state to 93.55 percent, the bulletin said. The state now has 23,829 active cases, and 4,72,454 people have recovered from the disease so far, it said. (PTI)
Coronavirus in United States LIVE Updates | Biden's health team offers glimpse of his COVID-19 strategy
President-elect Joe Biden's choices for his health care team point to a stronger federal role in the nations COVID-19 strategy, restoration of a guiding stress on science and an emphasis on equitable distribution of vaccines and treatments. With Monday's announcement of California Attorney General Xavier Becerra as his health secretary and a half dozen other key appointments, Biden aims to leave behind the personality dramas that sometimes flourished under President Donald Trump. He hopes to return the federal response to a more methodical approach, seeking results by applying scientific knowledge in what he says will be a transparent and disciplined manner. (AP)
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 191 countries and territories. Today is the 260th day since India implemented a nationwide lockdown.
Stay tuned to this LIVE blog for the latest updates through the day.
