Coronavirus LIVE Updates: Vaccine Expected in India at the Beginning of 2021, Says Health Minister as Covid-19 Tally Breaches 51 Lakh-mark

Coronavirus LIVE Updates: Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan, while speaking in Rajya Sabha on the prevailing Covid-19 situation in the country, said that on January 7, after the WHO received the first communication about a new strain of coronavirus in Wuhan, the Indian government swung into action within 24 hours. Meanwhile, with the biggest single-day jump of 97,894 new cases, India's Covid-19 case tally crossed the 51-lakh on Thursday. The country also saw 1,132 deaths in the last 24 hours. The total cases stand at 51,18,254 including 10,09,976 active cases. The number of individuals who were cured, discharged or have migrated is 40,25,080 while the death toll is 83,198, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said.

HERE ARE THE LIVE UPDATES ON THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC:

◕ Covid-19 Vaccine Availability Expected in India at the Beginning of 2021: Health Minister | Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan, while speaking in Rajya Sabha on the Covid-19 pandemic in India, said, "We are expecting that at the beginning of next year, a vaccine would be available in the country." He added that there was a time when many used to say that the country does not have masks, PPE kits, ventilators and oxygen and hence people will have to face many problems. "The situation today is completely opposite to what was predicted," he said.

◕ Telangana Reports 2,159 Fresh COVID-19 Cases; Death Toll | Telangana reported 2,159 new Covid-19 cases, taking the tally to 1,65,003 while nine more deaths pushed the toll to 1,005, the state government said. Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC)accounted for the most number of cases with 318, followed byRangareddy (176) and Nalgonda (141) districts, a government bulletin said on Thursday, providing data as of 8 pm on September 16.

◕ Union Minister of State for Culture and Tourism Prahlada Singh Patel said today that he has tested positive for Covid-19. "Last night my corona report came positive, people who met me on Tuesday should be cautious @PMOIndia @JPNadda @incredibleindia @MinOfCultureGoI @tourismgoi @ BJP4India @BJP4MP @bjp_damoh," he tweeted.

◕ Today's Data Highlights:

- Active cases in India cross the one million-mark and recoveries cross the 4 million. Recovery rate is now at 78.6%

- Highest single-day spike of 97.9k new cases

- India has now conducted more than 6 crore tests. 1.5 crore tests conducted in September at an average of 9.4 lakh daily tests.

- Deaths per million population in India is now 60. World average is 121 deaths/million population

- With 23.3k new cases Maharashtra's total cases cross 11 lakh (11.21 lakh)

- Active cases in Karnataka cross 1 lakh

- Total cases in Haryana cross one lakh. Fifteen Indian states and UTs have reported more than 1 lakh total cases

- 11 Indian states/UTs have a recovery rate of more than 80%

- Total global cases cross 30 million (3 crore). USA, India and Brazil account for 54.5% of the cases

◕ Delhi registered a record single-day spike of 4,473 COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, taking the city's infection tally to over 2.3 lakh, while 33 more deaths were reported, authorities said. The previous highest single-day spike of 4,321 cases was recorded on September 12. The city's COVID-19 tally has reached 2,30,269 and the death toll mounted to 4,839, according to the latest bulletin issued by the Delhi health department.

◕ Odisha Govt Says No Ban on Covid-19 Patients' Movement to Bhubaneswar The Odisha government on Wednesday said that it has asked district authorities to strengthen COVID care facilities at the local level, but did not put any ban on the movement of patients to Bhubaneswar and Cuttack. The government's clarification came in the wake of criticism from various quarters, including the opposition BJPand Congress, which said that patients should not be discouraged from visiting Bhubaneswar and Cuttack as the best of medical facilities are available in the two cities.

◕ Irregularities in Prices of Oxygen Cylinders Supplied to COVID-19 Hospitals in UP A team of the Health Department has found irregularities in prices of oxygen cylinders supplied by a firm to COVID-19 hospitals in Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar, an official said on Wednesday. According to drug inspector Luvkush Kumar, the firm is allegedly supplying oxygen cylinders to the hospitals at Rs 350 against the control rate of Rs 170, news agency PTI reported. An inquiry into the matter is underway, he added.

◕ Twenty-six new Covid-19 cases have been reported in Mizoram till 7am today, taking the total tally to 1,506 so far. The number of active cases is 567 while 939 people have been discharged. No death reported in the state till date, the government of Mizoram said.

◕ Mexico City: 20,535 COVID-19 Deaths, 2 Times Official Toll | An official said on Wednesday that Mexico City suffered 20,535 excess deaths attributable to COVID-19 between April and August, almost double the number reported in the official death toll of 11,318. The head of the city's Digital Innovation Agency, David Merino, said there were 30,462 excess deaths in the city between April 1 and the end of August, about two-thirds of which were determined to be due to coronavirus. Excess deaths are computed by comparing the number of in previous years and comparing them to 2020.