Coronavirus: Tamil Nadu reverses full occupancy in movie halls order after Centre’s objection
Delhi has ordered seven-day institutional quarantine for UK passengers who test negative.

The Delhi government on Friday made it mandatory for passengers from United Kingdom who test negative for the coronavirus to undergo seven-day institutional quarantine and then home quarantine for seven days. Those who test positive will go to an isolation facility, in accordance with the Centre’s guidelines.
Earlier in the day, Union health minister Harsh Vardhan said that India could start vaccinating people in the next few days. The minister was in Chennai to review the vaccine dry run. The exercise was held across the country.
India reported 18,139 new coronavirus cases, taking its tally to 1,04,13,417. The new cases are 10.8% lower than Thursday’s count. India’s toll rose by 234 to 1,50,570. Its active cases stood at 2,25,449, while the recoveries reached 1,00,3,7398.
Globally, the coronavirus has infected more than 8.8 crore people and killed over 18.97 lakh, according to the Johns Hopkins University. More than 4.9 crore people have recovered from the infection in the world.
The national helpline number for the coronavirus is 011-23978046, and a toll-free number 1075.
These are the helpline numbers for states and the Union Territories
Live updates
4.17 pm: Delhi’s tally rises to 6,29,282 with 444 new cases. The toll stands at 10,654 with 10 additional deaths in the last 24 hours.
4.07 pm: Kerala conducts dry run of vaccine at 46 centres across 14 districts in the state, reports IANS.
2.58 pm: The Delhi government makes it mandatory for passengers from UK who test negative for the infection to undergo seven-day institutional quarantine and then home quarantine for seven days, ANI reports. Those who test positive will go to an isolation facility, in accordance with the Centre’s guidelines.
All those arriving from the UK, who test positive will be isolated in an isolation facility. Negative ones will be taken to a quarantine facility for 7 days followed by 7 days home quarantine: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/EyTnkNMvNA
— ANI (@ANI) January 8, 2021
14.49 pm: The police in Thane book eight activists from the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena for defying a coronavirus-related ban on entering a hot water spring inside a temple, PTI reports.
2.47 pm: The United Kingdom extends England entry ban for travelers from 11 African countries amid concerns over the coronavirus variant found in South Africa, Reuters reports.
2.42 pm: Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis urges the state government to ask for Centre’s help and provide free vaccines to the poor and middle-class sections, PTI reports.
2.41 pm: Karnataka Health Minister K Sudhakar says the state is likely to receive 13,90,000 vials of the coronavirus vaccine in a day or two, according to PTI.
2.38 pm: Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao will hold a meeting with his ministers and administrative officials on January 11 to finalise the action plan for vaccine distribution, PTI reports.
2.28 pm: The World Health Organization says vaccine deliveries under the COVAX program could start this month, Reuters reports. The program is meant to help low-income countries.
14.12 pm: Union health minister Harsh Vardhan inspects a vaccine storage facility in Chennai. He is in the city to review the vaccine dry run.
Union Minister @drharshvardhan inspects the vaccine storage facility at General Medical Store Depot, Periamedu, Chennai.#vaccine #covid19 #TamilNadu @PMOIndia@MoHFW_INDIA @EPSTamilNadu @CMOTamilNadu@Vijayabaskarofl @RAKRI1 @DG_PIB @PIB_India @UNICEFIndia https://t.co/8UkaLx3nAj
— PIB in Tamil Nadu 🇮🇳 (@pibchennai) January 8, 2021
1.28 pm: A vaccine that could shorten the infectious period of Covid-19 in patients, even by a day, may potentially prevent millions of cases, according to a new modelling study, reports PTI.
1.25 pm: A chart shows how the gap between recovered and active Covid-19 cases has increased between June 2020 and January 8.
#IndiaFightsCorona:
— #IndiaFightsCorona (@COVIDNewsByMIB) January 8, 2021
📍 Increasing gap between #COVID19 Recovered & Active cases of India (June 01, 2020 to January 08, 2021)👇#StaySafe #IndiaWillWin #Unite2FightCorona pic.twitter.com/8M0pAsNqYR
1.22 pm: Seventeen states and Union Territories have deaths per million higher than the national average, the Centre says. Delhi has the maximum number of deaths per million population at 569.
#Unite2FightCorona
— Ministry of Health (@MoHFW_INDIA) January 8, 2021
17 States/UTs have deaths per million higher than the national average.
Delhi has the maximum number of deaths per million population (569). pic.twitter.com/5BSLURhIHJ
1.19 pm: The total number of cases infected with the new strain of the coronavirus, first reported in the United Kingdom, now stands at 82, says the Union health ministry.
1.14 pm: Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Harsh Vardhan says the entire Indian population will soon be vaccinated against Covid-19 after prioritising risk groups, reports PTI. “In the next few days, also in the near future, we should be able to give this vaccine to our countrymen prioritising those who are at risk in public and private sectors,” he says. “The government has already made known the scheme of things.”
11.49 am: Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan says India has done well in short time in developing vaccines, reports ANI.
11.46 am: Second dry run for vaccination process underway at All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi, reports ANI.
Second dry run for administration of COVID19 vaccine underway at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi. pic.twitter.com/gV1WAbbbGY
— ANI (@ANI) January 8, 2021
11.44 am: 15 vaccination units have been set up and 25 healthcare workers selected for dry run of vaccination process, says Dr Rajesh Dere, vaccination centre in-charge at BKC Jumbo dedicated Covid-19 hospital, in Mumbai, reports ANI.
11.40 am: Prime Minister Narendra Modi should take the first shot of the coronavirus vaccine in the country, says Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tej Pratap Yadav, reports ANI.
11.39 am: Flight service between India and United Kingdom resumes, reports ANI. 256 passengers arrive in Delhi from London.
11.33 am: Research by University of Texas Medical Branch shows Pfizer vaccine can protect against the mutated strains of the virus found in United Kingdom and South Africa, reports AP.
9.26 am: India reports 18,139 new coronavirus cases on Friday, taking its tally to 1,04,13,417. The country’s toll rises by 234 to 1,50,570. India’s active cases stand at 2,25,449, while the recoveries reach 1,00,3,7398.
9.25 am: Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan visits the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital in Chennai to review the vaccine dry run.
Chennai: Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan visits Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital to review the dry run for administering #COVID19 vaccine #TamilNadu pic.twitter.com/cur0niPI7n
— ANI (@ANI) January 8, 2021
9.20 am: Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital in Chennai prepares for the vaccine dry run, ANI reports.
Tamil Nadu: Preparation underway at Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital in Chennai for the second dry run for COVID19 vaccine.
— ANI (@ANI) January 8, 2021
"All the arrangements have been done. We have appointed four vaccinator officers to conduct the dry run here," says Dean of the hospital pic.twitter.com/FC9umcUKSd
9.16 am: A second countrywide dry run for the coronavirus vaccine will be held on Friday. It will cover 736 districts across 33 states and Union Territories. Uttar Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh and Haryana will not take part in this dry run as they have already completed the exercise in all districts, according to NDTV. The first such dry run in India took place on January 2.