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.
Coronavirus in Haryana LIVE Updates | Haryana reports 14 COVID-19 deaths, 807 fresh cases
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.
Coronavirus in India LIVE Updates |
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.
Coronavirus in Maharashtra LIVE Updates | Maharashtra reports 4,304 new COVID-19 cases, 95 deaths
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.
Coronavirus in Kerala LIVE Updates |
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.
Coronavirus in Goa LIVE Updates | Goa sees 91 fresh COVID-19 cases, 104 recoveries
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.
Coronavirus in Tamil Nadu LIVE Updates | State Health Dept, Govt of Tamil Nadu:
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.
Coronavirus in Delhi LIVE Updates |
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.
Coronavirus vaccine LIVE Updates | WHO vaccine scheme risks failure, leaving poor countries no COVID shots until 2024
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.
Coronavirus in Karnataka LIVE Updates |
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.
Coronavirus in China LIVE Updates |
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.
Coronavirus in Andhra Pradesh LIVE Updates |
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.
Coronavirus in Puducherry LIVE Updates | Puducherry Education Minister:
Schools to reopen for students of Class 1 to 12 on Jan 4. Initially, schools would have half-day classes from 10 AM to 1 PM and full-day classes would start from January 18. Classes of final year UG and PG students to commence from tomorrow.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | COVID-19 patients at five times higher risk of death than those with flu: Study
COVID-19 is associated with a higher need for ventilators, more admissions into intensive care units (ICUs), and nearly five times the risk of death among hospitalised patients than those suffering from the flu, according to a study.
Researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine in the US noted that although both COVID-19 and the flu attack the lungs, the former viral disease can also damage other organs.
The latest study, published in The BMJ, shows that COVID-19 was linked with an increased risk of conditions such as acute kidney and liver damage, as well as heart disorders, stroke, severe septic shock, low blood pressure, excessive blood clotting and new-onset diabetes.
"Many high-profile, public comparisons between COVID-19 and the flu have been made; however, those comparisons mostly were drawn using disparate data and statistical methods that have resulted in a lot of conjecture," said senior study author Ziyad Al-Aly, an assistant professor at Washington University.
Coronavirus vaccine LIVE Updates | Dr Sanjay Rai, Professor, Centre for Community Medicine, AIIMS and principal investigator for Covaxin trials at AIIMS:
Adverse event can take place after any immunisation. Some adverse events are mild like fever, pain. Some can be severe like toxic shock syndrome, anaphylactic shock.Adverse events can take place in case of this vaccine too. We should be prepared beforehand. Arrangements are made where vaccination is done. Government guidelines also provide that if govt facilities aren't good at some location, integration with privatesector can be done.
Coronavirus in Europe LIVE Updates |
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned of'high risk' of virus resurgence in Europe in early 2021, news agency AFP is reporting. WHO has also urged people to wear masks during Christmas family gatherings in Europe.
Coronavirus in Malaysia LIVE Updates | Malaysia invokes emergency to stop by-elections as COVID-19 cases rise
Malaysia's government on Wednesday declared a state of emergency to stop by-elections in two constituencies scheduled for next month, as the country grapples with a spike in coronavirus cases over the past few months.
The Southeast Asian nation has seen a sharp jump in cases since September, with the total number of infections climbing above 86,000 and with 422 deaths as of Tuesday.
Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said in a statement the king had assented to the request to impose an emergency in the Bugaya constituency in Sabah on Borneo, the state that health authorities believe was the epicentre of the country's third wave of infections, and the Gerik constituency in Perak state.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates |
The severe economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has wiped out 81 million jobs in the Asia-Pacific region in 2020, according to a report by the International Labour Organization (ILO). The sharp reduction in working hours has impacted jobs and income, with women and young people being disproportionately affected, according to the report.
Read more | 81 million jobs lost due to COVID-19 pandemic in Asia-Pacific: ILO
Coronavirus in Indonesia LIVE Updates | Indonesia pledges free COVID-19 vaccines
Indonesia will provide free coronavirus vaccines to its citizens when the world's fourth most populous nation starts its inoculation programme, President Joko Widodo said today, adding he would get the first shot to reassure people on safety. The sprawling, developing country received its first shipment of vaccines, 1.2 million doses from China's Sinovac Biotech in early December, but is awaiting emergency use authorisation from its food and drug agency. Another 1.8 million doses are expected to be delivered in January with the government previously saying that healthcare workers in Java and Bali would be prioritised. (Reuters)
Coronavirus in Russia LIVE Updates | Hospital beds run short in St Petersburg as COVID vaccine delivered across Russia
St Petersburg is running dangerously low on hospital beds for COVID-19 patients, city authorities said, as deliveries of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine began on Wednesday across the country.
Biotech group Biocad, licenced to produce Sputnik V, said it was supplying the shot nationwide to help fulfil a large-scale inoculation plan.
In comments to local television late on Tuesday, deputy St. Petersburg governor Oleg Ergashev said just 4% of the beds allocated to patients infected with the coronavirus were vacant.
"We understand that additional capacities need to be deployed," he said.
Coronavirus in India LIVE Updates |
Actor Varun Dhawan has tested negative for COVID-19 and is currently gearing up to resume shooting for "Jug Jugg Jeeyo". The 33-year-old actor was diagnosed with COVID-19 alongside his "Jug Jugg Jeeyo" co-stars Neetu Kapoor, Maniesh Paul and director Raj Mehta while they shooting for the film in Chandigarh in the first week of December. According to a source close to the film, both Dhawan and Mehta have now recovered and will resume the shoot from December 19 in Chandigarh. Neetu Kapoor, who flew back to Mumbai after her actor-son Ranbir Kapoor made necessary arrangements, tested negative for the virus on December 11. (PTI)
Coronavirus in Arunachal Pradesh LIVE Updates | Arunachal Police 'completely Covid-free' now: Official
All personnel of Arunachal Pradesh Police who had tested positive for COVID-19, havecompletely recovered now, a top official has said. Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIGP) Madhur Vermasaid 883 personnel of the department are now free from the disease. "It is a matter of extreme joy for all of us today as Arunachal Pradesh Police has become COVID free. Our last active case has also turned COVID negative. Our alertness and all COVID related precautions will still continue," Verma said in a tweet.
Coronavirus in Puducherry LIVE Updates | Pondy clocks 32 COVID-19 cases, tally rises to 37,582
Puducherry logged 32 more cases of coronavirus today raising the total infection countto 37,582, a government official said. Director of the Department of Health and Family WelfareS Mohan Kumar said a 57-year old woman from neighbouring Uzhavarkarai village succumbed to the illness, pushing thetoll to 622. Of the total 37,582 COVID-19 patients, 299 were active, 36,661 patients recovered and were discharged, he said. (PTI)
Coronavirus in Pakistan LIVE Updates | Pak reports record number of 105 COVID-19 deaths in single day
A record number of 105 people died of the COVID-19 in the last 24 hours in Pakistan, taking the total number of fatalities to 9,010 today, reported news agency PTI citing the health ministry, as the country grappled with an intensified second wave of the coronavirus. The total number of COVID-19 cases reached 445,977 after 2,731 new infections were detected in the last 24 hours, the Ministry of National Health Services said. The total number of deaths in the country has reached 9,010, it said, adding that a record number of 105 people have died in the last 24 hours.
Coronavirus Vaccine LIVE Updates |
Nearly a quarter of the world's population may not have access to a COVID-19 vaccine until at least 2022, according to a study published in The BMJ today which warns that vaccines will be as challenging to deliver as they were to develop. Another study in the same journal estimates that 3.7 billion adults worldwide are willing to have a COVID-19 vaccine, highlighting the importance of designing fair and equitable strategies to ensure that supply can meet demand, especially in low and middle income countries.
Read more | Quarter of world may not have access to COVID-19 vaccine until 2022: BMJ study
Coronavirus in Jharkhand LIVE Updates | Jharkhand reports 209 new COVID-19 cases
Jharkhand's COVID-19 tally mounted to 1,11,931 as 209 more people tested positive for theinfection, reported news agency PTI citing a health department official. The death toll rose to 1,001 as one person from Ranchisuccumbed to the infection in the last 24 hours, he said. Jharkhand now has 1,578 active coronavirus cases, while 1,09,352 people have been cured of the disease so far,the official said.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Tom Cruise blasts 'M:I7' crew over lapses COVID-19 protocols
Superstar Tom Cruise took certain crew members of "Mission: Impossible 7" to task after he saw them breaking COVID-19 guidelines on the film's set in London. The superstar launched the blistering attack on the crew members after they huddled around a computer monitor without standing more than the six feet apart, as recommended by experts, reported Variety.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates |
Infosys CEO Salil Parekh has said that the company would prefer a flexible hybrid work model wherein employees would not have to come to the office every day. At a virtual conference, Parekh said the company had built a flexible model to facilitate work from home. It is now time to start working on building ‘social capital’, he said. Parekh said that - going forward - the company would focus on putting in place a hybrid work model as it would depend on how the situation evolves. "However, the flexibility will remain critical," he said.
Read more | COVID-19 impact: Infosys to practise 'hybrid' work model to build ‘social capital’
Coronavirus in United States LIVE Updates | Biden's challenge: Creating a COVID-19-free White House
Three blocks from the White House, office space for more than 500 Biden transition staffers sits mostly idle. The government is shipping out laptops so staffers can work from home. President-elect Joe Biden, surrounded by just a handful of aides in Delaware, is using Zoom to oversee his plans to assume power. But Biden soon will be entering a no-Zoom zone at the White House just one sign of the challenges his new administration will face when it moves to Washington in the midst of a pandemic.
After months of making a virtue of the cautious approach his campaign and transition team have taken toward COVID-19, Biden's prudence will be tested by technology and tradition when he arrives on January 20. (AP)
Coronavirus in United States LIVE Updates | US Congressional leaders report progress in talks for fresh COVID-19 aid
US congressional leaders reported substantial progress yesterday after two meetings of top Democrats and Republicans to end a months-long standoff on coronavirus relief and finalize a funding bill to avert a government shutdown.
"We are getting closer and closer," Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told reporters "I am optimistic that we are going to be able to complete an understanding sometime soon."
Coronavirus in Maharashtra LIVE Updates | 323 new COVID-19 cases in Thane
Thane district of Maharashtra has added 323 new COVID-19 cases, taking the total count ofinfections to 2,36,879, an official said today. The COVID-19 death toll in the district has gone up to5,831 after eight more persons succumbed to the disease, he said. As of now, there are 5,058 COVID-19 cases in the district, while 2,25,990 patients have recovered. The COVID-19 recovery rate in the district is 95.40 percent, the mortality rate stands at 2.46 percent, and theactive cases constitute 2.14 percent of the total infections reported so far, the official said. (PTI)
Coronavirus in India LIVE Updates |
The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 94,56,449, pushing the national recovery rate to 95.21 percent, while the COVID-19 case fatality rate stands at 1.45 percent. The COVID-19 active caseload remained below 4 lakh for the 10th consecutive day.
Coronavirus in Telangana LIVE Updates | 536 new COVID-19 cases in Telangana
Telangana reported 536 fresh coronavirus cases, taking the tally to over 2.79 lakh whilethree fatalities pushed the toll to 1,502. The case fatality rate in the state was 0.53 percent, while it was 1.5 percent at the national level.The recovery rate in Telangana was 96.88 percent, while it was 95.2 percent in the country. (PTI)
Coronavirus in India LIVE updates | JUST IN:
As many as 94,56,449 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 3,32,002, 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 1,44,096, the Union Health Ministry has said.
Coronavirus in India LIVE Updates |
According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), a cumulative total of 15,66,46,280 samples have been tested for COVID-19 up to December 15 with 10,85,625 samples being tested on Tuesday.
Coronavirus Vaccine LIVE Updates | Europe set to approve COVID-19 vaccine in Christmas week
Europeans are set to start getting coronavirus vaccines before the new year after the regional drug regulator accelerated its approval process following the launch of immunisation campaigns in the United States and Britain. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) said an expert panel would convene on December 21 to evaluate the vaccine made by US company Pfizer and German partner BioNTech. It had previously said the meeting could be as late as December 29. While EMA's mandate is to issue recommendations on new medical treatments, the European Commission has the final say on approval and typically follows EMA's advice. (Reuters)
Coronavirus in United States LIVE Updates |
The United States government and Pfizer Inc are negotiating an agreement for more vaccine doses in 2021, the New York Times reported yesterday, citing people familiar with the situation. The administration of US President Donald Trump is negotiating a deal to use its power to free up supplies of raw materials to help Pfizer produce tens of millions of additional doses of its COVID-19 vaccine for Americans in the first half of 2021, the newspaper said. (Reuters)
Coronavirus in Bihar LIVE Updates | Bihar cabinet gives its nod to free COVID-19 vaccination
Inoculation of the entire population of Bihar for COVID-19 will be done free of cost upon theavailability of the vaccine, the state cabinet resolved yesterday.The decision was taken at the first meeting of the cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar since the allocation of portfolios in November. The cabinet gave its go-ahead for implementation of"Saat Nishchay Part-2", the second part of seven resolves of the chief minister, elucidating his blueprint for governancetaking off from the work completed in the previous tenure.Notably, the free corona vaccine in the state was also promisedby the BJP in its manifesto for the recent assemblyelections, which was released here by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. The BJP is a partner in the ruling NDA in the state. (PTI)
Coronavirus in Australia LIVE Updates | Australia reports first local COVID-19 case in two weeks after airport worker tests positive
Australia's most populous state today reported its first coronavirus case in nearly two weeks after an airport worker tested positive prompting authorities to suggest international flight crews should also quarantine after arriving. A 45-year old man who shuttles international airlines staff to the airport tested positive for COVID-19, New South Wales (NSW) state Health Minister Brad Hazzard told reporters. Hazzard said the government will talk to international airlines in the next 48 hours to suggest changes to existing quarantine rules for air crew. (Reuters)
Coronavirus in Chhattisgarh LIVE Updates | Chhattisgarh speaker tests COVID-19 positive; new cases at 1,605
Chhattisgarh's COVID-19 count rose to 2,60,240 with 1,605 more people, including the state assembly speaker, testing positive yesterday, officials said. Chhattisgarh assembly speaker Dr Charan Das Mahanttweeted about his diagnosis. "I got myself tested for COVID-19 and the report camepositive. Those who came in my contact (recently) are requested to get themselves isolated or tested for COVID-19 ifnecessary," he tweeted. With 19 more deaths due to the viral infection andco-morbidities, the statewide toll mounted to 3,135, a health official informed. (PTI)
Coronavirus in Madhya Pradesh LIVE Updates | MP reports 1,073 COVID-19 cases
Madhya Pradesh yesterday saw an addition of 1,073 COVID-19 new cases, taking the infectioncount to 2,25,709, while 13 patients died and 1,347 people were discharged during the day, an official said. The toll in the state is now 3,425, while the recovery count is 2,09,768, he added. The cases in Indore rose to 49,518, including 818 deaths. Bhopal's tally stood at 36,295 with 545 fatalities. (PTI)
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 268th day since India implemented a nationwide lockdown.
Stay tuned to this LIVE blog for the latest updates through the day.
