India's COVID-19 caseload increased to 1,05,12,093 with 16,946 infections being reported in a day, while recoveries have surged to 1,01,46,763, according to Union health ministry data updated on Thursday.
The death toll has increased to 1,51,727 with 198 new fatalities, the data updated at 8 a.m. showed.
You can track coronavirus cases, deaths and testing rates at the national and State levels here. A list of State Helpline numbers is available as well.
Here are live updates:
India records less than 20,000 new COVID cases daily since last 7 days: Health ministry
The ongoing trend of contraction of India's daily new COVID-19 cases continued with the country recording less than 20,000 daily new infections since the last seven days, the Union Health Ministry said on Thursday.
In a span of 24 hours, only 16,946 people were found to be infected with COVID-19 in India.
In the same period, the country also registered 17,652 new recoveries ensuring a net decline of 904 cases in the active caseload, the ministry said.
Daily deaths due to the coronavirus infection in India are on a sustained decline. Less than 300 daily deaths have been registered for the last 20 days, the ministry highlighted. - PTI
Colleges may face shortage of rooms, faculty when classes resume Jan. 15
While students in intermediate semesters are preparing to return to campuses for the first time in months on Friday, many colleges across the State are likely to face a shortage of classrooms, and also teachers. The number of students in a class is limited to 50% of the total strength to ensure social distancing as a precaution against COVID-19.
One of the solutions is to conduct classes in batches, with the room sanitised between sessions, while another is an alternate day model. T.M. Manjunath, president of the Karnataka Government College Teachers’ Association, said college managements would evaluate how many students would attend classes and then decide whether to conduct lectures in batches.
AAP govt. to provide free COVID vaccination if Centre doesn’t: CM
The Delhi government will provide free COVID-19 vaccination to residents of the Capital if the Centre fails to do so, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Wednesday. His comment came following a visit to the family of Dr. Hitesh Gupta, employed with the Delhi government, who lost his life after contracting the virus in the line of duty. The government announced financial assistance of ₹1 crore to the family.
“The vaccine will start getting administered on January 16. It will first be given to corona warriors such as healthcare workers, front-line workers. I had appealed to the Central government that ours is a poor nation, and a pandemic like this has hit the nation after 100 years, since 1918 when the Spanish flu hit humankind,” the Chief Minister said. “There are a lot of people who would not be able to afford the vaccine. I had appealed to the Centre to provide free vaccine to all the people of the country. If required and if the Centre doesn’t do it, the Delhi government will provide free vaccine to all residents.”