An artist paints a wall outside Byculla railway station depicting COVID warriors, in Mumbai. (Express Photo By Ganesh Shirsekar)

Coronavirus India Live Updates: India reported 24,337 new Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours. So far, more than one crore and 55 thousand people have been infected. With 333 fatalities reported on Sunday, the death toll touched 1,45,477. There are as many as 3.03 lakh active cases in the country, while 95,80,402 people have recovered from the disease. Kerala is the only state to report more than 5,000 cases.

The Health Ministry’s top advisory body will meet urgently on Monday to discuss the new strain of the novel coronavirus in the United Kingdom, which has triggered concern and prompted several European countries to stop incoming flights from the UK. Sources said experts from AIIMS and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), along with a representative from the World Health Organisation (WHO), will attend the meeting on the new strain, which shows alterations in the spike protein that could theoretically make it more infectious.

Meanwhile, even as India’s top regulator has asked three vaccine manufacturers for additional data on late-stage trials to consider clearing their candidates for emergency use, Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan said on Sunday that he believes “personally” that India could be in a position to begin administering the vaccine to the public “maybe” next month.

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India Coronavirus Live News Updates: India reported 24,337 new Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours; Over 1 crore infections in India; death toll stands at 1.45 lakh; India experts to meet today over new virus strain in UK; India may start Covid vaccination in January, says Dr Harsh Vardhan. Follow this space for the latest coronavirus updates.

10:04 (IST)21 Dec 2020

24,337 new cases, 333 deaths reported in India

India reported 24,337 new Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours. So far, more than one crore and 55 thousand people have been infected. With 333 fatalities reported on Sunday, the death toll touched 1,45,477. There are as many as 3.03 lakh active cases in the country, while 95,80,402 people have recovered from the disease. Kerala is the only state to report more than 5,000 cases.

Coronavirus Live Updates: New Covid-19 cases below 30,000 for sixth consecutive day A health worker collects swab sample for COVD-19 test at M Block CP in New Delhi, Wednesday, Dec. 16. (Express File Photo by Amit Mehra)

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday said wearing masks will be mandatory for the next six months in the state. Addressing people of the state on social media, Thackeray said experts are in favour of imposing night curfew or another lockdown, but he is not in favour of these steps. The coronavirus situation in the state is under control, through not completely, he said. "Prevention is better than cure. Wearing of mask at public places should be made a habit for another six months at least," Thackeray said.

India reported 26,624 new Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours. With 341 fatalities, the death toll touched 1,45,477. There are as many as 3,08,751 active cases in the country, while 95,80,402 people have recovered from the disease. With 6,294 cases, Kerala now has more than seven lakh confirmed infections. India is only the second country in the world, after the United States, to have more than one crore confirmed novel coronavirus infections.

Globally, U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson imposed a full lockdown on London and large parts of southeast England in a desperate attempt to stop a new strain of coronavirus that is spreading rapidly in the region. Sydney also widened restrictions following 30 new local Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours amid a growing outbreak in the Australian city’s Northern Beaches area. South Korea also reported a surge after an outbreak in a Seoul prison infected 185 people

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Coronavirus India Live Updates: 24,337 new cases, 333 deaths reported in India; Covid vaccination may begin in January, says Dr Harsh Vardhan

Coronavirus (Covid-19) India Live News Updates: India reported 26,624 new Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours. With 341 fatalities, the death toll touched 1,45,477. There are as many as 3,08,751 active cases in the country, while 95,80,402 people have recovered from the disease.