Coronavirus: With 680 deaths reported, the count is at 1,11,266 in the country.
With a spike of 67,708 new cases and 680 deaths in the last 24 hours, India's COVID-19 count reached 73,07,098 on Thursday, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW).
As per the Ministry, the COVID-19 count includes 8,12,390 active cases, and 63,83,442 cured and discharged or migrated cases.
Further, with 680 deaths reported, the count is at 1,11,266 in the country.
Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said India is expected to have a COVID-19 vaccine in a few months and the country should be in the process of delivering it to people in the next six months.
"We are very much into the vaccine development process...in the next few months at the most we should have a vaccine and in the next six months we should be in the process of delivering the vaccine to the people of India," he said.
Here are the Updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Cases:
Brazil's COVID-19 deaths reach 1,52,000
Brazil registered 713 deaths in the last 24 hours from the novel coronavirus, raising the nationwide deaths to 152,460, the Ministry of Health said on Thursday.
Tests detected 28,523 new cases of infection in the last 24 hours, bringing the national count to 5,169,386.
Also on Thursday, Minister of Communications Fabio Faria announced he tested positive for COVID-19, becoming the eleventh member of Brazil's cabinet that has caught the virus.
Sao Paulo, the most populated and industrialized state in the country, is the epicentre of the country's outbreak, with 37,690 deaths and 1,051,613 infections.
First "no-quarantine" flights arrive into Australia as virus cases fall
Several hundred passengers from the New Zealand city of Auckland are due to land in Sydney on Friday as part of a new trans-Tasman travel bubble amid a rapidly falling growth rate in cases at the epicentre of Australia's coronavirus outbreak.
The Australian state of Victoria recorded just two new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, health authorities said on Friday, in the lowest daily increase since early June
Mainland China reports 24 new COVID-19 cases vs 10 a day earlier
China reported 24 new coronavirus cases in the mainland for October 15, compared with 10 cases a day earlier, the health commission said on Friday.
All of the new infections were imported, according to a statement by the National Health Commission China reported 10 new asymptomatic patients, compared with 23 a day earlier.
As of October 15, mainland China had 85,646 confirmed coronavirus cases, the health authority said. The COVID-19 deaths stand at 4,634.
U.S. coronavirus cases surpass eight million as infections spike nationwide
US cases of the novel coronavirus crossed 8 million on Thursday, rising by 1 million in less than a month, as another surge in cases hits the nation at the onset of cooler weather.
Since the pandemic started, over 217,000 people have died in the United States. The United States reported 60,000 new infections on Wednesday, the highest since August 14, with rising cases in every region, especially the Midwest.
Health experts have long warned that colder temperatures driving people inside could promote the spread of the virus.
COVID-19: Sikkim reports 41 fresh cases, tally mounts to 3,500
Sikkim reported 41 fresh COVID-19 cases, taking the state's tally to 3,500, an official said on Thursday.
The state's Information, Education and Communication (IEC) member Sonam Bhutia said East Sikkim registered 35 positive cases, South Sikkim (5) and West Sikkim (1).
East Sikkim has so far logged 2,547 coronavirus cases followed by 702 in South Sikkim, 158 in West Sikkim and 12 in North Sikkim, he said.
The state now has 312 active cases, while 3,048 patients have recovered from the disease, the official said, adding, 81 others have migrated out.
Sikkim reported 41 fresh COVID-19 cases, taking the state's tally to 3,500, an official said on Thursday.
The state's Information, Education and Communication (IEC) member Sonam Bhutia said East Sikkim registered 35 positive cases, South Sikkim (5) and West Sikkim (1).
East Sikkim has so far logged 2,547 coronavirus cases followed by 702 in South Sikkim, 158 in West Sikkim and 12 in North Sikkim, he said.
The state now has 312 active cases, while 3,048 patients have recovered from the disease, the official said, adding, 81 others have migrated out.
Coronavirus news: Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation to begin next phase of serosurvey from today
Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) will begin the next phase of serosurvey in the BMC area from Friday.
Prem Chandra Chaudhary, BMC, Chairman said, "From Friday onwards we will start next phase of sero- surveillance in Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation area. The serosurvey will be done in coordination with Regional Medical Research Center (RMRC)."
"We will also launch cycle-related enforcement activities. Last Friday when we had launched the program ''cyclegiri'' we had decided that every Friday we will do some enforcement activity related to cycles like wherever cycle tracks are eroded or concerning cycle stands," he said.
Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) will begin the next phase of serosurvey in the BMC area from Friday.
Prem Chandra Chaudhary, BMC, Chairman said, "From Friday onwards we will start next phase of sero- surveillance in Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation area. The serosurvey will be done in coordination with Regional Medical Research Center (RMRC)."
"We will also launch cycle-related enforcement activities. Last Friday when we had launched the program ''cyclegiri'' we had decided that every Friday we will do some enforcement activity related to cycles like wherever cycle tracks are eroded or concerning cycle stands," he said.
11 Million Girls Won't Return To School After Covid: UNESCO
Eleven million girls face being unable to return to school even after coronavirus restrictions are lifted around the world, UNESCO head Audrey Azoulay said Thursday during a visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo.
"We worry that in many countries the closure of schools has unfortunately led to losses," Azoulay said as she visited a high school in the capital Kinshasa, three days after the country's 2020-21 school year began.
"We estimate that 11 million girls will be unable to go back to school around the world."
Accordingly, "we have launched an awareness campaign on the need for schools to go back to school," the former French culture minister said.
Eleven million girls face being unable to return to school even after coronavirus restrictions are lifted around the world, UNESCO head Audrey Azoulay said Thursday during a visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo.
"We worry that in many countries the closure of schools has unfortunately led to losses," Azoulay said as she visited a high school in the capital Kinshasa, three days after the country's 2020-21 school year began.
"We estimate that 11 million girls will be unable to go back to school around the world."
Accordingly, "we have launched an awareness campaign on the need for schools to go back to school," the former French culture minister said.
COVID-19: Assam records 769 fresh cases, nine more deaths
Assam reported nine more COVID-19 fatalities, increasing the number of people succumbing to the virus to 843, even as the tally climbed to 1,98,982 with 769 fresh cases, Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Thursday.
The overall positivity rate in the state stood at 4.68 per cent against total testing of 38,30,571 samples so far.
Assam reported nine more COVID-19 fatalities, increasing the number of people succumbing to the virus to 843, even as the tally climbed to 1,98,982 with 769 fresh cases, Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Thursday.
The overall positivity rate in the state stood at 4.68 per cent against total testing of 38,30,571 samples so far.
Low risk of Covid infection on planes if masks worn: US military
The risk of being infected with the coronavirus on an airliner is very low if passengers wear masks, according to a study carried out aboard Boeing long-haul jets by the US military and published Thursday.
Researchers using sensors and fluorescent tracers measured the volume of airborne contagious matter emitted by a dummy simulating an infected person breathing normally.
The passengers most exposed to the infected person -- those just in front of, behind or beside the dummy -- were represented in the study by the sensors.
Some 300 test rounds were carried out on the ground and in flight over the course of eight straight days in August in cooperation with United Airlines on Boeing 767 and 777 jetliners.
The risk of being infected with the coronavirus on an airliner is very low if passengers wear masks, according to a study carried out aboard Boeing long-haul jets by the US military and published Thursday.
Researchers using sensors and fluorescent tracers measured the volume of airborne contagious matter emitted by a dummy simulating an infected person breathing normally.
The passengers most exposed to the infected person -- those just in front of, behind or beside the dummy -- were represented in the study by the sensors.
Some 300 test rounds were carried out on the ground and in flight over the course of eight straight days in August in cooperation with United Airlines on Boeing 767 and 777 jetliners.
COVID-19 : India expected to have vaccine in next few monthsH, says arsh Vardhan
Mr Vardhan said to fight against COVID-19 the social vaccine of maintaining a distance of six feet should be followed, along with regular washing of hands and wearing of masks and face covers, especially in public places.
India is expected to have a COVID-19 vaccine in a few months and the country should be in the process of delivering it to people in the next six months, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said.
He made the comments at the Annual General Meeting of Indian Red Cross Society (IRCS) and St. John's Ambulance.
"We are very much into the vaccine development process...in the next few months at the most we should have a vaccine and in the next six months we should be in the process of delivering the vaccine to the people of India," he said.
