Coronavirus News LIVE Updates: Bengal Govt to Initiate Door-to-door Covid Awareness Programme

A Covid-hit Chinese city is offering thousands of dollars for anyone giving clues in tracing the source of its latest outbreak, as part of a “people’s war” to stamp out one of the country’s largest resurgences in months. China reported 43 local cases on Tuesday in a Delta-driven surge that has fanned out to 20 provinces and regions, keeping new case numbers in the double-digits over the past three weeks. READ MORE

Ten more people have tested positive for COVID-19 in Arunachal Pradesh, pushing the total caseload in the northeastern state to 55,190, a senior health official said here on Tuesday. The state had reported zero COVID-19 cases on Sunday, four on Saturday and two on Friday, he said. Thirteen more people recuperated from COVID-19, taking the total number of recoveries to 54,864, the official said. The COVID-19 recovery rate marginally improved to 99.41 per cent from 99.40 the previous day, State Surveillance Officer (SSO) Dr Lobsang Jampa said.

The Bengal government will undertake a door-to-door Covid-19 awareness programme to identify beneficiaries who have not received the first dose of the vaccine yet.

With the addition of 139 new cases of coronavirus, the infection count in Maharashtra’s Thane district has reached 5,66,687, while two more deaths pushed the fatality toll to 11,545, an official said on Tuesday. These new cases and deaths were reported on Monday, he said. The COVID-19 mortality rate in Thane stood at 2.03 per cent, he added. In neighbouring Palghar district, the COVID-19 case count has gone up to 1,38,185, while the death toll stands at 3,289, another official said.

The union territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands reported one new COVID-19 case, three less than the previous day, pushing the tally to 7,665, a health department official said on Tuesday. The archipelago had reported four COVID-19 cases on Sunday, one on Saturday, zero on Friday, one on Thursday and zero on Wednesday. The union territory now has 10 active COVID-19 cases and all the patients are in the South Andaman district of which the capital Port Blair is a part. The other two districts – North and Middle Andaman and Nicobar – are coronavirus free. Three more patients recuperated from COVID-19, taking the total number of recoveries to 7,526, he said.

The UK government on Monday announced that India’s homegrown vaccine Covaxin will be added to its list of approved jabs for international travellers from November 22, meaning that those inoculated with the Bharat Biotech-manufactured shot will not have to self-isolate after arrival in England. The move followed the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Emergency Use Listing for Covaxin, which is the second-most used formulation in India. The United States, which also lifted its Covid-19 travel restrictions after 21 months, will approve Covaxin, as well; all FDA and WHO-approved vaccines are to be recognised by US authorities. READ MORE

India on Tuesday reported 10,126 new cases, its lowest daily figures since 266 days, and 332 deaths in the last 24 hours. The active caseload now stands at 1,40,638; which is the lowest in 263 days, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said.

India is unlikely to double-vaccinate all 94 crore adults against Covid-19 by the end of 2021, but the government will make that many vaccines “available” for all of them by then, senior government officials told News18. More than 74 crore adults have received the first dose so far, 35 crore people have got the second dose and total vaccinations stand at over 109 crore. Around 188 crore vaccine doses are ultimately needed for all adults. READ MORE

Denmark’s government on Monday proposed reinstating the use of a digital “corona pass” to be presented when Danes visit indoor bars and restaurants, as the country is entering a third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Denmark was one of few countries to lift almost all remaining restrictions in September after having avoided a third wave of infections over spring and summer due to broad lockdown measures imposed since Christmas. But the number of daily infections has risen steadily to around 2,300 in recent days from a low of just over 200 in mid-September.

Meghalaya on Monday reported one more COVID-19 fatality, which took the toll to 1,459, a health department official said. Twenty-three new COVID infections pushed the caseload to 83,886, Health Services director Dr Aman War said. Of the fresh cases, 18 were detected in East Khasi Hills district, two in Ri Bhoi and one each in West Garo Hills, West Khasi Hills and East Jaintia Hills, he said. The northeastern state now has 349 active cases, War said. Thirty-six patients were cured of the disease during the day, taking the total number of recoveries to 82,078.

Paul Campbell had waited nearly two years to reunite with his German fiancée at Boston’s Logan airport on Monday, the day the United States eased travel restrictions imposed on much of the world since the COVID-19 pandemic began. “I’m just ecstatic that she’s here, I’m happy,” said Campbell, 63, a retired firefighter from Vermont who greeted her with a heart-shaped balloon. “Our relationship is still thriving even though we’ve been apart for two years.” READ MORE

The UK has announced that it will recognise Covid-19 vaccines on the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Emergency Use Listing and allow entry of fully vaccinated travellers on its border without any self-isolation. The updated advisory will be enforced from 4 am on November 22. The move will ease travel for those vaccinated with jabs listed under the WHO’s EUL such as India’s Covaxin and China’s Sinovac, Sinopharm. The changes will also benefit fully vaccinated people from countries such as the United Arab Emirates and Malaysia, among others. READ MORE

Maharashtra on Monday reported 751 fresh coronavirus positive cases and 15 fatalities, taking the tally of infections to 66,18,347 and the toll to 1,40,403, the state health department said. The number of cases and fatalities dipped on Monday compared to Sunday, when Maharashtra had logged 892 infections and 16 deaths due to COVID-19. READ MORE

New Zealand beefed up security measures at its parliament on Tuesday as thousands of people gathered to protest against COVID-19 vaccine mandates and government lockdowns. All but two entrances to the parliament building, known as the Beehive, were closed off in the presence of unprecedented levels of police and security personnel, as mostly unmasked protesters marched through central Wellington and congregated outside parliament. While the demonstration was peaceful, many people were seen holding signs and placards with messages like “Freedom” and “Kiwis are not lab rats” and shouting slogans as they demanded the government roll back compulsory vaccination and lift restrictions.

The UK government has said that India’s Covaxin will be added to its list of approved COVID-19 vaccines for international travellers from November 22, meaning that those inoculated with the Bharat Biotech-manufactured jab will not have to self-isolate after arrival in England. The move follows the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Emergency Use Listing for Covaxin, which is the second most used formulation in India. Covishield, the India-manufactured Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, was added to the UK’s approved list last month. “More good news for Indian travellers to the UK. From 22 November travellers fully vaccinated with a COVID19 vaccine recognised by WHO for Emergency Use Listing, including Covaxin, will not have to self-isolate; so joining those fully vaccinated with Covishield,” Alex Ellis, British High Commissioner to India, said on Twitter on Monday.

Most of Russia on Monday ended a week-long paid holiday aimed at curbing the spread of the coronavirus, despite the country seeing thousands of new cases and more than 1,000 deaths per day. President Vladimir Putin ordered the paid holiday period from October 30 to November 7 in a bid to stem soaring infections and deaths exacerbated by a slow vaccination drive. Individual regions had the authority to extend the period but as of Monday only five had done so, including the western region of Bryansk and the northwestern region of Novgorod.

There were fewer crossings at the Mexico-United States border than expected on Monday as it reopened to nonessential travel following a 20-month closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with many residents staying home to avoid potential chaos. Officials in the Mexican border city of Tijuana said people did not make the most of restrictions being lifted along the 2,000-mile (3,200-km) border due to fears of being caught in traffic. “In the morning, there was no line,” Tijuana resident Claudia Hernandez said as she prepared to enter the United States to go shopping ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday. “Next week we’ll see the massive lines that always form.”