Coronavirus News LIVE Updates: New Strain Not Seen in India So Far, Says Centre; Nepal Too Blocks UK Flights

13 deaths and 611 new positive cases reported in Uttarakhand today:

Total number of cases: 87,376
Total active cases: 5,512
Total recovered cases: 79,341
Death toll: 1,439

Five persons with recent travel history to the United Kingdom have been quarantined. Their swabs have been collected and results are awaited: Nitesh Patil, DC Dharwad district, Karnataka.

U'khand Govt's SOPs For New Year's | In the wake of increasing Covid-19 cases, bars, hotels, and other public places won't be permitted to hold programmes, parties, and public gatherings on the occasion of Christmas, new year's eve, and January 1: Uttarakhand Government.

Passengers coming from the UK should undergo RT-PCR test and be isolated in a separate unit of an institutional facility if found positive, stated the Health Ministry's standard operating procedure…

As per the directions of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, instructions have been issued to the Home Department to withdraw all FIRs or complaints lodged during lockdown against migrant labourers: Delhi Minister Satyendar Jain.

Haryana Health Dept has identified 1,800 vaccination session sites & more than 5,000 vaccinators have been mapped for the process of administering the vaccine. The dept has 22 Vaccine Vans (insulated) for transporting vaccine across the state. The data of more than 1.9 lakh Health Care Workers from both private and government sectors have been uploaded on CoWIN portal. One state, four regional vaccine stores, and 659 cold chain points have been identified across Haryana: Rajeev Arora, Additional Chief Secretary, Health.

Travancore Devasom Board to start the Virtual Q booking for Sabarimala devotees from 6 pm today. A total of 5000 people will be allowed to visit the temple on a single day. RT-PCR COVID19 negative test certificate mandatory for devotees to visit the shrine from Dec 26.

Job will be given to a family member of civic volunteers who died due to coronavirus: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee

All 199 British Airways passengers who arrived in Delhi today morning have tested negative: Genestrings Diagnostic Labs, COO, Chetan Kohli.

New UK Strain Not Seen in India: Niti Aayog | As of now, it has no impact on the potential of the emerging vaccines being developed in our country and are available in other countries. The new strain or mutation of coronavirus seen in the United Kingdom has not been seen in India, so far: Dr VK Paul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog:  Dr VK Paul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog on the new strain of Covid-19 in the United Kingdom.

The new strain of Covid-19 in the United Kingdom has increased transmissibility. This mutation is not affecting the severity of the disease. Case fatality is not affected by this mutation. There is no cause for concern, no need to panic, as for now we need to stay vigilant: Dr VK Paul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog.

57% of the cases in the last 24 hours in MP, Tamil Nadu, Chhatisgarh, West Bengal, Maharashtra and Kerala. 61% of deaths in the last 24 hours in UP, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Kerala, West Bengal and Maharashtra: Health Ministry.

The recovery rate is more than 95% : Rajesh Bhushan, Secretary, Health Ministry

Active Cases Below 3%: Govt | It is after almost 5.5 months, we have less than 3 lakh active Covid-19 cases in the country. Currently, the active cases are less than 3% of overall cases. There has been a decrease in average daily new cases in the past 7 weeks: Rajesh Bhushan, Secretary, Health Ministry.

London Returnee's Sample to Go to NIV | A passenger who arrived in Chennai from London via Delhi has tested positive for coronavirus and genomes from his sample would be analysed to see if it matched with the new strain of the pathogen detected in the United Kingdom, a senior official said. The passenger, who tested positive has been admitted to the state-run King's Institute of Preventive Medicine and Research here, Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan said. His sample would be sent for genomic analysis to National Institute of Virology, Pune for confirmation, he told reporters. 

Bollywood actress Rakul Preet Singh says she has tested positive for COVID-19.

Oil Drops Almost 2% as New Coronavirus Strain Renews Demand Fears | Oil prices dropped almost 2% on Tuesday to below $50 a barrel, adding to losses from the previous session, as a new coronavirus strain in the United Kingdom revived concerns over demand recovery. The detection of the new strain prompted several countries to close their borders to Britain, although a British minister said the UK and France are working to reopen one of Europe's most important trade routes. Brent crude was down 72 cents, or 1.4% to $50.19 a barrel at 0915 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude fell 76 cents, or 1.6%, to $47.21.

Two Vatican Cardinals, Papal Aides, Test Positive for Coronavirus: Report | Two Vatican cardinals, including one who spends most his time helping Rome's homeless, have tested positive for the coronavirus, a Vatican source told Reuters on Tuesday. Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, 57, a Pole who manages Pope Francis' charities and has the title of the Vatican's almoner, was hospitalised for treatment of the onset of pneumonia. Italian Cardinal Giuseppe Bertello, 78, the governor of Vatican City, tested positive and is believed to be in self-isolation in his home in the Vatican, the source said. It was not immediately clear if either or both attended an event on Monday at which members of the Vatican's central administration, known as the Curia, exchanged Christmas greetings with the pope. There was no official Vatican confirmation of the two cardinals' test results.

Countries closed their borders to Britain over fears of a highly infectious new coronavirus strain, causing travel chaos and long lines outside supermarkets amid the prospect of food shortages and…

'These are Minor Mutations': CSIR | Vaccine is believed to fight off any mutation to the virus as these are very minor mutations. Vaccine or antibodies produced in the body are against the entire virus. In principle, the vaccine will be as effective against the mutated virus: CSIR DG Dr Shekhar Mande.

Delhi Airport's Vaccine Capacity | We have a storage capacity of 27 lakh vaccines at any given point for Delhi Airport. So, we can distribute 54 lakhs vials, if we are able to complete 2 rotations in a day: Delhi International Airport Ltd CEO Videh Jaipuriar on COVID-19 vaccine storage capacity at Delhi Airport, ANI reports.

The maker of one of India’s leading COVID-19 vaccine candidates said on Tuesday its recruitment of volunteers for a late-stage trial of the shot was on track, following reports of a shortage of…

Social distancing norms were flouted at a BJP MLA’s wedding here, with hundreds of people attending it and many of them, including senior party leaders, not bothering to wear masks.

Arunachal Pradesh Reports 22 New COVID-19 Cases, One More Fatality | At least 22 more people tested positive for COVID-19 in Arunachal Pradesh, pushing the tally in the northeastern state to 16,652, a health department official said on Tuesday. The death toll rose to 56 after a 50-year-old coronavirus patient died at a hospital in Tawang district on Monday, State Surveillance Officer (SSO) Dr Lobsang Jampa said. "The man died due to a septic shock with hepatorenal syndrome. He was also suffering from a chronic liver disease with anaemia," he said. Of the fresh cases, ten were reported from Tawang, three from the Capital Complex region, two each from Tirap and Namsai and one each from Changlang, Lower Dibang Valley, Upper Siang, West Kameng and West Siang, the SSO said. Twenty-one new cases were detected through rapid antigen tests and one through RT-PCR method. Barring three, all the new patients were asymptomatic, the official said.

New Delhi: Six passengers travelling on Air India's London-Delhi flight tested positive for COVID-19 on arrival, a senior government official said on Tuesday.

6 on London-Delhi Flight Test Covid Positive | Six passengers travelling on Air India's London-Delhi flight tested positive for COVID-19 on arrival, a senior government official said on Tuesday. The flight landed around 11.30 pm on Monday. "Five passengers were found COVID-positive at the Delhi airport. One passenger, who took a connecting flight to Chennai, was tested there and found positive," the official said. The government on Monday said all UK-India flights will be suspended from December 23 to December 31 in view of the emergence of new strain of coronavirus in that country. It also said all passengers coming from UK on Monday and Tuesday would be compulsorily tested for coronavirus on arrival at airports.

Alert | Two passengers, who arrived from UK, tested positive for COVID-19 at Kolkata airport on Sunday: Kolkata airport official.

Alert | The maker of one of India's leading COVID-19 vaccine candidates said on Tuesday its recruitment of volunteers for a late-stage trial of the shot was on track, following reports of a shortage of participants. Bharat Biotech has signed up 13,000 volunteers for the Phase 3 trial, backed by India's government medical research body, and is progressing towards its goal of 26,000, the company said. The trial began in mid-November at multiple sites across India. Local news reports last week suggested that some of those trial sites were well short of reaching intended recruitment targets.

There is growing alarm across the globe after scientists in UK described a newly identified variant of the coronavirus that appears to be more contagious than, and genetically distinct from, more…

34 Arrested from Club in Mumbai for Flouting COVID-19 Norms | Police conducted a raid on a club near Mumbai airport in the early hours of Tuesday and arrested 34 people for allegedly violating the COVID-19 prevention norms, an official said. The police action came after the Maharashtra government on Monday declared a night curfew in municipal corporation areas as a precautionary step amid growing concerns over a new coronavirus variant spreading in Britain. Acting on an information, the police raided the club located in Sahar area near the airport around 2 am. They arrested 27 customers present in the club and seven staff members, the police official said. Those arrested were booked under relevant Indian Penal Code (IPC) Sections, including 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), he added. Ahead of the Christmas and New Year celebrations, the state government has declared a night curfew in municipal corporation areas from December 22 to January 5 as a precautionary step amid growing concerns over a new coronavirus variant spreading in Britain.