Coronavirus News LIVE Updates: Efforts on to Ensure Seamless Last-Mile Delivery of Vaccine, Says Health Minister Harsh Vardhan

Bharat Biotech Announces Successful Completion of Volunteer Enrolment

Announcing successful completion of volunteer enrolment for Phase-3 Clinical trials of COVAXINᵀᴹ.#BharatBiotech #COVAXIN #clinicaltrials #Covid19 #CovidVaccine #phase3 https://t.co/lIdXVpstDK

— BharatBiotech (@BharatBiotech) January 7, 2021

Ireland to Get 4,70,000 Doses of Covid-19 Vaccines | Ireland has secured commitments for the delivery of 470,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccines before the end of March and hopes to secure “significant quantities” of doses of vaccines not yet approved, the health minister said. Ireland, which has a population of 4.9 million, has confirmed orders for 360,000 doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine and for 110,000 doses of the rival Moderna vaccine, health minister Stephen Donnelly told RTÉ radio.

Indonesia Reports Over 9,000 Fresh Cases | Indonesia on Thursday reported a daily record 9,321 new coronavirus infections, bringing its total cases to 797,723. It was the second consecutive day of reporting record infections. Thursday’s data showed 224 people died due to the virus, bringing total fatalities to 23,520.

Tunisia’s Tourism Revenue Plunged by 65% in 2020 | Tunisia’s tourism revenue plunged by 65% in 2020 compared to 2019, to around $746m, as the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic dealt a severe blow to the country’s economy. In 2020, the number of visitors fell by 78%, as western tourists deserted Tunisia*s hotels and resorts, a government official told Reuters. Tunisia had received a record 9.5 million visitors in 2019.

Fresh Cases in Bihar

377 more #COVID19 positive cases have been reported on 6th January in Bihar, taking the total count of active cases in the state to 4533: State Health Department pic.twitter.com/h7oqDb1q7l

— ANI (@ANI) January 7, 2021

Nearly a week has passed since India’s central drugs regulator granted restricted approval to vaccines against Covid-19, however, the state governments are still awaiting clarity on the financial…

Abu Dhabi Starts Phase III Clinical Trials of Russia’s Sputnik V | Abu Dhabi has started Phase III clinical trials of Russia’s experimental Covid-19 vaccine, known as Sputnik V, amid a surge in infections in the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi’s media office said. The human trial, announced in October before the recent rise in cases, is initially seeking up to 500 volunteers to be vaccinated at a hospital in the emirate of Abu Dhabi. Two doses of the vaccine will be given, 20 days apart, to volunteers, the statement said.

Total Recoveries in India Cross 1 Crore Mark | Total COVID19 recoveries in India have crossed the 1 crore mark (10,016,859). In the past 24 hours, 19,587 patients have recovered. The national recovery rate has further grown to 96.36 per cent, becoming the highest in the world. 

9 New COVID-19 Cases in Arunachal Pradesh |  Arunachal Pradesh reported nine new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, pushing the total caseload in the state to 16,753, a senior health official said on Thursday. Three cases each were detected from the Capital Complex Region and East Siang, while one case each was also reported from Tawang, Lepa Rada and Changlang district respectively, the official said.

Odisha Records 230 New Covid-19 Cases | Odisha recorded 230 new COVID-19 cases and 1 death on January 6, while 230 patients have recovered. The number of active cases in the state is 2202: State Health Department.

We are getting ever closer to getting the COVID vaccine, and indeed registering for it.

Australia To Rollout Covid-19 Vaccine in February | The rollout of the Covid-19 vaccine in Australia has been brought forward to mid-to-late February with the Morrison government aiming to have four million receive the jab by March. Announcing the accelerated rollout, the prime minister Scott Morrison also indicated it would be up to the states and territories to decide whether the vaccine could be made compulsory for some groups, such as aged care workers:

UPDATE | The number of Americans who have died from 24 December to the latest toll, which is for 5 January, is 31,146, according to Johns Hopkins University.

No Fresh Covid-19 Case in Andamans, Tally at 4,949 | Andaman and Nicobar Islands did not record a single fresh COVID-19 case in the last 24 hours, a health department official said on Thursday. The coronavirus tally in the union territory remained at 4,949, while a total of 62 people have so far died due to the contagion, he said. Two persons were cured of the disease since Wednesday, taking the total number of recoveries in the archipelago to 4,859, the official said.

Mumbai Police on Wednesday decided against extending the night curfew in the city, which was clamped by the Maharashtra government from December 22 to January 5 between 11 PM and 6 AM, a senior…

Scale of Emergency Facing UK Laid Bare as 1,000 Die in 24 Hours | The scale of the health emergency now facing the UK was laid bare as figures showed that more than 1,000 people had died from the virus in the previous 24 hours and hospitals reported treating a record 30,000 Covid patients. The alarming rise in fatalities came two days after the prime minister ordered a new lockdown. 

Japan to Declare State of Emergency for Greater Tokyo | Japan is to declare a state of emergency in the greater Tokyo area later today, after a record number of coronavirus cases were reported in the capital and across the country. The prime minister, Yoshihide Suga, has come under pressure from his own health experts to take action, as the country battles a third wave of infections far more serious than those seen earlier in the pandemic.

Fresh Coronavirus Cases Recorded in Telangana 

A total of 379 new #COVID19 cases, 305 discharges and 3 deaths were reported in Telangana yesterday, says State Health Department

Total positive cases: 2,88,789

Total recoveries: 2,82,177

Active cases: 5,053

Death toll: 1,559 pic.twitter.com/Rts0aWmG7a

— ANI (@ANI) January 7, 2021

Today's Data Highlights

- 20.3k new cases in India, 19.6k new recoveries, 222 new deaths, 537 rise in active cases

- Recoveries in India cross the 1 crore mark

- Rise in active cases for the first time since November 27

- New cases over 20k after 5 days 

- India now No.12 in the world in active cases

- Kerala reports 6.4k new cases, Maharashtra 4.4k, Chhattisgarh 1k

- Kerala and Maharashtra account for 53% of new cases in India

- Maharashtra reports 66 new deaths, Kerala 25, West Bengal 22

- Recovery rate in Sikkim now 90%. With this all states and UTs again report recovery rate of more than 90%

- Tests below 1 million for the 6th day

- New deaths in the US over the last 24 hours crosses 4k (4100). All time high.

- New cases in the US over the last 24 hours also highest yet (2.61 lakh). California, Texas, Florida and New York reporting most new cases. California,     Pennsylvania, Texas reporting highest deaths

- New cases in UK also at an all time high (62.3k)

- 7.81 lakh new cases globally over the last 24 hours. Highest yet.

Here's a state-wise distribution

India Reports 20,346 New Infections, 222 Deaths | India reports 20,346 new COVID-19 cases, 19,587 discharges, and 222 deaths in last 24 hours, as per Union Health Ministry. Total cases: 1,03,95,278, Active cases: 2,28,083, Total discharges: 1,00,16,859 and the Death toll reached 1,50,336

Patnaik Urges People to Remain Cautious at Least for Two More Months |  With the Odisha government unlocking temples, cinema halls and other avenues and set to open schools and colleges soon, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Wednesday appealed to the people to maintain utmost caution at least for two more months notwithstanding the availability of vaccines soon. Patnaik said this while reviewing the prevailing coronavirus situation and the state's preparedness for starting the vaccination programme.

Total number of samples tested is 17,84,00,995. 

Total number of samples tested up to 6th January is 17,84,00,995 including 9,37,590 samples tested yesterday: ICMR pic.twitter.com/6aOL7oEa00

— ANI (@ANI) January 7, 2021

30 New Covid-19 Cases in UP's Gautam Buddh Nagar, Tally 25,084 | Uttar Pradesh's Gautam Buddh Nagar recorded 30 fresh cases of the novel coronavirus that pushed the district's infection tally to 25,084 on Wednesday, official data showed. The number of active COVID-19 cases in the district rose to 335 from 327 the previous day, while its recovery rate remained over 98 per cent, according to the data released by the UP Health Department for a 24-hour period. On the bright side, 23 more patients got discharged during the period with the overall recoveries reaching 24,658, the fifth highest in the state.

The COVID-19 vaccine is likely to arrive in Delhi by early next week and robust preparations are underway to stock it in the required thermal environment and ensure effective roll-out of the…

Work to Deliver 2 Crore Doses of Covid-19 Vaccine to 41 Places by Jan 8 Underway | A senior official of AAI Cargo Logistics and Allied Services Co Ltd (AAICLAS) on Wednesday said the work to deliver two crore doses of COVID-19 vaccine to 41 destinations across the country from Pune by January 8 is underway. On the sidelines of a programme here, AAICLAS Chief Operating Officer K Selvakumar told reporters here, "In the first phase, two crore doses of COVID-19 vaccine are to be delivered from Pune to 41 destinations across the country with the help of more than 100 flights." This delivery is planned from January 6 to January 8.

Mexico Reports Record One-day Case Rise | Mexico has reported a new high for a daily increase in coronavirus cases, with 13,345 newly confirmed infections reported Wednesday for the previous 24 hours. Officials also reported a near-record of 1,165 deaths related to Covid-19. The country has now seen about 1.48 million infections and almost 130,000 deaths so far in the pandemic. A low testing rate means that is an undercount, and official estimates suggest the real death toll is over 180,000.

China Reports Highest Local Cases Since July as Travel to Hebei Province Blocked | China reported 63 new Covid-19 infections on Thursday – the highest single-day tally since July – as authorities try to stamp out an outbreak of the virus in a city of 11 million near Beijing. A recent outbreak in northern Hebei province, which surrounds Beijing, has seen cases spike and prompted mass testing, school closures and travel links being cut into the province.

England Sees Record Hospitalisations | The scale of the health emergency now facing the UK was laid bare on Wednesday night as figures showed that more than 1,000 people had died from the virus in the previous 24 hours and hospitals reported treating a record 30,000 Covid patients. The alarming rise in fatalities came two days after the prime minister ordered a draconian new lockdown, which was endorsed overwhelmingly in a Commons vote on Wednesday.

Terming approval of its COVID-19 vaccine in India as an important milestone, drug major AstraZeneca on Wednesday said the development would also help in supplying the medication to countries around…