Coronavirus News LIVE Updates: AstraZeneca Says Covid-19 Vaccine Shows 70% Efficacy, Equity Markets Rise

China Tests Millions After Coronavirus Flare-ups in 3 Cities | Chinese authorities are testing millions of people, imposing lockdowns and shutting down schools after multiple locally transmitted coronavirus cases were discovered in three cities across the country last week. As temperatures drop, large-scale measures are being enacted in the cities of Tianjin, Shanghai and Manzhouli, despite the low number of new cases compared to the United States and other countries that are seeing new waves of infections. Many experts and government officials have warned that the chance of the virus spreading will be greater during the cold weather. Recent flareups have shown that there is still a risk of the virus returning, despite being largely controlled within China. On Monday, the National Health Commission reported two new locally transmitted cases in Shanghai over the last 24 hours, bringing the total to seven since Friday.

UNICEF Says to Ship 2 Billion Covid Vaccines to Poor Nations in 2021 | Nearly 2 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines will be shipped and flown to developing countries next year in a "mammoth operation", the U.N. children's agency UNICEF said on Monday, as world leaders vowed to ensure the fair distribution of vaccines. UNICEF said it was working with over 350 airlines and freight companies to deliver vaccines and 1 billion syringes to poor countries such as Burundi, Afghanistan and Yemen as part of COVAX, a global COVID-19 vaccine allocation plan with the World Health Organization (WHO). "This invaluable collaboration will go a long way to ensure that enough transport capacity is in place for this historic and mammoth operation," said Etleva Kadilli, director of UNICEF's Supply Division, in a statement.

For latest updates on various Covid-19 vaccines being developed, check out NEWS18's VACCINE TRACKER.

For the past three days, the daily death count in Delhi has breached the count of 100. According to the data uploaded on the days, the capital recorded 111 deaths on November 21 and 22, and 118 on…

Eminent Indian-American physician and community leader Ajay Lodha has passed away due to complications from COVID-19. Lodha, former president of American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI), battled COVID for the last eight months at Cleveland Clinic and breathed his last on November 21. He was 58. He is survived by his wife Smita, son Amit and daughter Shweta. The Consulate General of India in New York tweeted: deeply saddened to learn of the demise of Dr. Ajay lodha, a prominent member of the Indian-American community. He will be in our hearts always. His humility, kindness and contribution to the society shall continue to inspire us. Read more

In a tweet, the minister said he got tested for COVID-19 and the report came positive. He asked all those who came in his contact to isolate themselves and get their tests done.

Oil Prices Extend Gains on Covid Vaccine Hopes, Mideast Tensions | Oil prices rose 1% on Monday, extending gains as traders eyed a recovery in crude demand due to successful coronavirus vaccine trials, and concerns over tensions in the Middle East. Sentiment was also bolstered by hopes that the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Russia and other producers, a group known as OPEC+, will continue to restrain production.

Kejriwal Govt Orders Closure of 2 Delhi Markets for Violating Covid-19 Norms, Withdraws it Within Hours | Hours after the AAP government ordered the closure of two evening markets in west Delhi for violating coronavirus safety guidelines, the order was withdrawn on Sunday night. The Arvind Kejriwal government had ordered the shutting down of the Punjabi Basti market and the Janta, in Nangloi area, till November 30 after it was reported that people in these areas were not following social distancing and face mask norms. Read more

US Hopes to Begin Covid Vaccinations by Dec 11 | The United States hopes to begin a sweeping program of Covid vaccinations in early December, the head of the government coronavirus vaccine effort said Sunday. "Our plan is to be able to ship vaccines to the immunization sites within 24 hours of approval" by the US Food and Drug Administration, Moncef Slaoui told CNN. "So I expect maybe on Day Two of the approval, on the 11th or the 12th of December." FDA vaccine advisors reportedly will meet December 8 to 10 to discuss approving vaccines which Pfizer and Moderna say are at least 95 percent effective.

The court also sounded alarm for the Covid-19 situation ahead - "worse things may happen in December if states are not well prepared."

Jharkhand's Coronavirus Tally | Jharkhand's COVID-19 tally climbed to 1,07,469 on Monday, after 137 people tested positive for the virus, a health department official said. Five more persons succumbed to the disease since Sunday, pushing the COVID-19 death toll in the state to 951, he said. Two deaths were reported from Ranchi district and one each from Hazaribagh, Dhanbad and Bokaro, the official said. Ranchi district reported the highest number of new cases at 77, followed by Garhwa (12) and Bokaro (7), he said.

South Korea Reports 271 New COVID-19 Cases | South Korea reported another daily rise of more than 200 new coronavirus cases on Monday, a day before tighter social distancing rules to blunt a third wave of infections take effect. The daily tally of 271 new cases fell from 330 reported on Sunday after hovering above 300 for five straight days, a level not seen since August, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). Officials have said the numbers tend to drop during the weekends due to less testing.

The state government recently announced night curfew (10pm-6am) in Bhopal, Gwalior, Indore, Vidisha and Ratlam in view of the soaring COVID-19 cases. The same was imposed in Dhar on Sunday.

What Else is Happening on Vaccine Front? These developments assume significance against the backdrop of Pfizer seeking emergency use authorisation of its COVID-19 vaccine from the US regulators. Another US-based biotechnology giant, Moderna, said it also intends to apply for an emergency use authorisation (EUA) with the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, five vaccines are under different phases of clinical trials in India. The Serum Institute of India is conducting the phase-three trial of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, while Bharat Biotech and ICMR has already started the phase-three trail of the indigenously developed COVAXIN jab. An indigenously developed vaccine by Zydus Cadila has completed phase-two clinical trial in the country. Dr Reddy's Laboratories will soon start combined phase two and three trials of the Russian COVID-19 vaccine Sputnik V in India.

PM to Meet CMs Tomorrow on Vaccine, Covid Response | Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to hold virtual meetings with chief ministers of states and union territories on Tuesday to review their respective Covid-19 responses. With vaccine candidates in second or third phase of clinical trials, vaccine distribution, emergency authorisation are also likely to be discussed with the states. 

AstraZeneca's Covid-19 Vaccine 70% Effective | AstraZeneca said on Monday its vaccine for the novel coronavirus, developed along with the University of Oxford, showed an average efficiency of 70% in protecting against the virus in two study segments.