A man cycles past a mural in Mumbai urging people to wear masks. (Express Photo: Amit Chakravarty)Coronavirus India Live Updates: India reported 18,732 new Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours ending 8 am Sunday. This is the lowest daily spike in infections since June. This is the second time in the week that the daily cases number has dropped below 20,000. Of the 1.01 crore cases, active infections stand at 2.78 lakh. Today also marks the second consecutive day that the toll has remained below 300 — 279 deaths reported on Saturday.
India is set to hold a dummy vaccination exercise on December 28 and 29, setting stage for the largest and most ambitious mass immunisation programme in its history. The drive will be carried out in 2 districts of Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Punjab, and Assam and will be closely monitored by the centre, The Indian Express has learnt.
Several people returning from the UK have tested positive upon their arrival amid the spread of a potentially more infectious variant of the novel coronavirus. Eight individuals tested positive at the Delhi airport Friday, the door-to-door contact drive being conducted by the state Delhi government revealed, taking the total number Covid-19 positive UK returnees to 19. Similarly, 9 more people who returned to Telangana in the last 2 weeks have tested positive, taking the total number of the UK returnees infected with the virus to 16.
According to a bulletin released by the Health and Family Welfare Department of Tamil Nadu, 1,35,23,032 samples from the state have been sent for testing till date. Express Photo: Srinivas K
India reported 18,732 new Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours ending 8 am Sunday. This is the lowest daily spike in infections since June. This is the second time in the week that the daily cases number has dropped below 20,000. Of the 1.01 crore cases, active infections stand at 2.78 lakh. Today also marks the second consecutive day that the toll has remained below 300 — 279 deaths reported on Saturday.
Sydney's COVID-19 outbreak continued on Sunday with more than a quarter million people in lockdown as Australia's largest city awaited word on whether any public New Year's Eve celebrations will be allowed. Seven cases of the new coronavirus were reported in New South Wales state, six linked directly to the outbreak in Sydney's northern beach suburbs, which are under a stay-at-home order until Wednesday. Infections stand at 122.
Public countdowns to New Year's Day in big cities such as Sydney have in the past been an occasion for parties and gatherings at barbecues, urban parklands or on beaches in the Southern Hemisphere summer. But the outbreak has thrown many plans into chaos as state authorities focus on measures to quell the resurgence.
positive for virus since screening began Mumbai, Dec 26 (PTI) Sixteen persons who had recently returned from the UK and two family members of such returnees have tested positive for coronavirus in Maharashtra so far, a health official said. "Their samples have been sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune to find out if they are carrying the new strain of the virus that was detected in the UK," he said. Screening of passengers arrived from the UK began after a new variant of the coronavirus was detected in that country. Flights from the UK were barred earlier this week. --PTI
One United Kingdom returnee has tested positive in Jalore. He had tested negative on Dec 7 after arriving in Delhi. He along with two members of his family has tested positive now. They've been admitted to Jalore Trauma Hospital: Jalore Chief Medical & Health Officer
It is going to get very cold in north India, and drinking alcohol at home or year-end parties won't be a good idea, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). In its latest impact-based advisory, the IMD said "severe" cold wave is expected over Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and northern Rajasthan from December 28 and there is increased likelihood of various illnesses like flu, running nose or nosebleed which usually set in or get aggravated due to prolonged exposure to cold. --PTI
Delhi recorded 655 fresh COVID-19 cases, the lowest in over four months, and 30 more fatalities due to the disease on Saturday, even as the positivity rate stood at 0.98 per cent, authorities said. The case tally mounted to over 6.22 lakh in the city and the death toll due to the coronavirus rose to 10,437, they said, adding that over 67,000 COVID-19 tests were conducted on Friday. From December 21-23, the count of daily cases was below the 1,000-mark in the city. On Monday, 803 cases were reported, the lowest since August 17, 939 cases were recorded on Tuesday and 871 on Wednesday. --PTI
Maharashtra's COVID-19 caseload rose to 19,16,236 on Saturday as it recorded 2,854 new cases, a health official said. The state also reported 60 fatalities, taking its death toll due to the pandemic to 49,189, he said. A total of 1,526 patients were discharged after treatment, taking the tally of recovered people to 18,07,824. There are 58,091 active patients in the state now. --PTI
— India reports 22,273 new Covid-19 cases, 251 deaths; total caseload now at over 1.01 crore
— India records lowest fatalities since June 2, over 80% of fatalities from 10 states
— Sixteen who returned from the UK test positive for Covid-19 in Telangana
— Private hospitals with over 100 health staff to be involved in Covid vaccination drive in Delhi
— Assam reports lowest coronavirus cases since May 23
— More than 79.8 million test positive for Covid-19 worldwide; death toll at 1.75 million
— In Christmas message curbed by Covid, pope calls on nations to share vaccines
— US will require negative Covid-19 tests for all UK passengers
— Tokyo virus cases hit record 949 ahead of New Year holiday
The Tamil Nadu government Friday said four more passengers who had returned from the United Kingdom tested positive for Covid-19. Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan said their samples have been sent to the National Institute of Virology in Pune for genomic analysis and the results of the same are expected in two days.
Radhakrishnan added that one UK returnee who had tested Covid-19 positive earlier is undergoing treatment at Rajiv Gandhi Government Hospital where an exclusive 120-bed capacity ward will be set up for passengers and their contacts who have to be tested for the new strain of coronavirus. Read Janardhan Koushik's report here
Eight people who recently returned from the UK to Kerala, have tested positive for coronavirus and their samples have been sent to the National Institute of Virology, Pune for genomic analysis. Health Minister K K Shailaja said on Saturday that samples of eight returnees were found positive for COVID-19 and their samples have been sent to NIV for further tests.
Following this development, it has been decided to subject the returnees to more tests, she added. Surveillance at the four international airports in the state have been further strengthened.(PTI)
Over 80 per cent of fatalities in the country have been reported from 10 states and union territories.The 251 new fatalities include 71 from Maharashtra, 31 from West Bengal and 30 from Delhi.The total 1,47,343 deaths reported so far in the country include 49,129 from Maharashtra, followed by 12,048 from Tamil Nadu, 12,044 from Karnataka, 10,414 from Delhi, 9,536 from West Bengal, 8,279 from Uttar Pradesh, 7,091 from Andhra Pradesh and 5,269 from Punjab.
Top private hospitals in Delhi with more than 100 healthcare workers will be used to carry out the vaccination programme for Covid-19. The government has finalised the list of 603 cold chain points, including mohalla clinics and government hospitals, that will play an important role in vaccinating the targeted population.
According to the World Health Organisation, the purpose of the vaccine cold chain is to maintain product quality from the time of manufacture until the point of administration by ensuring that vaccines are stored and transported within recommended temperature ranges. Read Astha Saxena's report here
The Airports Authority of India (AAI) is close to finalising an arrangement with the Indian Air Force to receive 2.5 acres of land adjacent to Pune airport, to be utilised for the transport of vaccines from the facilities of vaccine manufacturer Serum Institute of India nearby.
“The transfer of the land, which is currently owned by the IAF, to Pune airport has been a longstanding demand of the AAI. They have asked for a land exchange, and AAI has finalised the plan for this,” a senior government official said.
“The airport management is also constantly in discussions with Serum Institute to understand the requirements, because a significant amount of freight is expected to go out from Pune,” the official said. Read Pranav Mukul's report here
Nine more people who returned to Telangana from the UK in the last two weeks have been tested positive for Covid-19, taking the total number of the UK returnees infected with the virus to 16. Their samples are preserved and sent to CSIR-Center for Cellular and Molecular Biology(CCMB) for examining their genome sequencing.
Till now, 962 out of 1200 people returned to the state since December 9, 2020, have been identified, Telangana Health department said. Out of the identified people tested for Covid-19, 16 tested positive.
Among the positive cases, four each are from Hyderabad and Medchal-Malkajgiri districts. Two are from Jagtial, and one each from Mancherial, Nalgonda, Rangareddy, Sangareddy, Siddipet, and Warangal urban districts. All 16 persons are put up in special wards, as per the latest guidelines of the government of India, in different hospitals. (With inputs from Rahul V Pisharody)
India reported 22,273 new Covid-19 cases in the 24 hours ending 8 am Saturday, taking the coronavirus infections tally over 1.01 crore. Of the total 1,01,69,118 cases, over 2.81 lakh are currently active while over 97.40 lakh people have recovered after testing positive. As many as 251 new deaths took the death toll to 1.47,343 lakh.Kerala continues to report more than 5,000 cases.
Assam reported 61 new COVID-19 positive cases on Friday, the lowest since May 23, with the total cases so far rising to 2,15,836 ande no deaths were reported, state Minister for Health and Family Welfare Himanta Biswa Sarma said. The 61 new cases were detected out of 11,757 tests conducted during the day with a positivity rate of 0.52 per cent, he said. The new cases included 28 from Kamrup Metropolitan district which has recorded the highest number of positive cases in the state. There has been no death in the state due to the pandemic after December 12 and the total casualty is 1033 and the current death rate 0.47 per cent.
A person who had returned here from the UK tested COVID-19 positive and his swab sample has been sent to National Institite of Virology (NIV), Pune, to ascertain whether it is of the new variant mutant or of the prevalent strain, the minister had earlier said in a press conference. The patient is currently in isolation at the Guwahati Medical College Hospital and the details will be provided only after the report is received, Sarma told reporters here. (pti)