Coronavirus: India is the second worst-hit country in the world by the pandemic after US. (File)
Coronavirus: India reported 78,524 fresh COVID-19 cases on Thursday, taking the total number to 68.35 lakh. The country recorded 971 deaths in the last 24 hours, taking the death count to 1,05,526.
With over 75,000 people recovering from COVID-19 every day in India, the country's recoveries are 6.3 times more than active cases of coronavirus, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The country has witnessed an exponential rise in the number of COVID-19 recoveries from 50,000 recoveries in May to over 57 lakh in October.
"India's COVID recoveries have witnessed a steep exponential rise - from 50,000 in May to over 57 lakh in October. A high level of more than 75,000 recoveries reported every day. Recoveries are 6.3 times the active cases (currently only 13.4 per cent of total cases)," the ministry tweeted.
Here are the LIVE updates on Coronavirus cases:
Coronavirus news: Australia records second day without COVID-19 death for first time in three monthsAustralia reported its second straight day without any COVID-19 deaths on Friday, the longest stretch without any fatalities from the virus in three months.
Australian states and territories reported 16 cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, down from 28 on Thursday, and no deaths for two days, the first time Australia has gone 48 hours without a COVID-19 death since July 11.
The results cement optimism that Australia has contained a second wave of COVID-19 infections, Reuters reported.
Coronavirus news: Eli Lilly in deal to supply COVID-19 drugs to low-income countries
Eli Lilly and Co said on Thursday it had entered into an agreement with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for potential supply of its experimental antibody treatments for COVID-19 to low and middle-income countries.
As part of the deal, Lilly said it will make antibody therapies available to lower-income countries prior to April 2021, but did not elaborate on the number of doses. Separately, Fujifilm Holdings Corp said its facility in Denmark would manufacture treatments next year.
Coronavirus news: Cuba opens most of country to tourism as enters "new normality"
Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero said late on Thursday that most of the Caribbean island nation would open to international tourism starting next week as it moved towards a "new normality" after containing its coronavirus outbreak.
The country, which closed its borders six months ago in a bid to contain the spread of the virus, has been gradually opening up to tourism ahead of the November-March high season, first in the northern keys and then its Varadero beach resort.
Coronavirus news: Trump eyes return to rallies Saturday after doctor says COVID-19 therapy completed
President Donald Trump said on Thursday he may return to the campaign trail with a rally on Saturday after the White House physician said he had completed his course of therapy for the novel coronavirus and could resume public events.
In an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity, Trump said he was likely to take a test for the coronavirus on Friday after testing positive for it a week ago. The White House has declined to say when the president last tested negative for COVID-19, Reuters reported.
Coronavirus news: McConnell avoids White House, citing laxity on masks, COVID-19 precautions
US Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, one of President Donald Trump's most powerful allies in Washington, has avoided visiting the White House for more than two months because of its handling of the coronavirus, he told reporters on Thursday.
The top Republican in Congress relies instead on phone conversations to discuss important issues such as COVID-19 economic stimulus legislation and Supreme Court moves with Trump, he told a news conference in Kentucky, his home state, reuters reported.
Coronavirus news: Takeda-led COVID-19 plasma treatment enters clinical trial with first patient
Japan's Takeda Pharmaceutical Co said on Friday an alliance of drugmakers it spearheads has enrolled its first patient in a global clinical trial of a blood plasma treatment for COVID-19 after months of regulatory delays.
The phase 3 trial by the group, known as the CoVIg Plasma Alliance, aims to enroll 500 adult patients from the United States, Mexico and 16 other countries, reuters reported.
Coronavirus news: China backs global COVAX vaccine facility to fight COVID-19
China's foreign ministry said on Friday the country has formally joined the global COVID-19 vaccine initiative known as COVAX, becoming the biggest economy to date to pledge support to help finance doses for low and middle-income countries.
A ministry statement did not give details on the level of support Beijing will provide, though President Xi Jinping in May pledged $2 billon over the next two years to help deal with the coronavirus pandemic that has claimed more than 1 million lives to date, reuters reported.
China says joins COVAX vaccine facility for COVID-19
China said on Friday it has formally joined the global COVID-19 vaccine facility known as COVAX, becoming the biggest economy to back the initiative to date.
Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said in a statement that China has ample COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing capabilities and will prioritise supplying developing countries when vaccines are ready.
The COVAX facility, led by the World Health Organization (WHO), aims to deliver at least 2 billion doses of vaccines by the end of 2021.
Sikkim reports 12 fresh COVID-19 cases, one fatality
Sikkim reported 12 fresh COVID-19 cases and one more coronavirus death on Thursday, an official said.
The state has 545 active cases, while 2,569 patients have recovered from the disease so far, she said. Eighty-one people have migrated migrated out of Sikkim.
The Himalayan state also reported the death of an 82 year-old woman at STNM Hospital due of the contagion, pushing the toll to 52, the official said.
