New COVID Strain LIVE Updates | People who arrived in Delhi from UK being rigorously traced, says Satyendar Jain

Coronavirus in India LIVE Updates | The crisis due to the coronavirus pandemic has stimulated innovation and enterprise in India, and a comprehensive mapping of the entire startup ecosystem has been done to identify and support relevant technology solutions, Science and Technology Minister Harsh Vardhan has said. Addressing the Overseas S&T Minister and Diplomats Conclave at the India International Science Festival, Vardhan said as many as 51 startup-driven innovative products are being financially supported to accelerate their market readiness and deployment.

Read more | COVID crisis stimulated innovation and enterprise in India: Harsh Vardhan

Coronavirus Vaccine LIVE Updates | Russia cuts size of COVID-19 vaccine study, stops enrolment

Russia's Health Ministry agreed yesterday to cut the size of a study of a domestically developed coronavirus vaccine and to stop the enrolment of volunteers. (AP)

Coronavirus in United States LIVE Updates | One million Americans vaccinated for COVID-19

Tennessee emerged alongside California yesterday as an epicenter of the latest COVID-19 surge even while more than 1 million Americans have been vaccinated as US political leaders sought to guard against a highly contagious coronavirus variant sweeping across Britain. Tennessee averaged nearly 128 new infections per 1,00,000 people over the last week, the highest of any US state, according to US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. California stood second at 111 new cases per 100,000 residents. (Reuters)

Coronavirus in Rajasthan LIVE Updates |  The Rajasthan government has decided to impose a night curfew between 8 pm of December 31 and 6 am of January 1 in all cities having a population of over one lakh. (ANI)

Coronavirus in West Bengal LIVE Updates | Bengal's COVID-19 death toll rises to 9,473, tally at 5,41,624

West Bengal reported 34 more COVID-19 fatalities yesterday, pushing the death toll to 9,473, while a total of 1,628 fresh cases took the tally to 5,41,624, the health department said in a bulletin. Altogether, 5,16,462 people have recovered from the disease so far, including 2,153 since Tuesday, it said. The state's recovery rate stands at 95.35 percent. (PTI)

New COVID strain LIVE Updates | People who arrived from UK being rigorously traced; COVID situation under control in Delhi: Jain

Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain yesterday said people who have arrived here from the UK are being rigorously traced and those showing even the slightest of COVID-19 symptoms are being tested, even as he asserted that the situation in the city was under control with the positivity rate plummeting to below one percent. Interacting with reporters, he also said Delhi now has "the lowest positivity rate in the entire country". The ceasing of flight services to and from the UK was a prompt move by the Centre and will help in containing the spread of the new coronavirus strain detected in that country, he said.  (PTI)

New COVID strain LIVE Updates | UK returnee tests COVID-19 positive in Odisha

A 34-year-old United Kingdom returnee has tested positive for COVID-19 and hospitalised in Bhubaneswar, officials said yesterday. The man returned to the state on December 18 amid concerns over the detection of a mutated and more infectious strain of COVID-19 in the European country, Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) commissioner PC Chaudhury said. (PTI)

Hello and welcome to Moneycontrol’s LIVE coverage of the novel coronavirus pandemic and its socio-economic impact.

The COVID-19 outbreak has spread across 191 countries and territories. Today is the 276th day since India implemented a nationwide lockdown.

Stay tuned to this LIVE blog for the latest updates through the day.