Latest News Today: The active COVID-19 caseload in India stands at 2,24,190. (File)
India's COVID-19 tally has risen to 1,04,50,284 with 18,645 new cases in a day - marginally higher than yesterday - while 1,00,75,950 people have recuperated so far, according to Union Health Ministry data this morning.
Meanwhile, body parts and debris were hauled from waters near Indonesia's capital on Sunday from a Boeing passenger plane that crashed shortly after take off with 62 people on board.
The Sriwijaya Air Boeing 737-500 plunged into a steep dive about four minutes after it left Soekarno-Hatta international airport in Jakarta on Saturday afternoon.
No reasons have yet been given for the crash, with authorities focusing on a frantic search and rescue effort that appeared to offer no hope of finding any survivors.
India's coronavirus vaccination drive will begin January 16, the government said Saturday evening, hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a high-level meeting with senior officials to review the Covid situation in the country and finalise vaccine roll-out details. The Prime Minister called the news a "landmark step forward in fighting COVID-19".
Priority will be given to around one crore healthcare workers and two crore frontline staff, like doctors, community health workers and police, who are directly involved in fighting the pandemic. The vaccine will be free of cost for this group, Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan said last week. The next group will be people over 50, followed by those under 50 but with co-morbidities. Around 30 crore people will be vaccinated in the first phase.
Here are the LIVE updates:
"Found Signal": Indonesia Rescuers On Downed Plane In Java Sea
A military vessel "has found the signal from (Sriwijaya Air) SJ182" and divers had recovered parts of the plane from around 23 metres (75 feet) below the water's surface, the transport ministry said in a statement, citing Indonesia's military chief Hadi Tjahjanto.
Indonesian rescuers said Sunday they had detected a signal from a Boeing passenger plane that crashed into the Java Sea shortly after takeoff with 62 people on board.
COVID-19: 18,645 fresh cases push India's tally to 1,04,50,284
The COVID-19 active caseload remained below three lakh for the 20th consecutive day.
There are 2,23,335 active coronavirus infections in the country which comprise 2.14 per cent of the total caseload, the data stated.
India's COVID-19 caseload rose to 1,04,50,284 with 18,645 infections being reported in a day, while the recoveries have surged to 1,00,75,950, according to the Union Health Ministry''s data updated on Sunday.
The death count reached 1,50,999 with 201 more people succumbing to the disease in a span of 24 hours, the data updated at 8 am showed.
The number of people who have recuperated from the disease so far surged to 1,00,75,950, pushing the national COVID-19 recovery rate of 96.42 per cent, while the case fatality rate dropped to 1.44 per cent.
There are 2,23,335 active coronavirus infections in the country which comprise 2.14 per cent of the total caseload, the data stated.
Farm Law Protesters "Eating Biryani To Spread Bird Flu," Says BJP Leader
Attacking the farmer protesters, Mr Dilawar says in the video that the protesting farmers aren't giving a thought to the country or its people. The protest is merely a picnic, he says.
"They are merely relishing biriyani. They are eating kaju-badam (dry fruits). They are enjoying in all ways. They are changing their appearances frequently. There could be many terrorists among them. Thieves and looters, too. They could be the enemies of farmers," Mr Dilawar says.
The raging farmers' agitation around the national capital could lead to a nationwide bird flu problem since the protesters are eating chicken biriyani to spread the epidemic, a BJP legislator from Rajasthan has said. In a video doing the rounds on social media, Ramganj Mandi MLA Madan Dilawar is also seen saying that those who are conspiring to create such a crisis in the country could be "terrorists, robbers, and thieves".
"They are merely relishing biriyani. They are eating kaju-badam (dry fruits). They are enjoying in all ways. They are changing their appearances frequently. There could be many terrorists among them. Thieves and looters, too. They could be the enemies of farmers," Mr Dilawar says.
Just In | 18,645 new Covid cases in India, marginally higher than yesterday; over 1 crore have recovered so far, 1.5 lakh total deaths
COVID-19: 371 new cases in Maharashtra's Thane, 7 more deaths
Thane has added 371 new cases of coronavirus, taking the infection count in the Maharashtra district to 2,46,702, an official said on Sunday.
Apart from these new cases recorded on Saturday, seven more people also died of COVID-19, raising the death toll in the district to 6,021, he said.
The COVID-19 mortality rate in the district currently stands at 2.44 per cent, the official said.
So far, 2,36,555 patients have recovered from the infection, improving the recovery rate to 95.89 per cent.
As of now, there are 4,126 active COVID-19 cases in the district, the official said.
COVID-19 Latest Updates: 4 security personnel among 17 new cases in Mizoram
Seventeen more people tested positive for COVID-19 in Mizoram, taking the state's tally to 4,292 on Sunday, an official said.
Eleven of the new cases were reported from the Aizawl district, four from Lawngtlai and two cases were detected in the Lunglei district, he said.
Two Army personnel and two Border Security Force (BSF) jawans were among the newly-infected people.
There are 98 active cases in the state at present, while 4,186 people have already recovered from the disease. Mizoram has reported eight COVID-19 fatalities till date.
Coronavirus news: UK raises $1 billion to support COVID-19 vaccination in developing countries
The United Kingdom has raised USD 1 billion from global donors to fund vaccination campaigns against COVID-19 in developing countries, the UK Foreign Office said Sunday.
"The UK has helped to raise USD 1 billion for the coronavirus COVAX Advance Market Commitment (AMC) through match-funding other donors, which combined with the Pound 548 million [USD 744.5 million] of UK aid pledged will help distribute one billion doses of coronavirus vaccines to 92 developing countries this year," the office said in a statement, released as UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres begins his online visit to the country to mark the 75th anniversary of the United Nations.
The foreign office noted the country's support for the UN throughout the years.
The United Kingdom has raised USD 1 billion from global donors to fund vaccination campaigns against COVID-19 in developing countries, the UK Foreign Office said Sunday.
"The UK has helped to raise USD 1 billion for the coronavirus COVAX Advance Market Commitment (AMC) through match-funding other donors, which combined with the Pound 548 million [USD 744.5 million] of UK aid pledged will help distribute one billion doses of coronavirus vaccines to 92 developing countries this year," the office said in a statement, released as UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres begins his online visit to the country to mark the 75th anniversary of the United Nations.
The foreign office noted the country's support for the UN throughout the years.
Farmers Protest Updates: 40-Year-Old Farmer Dies By Suicide At Epicenter Of Protest In Delhi
The farmer - identified as Amarinder Singh - told friends he was forced to take this step because the government had refused to listen to their demands - that the agriculture laws be repealed and the legal guarantees be offered for MSP (minimum support price).
He said that he hoped his death would bring success to the farmers' movement.
Mr Singh had earlier been rushed to Sonipat's FIMS Hospital but he died during treatment.
A 40-year-old farmer from Punjab's Fatehgarh Sahib - one of tens of thousands who have been protesting against the centre's agriculture laws for nearly two months now - died by suicide at Singhu on the Delhi-Haryana border on Saturday after consuming a poisonous substance.
He said that he hoped his death would bring success to the farmers' movement.
Mr Singh had earlier been rushed to Sonipat's FIMS Hospital but he died during treatment.
Farmers Protest Latest News: Congress To Protest Against Farm Laws Outside Governor Houses On Jan 15
The Congress party on Saturday announced that it will stage protests outside governor houses across the country on January 15 to extend its support to the ongoing farmers' agitation.
This comes after the eighth round of talks between the government and the farmer unions remained inconclusive. The government asked farmer unions to "give an option other than repealing" and the next round of talks is proposed for January 15.
The Congress party on Saturday announced that it will stage protests outside governor houses across the country on January 15 to extend its support to the ongoing farmers' agitation.
"Why the government is not fulfilling its duties towards people? The government is sold out to few capitalists.
The Congress party has decided to celebrate ''Kisan Adhikar Diwas'' on January 15 while holding protest and demonstration at district headquarters. We will also organise rallies and after the rallies, we will march towards governor houses across the country. Now, the time has come to listen farmers' voices," said Congress' General Secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala.
This comes after the eighth round of talks between the government and the farmer unions remained inconclusive. The government asked farmer unions to "give an option other than repealing" and the next round of talks is proposed for January 15.
Body Parts Found At Indonesian Plane Crash Site, Say Investigators
Indonesian investigators said Sunday they found body parts off the coast of the capital Jakarta where a budget airline plane with 62 people on board crashed shortly after takeoff.
"As of this morning, we've received two (body) bags, one with passenger belongings and the other with body parts," Jakarta police spokesman Yusri Yunus told Metro TV.
Vaccines do offer the hope of shielding people from the disease, but return to the potential economic growth trajectory calls for determined efforts. Fortunately, we are on the positive side. The economy is picking up: Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu in Panaji (09.01.2021) pic.twitter.com/wa4umzxshc
- ANI (@ANI) January 10, 2021
Coronavirus LIVE Updates: Pope Francis To Have Covid Vaccine As Early As Next Week
Pope Francis said he planned to be vaccinated against COVID-19 as early as next week and urged everyone to get a shot, to protect not only their own lives but those of others.
"I believe that ethically everyone should take the vaccine," the Pope said in an interview with TV station Canale 5. "It is an ethical choice because you are gambling with your health, with your life, but you are also gambling with the lives of others."
Vatican City, the smallest independent county in the world, home to about 450 people including Pope Francis, has said it will shortly launch its own vaccination campaign against the coronavirus. "Next week," the Pope said, "we will start doing it here, in the Vatican, and I have booked myself in. It must be done."
UK helps raise $1 billion in global vaccine donations
Britain said on Sunday it has helped raise $1 billion (818 million euros) from global donors towards the drive to help "vulnerable countries" access coronavirus vaccines, by match-funding contributions.
The UK said, in addition, it has committed £548 million to the COVAX Advance Market Commitment (AMC), after matching with £1 every $4 pledged by other donors.
Canada, Japan and Germany are among the countries to make contributions that it matched, helping the AMC raise more than $1.7 billion in total so far.
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