Coronavirus News Highlights: Today is the 312th day since India implemented a nationwide lockdown to help curb the novel coronavirus pandemic. So far, India has recorded 1,07,33,131 confirmed COVID-19 cases, including 1,54,147 deaths. A total of 1,04,09,160 people have recuperated from COVID-19 so far. There are 1,69,824 active cases in the country as of date, which comprises 1.62 percent of the total caseload, the data stated. India's recovery rate continues to rise and now stands at 96.94 percent. Globally, more than 10 crore people have been infected by the novel coronavirus and 21.94 lakh have died so far. Many countries, including India, have granted emergency use authorization for COVID-19 vaccines and have started vaccinating healthcare workers and high-risk groups. India's regulator has granted restricted emergency use approval for two vaccines -- Covishield and Covaxin. Over 23 lakh people have been given their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in India so far.
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Coronavirus LIVE Updates
|Uttarakhand updates COVID-19 SOP, allows all activities outside containment zones with some conditions
All activities, subject to some conditions, have been permitted outside coronavirus containment zones from February 1 in Uttarakhand, as per the latest state government guidelines, which also lifted restrictions on interstate and intrastate movement of people and goods including on cross land-border trade with neighbouring countries under treaties.No separate permission/approval/e-permit will be required for such movements, the Standard Operating Procedure issued Friday by Chief Secretary Om Prakash said.
However, a separate set of guidelines on preventive measures against COVID-19 during the forthcoming Kumbh Mela in Haridwar will be issued based on the SoP formulated by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare later, it said. District administrations have been asked to take all necessary measures to promote COVID 19-appropriate behaviour and ensure wearing of face masks, besides observing hand hygiene and social distancing.
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|Serum Institute applies for trials of another COVID-19 vaccineSerum Institute of India (SII) CEOAdar Poonawalla on Saturday said his company has applied to start the trials of another COVID-19 vaccine and that it hopesto launch it by June 2021. The city-based firm has already produced Covishield vaccine, co-developed by the University of Oxford and British-Swedish company AstraZeneca. The Centre has purchased 11 million doses of Covishield vaccine for the ongoing inoculation drive.
In a tweet, Poonawalla said, "Our partnership for a COVID-19 vaccine with @Novavax has also published excellentefficacy results. We have also applied to start trials in India. Hope to launch #COVOVAX by June 2021!" (PTI)
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|Odisha allows reopening of Anganwadi centres, gatherings of up to 500 people
In view of the decline inthe number of fresh COVID-19 cases, the Odisha government on Saturday allowed the reopening of Anganwadi centres and gatherings of up to 500 people with strict adherence to the safety guidelines, a notification said. It asked the School and Mass Education Department to make a decision on the date of reopening of schools for classes 9-12.
The administration also allowed the functioning of cinema halls as per the SOPs issued by the central and state governments. The relaxations are part of the state government's unlock guidelines which will remain in force till February-end.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Pakistan extends travel restrictions on six countries including UK till Feb 28
Pakistan has extended the travel restrictions on several countries, including the UK, till February 28 to contain the spread of the deadly variant of the coronavirus amidst a second wave of infections, authorities said.The Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) on Friday said people from countries in its category-C including South Africa, the United Kingdom, Brazil, Ireland, Portugal and the Netherlands would be affected by the travel restrictions till February 28, Dawn newspaper reported on Saturday.
However, it added that they would be allowed to enter the country if permitted by the National Command and Operation Centre, the top decision making body on COVID-19. The PCAA also reduced the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test requirement for the countries categorised as B and C from 96 to 72 hours. The travel-related standard operating procedures (SOPs) issued by the PCAA in December and January have also been extended till February 28.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Covid vaccines may exacerbate inequalities in distribution: WHO
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), has said that vaccines are now giving a window of opportunity to bring the Covid-19 pandemic under control, but they may also exacerbate the inequalities in distribution across the globe.
Speaking at a press briefing here on Friday, Tedros urged the world not to squander another window of opportunity to curb the pandemic, reports Xinhua news agency."A year ago, I said the world had a 'window of opportunity' to prevent widespread transmission of this new virus."
Coronavirus LIVE Updates |
Sri Lanka: No adverse reactions so far following vaccination
No adverse reactions or side-effects have so far been reported by 5,286 people who were vaccinated in Sri Lanka on Friday with Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine Covishield, provided by India, health officials said on Saturday.Sri Lanka on Friday launched its national coronavirus immunisation campaign by administering the first shots to frontline health workers, soldiers and security personnel, a day after India gifted 500,000 doses of Covishield vaccine to the island nation.
As many as 5,286 people were administered the jabs at nine hospitals, including two military hospitals, on the first day.No adverse reactions or side-effects have so far been reported from anywhere, the health officials said. The Oxford-Astrazeneca's Covishield vaccine, manufactured by Serum Institute of India, was approved for emergency use by the Sri Lankan government. (PTI)
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | For fourth day in a row, no new COVID-19 case in Andamans
Andaman and Nicobar Islandsdid not record a single fresh COVID-19 case in the last four days, a health department official said on Saturday.The coronavirus tally in the union territory remained at 4,994, while 62 people have so far died due to the contagion, he said. "No fresh COVID-19 case was reported for the fourth day in a row on Friday," the official said.
The union territory now has only five active COVID-19 cases, he said.Three persons were cured of the disease in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of recoveries in the archipelago to 4,927, the official said.
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Odisha govt issues fresh Unlock guidelinesThe Odisha government on Saturday issued Unlock guidelines in view of Covid-19 for the month of February. As per the order issued by the office of the Special Relief Commissioner (SRC), marriages and funeral-related gatherings are allowed with a ceiling of 500 persons. In closed spaces, a maximum of 50 per cent of the hall capacity will be allowed subject to the ceiling, the order said.
Anganwadi centres would start functioning from February 1, it said. Large gatherings and congregations shall continue to be prohibited across the state. Social, religious, political, sports, entertainment, academic and cultural functions and gatherings shall be allowed with a ceiling of 500 persons. In open spaces, keeping the size of the ground/open space in view, appropriate number of persons will be allowed, within the ceiling prescribed, so as to ensure maintenance of the physical distancing norms.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Taiwan reports first COVID-19 death in 8 months, from local cluster
Taiwan's government on Saturday reported the island's first death from COVID-19 since May, as it battles a small and unusual outbreak of locally transmitted cases. A woman in her 80s with underlying health conditions died after being infected with the coronavirus as part of a domestic cluster connected to a hospital, said Health Minister Chen Shih-chung.
Taiwan took early and effective steps to control the virus, with the large majority of its 909 confirmed cases in people who caught COVID-19 abroad. The new outbreak has infected 19 people since the start of the month, centring on a hospital in the northern city of Taoyuan. (Reuters)
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Over 35 lakh beneficiaries vaccinated against COVID-19 so far: Health ministryOver 35 lakh beneficiaries have been vaccinated against COVID-19 in the country till now with 5,70,000 vaccinations conducted in the last 24 hours, the health ministry said on Saturday. Of the 35,00,027 beneficiaries, the highest number of 4,63,793 people were vaccinated inUttarPradesh, followed by 3,24,973 in Rajasthan, 3,07,891 inKarnatakaand 2,61,320 in Maharashtra.
In a statement, the ministry said in the last 24 hours, 5,71,974 people were vaccinated across 10,809 sessions, while a total of 63,687 sessions have been conducted so far."India's total active caseload has dropped to less than 1.7 lakh (1,69,824). The active caseload now consists of less than 1.6 percent (just 1.58 percent) of India's total positive cases," it said. (PTI)
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WHO team visits 2nd Wuhan hospital in virus investigationMembers of a World Health Organization team investigating the origins of the coronavirus pandemic visited another Wuhan hospital that had treated early COVID-19 patients on their second full day of work on Saturday.
Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital was one of the city’s first to deal with patients in early 2020 suffering from a then-unknown virus and is a key part of the epidemiological history of the disease. “Just back from visit at Jinyintan hospital, that specialised in infectious diseases and was designated for treatment of the first cases in Wuhan," Dutch virologist Marion Koopmans said in a post on Twitter. “Stories quite similar to what I have heard from our ICU doctors.” (AP)
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CDC orders sweeping UStransportation mask mandate as COVID-19 ragesThe U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a sweeping order late Friday requiring the use of face masks on nearly all forms of public transportation Monday as the country continues to report thousands of daily COVID-19 deaths. The order, which takes effect at 11:59 p.m. EST on Monday (0459 GMT Tuesday), requires face masks to be worn by all travellers on airplanes, ships, trains, subways, buses, taxis, and ride-shares and at transportation hubs like airports, bus or ferry terminals, train and subway stations and seaports.
President Joe Biden on Jan. 21 ordered government agencies to "immediately take action" to require masks in airports and on commercial aircraft, trains and public maritime vessels, including ferries, intercity bus services and all public transportation. Under Donald Trump, who was president until Jan. 20, a CDC push to mandate masks in transit was blocked and the agency instead only issued strong recommendations for mask use.
Trump also rejected efforts by Congress to mandate mask use. "Requiring masks on our transportation systems will protect Americans and provide confidence that we can once again travel safely even during this pandemic," said the 11-page order signed by Marty Cetron, director for CDC's Division of Global Migration and Quarantine. (Reuters)
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108 new cases push Odisha's COVID-19 tally to 3,34,958
Odisha's COVID-19 tallymounted to 3,34,958 on Saturday as 108 more people tested positive for the infection, a health official said. The state's coronavirus death toll remained unchangedat 1,906 as no fresh fatality was reported in the last fivedays, he said.Fifty-three coronavirus patients have died due to comorbidities so far. The state now has 1,175 active cases, while 3,31,824 people have recovered from the disease so far, the official said.
Odisha has so far tested over 76.85 lakh samples forCOVID-19, including 25,213 on Friday, he said.As many as 2,07,200 health workers have been vaccinated in the state till Friday.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates |
No more institutional quarantine in Delhi for UK passengers testing negative for COVID-19
Passengers arriving from the United Kingdom will not be sent to mandatory institutional quarantineif they test negativefor COVID-19, NDTV reported on January 30 citing an announcement from the Delhi government. The passengers who test negative in the RT-PCR test will now have to be quarantine at home for all 14 days.
Earlier, it was mandatory for passengers coming from the UK to go through a seven-day mandatory institutional quarantine followed by a seven-day home quarantine. This protocol was put in place amid concerns that the new coronavirus strain found in the UK is more infectious. Read the full story here...
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The supply of vaccines for COVID-19 may meet up or even outstrip the demand in India by the third quarter of this year, given the number of vaccines being developed in the country and its capacity, AstraZeneca Pharma India Country President and MD Gagan Singh said on Friday.The pandemic has shown how resilient healthcare is, and how important pillar biopharmaceutical industry is as part of the healthcare ecosystem.
Therefore, support for academic research, a vibrant healthcare system that embraces innovation is going to be very critical, he added. "I am very hopeful given our enterprise, given the number of vaccines India is developing and the capacity available, hopefully in my own personal read, by quarter 3, we may actually have a situation where supply will meet up the demand or even outstrip,” Singh said.
Read:Supply of COVID-19 vaccines may meet, even outstrip demand in India by Q3: AstraZeneca chief
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | IRCTC to restart e-catering at 62 stations from February 1
The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) will resume e-catering services at 62 stations from February 1 after keeping them suspended for several months following the coronavirus outbreak.
"The company will resume e-catering services at a selected number of stations (62 stations) in the first phase w.e.f. 1 February 2021 onwards," the ticketing and catering arm of the Indian Railways said in a statement. Read more here...
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Arunachal Pradesh did notrecord a single fresh case of COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, a senior health department official said on Saturday. The COVID-19 tally in the state remained at 16,827 as no new case has been reported since Friday, the official said. Two more persons recuperated from the disease on Friday, taking the total number of recoveries in the state to 16,758.
Arunachal Pradesh currently has 13 active COVID-19 cases, while 56 people have succumbed to the infection so far. A total of 3,91,822 samples have been tested forCOVID-19 so far, including 547 on Friday, he added.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates |
The European Union introduced tighter rules on January29 on exports of COVID-19 vaccines that could hit shipments to nations like the United Kingdom, deepening a dispute with London over scarce supplies of potentially lifesaving shots.But amid an outcry in Northern Ireland and the UK, the European Commission made clear the new measure will not trigger controls on vaccines shipments produced in the 27-nation bloc to the small territory that is part of United Kingdom bordering EU member Ireland.
Under the post-Brexit deal, EU products should still be able to travel unhindered from the bloc to Northern Ireland. “In the process of finalization of this measure, the Commission will ensure that the Ireland/Northern Ireland Protocol is unaffected," the EU's executive arm said in a statement late Friday.
Read:European Union tightens COVID-19 vaccine export rules, creates post-Brexit outcry
Coronavirus LIVE Updates |
India reports 13,083 new COVID-19 cases, 14,808 discharges, and 137 deaths, as per Union Health Ministry's latest update.Total COVID-19 cases in India at 1,07,33,131, whilerecoveries surged to 1,04,09,160. The death toll had claimed to 1,54,147. There are1,69,824 active cases in India.
Coronavirus in Mizoram LIVE Updates | Three new COVID-19 cases in Mizoram, tally rises to 4,366
Three more persons have testedpositive for COVID-19 in Mizoram, taking the coronavirus caseload in the state to 4,366, an official said on Saturday. Two fresh cases were reported from Aizawl district, while one case was reported from Hnahthial district, he said. The state now has 39 active COVID-19 cases, while
4,318 people have recovered from the virus, the official said.
Nine people have so far died in the state due to COVID-19. Mizoram has tested 2,05,976 samples for COVID-19 so far, including 734 on Friday. Meanwhile, on Friday 1,769 healthcare workers were given COVID-19 vaccine, state Health Immunisation Officer Dr Lalzawmi said. Altogether, 8,497 healthcare workers have so far been given the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine in the ongoing vaccination drive, she added.
Coronavirus in Jharkhand LIVE Updates | Jharkhand reports 45 new COVID-19 cases, 1 death
Jharkhand'sCOVID-19 tallymounted to 1,18,602 as 45 more people tested positive for the infection, a health official said on Saturday. The COVID-19 death toll rose to 1,070 as one more person succumbed to the infection in the last 24-hours, he said. The state now has 628 active cases, while 1,16,904 people have recovered from the disease so far, he said.
Jharkhandhas tested 12,022 samples for COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, the official said. Meanwhile, 8,759 healthcare workers received jabs of COVID-19 vaccine on Friday.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates |
As per a Reuters tracker,COVID-19 infections are still rising in 35 countries. There have been at least 101,687,000 reported infections and 2,194,000 reported deaths caused by the new coronavirus so far.
Coronavirus Vaccination LIVE Updates | Mexico to import AstraZeneca vaccine from India
Mexico plans to import about 870,000 doses of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine from India in February, as well as producing it locally, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Friday. Mexico and Argentina have a deal with AstraZeneca to produce its vaccine for distribution in Latin America, with financial support from the foundation of Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim.
"We are also getting AstraZeneca vaccines, apart from the agreement we have with them - these vaccines are being made here in Mexico - we will bring AstraZeneca from India," Lopez Obrador said in a video broadcast on social media. (Reuters)
Coronavirus LIVE Updates |
Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR): A total of 19,58,37,408 samples tested for COVID-19 up to January 29. Of these, 7,56,329 samples were tested yesterday.
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Dr Reddy's on January 29 said it is planning to apply for emergency-use approval (EUA) of Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine by March. The company said it has completed dosing of the Russian vaccine on about 70 percent participants in the phase-3 bridge trial, and expects to complete the trial in February, following which it will compile the data, and approach the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) for EUA.
Dr Reddy’s is currently conducting trial on 1,500 volunteers. Sputnik V has to be given in two doses, with 21 days apart from each dose.“We believe we should be in a position to launch the vaccine through EUA by the end of March,” Deepak Sapra, Chief Executive Officer, API and Pharmaceutical Services, said.
Read:Dr Reddy's expects to launch Sputnik V vaccine in India by March-end
Coronavirus LIVE Updates |
EU regulator authorizes AstraZeneca vaccine for all adultsRegulators authorized AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine for use in adults throughout the European Union on Friday, amid criticism the bloc is not moving fast enough to vaccinate its population.The European Medicines Agency licensed the vaccine to be used in people 18 and over, though concerns had been raised this week that not enough data exist to prove it works in older people.
The shot is the third COVID-19 vaccine given the greenlight by the European Medicines Agency, after ones made by Pfizer and Moderna. Both were authorized for all adults. The decision requires final approval from the European Commission, a process that occurred swiftly with the other vaccines. Continue reading..
Coronavirus in Gujarat LIVE Updates | Gujarat reports 335 new coronavirus cases, only one death
Continuing a downward trend,Gujarat recorded 335 new coronavirus infections and only one death in the last 24 hours, said an official release on Friday evening. The state's COVID-19 caseload now stands at 2,60,901, said a release by the Health Department.With one death reported during the day in Ahmedabad, the death toll due to coronavirus in Gujarat reached 4,385.The tally of recovered patients rose to 2,52,927 on Friday with 463 COVID-19 patients being given discharge.
As many as 56,935 health workers were vaccinated on Friday as part of the ongoing vaccination drive against coronavirus. Till now, 2.12 lakh health workers have been covered under the drive in Gujarat. Of 3,589 active cases in the state, 42 are on a ventilator while 3,547 are stable.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Vaccine nationalism will prolong pandemic: WHO chief
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Friday said the vaccine nationalism will prolong the COVID-19 pandemic as he expressed concern that some countries are rolling out vaccine only for their own citizens while the world's least developed nations only wait and watch. Speaking at the last day of the week-long online Davos Agenda Summit of the World Economic Forum, he said many countries are rolling out vaccines for their own people, but it is leaving the most vulnerable people of the world at a big risk.
"The pandemic has exposed and exploited the inequalities of our world, he said.There is now the real danger that the very tools that could help to end the pandemic -- the vaccines -- may exacerbate those same inequalities," the WHO chief said. He said, "Vaccine nationalism will only prolong the pandemic, the restrictions needed to contain it, and human and economic suffering... If we lose trust in international collaboration through vaccine nationalism, we will all pay the price in terms of a protracted recovery." (PTI)
Coronavirus in Tamil Nadu LIVE Updates | Tamil Nadu reports 509 new COVID-19 infections; active cases dip to 4,601
Continuing its downward graph, thenumber of active COVID-19 cases in Tamil Nadu fell to 4,601while 509 fresh infections and six deaths took the tally and the toll to 8,37,327 and 12,345 respectively on Friday.In keeping with the trend of recoveries outnumbering fresh cases in the past several days, as many as 531 people were discharged from various hospitals, taking the cumulative number of those cured so far to 8,20,381, a health department bulletin said.
The number of active cases, which was 8,380 in the beginning of this month and been falling consistently, stood at 4,601 on Friday, it said.
Coronavirus in West Bengal LIVE Updates | West Bengal COVID tally rises to 5,69,459
West Bengal's COVID-19 death tollrose to 10,155 after 7 more fatalities were reported on Friday, the health department said.The tally of total cases went up to 5,69,459 after 286 fresh cases of the contagion were registered in the state in the last 24 hours, the bulletin said.The discharge rate improved to 97.21 per cent after 349 recoveries were reported from across the state.
Till Friday, 5,53,593 COVID infected patients have recovered in West Bengal, it said.Accordingly, the number of active cases was recorded at 5,711.
Coronavirus in Delhi LIVE Updates | Delhi adds 249 COVID-19 cases, positivity rate rises to 0.42%
The total number of COVID-19 cases in Delhi climbed to 6,34,773 on Friday as 249 more people tested positive for the disease while the positivity rate rose to 0.42 per cent, authorities said.For the past six days, Delhi's daily case count had remained below the 200-mark. The fresh cases came out of 58,725 tests conducted the previous day, according to the latest bulletin issued by the Delhi health department.
The positivity rate rose to 0.42 per cent from 0.34 per cent on Thursday, the bulletin stated. The national capital's death toll mounted to 10,841 as six more people died, it said. The active cases tally dropped to 1,551 from 1,575 on Thursday, it added.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Assam reports 20 new COVID-19 cases
Assam on Friday reported 20 newCOVID-19 cases, according to an official bulletin. The state has so far reported 2,17,091 cases of COVID-19, it said. No death was reported during the day. In all, 1,081 people have died in the state. Total 16,483 samples were tested for COVID-19 during the day.
There are 609 active cases in the state at present. Total 102 patients were discharged during the day. While 2,14,504 patients have recovered, three migrated
out of the state. Altogether 8,014 health workers were administered the COVID-19 vaccine during the day, taking the total persons inoculated so far to 36,932, according to the bulletin.
Coronavirus Vaccination LIVE Updates | Over 1.71 lakh health workers in UP vaccinated on Friday
Over 1.71 lakh health workers were administered COVID-19 vaccine in Uttar Pradesh on Friday, meeting 66.4 per cent of the target.According to an official report updated at 8.30pm, as many as 1,71,198 health workers were inoculated in 2,305 sessions at vaccination centres across the state, meeting 66.4 per cent of the target of 2,57,781.
The vaccination rate was about 64.8 per cent in the last round, when 1,00,676 health workers were vaccinated against a target of 1,55,311. With this, the total number of health workers to get the vaccine against the coronavirus in UP crossed 2.71 lakh. The state has 9.06 lakh health workers, including 2.34 lakh in the private sector.
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 312th day since India implemented a nationwide lockdown.
Stay tuned to this LIVE blog for the latest updates through the day
