Coronavirus LIVE: Delhi records 4,067 new cases, positivity rate at 4.78%

Covid-19 update: At 1,842,587, Maharashtra has the highest number of coronavirus cases, followed by Karnataka 889,113, Andhra Pradesh 870,076, Tamil Nadu 786,163, and Kerala 620,049

1:56 AM

Deve Gowda bats for free Covid vaccine to the poor

Lauding the Union government's efforts to get the Covid vaccine rolled out early, former Prime Minister and Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) supremo H.D. Deve Gowda on Friday said the vaccine should be given for free to the poor and at affordable rates to the majority of the people. "The Covid vaccine should be given for free to the poor, who are economically weak and its cost should be made affordable for the majority of the people across the country," Deve Gowda said in a statement.

Gowda, 87, who also participated in the all-party meeting vaccine distribution held by Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier in the day through video conference, said the Central government should bear the cost of the vaccination programme across the country. "I am glad to know that the Prime Minister had recently reviewed the advances made by some drug firms in getting the Covid vaccine ready soon. The stock-taking was essential to give hope and confidence to the people who have been trapped for months by the pandemic," asserted Gowda.

1:47 AM

Centre promised 10 mn Covid vaccines in phase one: AP CM

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Friday said the Central government has promised 1 crore coronavirus vaccine shots to the state in the first phase. Reddy told the Assembly about the Centre's promise during a discussion on the pandemic on the last day of the winter session. He said the state will provide the vaccine to frontline staff numbering about 7 lakh in the first phase, followed by 3.6 lakh healthcare workers and 90 lakh senior citizens.

The state is framing guidelines with regard to distribution of vaccines and developing storage and transport facilities. "Cold chain storage units are needed to store the vaccine between 2 - 8 degrees centigrade. So far, 4,065 units were set up, in addition to 29 refrigerated vehicles to transport the vaccine. Since the vaccination has to be done by professionals, 19,000 ANMs will be roped in and even Asha workers will be trained for additional support," said Reddy.

The Chief Minister said the state government has constituted taskforce committees at village, mandal and district levels to coordinate the effective implementation.

1:43 AM

LIVE: Moderna Inc will be able to produce 500 million doses of its Covid-19 vaccine in 2021, reports Reuters quoting Chief Executive Officer Stéphane Bancel

1:41 AM

Jharkhand reported 219 Covid-19 cases, 206 recoveries

11:47 PM

Assam reports 169 new cases, total at 213,505

11:26 PM

Delhi records 4,067 new Covid-19 cases; positivity rate now 4.78%

Delhi registered 4,067 new COVID-19 cases on Friday with over 85,000 tests being conducted in a day, even as the positivity rate dipped to 4.78 per cent, authorities said. These fresh cases came out of a record 85,003 tests conducted the previous day, including 40,191 RT-PCR tests, according to the latest bulletin issued by the Delhi health department. The COVID-19 positivity rate had slumped was 4.96 per cent on Thursday.

Seventy-three fatalities were recorded on Friday, pushing the toll in the national capital to 9,497. The active cases tally has dropped to 28,252 from 29,120 the previous day. The bulletin said the total number of cases has climbed to 5,86,125, while the recovery rate was over 93 per cent. The number of containment zones in Delhi jumped to 5,909 on Friday from 5,759 on Thursday. The highest single-day spike till date -- 8,593 cases -- was reported on November 11.

Meanwhile, Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain said if the COVID-19 positivity rate in the national capital stays below four per cent for five consecutive days, it would mean that the city has successfully fought the pandemic. The recent spike in cases had come during the festive season and amid rising pollution levels.

11:14 PM

Neetu Kapoor, Varun Dhawan test positive for Covid-19

Veteran star Neetu Kapoor and actor Varun Dhawan on Friday tested positive for coronavirus in Chandigarh. The two Bollywood actors, along with Anil Kapoor and Kiara Advani, were shooting for their upcoming movie "Jug Jugg Jeeyo" in the city. According to a source close to the family, Neetu, 62, is now flying back to Mumbai after her actor-son Ranbir Kapoor made necessary arrangements.

"She tested positive for COVID-19 today. So, Ranbir organised the air ambulance for her, to get her back. If she's here, she will get proper hospitalisation and isolation otherwise she was alone in Chandigarh," the source said. Dhawan and the film's director Raj Mehta, who has also contracted the novel virus, have decided to quarantine in Chandigarh. "Varun and even the director have tested positive, though both of them have decided to stay there," the source added.

10:57 PM

Bahrain approves Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine

Bahrain said on Friday it has granted emergency use authorisation for the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, becoming the second country after Britain to approve it. The Gulf Arab state had also approved Sinopharm's COVID-19 vaccine in November for use by frontline workers.

"The approval of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine will add a further important layer to the Kingdom's national COVID-19 response," Dr. Mariam Al Jalahma, CEO of Bahrain's National Health Regulatory Authority said in a statement.

 

10:41 PM

Austria begins mass testing for Covid-19 in Vienna

Mass testing of the population for coronavirus began in Vienna on Friday, a Sputnik correspondent reported. In November, Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz announced the launch of a mass coronavirus disease testing program in December. Austrian authorities said they decided on this measure to "save" Christmas. The mass testing of population is free of charge, on a voluntary basis and on different dates. The tests are mandatory only for those in the risk groups, including teachers and police officers.

The mass testing in Vienna will last until December 13. Those who get positive results will be put on a 10-day quarantine, allowing those who tested positive to complete self-isolation before Christmas Eve. Anyone with a residence in Vienna - both permanent and temporary - can take part in the testing while all residents must register online to participate. The Austrian government introduced tougher stay-at-home measures -- the second lockdown since the outbreak in March -- from November 17 until December 6.

 

10:38 PM

5,718 new Covid cases, 29 deaths in Kerala

Kerala on Friday recorded 5,718 new Covid cases out of 57,456 samples sent for testing in the past 24 hours, state Health Minister K.K. Shailaja said. In a statement issued here, Shailaja said the day saw 5,496 people being cured taking the total cured in the state to 5,61,874, while there were 61,401 active cases.

Another 29 deaths were reported, taking the total death tally to 2,358. Across the state, 3,14,029 people were under observation at various places, including 15,100 people at hospitals while there were 444 hotspots.

10:14 PM

With 803 new cases, total number of Covid-19 cases in Himachal rises to 43,500

9:31 PM

UP's Gautam Buddh Nagar records 75 new Covid-19 cases

UP's Gautam Buddh Nagar records 75 new Covid-19 cases, pushing tally to 23,170, patients' recovery rate in district reaches 95.12 per cent and mortality rate stays at 0.35 per cent: Official data

9:28 PM

West Bengal reports 3,206 new Covid-19 cases, 3,215 recoveries

9:00 PM

India biggest buyer of Covid-19 vaccine with 1.6 bn doses, can cover 60% population

India is the largest buyer of COVID-19 vaccines in the world with 1.6 billion doses, according to a global analysis, a number some scientists say couldcover 800 million people, or 60 per cent of its population, and will be enough to develop herd immunity'.

 

India has purchased 500 million doses of the Oxford University-AstraZeneca vaccine candidate, one billion from the US company Novavax and 100 million doses of the Sputnik V candidatefrom Russia's Gamaleya Research Institute, according to the US-based Duke University Global Health Innovation Center.

 

The Launch and Scale Speedometer' analysis, which is updated every two weeks, shows India has confirmed 1.6 billion doses of three vaccines as of November 30 while the US and the EU have purchased doses of six candidates.

 

According to the analysis, India is the top COVID-19 vaccine buyer followed by the European Union which has confirmed 1.58 billion doses and the US, the worst affected country so far, that has managed to purchase just over a billion doses.

 

8:41 PM

618 more test coronavirus positive in Uttarakhand

Uttarakhand's COVID-19 tally rose to 76,893 on Friday with the detection of 618 fresh cases, while 10 more deaths due to the disease pushed the toll to 1,273, according to a state health department bulletin.

 

Dehradundistrict reported a maximum of 239 new cases, Nainital 93, Haridwar 48, Chamoli 40, Almora 39, Pauri 34, Pithoragarh 33, Udham Singh Nagar 21, Tehri 20, Uttarkashi 18, Bageshwar 13, Rudraprayag 13 and Champawat 7, the bulletin said.

 

A total of 69,831 COVID-19 patients have recuperated in Uttarakhand, 795 migrated out of the state and 4,994 are under treatment, according to the bulletin.

8:11 PM

5,229 new coronavirus cases in Maharashtra, 127 deaths; tally 1,842,587

Maharashtra's COVID-19 tally on Friday rose to 18,42,587 as it recorded 5,229 new cases of infection. With 127 new fatalities, death toll reached 47,599. A total of 6,776 patients were discharged after treatment, taking the tally of recovered people to 17,10,050. The number of active cases is 83,859.

 

Mumbai city reported 813 new cases during the day, which pushed its case count to 2,84,509, while the death toll in the state capital rose to 10,945 with 14 new deaths.

 

The state has so far conducted 1,11,32,231 tests. Maharashtra's COVID-19 figures are as follows: Positive cases: 18,42,587, new cases: 5,229, death toll: 47,599, discharged: 17,10,050, active cases: 83,859, people tested so far: 1,11,32,231.

8:03 PM

Coronavirus vaccine could be ready in a few weeks: PM Modi at all-party meet

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said a COVID-19 vaccine may be ready in a few weeks as he noted that experts believe the wait for it will not be long, and asserted that the vaccination drive in India will begin as soon as scientists give the nod.

 

In his remarks here at an all-party meeting held virtually to discuss India's COVID-19 vaccination strategy, Modi said healthcare workers involved in treating coronavirus patients, frontline workers, who include police personnel and municipal staff, and old people suffering from serious conditions would be inoculated on priority.

 

Opposition leaders also expressed their views in the meeting with Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad saying that a COVID-like pandemic can pose a threat to the country's internal security and policy makers should address this challenge.

 

The Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, who is a also a former Union health minister, said that the country should be well placed to get vaccines at affordable prices and at an early stage.

 

7:35 PM

Kerala logs 5,718 new coronavirus cases, 5,496 recoveries

Kerala recorded 5,718 fresh COVID-19 cases and 5,496 recoveries on Friday, as the toll mounted to 2,358 with 29 additionalfatalities, Health minister K K Shailaja said. In the last 24 hours, 57,456 samples have been tested and the test positivity rate climbed to 9.95 per cent. So far, 64,96,210 samples have been sent for testing, the minister said in a press release.

 

Of the positive cases, 60 are health workers, 95 had come from outside the state and 4,991 were infected through contact.

 

The total caseload soared to 6,25,767 while 5,61,874 people have been cured of the disease and 61,401 are undergoing treatment, the minister said. Malappuram accounted for 943 cases, followed by Kozhikode 773, Kottayam 570 and Thrissur 528. As many as 3,14,029 people are under observation in various districts, including 15,100 in various hospitals. Six new areas were added to the list of hotspots in the state and 38 removed, taking the total number to 444.

7:19 PM

Moderna to supply 4 million more doses of Covid-19 vaccine to Israel

Moderna Inc on Friday announced an expanded pact with the Israeli health ministry to supply an additional 4 million doses of mRNA-1273, its vaccine candidate against COVID-19.

 

The Israeli government has now secured access to 6 million doses of mRNA-1273. The vaccine is currently under review in the country.

 

7:03 PM

Delhi reports 4,067 new coronavirus cases and 73 deaths in last 24 hours

6:34 PM

Envoys of 80 countries to visit Covid-19 vaccine firms in Hyderabad on Dec 9

Ambassadors and High Commissioners of around 80 countries will be landing in the city on December 9 to visit Bharat Biotech and BE limited which are working on the COVID-19 vaccine. An official release said on Friday Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar held a meeting with an advance team, including Chief of Protocol Nagesh Singh and other senior officials of the state government and discussed the arrangements to be made in connection with the high profile visit,.

 

"Chief Secretary informed that the dignitaries will be visiting Bharat Biotech Limited and Biological E limited

 

the industrial units which are working on the COVID-19 vaccine in the country. He asked the officials to make foolproof arrangements duly following all the COVID-19 protocols during the visit of the dignitaries," the release said. As many as five well equipped buses and a special medical team, should be put in place for the envoys.

6:09 PM

People must continue to take all precautions against Covid-19: Adityanath

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday said though the state and central governments are making efforts to check the spread of COVID-19, people must continue to take all precautions against the disease. He also said his government was able to control encephalitis deaths up to 95 per cent this year. Adityanath was speaking at the inaugural function of the Founder's Week celebrations of Maharana Pratap Shiksha Parishad (MPSP) here.

 

Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma and Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Bipin Rawat also attended the event. The chief minister said the state government and the Centre are putting in huge efforts to check the spread of COVID-19 and also preparing for vaccination in the future but "we have to continue taking precautions and following COVID-19 protocols".

 

So far, Uttar Pradesh has reported 5,51,179 COVID-19 cases, including 7,877 deaths. Adityanath credited the Centre's Swachh Bharat campaign for bringing down encephalitis deaths in Uttar Pradesh.

5:47 PM

1,985 fresh coronavirus cases in Uttar Pradesh, tally crosses 5.5 lakh-mark

The COVID-19 infection tally in Uttar Pradesh went up to 5,51,179 with 1,985 new cases on Friday while the number of people who lost their lives due to the virus mounted to 7,877 with 29 more deaths. The number of active cases in the state presently stood at 22,665 of which 10,653 are in home isolation while 2,135 others are undergoing treatment in private hospitals, Additional Chief Secretary, Health, Amit Mohan Prasad said.

 

As many as 5,20,637 people have recovered from infection and been discharged from hospitals of which 2,247 people have been discharged in the past 24 hours, he said, adding that the recovery rate in the state presently was 94.46 per cent. A health departmentbulletin said that among the new 29 deaths, five were reported from Lucknow, three from Jaunpur, two each from Prayagraj, Varanasi, Meerut, Muzaffarnagar and Mainpuri, Kanpur Dehat among others.

 

The highest number of fresh cases with 259 have been reported from Lucknow followed by 224 from Meerut, 120 from Varanasi, and 117 from Ghaziabad, the bulletin said. On Thursday, over 1.71 lakh tests were done in the state. Altogether, over 1.99 crore tests have been done in the state so far, he said.

5:20 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Covid-19 vaccination drive after scientists' nod: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that experts believe that the wait for a COVID-19 vaccine will not be long and it may be ready in a few weeks, asserting the vaccination drive in India will begin as soon as scientists give the nod. In his remarks here at an all-party meeting held virtually, he said healthcare workers involved in treating COVID-19 patients, frontline workers, who include police personnel and municipal staff, and old people suffering from serious conditions would be inoculated on priority.

 

Noting that there have been questions about the price of the COVID-19 vaccine, the prime minister said it is natural to have such queries and asserted that public health will be accorded top priority in the matter and states will be fully involved.

 

In his concluding address at the meeting called by the Union government to discuss the pandemic situation, Modi sought to address most burning aspects of the issue, ranging from India's vaccine readiness to its pricing, and reiterated that the country has done better than even some developed countries and those with better health infrastructure in tackling the pandemic.

5:05 PM

Coronavirus vaccine could be ready in a few weeks: PM Narendra Modi at all-party meet

5:00 PM

SA vs ENG: First ODI postponed after Proteas player tests Covid-19 positive

The first ODI of the three-match series between South Africa and England has been postponed after a home team player tested positive for coronavirus. The first 50-over game was scheduled to be played at Newlands later on Friday. England had white-washed the Proteas in the shortest format after registering a thumping nine-wicket win in the third T20I.

 

Cricket South Africa (CSA) issued a statement and confirmed that the ODI series will commence on Sunday at Eurolux Boland Park, Paarl and the remaining two games will be played at Newlands, Cape Town on December 6 and 7 respectively."Cricket South Africa (CSA) and the England Cricket Board (ECB) would like to announce the postponement of the first One-Day International (ODI) of the three-match series to Sunday, 06 December 2020," CSA said.

 

"This decision results from a player from the Proteas team testing positive for COVID-19 after the teams' last round of scheduled testing performed on Thursday ahead of the ODIs.

 

"In the interests of the safety and well-being of both teams, match officials and all involved in the match, the Acting CEO of CSA, Kugandrie Govender as well as the CEO of the ECB, Tom Harrison, have agreed to postpone the first fixture to Sunday," it added.

4:24 PM

Coronavirus vaccination drive after scientists' nod: PM Narendra Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that experts believe that the wait for a COVID-19 vaccine will not be long and it may be ready in a few weeks, asserting the vaccination drive in India will begin as soon as scientists give the nod. In his remarks here at an all-party meeting held virtually, he said healthcare workers involved in treating COVID-19 patients, frontline workers, who include police personnel and municipal staff, and old people suffering from serious conditions would be inoculated on priority.

 

Noting that there have been questions about the price of the COVID-19 vaccine, the prime minister said it is natural to have such queries and asserted that public health will be accorded top priority in the matter and states will be fully involved.

 

In his concluding address at the meeting called by the Union government to discuss the pandemic situation, Modi sought to address most burning aspects of the issue, ranging from India's vaccine readiness to its pricing, and reiterated that the country has done better than even some developed countries and those with better health infrastructure in tackling the pandemic.

 

This is the second all-party meeting called by the government to discuss the COVID-19 situation since the outbreak of the pandemic.

3:40 PM

Delhi govt tells healthcare facilities to submit HCWs data for Covid-19 vaccination

The Delhi government has begun the process of enrolment of healthcare workers of different hospitals, nursing homes and other facilities for COVID-19 vaccination. For uploading data a link has been provided on the website of the Delhi State Health Mission. Hundreds of healthcare workers (HCWs) at government and private facilities in Delhi had contracted the novel coronavirus, and many more are still getting affected by it.

 

"Delhi government is enrolling healthcare workers for COVID-19 vaccination. Many registered nursing homes and hospitals have already submitted data, along with many smaller unregistered clinics," the notice said.

 

The Delhi government invites all those remaining healthcare facilities to submit the names of healthcare workers in their institutions, nursing homes, clinics and OPDs. Healthcare workers include medical and paramedical staff, supporting, security and administrative staff of all allopathic, dental, AYUSH, physiotherapy clinics, diagnostic laboratories, radiology centres and other healthcare settings, the notice said.

3:23 PM

India's Covid-19 active caseload further dips to 4.35%: Health Ministry

2:56 PM

Kidney disease leading risk factor for Covid hospitalisation: Study

Chronic kidney disease is the leading risk factor for hospitalisation from Covid-19, says a study of electronic health records. For the study, the researchers examined the health records of 12,971 individuals who were tested for Covid-19 within the Geisinger Health System in the US. Of this group, 1,604 were Covid-positive and 354 required hospitalisation.

 

The team analysed the records for association between specific clinical conditions, including kidney, cardiovascular, respiratory and metabolic conditions, and Covid-19 hospitalisation.

 

Overall, chronic kidney disease was most strongly associated with hospitalisation, and COVID-19 patients with end-stage renal disease were 11 times more likely to be admitted to the hospital than patients without kidney disease, said the study published in the journal PLOS ONE.