Coronavirus LIVE: Govt mulling emergency authorisation of vaccine

Coronavirus update: US is the worst-hit country with 12,445,543 coronavirus cases, followed by India, which has 9,095,908 cases, Brazil (6,052,786), France (2,127,051), Russia (2,064,748)

3:29 AM

Spain to begin vaccination programme in January, Sanchez says

Spain will begin a comprehensive coronavirus vaccination programme in January and expects to have covered a substantial part of the population within six months, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Sunday.
 

He said Spain and Germany were the first European Union countries to have a complete vaccination plan in place.
 

"The campaign will start in January and have 13,000 vaccination points," Sanchez told a news conference after a two-day online summit of G20 leaders.
 

"A very substantial part of the population will be able to be vaccinated, with all guarantees, in the first half of the year."
 

Spain will implement a single national strategy, starting with "priority groups", Sanchez said, adding that he would present the plan to the cabinet on Tuesday. He also said more health professionals would be recruited.

3:27 AM

US CDC reports 255,076 deaths from coronavirus

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Sunday reported 12,028,081 cases of the novel coronavirus, an increase of 184,591 cases from its previous count, and said that the number of deaths had risen by 1,476 to 255,076.
 

The CDC reported its tally of cases of the respiratory illness known as Covid-19, caused by a new coronavirus, as of 4 pm ET on Nov. 21 versus its previous report a day earlier. (https://bit.ly/36sYS1R) The CDC figures do not necessarily reflect cases reported by individual states.

11:35 PM

Covid will soon be past episode of 21st century: Vardhan

The rapidness at which coronavirus vaccines are being developed will have a significant effect on new technologies that will help in faster drug discoveries, lowering the cost and making it more affordable for the poor, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said on Sunday.

 

The process, which used to take 10 years to produce vaccines, is now done in almost 10 months, Vardhan said while addressing the Boston Center of Excellence (BoCE) for Health and Human Development through video conference.

 

The health minister saluted the millions of frontline workers and elaborated India's strategy to contain the virus.

10:35 PM

MP reports 1,798 new Covid-19 cases

Madhya Pradesh on Sunday recorded 1,798 fresh cases of Covid-19, taking its tally to 1,93,044, while 13 fatalities pushed the toll to 3,162, health officials said.

 

A total of 1,212 patients were discharged in the last 24 hours, taking the state's overall recovery count to 1,78,117.

 

During the day, three people died in Indore, two each in Gwalior and Jabalpur and one each in Bhopal, Sagar, Damoh, Hoshangabad, Dewas and Harda, the official said.

10:34 PM

UP to test every traveller from Delhi for coronavirus

The Uttar Pradesh government will test all travellers from Delhi for coronavirus, an official said on Sunday.

 

Uttar Pradesh Chief Secretary R K Tiwari said the state government is also considering restrictions on the number of people at weddings and other social programmes.

 

Tiwari said infection cases have increased in UP districts bordering Delhi.

 

It seems the second COVID-19 has hit the national capital, he said, pointing to a spurt in cases there.

10:34 PM

Mamata to attend meeting with PM on Covid vaccine distribution

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will attend the virtual meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi over Covid-19 vaccine distribution strategy on Tuesday, a senior leader of the ruling Trinamool Congress said.

 

Modi is likely to hold virtual meetings with chief ministers and other representatives of states and union territories on Tuesday to review the coronavirus situation and discuss vaccine distribution strategy.

9:41 PM

Central team tours 3 cities, praises Gujarat measures

Gujarat to review the Covid-19 situation met Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel on Sunday after touring Ahmedabad, Vadodara and Mehsana.

 

The three-member team, led by National Centre for Disease Control's Director Sujeet Kumar Singh, expressed satisfaction at measures being taken to tackle the increasing Covid-19 cases in the state, said a government release.

 

"The team expressed satisfaction over the successful experiment of Dhanvantari Arogyarath in Gujarat and said the model could be replicated in other states as well. The team particularly praised measures such as home isolation, area specific surveillance and systematic monitoring put in place in Gujarat," said the release.

9:05 PM

We have opened all religious places in the state but don't crowd them: Maharashtra CM

9:00 PM

Bengal reports 3,591 new Covid-19 cases, 49 fresh fatalities

West Bengal's COVID-19 tally rose to 4,56,361 on Sunday as 3,591 more people tested positive for the infection, a health bulletin said.
 

Forty-nine more patients succumbed to the infection, pushing the state's coronavirus death toll to 8,025, it said.

8:51 PM

Raghav Chadha launches Delhi govt's free large-scale RT-PCR testing van

AAP MLA Raghav Chadha Sunday launched the Delhi government's large-scale RT-PCR testing drive from Old Rajinder Nagar through Covid-19 mobile testing vans.
 

The mobile coronavirus testing vans would extend free Covid-19 testing facility to residents.

8:38 PM

PM Modi likely to hold virtual meetings with states over Covid-19 situation, vaccine distribution plan

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to hold virtual meetings with chief ministers and other representatives of states and union territories on Tuesday to review the COVID-19 situation and discuss vaccine distribution strategy.
 

Modi is expected to hold two back to back meetings, one with eight states with high caseloads and another with states and UTs to discuss vaccine distribution strategy, sources said.

8:22 PM

Manipur reported 383 new Covid-19 cases

8:11 PM

Delhi added 400 ICU beds for Covid patients in past few days: Health min

Health Minister Satyendar Jain Sunday said over 400 ICU beds have been added for Coronavirus patients in Delhi, which is witnessing a third wave of coronavirus infection, over the past few days.
 

He said the number will be increased further in the coming days as these 400 beds are part of a total of 1,650 ICU beds being set up in the city --250 in private hospitals, 650 in Delhi government facilities and 750 in those run by the Centre.

7:57 PM

Karnataka reports 1,704 new Covid-19 cases

7:45 PM

Punjab reports 710 new Covid-19 cases, 497 discharged

7:32 PM

Maharashtra reports 5,753 new Covid-19 cases

7:22 PM

1,495 new Covid-19 cases, 1,167 recoveries reported in Gujarat

7:10 PM

Haryana to distribute 1 crore face masks: CM Khattar

With the sudden spoke in coronavirus cases in the state, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Sunday warned the people to use face masks to contain the virus and said the government would distribute one crore masks among the public.
 

Ruling out the imposition of the state lockdown again, Khattar, in a televised address, said a fine of Rs 500 would be enforced strictly on those who were found violating safety norms in public places.

6:57 PM

Only night curfew will be enforced in four cities of Gujarat from tomorrow: CM Rupani

6:45 PM

2,588 new Covid-19 cases, 35 deaths in Uttar Pradesh

Uttar Pradesh recorded 2,588 fresh coronavirus cases on Sunday, pushing the tally to 5,26,780, while the death toll rose to 7,559 with 35 more fatalities.
 

The fresh cases were reported from Lucknow (351), Meerut (283), Ghaziabad (189), Gautam Buddh Nagar (171), Kanpur (118), Allahabad (110) and Varanasi (102), a health department bulletin said.

6:30 PM

Kerala records 5,254 new Covid-19 cases today

6:11 PM

Andhra Pradesh reports 1,121 new Covid-19 cases

5:58 PM

Puducherry reports 46 new Covid-19 cases, 88 discharges

5:48 PM

Afghanistan reports 203 new Covid-19 cases, 44,706 in total

Afghanistan reported 203 new confirmed COVID-19 cases on Sunday, raising its national tally to 44,706, including 6,927 active cases, the country's Ministry of Public Health said.
 

"Laboratories conducted 1,307 tests during the past 24 hours, out of the total tests 203 were positive COVID-19 cases in eight provinces of Afghanistan's 34 provinces," the ministry said in a statement.

5:39 PM

Government exploring modalities of emergency authorisation of Covid-19 vaccine

The government is exploring the modalities of emergency authorisation and usage of anti-coronavirus vaccines pending completion of phase-three clinical trial and regular licensure.
 

The issue of advance purchase commitment for vaccines, including pricing, was also discussed in a recent meeting attended by NITI Aayog Member (Health) Vinod Paul, Principal Scientific Advisor to the government K VijayRaghavan and Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan.
 

"It was decided that the PMO-constituted Vaccine Task Force (VTF) will lay down the principles for emergency use authorisation while the National Expert Group On Vaccine Administration for COVID-19 (NEGVAC) should take the lead in setting the principles for advance market commitment, including vaccine pricing," a source said.

5:33 PM

Sputnik V priced lower than Pfizer and Moderna vaccines: Sputnik V Twitter account

The price per dose of the Russian coronavirus vaccine Sputnik V will be much lower than that of the vaccines of US drug giants Pfizer and Moderna, said the Russian vaccine's official Twitter account on Sunday.
 

"Translating pharma lingo: the announced price of Pfizer of $19.50 and Moderna of $25-$37 per dose actually means their price of $39 and $50-$74 per person. Two doses are required per person for the Pfizer, Sputnik V and Moderna vaccines. The price of Sputnik V will be much lower," the official account said.

5:32 PM

Colleges may be shut if coronavirus cases rise: Minister

Barely six days after the degree and engineering colleges were reopened in the state, Karnataka Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar on Sunday said they may be shut again if the coronavirus cases go up.

 

The degree, engineering and diploma colleges were reopened on November 17 after eight months of closure due to coronavirus-induced lockdown.

 

Under the circumstances, reports emerged that at least 130 students got infected by COVID-19.

5:15 PM

Total of 17 teachers & teaching staff test Covid-19 positive in Pune

5:04 PM

Covid-19 woes: Govt will support ailing Telugu film industry, says CM

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao has assured that all measures to protect and support the Telugu film industry would be adopted as the sector and workers dependent on it suffered losses due to stoppage of film shootings, closure of theatres in view of Covid-19 pandemic.
 

Rao held a meeting with the film industry representatives who raised the problems faced by them and the losses incurred by the industry due to the pandemic and urged him to extend support, for which he positively responded, an official release said on Sunday.

4:47 PM

G20 Summit: Singapore PM calls for equitable distribution of Covid vaccines

Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has called on the world leaders to work together to ensure affordable and equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines and boost global disease surveillance networks to prepare nations for any such future outbreaks.
 

Addressing the virtual G20 Summit hosted by Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Lee on Saturday said that the group is well placed to coordinate and drive the global response required to tackle the Covid-19 crisis, the Straits Times reported.