Coronavirus LIVE: Delhi records over 7,000 cases for the first time

Coronavirus update: Maharashtra has 1,703,444 coronavirus cases, Karnataka 838,929, Andhra Pradesh 835,953, Tamil Nadu 736,777 and UP 491,354. Stay tuned for coronavirus India LIVE updates

12:52 AM

Europe coronavirus deaths surge past 300,000 according to an AFP tally

12:47 AM

Odisha reports 1,494 new Covid-19 cases, 1,641 recoveries

Odisha's Covid-19 tally on Friday rose to 2,98,768, with 1,494 more people testing positive for the infection, while 15 fresh fatalities pushed the death toll to 1,393, a health department official said.

 

The state also registered recovery of 1,641 coronavirus patients taking the total number of cured people to 2,85,174, which is 95.44 per cent of the total caseload.

 

Odisha currently has 12,148 active patients, the official said.

 

Of the 1,494 new cases reported from all the 30 districts, 867 were from quarantine centres, and the rest detected during contact tracing.

12:19 AM

Jharkhand reports 356 new Covid-19 cases and 401 recoveries today

12:10 AM

Tamil Nadu registers 2,370 new coronavirus cases, 27 more deaths, pushing count to 739,147 and toll to 11,299; active case at 19,002: Health department

12:09 AM

Madras High Court Chief Justice A P Sahi tests positive for coronavirus: Health official

11:22 PM

Covid-19: 598 cases, 26 deaths reported in Pune in last 24 hours; 298 recover

10:04 PM

Mumbai's coronavirus tally rises to 262,476 with addition of 792 cases; 22 deaths take toll to 10,396

9:54 PM

UP's Gautam Buddh Nagar records 184 new Covid-19 cases, infection tally climbs to 19,016; active case count 1,519

9:54 PM

Maharashtra reports 5,027 coronavirus cases, 11,060 recoveries; 161 die

9:11 PM

Haryana reports 2,267 new coronavirus cases today

9:08 PM

Delhi govt to augment Covid-19 beds capacity in hospitals to combat 'third wave'

The Delhi government issued orders on Friday to add a total of over 1,100 beds for COVID-19 patients at various state-run and private facilities to "combat the third wave" of spread of the infection.

 

Delhi recorded6,715 fresh COVID-19 cases on Thursday, taking the infection tally in the national capital to over 4.16 lakh, even as 66 new fatalities pushed the death toll to 6769.

 

Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Friday tweeted and shared copies of official orders issued by his department to increase capacity of beds at city government hospitals and 14 private facilities.

8:40 PM

Gujarat records 1,035 new Covid-19 cases, 1,321 recoveries

As many as 1,035 persons in Gujarat were found positive for coronavirus in the last 24 hours, taking its tally to 1,78,633 on Friday, the state Health Department said. During the same period, four patients died due to the infection, taking the toll to 3,751, said a release by the Health Department.

 

Also, 1,321 patients recovered during the day and discharged from hospitals, it said.

 

Gujarat COVID-19 figures are as follows: Positive cases 1,78,633, new cases 1,035, deaths 3,751, discharged 1,62,846, active cases 12,036, people tested so far 63,65,202.

8:27 PM

778 new coronavirus cases in Madhya Pradesh, 12 deaths, 856 recover

The COVID-19 caseload of Madhya Pradesh rose to 1,75,603 on Friday with 778 more people testing positive for the viral infection, a health official said. With 12 new fatalities, the death toll reached 3,004, he added.

 

A total of 856 patients were discharged from hospitals since Thursday evening, taking the state's overall recovery count to 1,64,923.

 

Two COVID-19 patients each died in Indore, Bhopal, Jabalpur and Rajgarh, and one each in Sagar, Betul, Khandwa and Damoh districts, the official said. Of 778 new cases, Bhopal accounted for 179, Indore 74, Gwalior 55 and Jabalpur 26.

8:07 PM

Nagaland's Covid-19 recovery rate rises to 87.86%

The COVID-19 recovery rate in Nagaland rose to 87.86 per cent as the state for the 10th consecutive day on Friday reported more patients recuperating from the disease than fresh cases, a health department official said. At least 117 patients recovered from COVID-19 on Friday, taking the total number of recoveries to 8,195, the official said.

 

The COVID-19 tally of the state mounted to 9,327 as 63 fresh cases were reported in the day, he said. 63 positive cases of COVID-19 detected today. Dimapur 41, Kohima 16, Mon 3, Mokokchung 2, Peren 1. Also, 117 positive patients have recovered Dimapur 76, Kohima 37, Zunheboto 2 and one each in Wokha and Kiphire districts," said Minister for Health and Family Welfare, S Pangnyu Phom in a tweet.

 

The state presently has 997 active COVID-19 patients, which is 10.68 per cent of the caseload, said Director of Health Department, Dr Denis Hangsing in the daily COVID-19 bulletin.

7:55 PM

473 new coronavirus cases in Uttarakhand, nine deaths

Nine more people died from the novel coronavirus in Uttarakhand, taking the toll to 1,056 on Friday, while the number of infections rose to 64,538 with 473 more cases, the Health Department said. There are 3,736 active cases of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), while 59,227 people have recovered and 519 migrated, according to a health bulletin.

 

Dehradun district registered the highest number of 163 new cases, followed by 57 in Udham Singh Nagar, 55 in Haridwar, 48 in Chamoli and 40 in Pauri Garhwal. There were 39 new infections in Nainital, 17 in Almora, 16 in Rudraprayag, 14 in Pitgoragarh, 12 in Tehri Garhwal, seven in Uttarkashi, three in Champawat and two in Bageshwar, it said.

 

Nine more coronavirus patients died in the state, taking the total number to 1,056, the bulletin said.

7:32 PM

Children, adults produce different antibodies against Covid-19: Study

Children and adults produce different types and amounts of antibodies in response to the novel coronavirus infection, according to a study which suggests the course of the infection and immune response is distinct in kids, and most of them easily clear the virus from their bodies.

 

"Our study provides an in-depth examination of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in kids, revealing a stark contrast with adults," said Donna Farber, an immunologist at Columbia University in the US.

Matteo Porotto, associate professor at Columbia University said the infectious course in children is much shorter and probably not as disseminated as in adults.

 

"Kids may clear this virus more efficiently than adults and they may not need a strong antibody immune response to get rid of it," said Poroto, who co-led the study published on Thursday in the journal Nature Immunology. READ ON...

7:02 PM

Air pollution may lead to faster spread of Covid-19 infections

Air pollution may lead to a faster spread of COVID-19 infections as it causes coughing and sneezing, government officials told a parliamentary panel on Friday, according to sources. Top officials of the Union environment and health ministries and the governments of Delhi, Haryana and Punjab deposed before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Urban Development to find a "permanent solution" to air pollution in the national capital and adjoining areas.

 

In addition, officials of the Central Pollution Control Board and from other departments also depose before the panel on the ongoing situation of air pollution in the national capital and its adjoining areas.

 

The agenda of the meeting was to deliberate upon "steps taken for prevention of air pollution special emphasis on finding permanent solution to air pollution in Delhi and NCR."

6:38 PM

Cancer patient carried coronavirus for 105 days without symptoms, says case study

While most people infected with the novel coronavirus actively shed the pathogen for about eight days, scientists have reported an unusual case of a blood cancer patient who carried the virus for about 105 days, "and remained infectious for at least 70," without experiencing any symptoms the entire time. According to the study, published in the journal Cell, understanding how long people can remain actively infected is important since it provides new details about COVID-19 that are still not well understood.

 

"At the time we started this study, we really didn't know much about the duration of virus shedding," said study senior author Vincent Munster, a virologist at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in the US.

 

"As this virus continues to spread, more people with a range of immunosuppressing disorders will become infected, and it's important to understand how SARS-CoV-2 behaves in these populations," Munster said. The patient from Kirkland, Washington, had been infected very early in the COVID-19 pandemic and had had numerous positive PCR tests for the virus over a period of weeks, the study noted.

6:10 PM

India's single-day Covid-19 recoveries exceed new cases continuously for last 5 weeks

India's single-day COVID-19 recoveries exceeded daily new infections successively for the last five weeks, while active cases are on a sustained decline and comprise only6.19 per cent of the country's total caseload, the Union health ministry said on Friday. Less than 50,000 new cases of the coronavirus infection have been reported in the country in a span of 24 hours, whereas the daily new recoveries have exceeded 54,000.

 

"India is reporting new recoveries more than the daily new cases successively for the last five weeks now," the ministry said.

 

There is a continuous decline in average daily new cases for the last five weeks. From registering more than 73,000 average daily new cases in the first week of October, the average daily new cases have declined to 46,000 cases. According to data updated at 8 am, active cases are also on a sustained decline as a result of continuously rising recoveries. The active cases stand at5,20,773as on date and now comprise only6.19 per cent of the total COVID-19 caseload, it stated.

5:45 PM

Anganwadi centres, schools, panchayat buildings to be used as Covid-19 vaccination sites

Anganwadi centres, schools, panchayat buildings and other such setups would be used extensively in addition to healthcare facilities as vaccination sites in the anti-coronavirus inoculation drive which would be monitored by the Union health ministry's digital platform and would involve sending SMSes and generating a QR code after each jab to track the beneficiaries.

 

According to a blueprint deliberated upon by an expert group, state governments would identify buildings which can be used as vaccination booths under the special COVID-19 immunisation programme that would run parallel to the existing Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP).

 

"The vaccination sites will not be limited to just healthcare facilities. Such centres would also be set up in anganwadi centres, schools, panchayat buildings and other such setups as identified by state governments," a source said.

5:30 PM

US study links air pollution to increased Covid-19 mortality, Indian experts say causal link not established

A new analysis of more than 3,000 counties in the US suggests that people with long-term exposure to PM 2.5 may be more likely to die from COVID-19, leading to increased concern about the trajectory of the disease and its fatality rate in parts of north India battling alarmingly high levels of air pollution.

 

Though worried as cases in the Indian capital and its suburbs spike, pulmonologists here said a causal link between fine particle pollutants (PM2.5) and COVID-19 mortality has not yet been established.

 

The US study, published in the journal Science Advances on Thursday, assessed the impact of long-term exposure to air pollution on COVID-19 death rates in 3,089 counties in the US. The researchers, includingXiao Wu from Harvard University, found that chronic exposure to PM2.5 pollutants -- tiny particles in the air that are two-and-a-half microns or less in width -- is linked to greater county-level COVID-19 mortality rates.

5:16 PM

Coronavirus pandemic will remain a watershed moment in history, just like WWII: PM Modi

5:08 PM

Covid-19: Odisha puts on hold its decision to reopen schools in November

Apprehensive that a possible second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic may hit the country mid- December, the Odisha government on Friday announced that it has put on hold its decision to reopen schools this month.

 

Odisha's School and Mass Education Minister Samir Ranjan Dash said the state had earlier decided to resume school activities for students of classes 9 to 12 in November, but fears of a possible second wave of infections made the government reconsider its plan. CM Naveen Patnaik has recently cautioned about a possible second wave, and the department, going by his advice, has decided not to put students' health and wellbeing at risk, he said.

 

Dash said the department had already worked out a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for reopening the schools, but the pandemic situation does not favour campus activities. READ ON...

4:53 PM

Gautam Gambhir goes into self-isolation after Covid-19 case at home

Former India opener Gautam Gambhir has gone into self-isolation, awaiting a COVID-19 test result, after revealing that someone at his home has contracted the virus. The World Cup-winning former batsman is currently a Lok Sabha MP from East Delhi.

 

"Due to a case at home, I have been in isolation awaiting my COVID test result. Urge everyone to follow all guidelines & not take this lightly. Stay safe!"," Gambhir tweeted.

 

The 39-year-old represented India in 58 Tests, 147 ODIs and 37 T20 Internationals. He made his foray into politics ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in 2019 by joining the Bhartiya Janata Party. Delhi recorded over 6,700 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, pushing the infection tally in the city to over 4.16 lakh with 66 more fatalities, the highest in around four months.

4:39 PM

India tops global survey on Covid-19 vaccination intent; rising hesitancy in many countries

Indians are the keenest on getting vaccinated whenever a COVID-19 vaccine is available, even as people in 10 out of 15 countries showed a growing reluctance about getting vaccinated, according to a global survey. In the World Economic Forum/Ipsos survey of 18,526 adults from 15 countries, 73 per cent said they would get a COVID-19 vaccine if available, down from 77 per cent in August.

 

While vaccination intent has remained unchanged at 87 per cent in India since August, it has declined in 10 of the 15 countries surveyed, most of all in China, Australia, Spain, and Brazil.

 

Globally, the two main reasons for not wanting to get a COVID-19 vaccine are concerns about side effects (cited by 34 per cent) and concerns about clinical trials moving too fast (cited by another 33 per cent). In India also, 34 per cent respondents said they are worried about side effects, while 16 per cent are concerned about fast-moving trials.

4:25 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: City-wide Covid-19 testing begins in Liverpool

The first trial of a city-wide coronavirus testing began in Liverpool began on Friday, under which residents and the people working in the English city will be offered repeat tests, whether or not they display symptoms. In a statement, Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson said the testing pilot could save lives, stop hospitals being overwhelmed and "get the city out of tier three restrictions", the BBC reported.

 

Under the pilot programme, which will last for approximately two weeks, people will be offered a mix of existing swab tests and new lateral flow tests, which could provide a result in 20 minutes without the need to use a lab.

 

Test sites have been set up across the city, in schools, universities, work places and care homes. Six test centres for people who do not have symptoms will be open daily from 12 p.m. until 7 p.m., with more sites planned.

4:16 PM

1,700 guests undergo Covid-19 tests as Singapore resumes cruise services

Close to 1,700 guests on a cruise liner in Singapore underwent COVID-19 tests on Friday as the country resumed cruise services to revive its tourism industry battered by the coronavirus pandemic.

 

Genting Cruise Lines' World Dream is the first in a "safe cruise" pilot scheme announced by the Singapore Tourism Board last month to ensure the safe and gradual resumption of cruises amid the COVID-19 pandemic. A second cruise line, Royal Caribbean International, will join the scheme starting December 1.

 

Under the scheme, the cruises ships will make round trips to the city-state with no port of call in between. Capacity would be limited to 50 per cent and passengers must be Singapore residents. The programme aims at giving residents some outlet for their wanderlust amid the pandemic as well as to revive the tourism industry. READ ON...

4:01 PM

With 1,602 new coronavirus cases, Telangana crosses 2.47 lakh mark

With 1,602 new COVID-19 cases, Telangana has crossed 2.47-lakh mark on Thursday, informed state health department on Friday. Four people lost their lives due to the deadly pandemic and 982 people got discharged in the state on the same day.

 

A total number of positive cases has been mount to 2,47,284. While total recoveries stand at 2,26,646. According to the state health department, the total number of 19,272 cases are still active in Telangana.

 

Meanwhile, India's total cases surged to 84,11,724, with 47,638 new COVID-19 infections on Thursday. The death toll mounted to 1,24,985. Whereas the total number of active cases has been mounted to 5,20,773 after a decrease of 7,189 in the last 24 hours. The total number of cured cases have reached 77,65,966 with 54,157 new discharges in the last 24 hours, reported on Thursday.

3:50 PM

Long-term exposure to air pollution may increase Covid-19 death risk

A new analysis of more than 3,000 counties in the US has found that people with long-term exposure to fine-particle pollutants may be more likely to die from COVID-19, findings which may make policymakers reexamine the harms of air pollution and help reduce deaths during the pandemic. The research, published in the journal Science Advances, investigated the impact of long-term exposure to PM 2.5 pollutants -- tiny particles in the air that are two and one half microns or less in width -- on COVID-19 mortality rates in 3089 counties in the US, "covering 98 per cent of the population."

 

It found that "higher historical exposure" to these particulate pollutants is associated with greater county-level COVID-19 mortality rates after accounting for several area-level risk factors.

 

While the study could not provide insights into the mechanism underlying the relationship, the scientists, including those from Harvard University in the US, believe chronic exposure to PM 2.5 may cause over production of the ACE-2 receptor in the lungs, which the novel coronavirus uses to enter host cells. READ ON...

3:46 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: More than 38% of new fatalities reported are from Maharashtra