Coronavirus Cases In India: The number of active cases stands at 4,35,603. (File)
India's COVID-19 caseload rose to 94.99 lakh, while the total number of people who have recuperated from the disease crossed 89 lakh pushing the national recovery rate to over 94 per cent, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Wednesday.
The total coronavirus cases mounted to 94,99,413, with 36,604 new infections being reported in a day, while the death count climbed to 1,38,122 with 501 new fatalities, the data updated at 8 am showed.
The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 89,32,647 pushing the national recovery rate to 94.03 per cent, while the COVID-19 case fatality rate stands at 1.45 per cent.
The active COVID-19 caseload remained below 5 lakh for the 22nd consecutive day. There are 4,28,644 active coronavirus infections in the country which comprises 4.51 per cent of the total caseload, the data stated.
Meanwhile, the Oxford coronavirus vaccine is "safe and immunogenic", the Serum Institute of India has asserted today, battling a massive controversy over a trial volunteer in Chennai alleging adverse effects including "virtual neurological breakdown, memory loss and behavioral changes".
In a statement, the Adar Poonawalla-led Serum Institute also defended its legal notice to sue the volunteer, saying it was sent to "safeguard the reputation of the company which is being unfairly maligned."
The vaccine-maker, calling the volunteer's allegations "malicious and misconceived", is prepping to file a Rs 100 crore defamation suit. Some experts have expressed concern over what they see as an attempt to intimidate the trial participant.
Here are the LIVE updates on India Coronavirus Cases:
COVID-19 tally in Andamans rises to 4,718 with eight new cases
At least eight more people have tested positive for COVID-19 in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, raising the tally in the Union Territory to 4,718, a health department official said on Wednesday.
The death count remained at 61 as no new fatality due to the infection was reported, he said.
Of the fresh cases, three were detected during contact tracing, while five have travel history, he said.
Sixteen more people were cured of the disease on Tuesday, taking the total number of recoveries in the archipelago to 4,566, the official said.
COVID-19: 22 new cases reported from Mizoram
As many as 22 new COVID-19 cases were reported from Mizoram in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of positive cases in the state to 3,869, the state Information and Public Relations Department informed on Wednesday.
The total figure includes 3,572 recoveries and 291 active cases.
So far, six lives have been claimed by the infectious virus in the state.
Meanwhile, India reported 36,604 new COVID-19 infections in the last 24 hours, according to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare's data on Wednesday.
As many as 22 new COVID-19 cases were reported from Mizoram in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of positive cases in the state to 3,869, the state Information and Public Relations Department informed on Wednesday.
The total figure includes 3,572 recoveries and 291 active cases.
So far, six lives have been claimed by the infectious virus in the state.
Meanwhile, India reported 36,604 new COVID-19 infections in the last 24 hours, according to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare's data on Wednesday.
COVID-19: US Cases Found As Early As December 2019, Says Study
The study published Monday identified 106 infections from 7,389 blood samples collected from donors in nine US states between December 13 and January 17. The samples, collected by the American Red Cross, were sent to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for testing to detect if there were antibodies against the virus.
"The findings of this report suggest that SARS-CoV-2 infections may have been present in the U.S. in December 2019, earlier than previously recognized," the paper said.
Testing has found Covid-19 infections in the US in December 2019, according to a study, providing further evidence indicating the coronavirus was spreading globally weeks before the first cases were reported in China.
"The findings of this report suggest that SARS-CoV-2 infections may have been present in the U.S. in December 2019, earlier than previously recognized," the paper said.
COVID-19: Arunachal logs 14 new cases, 45 more recoveries
At least 14 more people including five Army personnel, tested positive for COVID-19 in Arunachal Pradesh, pushing the tally to 16,296, a senior official said on Wednesday.
Single-day recoveries continued to outnumber fresh cases as 45 more people recuperated from the disease, taking the total number of recoveries so far to 15,456, State Surveillance Officer (SSO) Dr Lobsang Jampa said.
The recovery rate of COVID-19 patients stands at 94.84 per cent, the SSO said.
Of the 14 fresh cases, six were reported from West Kameng, three from the Capital Complex region, two each from Papumpare and Lepa Rada and one from Tawang.
COVID-19: 22 new cases take Mizoram's tally to 3,869
Twenty-two more people, including three security personnel, have tested positive for COVID-19 in Mizoram, taking the state's tally to 3,869, an official said on Wednesday.
One more fatality due to the infection pushed the death count to six, he said.
Of the fresh cases, 13 were reported from Aizawl district, three each from Lawngtlai and Saitual, two from Lunglei and one from Serchhip.
Eleven new patients have travel history, the official said, adding that barring three, 19 are asymptomatic.
Mizoram now has 291 active cases, while 3,572 people have recovered from the disease.
Coronavirus news: Sunny Deol says he has tested positive for COVID-19, isolates himself in Himachal
Himachal Pradesh Health Secretary Amitabh Awasthi had on Tuesday said that according to information received from the district chief medical officer, the Gurdaspur MP and his friends were planning to leave for Mumbai, but the actor''s COVID-19 test result came out positive.
BJP MP and actor Sunny Deol on Wednesday said he has tested positive for coronavirus and appealed to those who have come in close contact with him to test themselves for the infection.
He also said that he has isolated himself after his COVID-19 test results came out positive.
"I have tested positive for coronavirus. I appeal to the people who came in contact with me recently to isolate themselves and go for the COVID test," Mr Deol tweeted in Hindi.
COVID-19: 22 new cases take Mizoram's tally to 3,869
Twenty-two more people, including three security personnel, have tested positive for COVID-19 in Mizoram, taking the state's tally to 3,869, an official said on Wednesday.
One more fatality due to the infection pushed thedeath toll to six, he said. Of the fresh cases, 13 were reported from Aizawl district, three each from Lawngtlai and Saitual, two from Lunglei and one from Serchhip.
Eleven new patients have travel history, the official said, adding that barring three, 19 are asymptomatic.
Mizoram now has 291 active cases, while 3,572 people have recovered from the disease.
Coronavirus news: US says ready for immediate domestic shipment of COVID-19 vaccines
The US Transportation Department said Tuesday it has made preparations to enable the "immediate mass shipment" of COVID-19 vaccines and completed all necessary regulatory measures.
The department said US agencies have been coordinating with private sector companies that will carry vaccines from manufacturing facilities to distribution centers and inoculation points.
It added it has established "appropriate safety requirements for all potential hazards involved in shipping the vaccine, including standards for dry ice and lithium batteries used in cooling."
The department is preparing to ensure deliveries of vaccine doses for about 40 million U.S
residents through January, or about 20 million a month, officials told ReutersCOVID-19 tally in Andamans rises to 4,718 with eight new cases
At least eight more people have tested positive for COVID-19 in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, raising the tally in the Union Territory to 4,718, a health department official said on Wednesday.
At least eight more people have tested positive for COVID-19 in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, raising the tally in the Union Territory to 4,718, a health department official said on Wednesday.
The death count remained at 61 as no new fatality due to the infection was reported, he said.
Of the fresh cases, three were detected during contact tracing, while five have travel history, he said.
Sixteen more people were cured of the disease on Tuesday, taking the total number of recoveries in the archipelago to 4,566, the official said.
The Union Territory now has 91 active cases.
COVID-19: 565 new cases, 1 death in Telangana
Telangana posted 565 fresh coronavirus cases, taking the total number of those infected by the virus to over 2.70 lakh while one fatality pushed the count to 1,462.
Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) accounted for the most number of cases with 106, followed by Rangareddy 43 and Medchal Malkajgiri 42 , a government bulletin said on Wednesday providing details as of 8 pm on December 1.
As many as9,266 patients are under treatment and51,562 samples were tested on Tuesday.
Cumulatively, over 55.51 lakh samples have been tested. The samples tested per million population was over 1.49 lakh, the bulletin said.
Coronavirus news: US plans for first COVID vaccines as pandemic deaths surge again
Top US health officials announced plans on Tuesday to begin vaccinating Americans against the coronavirus as early as mid-December, as nationwide deaths hit the highest number for a single day in six months.Some 20 million people could be inoculated against COVID-19 by the end of 2020 and most Americans will have access to highly effective vaccines by mid-2021, the chief adviser of President Donald Trump's Operation Warp Speed program said.
"Within 24 hours, maybe at most 36 to 48 hours, from the approval, the vaccine can be in people's arms," Moncef Slaoui, a former GlaxoSmithKline executive who is overseeing the vaccine portion of the US program, said at an event conducted by The Washington Post newspaper.
His comments came on the same day that another 2,295 fatalities nationwide were linked to COVID-19, even before California, the most populous US state, reported full results.
COVID-19: Jharkhand reports 181 new cases, five more deaths
Jharkhand's COVID-19 tally mounted to 1,09,332 as 181 more people tested positive for the infection, a health department official said on Wednesday.
The death count rose to 969 after five more patients succumbed to the disease, he said.
Of the new fatalities, two were reported from Bokaro, and one each from Dhanbad, East Singhbhum and Saraikela, the official said.
Ranchi district registered the maximum number of fresh cases at 81, followed by East Singhbhum at 18 and West Singhbhum at 14.
Coronavirus news: US Scientists Developing Nasal Spray To Prevent COVID-19
Scientists at the University of Pennsylvania and the biotech firm Regeneron are investigating whether technology developed for gene therapy can be used to make a nasal spray that will prevent infection with the new coronavirus.
The idea is to use a weakened virus as a delivery truck to carry genetic instructions to cells within the nose and the throat, which will in turn create powerful antibodies to stop SARS-CoV-2 from invading our bodies.
"The advantage of our approach is that you don't need a competent immune system for this to be effective," James Wilson, a professor of medicine at Penn who is leading the project told AFP.
Scientists at the University of Pennsylvania and the biotech firm Regeneron are investigating whether technology developed for gene therapy can be used to make a nasal spray that will prevent infection with the new coronavirus.
The idea is to use a weakened virus as a delivery truck to carry genetic instructions to cells within the nose and the throat, which will in turn create powerful antibodies to stop SARS-CoV-2 from invading our bodies.
"The advantage of our approach is that you don't need a competent immune system for this to be effective," James Wilson, a professor of medicine at Penn who is leading the project told AFP.
COVID-19 vaccine sprint as Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna seek emergency EU approval
Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech are in a tight race to launch their COVID-19 vaccines in Europe after both applied for emergency EU approval on Tuesday, though there was uncertainty over whether a rollout could begin this year.
The applications to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) came a day after Moderna sought emergency use for its shot in the United States and more than a week after Pfizer and BioNTech did the same.
US drugmaker Pfizer and its German development partner BioNTech said their vaccine could be launched in the European Union as early as this month.
Coronavirus news: England leaves lockdown but sees new virus curbs
England on Wednesday exited a month-long lockdown but most of the country remained under restrictions as a new regional system for cutting coronavirus infection rates kicked in.
The four-week lockdown, which began in November, was imposed to stop surging rates of infection, ease pressure on health services, and to allow families to gather for Christmas.
But a tough three-tier system of restrictions will now be in place that has been criticised as doing little to reinstate cherished freedoms and help the virus-battered economy.
Most of England's 55 million people will go straight into level two or three, depending on local infection rates, limiting household mixing and the reopening of the hospitality sector.
England on Wednesday exited a month-long lockdown but most of the country remained under restrictions as a new regional system for cutting coronavirus infection rates kicked in.
The four-week lockdown, which began in November, was imposed to stop surging rates of infection, ease pressure on health services, and to allow families to gather for Christmas.
But a tough three-tier system of restrictions will now be in place that has been criticised as doing little to reinstate cherished freedoms and help the virus-battered economy.
Most of England's 55 million people will go straight into level two or three, depending on local infection rates, limiting household mixing and the reopening of the hospitality sector.
US Plans For Rapid Vaccine Rollout As Covid Surges To New Heights
U.S. officials on Tuesday unveiled plans to begin vaccinating millions of Americans against COVID-19 as early as mid-December, as coronavirus infections and hospitalizations in the United States soared once more to unprecedented heights.
With outgoing President Donald Trump's coronavirus strategy relying heavily on a vaccine, the chief adviser of his administration's Operation Warp Speed program said on Tuesday that 20 million people could be inoculated by the end of 2020, and that by the middle of 2021 most Americans will have access to highly effective vaccines.
"Within 24 hours, maybe at most 36 to 48 hours, from the approval, the vaccine can be in people's arms," Moncef Slaoui, a former GlaxoSmithKline executive, said at an event conducted by The Washington Post newspaper.
The highly contagious virus infected 4.36 million people in the United States in November alone, more than double the tally of new cases the previous month, as many Americans refused to wear masks and traveled for holiday gatherings against the recommendations of health experts.
Some 60 million to 70 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine could be available per month beginning in January, after the expected regulatory approval of products from Pfizer Inc and Moderna Inc, Slaoui said.
Health Workers, Nursing Home Residents Should Get Vaccines First: US Panel
Health care workers and residents of long-term care facilities should be prioritized in the first phase of Covid-19 vaccinations, an advisory committee of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Tuesday.
The panel voted overwhelmingly in favor of the non-binding recommendations for "Phase 1a" of distribution to states and other local jurisdictions if the Food and Drug Administration grants emergency approval to frontrunner vaccines.
"I believe that my vote reflects maximum benefits, minimum harm, promoting justice and mitigating the health inequalities that exist, with regard to distribution of this vaccine," said Jose Romero, chair of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.
The two priority groups account for around 24 million people, which is the approximate number of people who can be immunized in December if vaccines made by Pfizer and Moderna are approved and the companies deliver the 40 million doses they have promised.
Each requires two doses -- the second dose of the Pfizer vaccine after three weeks, and Moderna's after four weeks.
Machu Picchu To Ease COVID-19 Visitor Limit
The Inca citadel of Machu Picchu, the crown jewel of Peru's tourist sites, will increase its daily visitor limit to more than 1,000, the Culture Ministry said Tuesday.
Machu Picchu reopened on November 1 after a nearly eight-month lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic, but for safety reasons, only 675 tourists were allowed to access the site per day, just 30 percent of the number of visitors pre-pandemic.
From Wednesday, the capacity will increase by 40 percent to 1,116 daily visitors, the ministry said.
The ministry said it decided to increase daily capacity after the rate of Covid-19 infections in Peru began to decline.
Before the pandemic, between 2,000 and 3,000 people per day entered the citadel, and as many as 5,000 during high season.
In March, on the last day of visits before shutting down, 2,500 people visited Machu Picchu.
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