Coronavirus LIVE: 74 mn may have been infected by Aug, shows sero survey

Coronavirus live updates: At 1,802,365, Maharashtra has the highest number of coronavirus cases, followed by Karnataka 878,055, Andhra Pradesh 864,000, Tamil Nadu 774,710 and Kerala 571,000

12:40 AM

Ireland moves back to lockdown as Europe seeks to sefeat virus

Ireland imposed some of the most severe pandemic restrictions in Europe as countries across the region battle to overcome the virus.
 

Non-essential stores, bars and restaurants will be forced to close for at least six weeks, Prime Minister Micheal Martin said late on Monday. Travel will be further restricted, with people told to stay within 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) of their home.
 

“The evidence of a potentially grave situation arriving in the weeks ahead is too strong,” Martin said in a televised address to the nation in Dublin. “While we have slowed the spread of the virus, this has not been enough and further action is now required.”
 

12:04 AM

Assam reports 150 new Covid cases

Assam reported no COVID-19 deaths on Thursday, after a gap of eight days, while 150 fresh cases pushed the tally to 2,12,171, Minister for Health and Family Welfare Himanta Biswa Sarma said. The toll remained at 978 with a death rate of 0.46 per cent, he said. This is the fourth time during November when no coronavirus deaths were reported.

The new cases were detected out of 20,778 tests conducted during the day at a positivity rate of 0.72 per cent. Altogether, 52,30,177 samples have been tested in Assam. Meanwhile, 142 patients were released from various hospitals during the day, taking the number of recovered patients to 2,07,905, the minister said. The recovery rate in the state stands at 97.98 per cent. Assam now has 3,285 active cases.

11:39 PM

1,753 new Covid-19 cases, 18 more fatalities in Chhattisgarh

1,753 new Covid-19 cases, 18 more fatalities in Chhattisgarh raise infection count to 230,956 and death toll to 2,801; number of active cases stands at 23,957: Health official

11:07 PM

Himachal reports sharp spike in daily Covid-19 cases

Himachal Pradesh on Thursday reported 931 fresh Covid-19 cases, taking the hill state's tally to 3,7498, while 14 more people died due to the infection. Shimla and Kangra registered four deaths each, Mandi three and Una, Kullu and Solan one each, according to the Health Department data. Of them, 10 were males and four females aged between 16 and 88.

A total of 913 patients recovered from the disease on Thursday, pushing the total number of recoveries to 28,993. Twenty-seven people have migrated and the death toll has reached 590, the Health Department said. The state currently has 7,878 active COVID-19 cases.

11:06 PM

Jammu and Kashmir reports 487 new Covid-19 cases

10:41 PM

Delhi records 5,475 Covid cases, 91 deaths; AAP govt 'actively considering' imposing night curfew

Delhi recorded a decline in COVID-19 deaths for the second consecutive day on Thursday with 91 more people succumbing to the disease and 5,475 fresh cases being detected, as the AAP government informed the high court it was "actively considering" whether to impose night curfew to contain the spread of infection. Delhi's Immunization Officer Suresh Seth claimed that once an anti-coronavirus vaccine becomes available, the entire population of the city could be immunised in a month if hospital staff and nurses are involved.

 

Even as Delhi recorded a daily death toll below 100 for the second day in a row, the case positivity rate increased to 8.65 per cent on Thursday from 8.49 per cent a day earlier. The 5,475 fresh cases were detected from 63,266 COVID-19 tests, including 28,897 RT-PCR ones, the highest for the city, and 34,369 rapid antigen tests, conducted the previous day, according to a bulletin by the Delhi health department on Thursday. The city had recorded its highest single-day spike of 8,593 cases on November 11. As many as 131 COVID-related deaths were recorded on November 18, the highest till date. According to the bulletin, the total number of coronavirus cases climbed to 5,51,262 on Thursday, of which 5,03,717 have recovered. The tally of active cases in Delhi was 38,734 up from 38,287 on Wednesday.

10:29 PM

Maha exempts armed forces personnel from RT-PCR test at entry

The Maharashtra government has exempted the armed forces personnel and their families from undergoing RT-PCR test that has been made mandatory while entering the state. In a bid to stem any further spike in COVID-19 cases, the state government had on Monday issued guidelines, making it mandatory for those seeking to enter the state from Delhi, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Goa to carry the RT-PCR negative reports.

The guidelines were meant for those entering Maharashtra from the four states by air, trains and road starting November 25. However, a recent circular by Chief Secretary Sanjay Kumar issued to collectors and municipal commissioners said the Indian Army has informed the state that the armed forces have their own system of screening every individual on arrival within their respective military station/unit and are very stringent in terms of adhering to COVID-19 protocols.

9:38 PM

Karnataka reports 1,505 new Covid-19 cases, 1,067 recoveries

9:11 PM

India provides 2,000 vials of Remdesivir, Covid-19 related assistance to Nepal

Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla on Thursday gifted 2,000 vials of Remdesivir injections as part of ongoing support to Nepal, while also providing COVID-related assistance, including essential medicines, ventilators, test kits and PPE materials.

 

"As Nepal's close friend, we have been happy to provide COVID related assistance to Nepal. This includes essential medicines, ventilators, test kits and PPE material. We have also assisted Nepalese citizens to return home from other countries. Our gift today of 2000 vials of Remdesivir injection is part of our ongoing support to Nepal," said Shringla while speaking to Nepal Foreign Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali.

 

In his remarks after handing over the Remdesivir injections, Shringla stated that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused the maximum global disruption since World War II, which has demonstrated the need for closer international cooperation. He also applauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi's lead in promoting regional cooperation in response to COVID-19.

8:49 PM

Tamil Nadu adds 1,464 new cooronavirus, 14 fatalities take death toll to 11,669

Tamil Nadu logged 1,464 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, taking the overall infection count to7,76,174, while 14 more fatalities pushed the toll to 11,669. Recoveries continued to eclipse new infections with 1,797people being discharged from healthcare facilities, taking theoverall tally to 7,53,332, a Health department bulletin said. Active cases in the state stood at 11,173.

 

The state has been witnessing a decline in the number of new cases and since November 13, the daily count have been below 2,000.

 

Two districts, including the state capital, logged casesin triple digits with Chennai adding 396 fresh cases and Coimbatore 158,while the rest were spread across other districts. Chennai continued to top the list of cases with 2,13,801 infections of the more than 7.76 lakh in the state. A total of 60,964 samples were tested on Thursday, takingthe cumulative number to 1,18,02,567.

8:23 PM

Maharashtra reports 6,406 new coronavirus cases, 4,815 recoveries, and 65 deaths today

7:50 PM

Coronavirus testing has reached 'saturation level' in Delhi

Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Thursday said the testing capacity for COVID-19 has reached the "saturation level" in the national capital and laboratories here are finding it difficult to release results of all RT-PCR tests within a day. As many as 61,778 tests, including 26,080 RT-PCR -- the highest till date for the city -- and 35,698 rapid antigen tests, were conducted on Tuesday for the detection of COVID-19.

 

"The testing has reached the saturation level Many people now say they were tested just two to three days ago," Jain told reporters.

 

The minister said the government had issued directions to increase the number of RT-PCR tests to 35,000, but the laboratories are now finding it difficult to release all test results within a day.

7:14 PM

1,031 new coronavirus cases in Andhra Pradesh, eight deaths push toll to 6,970

Andhra Pradesh's Covid-19 tally increased by 1,031 to 8,65,705 on Thursday. The total recoveries touched 8,46,120 after 1,081 patients got cured in 24 hours ending 9 am on Thursday. The latest bulletin said eight more succumbed to coronavirus, pushing the overall toll upward to 6,970. The active caseload in the state is now 12,615, the bulletin added.

 

After 98.55 lakh sample tests so far, the overall infection positivity rate stood at 8.78 per cent. The recovery rate and the mortality rate remained steady at 97.74 per cent and 0.81 per cent respectively. Krishna district crossed the 45,000 mark on Thursday after 162 cases were added afresh. Neighbouring West Godavari went past 92,000 total cases after 126 more were reported in a day.

7:00 PM

Rajasthan reports 3,180 new coronavirus cases

6:17 PM

Avoid cash fines for Covid-19 norms violation, Delhi HC tells AAP govt

The Delhi High Court Thursday said the police and the authorities concerned should avoid collecting fines in cash for violation of COVID-19 norms, while terming as alarming that the number of deaths due to the virus in the national capital has crossed 2,000 in November. The high court sought to know from the AAP government the steps it was taking on various fronts in view of the pandemic from collection and utilisation of fines to ensuring protocols were in place with regard to attendees at weddings.

 

On the Delhi government's decision to bring down the number of attendees at weddings to 50, the high court asked as to how the rule was being enforced and whether there were any protocols in place to implement it as a lot of weddings are held during this time of the year.

 

It also asked the Delhi government to ensure that there was a portal in place for payment of fines. A bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Subramonium Prasad said that in the present day and time, "cash transactions need to be avoided" and there should be a provision for paying the fines electronically.

5:25 PM

38 million jobs lost in Eastern Africa due to coronavirus pandemic: Report

The Eastern Africa region's labour market has been the worst hit on the continent from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic as an estimated 38 million jobs lost.

 

"When the Covid-19 pandemic sent the global economy into a recession, the East Africa region was not spared," according to a new report published on Wednesday by the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), entitled Economic and Social Impacts of Covid-19 in Eastern Africa.

 

Presenting the report during the ongoing 24 meeting of the Intergovernmental Committee of Senior Officials and Experts, Mama Keita, Head of ECA in Eastern Africa, said that the region "will barely grow in 2020 with only four countries on track to experience positive growth in 2020," according to an ECA statement issued on Wednesday.

5:02 PM

Third wave of Covid-19 in Delhi far from over, say doctors

As the national capital is battling a resurgence in Covid-19 cases, health experts on Thursday said that Delhi is currently facing the third wave of the disease which is likely to last at least a few more weeks. Although the last week offered some signs of slowdown in fresh Covid cases in Delhi compared to the previous five weeks, the resurgence cannot be said to be over yet, according to doctors.

 

There is, however, no unanimity among them about when the curve will flatten. According to Dr Ajay Aggarwal, Director, Internal medicine, Fortis Hospital in Noida, the second wave of Covid-19 ended in October and the third wave started around mid-November and is likely to end in mid-January and post that.

 

"Third Covid-19 wave has more respiratory symptoms and patients are coming with severe breathlessness and decreased saturation," Aggarwal told IANS.

4:26 PM

Uttar Pradesh records 30 more coronavirus deaths, 2,094 new cases

The COVID-19 tally in Uttar Pradesh rose to 5,35,449 on Thursday with 2,094 fresh cases, while 30 more fatalities pushed the death toll to 7,674, a health department bulletin said. There are 25,422 active cases in the state, of which 12,443 are in home isolation.

 

So far, 5,02,353 people have been discharged from hospitals after recovering from the infection, Additional Chief Secretary Health Amit Mohan Prasad said.

 

The state infection tally was 5,33,355 on Wednesday and it rose to 5,35,449 on Thursday with 2,094 fresh cases. On Wednesday, over 1.65 lakh COVID-19 tests were conducted in the state, taking the total number of tests done in UP to over 1.86 crore tests, Prasad said. At present, RTPCR and rapid antigen tests are being conducted in 40:60 ratio.

4:11 PM

Covid-19 positive Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai admitted to Max Hospital, he is stable

3:59 PM

Number of Covid-19 deaths in city crossed 2,000 in November: High Court

3:50 PM

Increase Covid-19 testing in rural areas of Rajasthan: CM to officials

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Thursday stressed on the need to increase COVID-19 testing in rural areas of the state and directed officials to intensify awareness programmes on the coronavirus. The chief minister issued the directions during a meeting to review the COVID-19 situation of the state.

 

He asked officials to further intensify public awareness campaigns on COVID-19, especially in rural areas. Testing for the coronavirus should also be increased in villages, the chief minister said.

 

The Centre's guidelines on COVID-19 were also discussed in the meeting. The chief Minister reviewed the implementation of the measures such as night curfews put in place to check the spread of the coronavirus.

3:29 PM

Odisha reports 644 new coronavirus cases

Odisha has reported 644 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, taking the total count in the state to 3,16,645. As many as 5,732,590 coronavirus tests have been conducted in the state so far. Currently, 6,786 cases are active across the state.

 

Of the new cases, 369 are under quarantined while 275 patients are among local contacts, the department said. As per the district-wise COVID-19 count, Cuttack witnessed the maximum number of cases at 64, followed by Angul (50), Sundargarh (62), Khurda (49), Keonjhar (42), Mayurbhanj (36), Nuapada (36), Kalahandi (35), Balangir (32), Kendrapada (27), Jagatsinghpur (26), Jharsuguda (21), Bargarh (19), Ganjam (18), Jajpur (17), Puri (16), Sambalpur (15), Balasore (11), Bhadrak (11), Nawarangpur (11), Koraput (10), State Pool (10), Dhenkanal (5), Malkangiri (4), Nayagarh (4), Rayagada (4), Boudh (2), Deogarh (2), Gajapati (2), Sonepur (2) and Kandhamal (1).With 728 new recoveries, 3,08,102 people have recovered from the disease, Odisha Information and Public Department mentioned in a tweet. However, 16 people have lost their lives due to infection.

2:40 PM

Most lungs recover well after Covid-19, says study

Lung tissue of patients who suffer severely from COVID-19 shows good recovery in most cases, according to a study. The researchers at the Radbound University in the Netherlands found that the group which was referred by a GP did not recover as well as patients who were admitted to the hospital's Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

 

The study, published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases, included 124 patients who had recovered from acute COVID-19 infections.

 

The patients were examined by CT scan and a lung functional test. After three months, the researchers took stock, which revealed that the patients' lung tissue is recovering well. Residual damage in the lung tissue was generally limited, and was most often seen in patients who were treated in the ICU, they said. According to the study, the most common complaints after three months are fatigue, shortness of breath and chest pains.

2:07 PM

Drones to track Covid-19 protocol violators in Gurugram

Amid the spurt in Covid-19 cases, Gurugram police have deployed drones, as a key surveillance instrument, to keep an eye on people flouting Covid-19 norms at market places and crowded areas in the district. The city police kicked off this campaign on Thursday in the areas around the Khanda vegetable market, Sadar Bazar and Bus stand.

 

The Gurugram Police spokesperson Subhash Boken said that apart from these places, the campaign will also run in other crowded places as well. A special team of the Gurugram police will monitor the situation and take stringent action against the violators.

1:56 PM

No decision yet on imposing any kind of curfew: Delhi govt to HC

1:50 PM

India's 61% of daily new coronavirus cases contributed by six states/UT

As many as 60.72 per cent of new confirmed cases in the country were reported from Kerala, Maharashtra, Delhi, West Bengal, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, according to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) on Thursday. These states have registered 44,489 new positive cases in the last 24 hours.

 

Kerala leads the tally with 6,491 new COVID-19 cases, followed by Maharashtra (6,159 cases), Delhi (5,246 cases), West Bengal (3,528 cases), Rajasthan (3,285 cases) and Uttar Pradesh (2,305 cases) in the last 24 hours.

 

As per the COVID-19 fatality data by the Ministry, 60.50 per cent of the 524 case fatalities recorded in the past 24 hours are concentrated in six states/Union Territories, including Delhi, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh.

1:37 PM

DGCA extends suspension of scheduled international commercial passenger flights to Dec 31

1:31 PM

Seven found positive in Noida's random coronavirus testing at Delhi border

Seven people coming from Delhi to Noida were found positive for Covid-19 during random tests of 147 people at Gautam Buddh Nagar's border with the national capital on Wednesday, officials said.

 

The Gautam Buddh Nagar administration had on November 18 started random testing of people coming to Noida from Delhi in view of the spike in coronavirus cases in the national capital.

12:49 PM

AstraZeneca manufacturing error clouds coronavirus vaccine study results

AstraZeneca and Oxford University have acknowledged a manufacturing error that is raising questions about preliminary results of their experimental COVID-19 vaccine.

 

A statement describing the error on Wednesday came days after the company and the university described the shots as "highly effective" and made no mention of why some study participants didn't receive as much vaccine in the first of two shots as expected.

 

In a surprise, the group of volunteers that got a lower dose seemed to be much better protected than the volunteers who got two full doses. Read on...

11:29 AM

The positivity rate in Delhi has come down to 8.5% in the last 3 weeks, says Satyendar Jain

The positivity rate in Delhi has come down to 8.5% in the last 3 weeks. A vaccine will hopefully soon be out. Until we are completely assured of the situation being in control, no schools will reopen: Satyendar Jain, Delhi Health Minister