Coronavirus News highlights: Today is the 268th day since India implemented a nationwide lockdown to help curb the novel coronavirus pandemic. So far, India has recorded 99,32,547 confirmed COVID- 19 cases, including 1,44,096 deaths. A total of 94,56,449 patients have recovered, as per the latest data from the Union Health Ministry. However, there are 3,32,002 active cases in the country, which comprise 3.34 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 95.21 percent. The country conducted 10.85 lakh tests during the previous 24-hour cycle. Globally, more than 7.34 crore people have been infected by the novel coronavirus and 16.33 lakh have died so far.
Haryana on Wednesday reported 14 more coronavirus deaths, taking the fatality count to 2,765, even as 807 fresh cases pushed the state's infection tally to 2,55,014.
According to a state Health Department's bulletin, two deaths each were reported from Gurgaon, Sonipat, Hisar and Panipat districts. Currently, the state has 7,573 active cases while the recovery rate stood at 95.95 per cent.
Paid OTT subscriptions rise nearly 60% to 100-125 million in 2020: Report
The adoption of subscription video-on-demand (SVoD) services picked up in 2020 as consumers spent more time at home in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic-induced lockdown.
The consumption surged in both smartphones and TV.
In 2020, the the number of paid OTT subscriptions (also known as SVoD) increased to about 100-125 million, up by nearly 55-60 per cent from 49 million subscriptions in 2018, said a CII-BCG report.
Maharashtra's COVID-19 tally rose to 18,80,893 on Wednesday with the addition of 4,304 fresh cases, said a state health department official.The state also reported 95 more deaths, taking the fatality count to 48,434, he said.
The state reported a drop in number of positive patients by 10,218 compared to Tuesday with the authorities attributing it to reconciliation of figures in database where some names were repeated.
6,185 new COVID-19cases and5,728 recoveries reported in Kerala today. Active cases now at 58,184; so far 6,22,394 patients have recovered.
Goa on Wednesday reported 91 new COVID-19 cases, taking the count of infections to 49,657, a health department official said.With three more patients succumbing to the infection, the overall toll reached 713 in the state, he said.
Tamil Nadu reported 1,181 new COVID-19 cases, 1,240 discharges, and 12 deaths in the last 24 hours. Total cases: 8,02,342; Total discharges: 7,80,531; Death toll: 11,931; Active cases: 9,880.
Delhi reports 1547 new COVID-19cases, 2734 recoveries and 32 deaths in the last 24 hours. Total cases: 6,11,994; Total recoveries: 5,88,586; Death toll: 10,147; Active cases: 13,261.
The global scheme to deliver COVID-19 vaccines to poorer countries faces a “very high” risk of failure, potentially leaving nations home to billions of people with no access to vaccines until as late as 2024, internal documents say.
The World Health Organization’s COVAX programme is the main global scheme to vaccinate people in poor and middle income countries around the world against the coronavirus.
It aims to deliver at least 2 billion vaccine doses by the end of 2021 to cover 20percent of the most vulnerable people in 91 poor and middle-income countries, mostly in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
Karnataka reported 1,240 new COVID-19cases, 1,403 discharges and 6 deaths today. Total cases: 9,04,665; Total discharges: 8,77,199; Death toll: 11,971; Active cases: 15,476.
International team seeking COVID-19 origin to go to China in January: WHO
The World Health Organization said Wednesday that a team of international experts would travel to China next month to help investigate the animal origins of COVID-19.
"I can confirm that this will take place in January," WHO spokesman Hedinn Halldorsson told AFP when asked about reports that the expert team would finally go to China next month.
Andhra Pradesh reports 478 new COVID-19cases, 3 deaths and 715 recoveries today. Total cases: 8,76,814; Total recoveries: 8,65,327; Death toll: 7,067; Active cases: 4,420.
