Coronavirus News LIVE Updates: New Zealand Probes Probable Community Covid-19 Case; UK Docs Seek Review of 12-Week Gap Between Vaccine Jabs

16 Lakh Indian Healthcare Workers Vaccinated | Nearly 16 lakh healthcare workers vaccinated till 8 am today. One million vaccine doses administered in India in just 6 days

Telangana Logs 197 New Covid-19 Cases, 1 Death Takes Toll To 1,589 | Telangana recorded 197 fresh coronavirus cases, taking the total positives to over 2.93 lakh while one fatality pushed the toll to 1,589, the state government said on Sunday. Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC)  accounted for the most number of cases with 32, followed by Karimnagar (13) and Medchal Malkajgiri and Rangareddy with 12 each, it said in a bulletin, providing details as of 8 PM on January 23.

The deaths of six health workers who were inoculated with the Covid-19 vaccine has nothing to do with the vaccination, the Union Health Ministry has clarified.

Thailand Confirms 198 New Cases | Thailand on Sunday confirmed 198 new coronavirus cases, taking its total number of confirmed infections to 13,500, Reuters reports. Seven of the new infections were imported, a coronavirus taskforce told a briefing. One additional coronavirus-related death was recorded, bringing total fatalities to 73 since the outbreak began last year.

Australia Reports Zero New Local Cases | There were no new locally acquired Covid-19 cases recorded across Australia on Sunday, while four new infections were reported in hotel quarantine in NSW and Victoria, AAP reports. Health Minister Greg Hunt believes new immunisation figures show Australians have faith in the TGA to provide expert advice and ensure the safety and efficacy of all vaccines provided to the community.

Dhaka Turned Towards India for Vaccine After China Wanted Bangladesh to Share Clinical Trials' Cost | Amidst questions over the efficacy of Chinese CoronaVac vaccine, Bangladesh turned towards India for the supply of Serum Institute of India (SII)’s Covishield jab after Beijing brazenly asked Dhaka to share costs of clinical trials of Sinovac manufactured drug in the SAARC country, news reports say. 

Today's Data Highlights

- 14.8k new cases, 155 new deaths, 15.9k new recoveries, 1.3k dip in active cases 

- India's total vaccinations now over 1.5 million (15,82,201). India now ranks No.7 in the world in total number of vaccine doses administered

- Kerala reports 6.96k new cases, Maharashtra 2.7k, Karnataka 902

- Maharashtra reports 56 new deaths, Kerala 23, Delhi 10, Punjab 10, West Bengal 10

- 12 states and UTs report 0 new deaths

India Reports 14,849 New Covid-19 Cases | India reports 14,849 new COVID-19 cases, 15,948 discharges, and 155 deaths in last 24 hours, as per Union Health Ministry. The total reported cases are 1,06,54,533, active cases are 1,84,408, total discharges are 1,03,16,786, and death toll reached 1,53,339. The total number of vaccinated are 15,82,201. 

Seven more states will be administering the indigenously-developed Covaxin from next week, the health ministry said on Saturday.

S African Hindu Priests Accused of 'Overcharging' for Funerals of COVID Victims | Some Hindu priests in South Africa have come under fire for allegedly charging high rates to conduct funerals of COVID-19 victims. Pradeep Ramlall, Manager of the Clare Estate Crematorium in Durban, slammed priests who are doing this.  Ramlall, who is also a member of the Hindu Dharma Association of South Africa, said the organisation had received a number of complaints about this from families of people who had succumbed to the virus. In recent weeks, amid a second wave and a new variant of the COVID-19 virus, the crematorium has had to introduce double shifts amid daily deaths in the city which is home to more than a third of South Africa's Indian-origin population of about 1.4 million.  

Australia on Track to Receive Vaccine from February, Says Treasurer | Treasurer Josh Frydenberg insists Australia is still on track to receive the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine from February, as new figures suggest people are more than happy to get their jab, Australian Associated Press reports. The Therapeutic Goods Administration is due to approve the Pfizer vaccine, and others Australia has signed up to, in the coming weeks. “We are not about to cut corners,” Mr Frydenberg told reporters in Melbourne on Sunday.

Australian State of New South Wales Confirms Zero Local Cases | New South Wales has recorded no new locally acquired cases of Covid-19 on Sunday and three in hotel quarantine. It brings the number of new cases listed in Australia today to four, all in hotel quarantine, after Victoria reported one new case in Melbourne’s quarantine hotels. Queensland has recorded no new cases on Sunday.

Brazil Reports Shortage of Vaccine | There is a shortage of vaccines in Brazil. Brazil has just started its vaccination campaign but scientists are already warning the hard-hit country will quickly run out of doses and even syringes, some blaming the government for the shortages.

WATCH | India Beats China In Vaccine Diplomacy? 3.2 Million Doses Of COVID Vaccines Given To Neighbours

Hong Kong and Oslo Tightens Measures Amid Rising Cases| Thousands of people in one of Hong Kong’s poorest and most densely packed districts have been ordered to stay in their homes. Norway’s government, meanwhile, has imposed the strictest restrictions seen in the region of the capital, Oslo, since March after the discovery of the British variant in a retirement home.

Egypt to Start Covid-19 Vaccination Campaign: Sisi | President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi announced Saturday that Egypt would start rolling out a mass Covid-19 vaccination campaign the following day with the Chinese-made Sinopharm jab, AFP reports.  “We are starting a vaccination drive tomorrow beginning with healthcare workers followed by those suffering from chronic diseases and later the elderly,” Sisi said in brief comments after unveiling several development projects in Port Said.

A 48-year-old government schoolteacher, who had tested positive for COVID-19, died at a private hospital here on Saturday, following which her 12 colleagues and three students also returned positive…

US is Nearing 25 Million Cases | The United States is nearing an astonishing 25 million cases of coronavirus – a quarter of the global total and one in every thirteen people in the country. There are currently 24,985,689 confirmed infections, according to the Johns Hopkins University tracker.

Fabric Masks Still Work, Said WHO | The World Health Organization says it has no plans to change its guidance recommending fabric face masks as new coronavirus variants spread because the mutated strains are transmitted in the same way. The statement comes after Germany and Austria made medical masks mandatory on public transport and in shops, allowing only surgical or FFP2 masks rather than fabric.

Seven more states will be administering the indigenously-developed Covaxin from next week, the health ministry said on Saturday.

Possible Community Case in New Zealand | There is a possible community case of Covid is being reported in the northernmost province of Northland, New Zealand. The “probable” case is in the community, a ministry of health spokesperson said, rather than a managed isolation facility. The director-general of health Dr Ashley Bloomfield, and the minister of covid-19 response, Chris Hipkins, will hold a media stand-up at 4pm to share the latest information.

The Covid-19 Vaccine is 99% Safe and It is Important to Get Vaccinated: Telangana Health Minister Eatala Rajender

The #COVID19 vaccine is 99% safe and it is important to get vaccinated. I believe that everyone will come forward for it in coming days: Telangana Health Minister Eatala Rajender

(23.01.2021) pic.twitter.com/iypG0yG4NK

— ANI (@ANI) January 23, 2021

Mainland China Reports 80 New Cases vs 107 a Day Earlier | Mainland China confirmed 80 new coronavirus cases on 23 January, Reuters reports, down from 107 cases a day earlier, the country’s national health authority said on Sunday. The National Health Commission, in a statement, said 65 of the new cases were local infections. The number of new asymptomatic cases, which China does not classify as confirmed cases, fell to 92 from 99 cases a day earlier.

Three Infections Linked to Australian Open Confirmed as UK Strain | Coronavirus infections linked to the Australian Open are continuing to emerge as the states and territories continue their run of no new locally acquired cases. Victorian authorities on Saturday reported one new case linked to the Open, a man in his 20s who is not a player.

23,057 Get Covid-19 Vaccine Shots on Day 5 in Rajasthan | Over 70 per cent of the targeted health workers in Rajasthan received COVID-19 vaccines on Saturday, according to an official report. Against the target to vaccinate 32,413 health workers on Saturday, the shots were given to 23,057 of them (70.59 per cent) in the state, the report said. It was the fifth day of vaccination which started on January 16. A total of 67.90 per cent of the health workers registered for these days have been administered vaccines in the state.

UK to Quarantine Arrivals from High-risk Countries | Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government is preparing to force travelers from countries where there is a high risk of Covid to go into quarantine for 10 days after arriving in Britain. Travellers from Brazil and South Africa, and neighbouring countries, will be met on arrival and escorted to hotels to quarantine, under plans being discussed by UK ministers, the Daily Mail said.

After Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro expressed his gratitude towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi for exporting the Covid-19 vaccine, Director-General of World Health Organization Tedros Adhanom…

19 New Cases Push Assam's Covid-19 Tally to 2,16,976 | Assam's COVID-19 tally rose to 2,16,976 on Saturday as 19 more people tested positive for the infection, a health bulletin said. A total number of 13,881 people have received COVID-19 vaccines in the state so far, it said. Goalpara reported the highest number of new cases at seven, followed by Charaideo (three) and Dima Hasao (two), the bulletin said.

Close to 76,000 Vaccinated for Covid-19 in Bihar a Week After Launch of Drive | Close to 76,000 people have received shots of the COVID-19 vaccine in Bihar till Saturday, a week after the inoculation drive commenced in the state where coronavirus has claimed the lives of around 1,500 people and infected about 2.60 lakh, the health department said. According to a statement issued by the department, the total number of people vaccinated till date was 75,978 out of whom 74.223 were Covishield beneficiaries while the remaining 1,755 received Covaxin shots.