Coronavirus LIVE: More than 13.7 million vaccine doses administered so far

Coronavirus live updates: The five most affected states by total cases are Maharashtra (2,130,000), Kerala (1,049,000), Karnataka (949,636), Andhra Pradesh (889,409), and Tamil Nadu (849,166)

10:18 PM

Odisha makes 7-day quarantine mandatory for travellers from 12 states

Odisha Govt makes 7-day home isolation mandatory for travellers from Maharashtra, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, West Bengal, Punjab, Delhi, Chandigarh, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh to the State, in view of current Covid situation in these States, according to ANI

9:50 PM

Over 13K get Covid jabs; fall in number of beneficiaries on Friday in Delhi

Over 13,000 beneficiaries received anti-Covid-19 vaccine on Friday, a significant fall from the number of people who had got the shots a day before, according to data shared by officials.

 

Over 3.6 lakh beneficiaries have received the vaccine till date in Delhi since the start of the inoculation drive a month ago, with more than 18,900 people receiving jabs on Thursday. Out of the total tally, more than 1.46 lakh are healthcare workers and over 2.2 lakh are frontline workers, as per the data. Read more

9:06 PM

Haryana records 148 fresh Covid-19 cases in past 24 hours

Haryana recorded 148 fresh coronavirus cases on Friday, taking the infection tally in the state to 2,70,411, a health department bulletin said.

 

With one more fatality from Karnal district, the death toll due to COVID-19 in the state rose to 3,044, it said.

 

Of the 148 fresh cases, Gurgaon reported 29 and Karnal 30. At present, there are 1,103 active cases in the state, while as many as 2,66,264 have recovered from the infection. The recovery rate is 98.47 per cent in Haryana, the bulletin added.

8:57 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: More than 13.7 million vaccine doses administered so far

8:33 PM

571 new coronavirus cases in Karnataka, four deaths

Karnataka logged 571 new COVID-19 cases and four related fatalities, taking the caseload to just over 9.50 lakh and the toll to 12,320, the Health department said on Friday. The day also saw 642 patients getting discharged after recovery. Bengaluru Urban accounted for most number of fresh cases at 368.

 

Cumulatively 9,50,207 COVID-19 positive cases have been confirmed in the state, which includes 12,320 deaths and 9,32,367 discharges, the Health department said in its bulletin.

 

Out of 5,501 active cases, 5,380 patients are stable and in isolation at designated hospitals, while 121 are in Intensive Care Units.

7:54 PM

No new event of post-vaccination hospitalisation reported in past 24 hours: Health Ministry

Five States with the highest vaccinations today - Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Gujarat, Karnataka and Maharashtra. No new event of hospitalisation reported in the past 24 hours: Health Ministry

7:42 PM

Rise in Covid cases in Delhi; experts warn against non-adherence to norms

Just as the Delhi government had asserted that the coronavirus pandemic had been "defeated" in the national capital, cases are on the rise again dramatically, as doctors on Friday warned that the numbers could go up in the coming months and urged people to continue to wear masks and follow COVID-19 safety norms.

Many doctors at leading healthcare facilities here cautioned that the rise was "alarming" with an "upsurge" in the number of patients going there in the last couple of days, after the cases had shown a downward spiral for nearly six weeks. READ ON...

7:25 PM

Seniors, 45+ with co-morbidities now can pick Covid vaccination site: Govt

As India gears up to vaccinate peopleabove 60 years of age and those over 45 years with comorbidities against COVID-19 from March 1, the Union Health Ministry on Friday said the facility of on-site registrations will be available so that eligible beneficiaries can walk into identified vaccination centres, get themselves registered and get inoculated.

 

The beneficiaries will be able to self-register in advance by downloading the Co-WIN 2.0 portal and through other IT applications such as Arogya Setu etc whichwill list the government and private hospitals serving as COVID-19 vaccination centres (CVCs) with the date and time of the available schedules. READ ON...

7:19 PM

Puducherry reports 20 new Covid-19 cases

The COVID-19 tally in the union territory of Puducherry rose to 39,697 on Monday with the addition of 20 new cases, the Health Department said. No fatalities were reported and the toll remained at 667.

 

A total of 1,648 samples were tested in the last 24 hours ending 10 AM, taking the cumulative number of specimens examined so far to 6.25 lakh, Health and Family Welfare Services Director S Mohan Kumar said in a release.

6:58 PM

Bharat Biotech confirms deal with Brazil to supply 20 million doses of COVAXIN vaccine

Bharat Biotech confirms deal with Brazil to supply 20 million doses of COVAXIN vaccine

6:14 PM

MHA says existing Covid-19 guidelines to continue till March 31

The home ministry Friday said the existing COVID-19 guidelines will remain in force till March 31. In a statement, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said while there has been a substantial decline in the active and new COVID-19 cases, there is need to maintain surveillance, containment and caution so as to fully overcome the pandemic.

 

The states and union territories have also been advised to speed up the vaccination of the target population so as to break the chain of transmission and overcome the pandemic.

 

Accordingly, containment zones continue to be demarcated carefully; prescribed containment measures strictly followed within these zones; COVID-appropriate behaviour promoted and strictly enforced; and the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) prescribed in respect of various permitted activities followed scrupulously, the home ministry said.

5:46 PM

Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine reduces transmission after one dose - UK study

A single dose of Pfizer and BioNtech's COVID-19 vaccine cuts the number of asymptomatic infections and could significantly reduce the risk of transmission of the virus, results of a UK study found on Friday.

 

Researchers analysed results from thousands of COVID-19 tests carried out each week as part of hospital screenings of healthcare staff in Cambridge, eastern England.

 

"Our findings show a dramatic reduction in the rate of positive screening tests among asymptomatic healthcare workers after a single dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine," said Nick Jones, an infectious diseases specialist at Cambridge University Hospital, who co-led the study.

5:01 PM

Senior citizens, those with co-morbidities above 45 years can now register on-site and get Covid-19 vaccine

As India gears up to vaccinate peopleabove 60 years of age and those over 45 years with comorbidities against COVID-19 from March 1, the Union Health Ministry on Friday said the facility of on-site registrations will be available so that eligible beneficiaries can walk into identified vaccination centres, get themselves registered and get inoculated.

 

The beneficiaries will be able to self-register in advance by downloading the Co-WIN 2.0 portal and through other IT applications such as Arogya Setu etc whichwill list the government and private hospitals serving as COVID-19 vaccination centres (CVCs) with the date and time of the available schedules.

 

The beneficiary would be able to choose the CVC of his/her choice and book an appointment for immunization, the ministry said. Vaccination will be free of charge at the government vaccination centres. Those taking the COVID vaccine at any designated/empanelled private health facility will have to pay a pre-fixed charge, it said.

4:15 PM

Neuberg Diagnostics claims first pvt lab to give vaccine shots in India

Neuberg Diagnostics has claimed that it has received the Government's approval for administering Covid-19 vaccine to its staff, and is currently waiting for approval to administer vaccines to identified priority groups in Tamil Nadu. These groups include those above the age of 60 years and those above 45 years with co-morbidities. The vaccines will be administered at Neuberg Ehrlich Laboratory in Chennai. The company claims the diagnostics chain becomes first private lab to administer vaccines

 

Ahead of the vaccination, Neuberg has technically trained its staff who can proficiently inoculate the population with utmost compliance. As per the official guidelines, the lab has created the dedicated sections for registration &verification, vaccination and observation, said the company. READ MORE...

3:59 PM

Coronavirus LIVE updates: Testing triples in Nagpur amid rise in cases

Maharashtra minister Nitin Raut on Friday said coronavirus testing in Nagpur has tripled to over 10,000 tests per day, amid rise in infections.

 

Addressing the media after a review meeting with district officials, Raut said there are 1,769 oxygen beds, 684 ICU and 263 ventilator beds available for COVID-19 patients in the district.

 

Although the cases of coronavirus are increasing in Maharashtra, the administration has been able to control the situation in Nagpur, the district's guardian minister said.

3:39 PM

Covid LIVE: Centre explains basic features of Co-WIN 2.0 to states/UTs

Rajesh Bhushan, Union Health Secretary along with Dr R S Sharma, Chairman of Empowered Group on Vaccine Administration (Co-WIN) and member, National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration of Covid-19 (NEGVAC) chaired a high-level meeting today with Health Secretaries and MDs (NHM) of States and UTs on the vaccination of age-appropriate groups through a video conference (VC), according to a press release. 

 

The States and UTs were explained the basic features of version 2.0 of the digital platform CO-Win, which is a population-scale software with capacity of processing several thousands of entries. The new phase of vaccination of age-appropriate groups will expand the Covid-19 vaccination in the country manifold. With a citizen –centric approach, the fundamental shift in this phase is that citizens in the identified age groups, as also those healthcare workers and frontline who have been missed out or left out of the present phase of vaccination, can select vaccination centres of their choice. Secondly, the private sector hospitals will be involved as Covid-19 Vaccination centres to harness their potential to expand the vaccination capacities.

 

2:54 PM

No Covid-19 vaccination will take place on Saturday and Sunday: Govt

No vaccination will take place on Saturday and Sunday as the Centre will enable transition of CoWIN app from version 1.0 to 2.0 ahead of the commencement of vaccination from March 1 for people above 60 years of age and those above 45 years with comorbidities, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said.

 

"On this Saturday and Sunday (27th and 28th Feb), the Co-Win digital platform will be transitioning from Co-Win1.0 to Co-Win 2.0. In view of this, COVID 19 Vaccination sessions will not be scheduled during these two days. The States and UTs have been already informed about this transition," the ministry added.

 

As per the officials, the inoculation drive will be driven by CoWIN 2.0 which the government's plans to launch the next by Sunday. The eligible population of those over 60 years and those over 45 years with comorbidities will be able to self-register on the app.

2:43 PM

Russia records 11,086 Covid-19 cases in past 24 hours

Russia's single-day increase in coronavirus cases fell to the lowest level since October 5 with 11,086 new cases confirmed (down from 11,198 the day before), the coronavirus response center said on Friday.

 

On October 5, Russia confirmed 10,888 coronavirus cases.

1:54 PM

Covid-19 India LIVE: Less than 1,000 active cases in 21 states, UTs

Twentystates and UTs have not reported any COVID-19 deaths in a span of 24 hours, while21 states andUTs have less than 1,000 active cases, the Union Health Ministry said on Friday. India's COVID-19 active caseload was recorded at1,55,986 comprising 1.41 per centof the total infections. This is largely attributable to the upsurge in daily new cases in some states and UTs, the ministry said.

 

"However, 21 states and UTs have less than 1,000 active cases," it underlined.

 

These are Jammu and Kashmir (820), Andhra Pradesh (611), Odisha (609), Goa (531), Uttarakhand (491), Bihar (478), Jharkhand (467), Chandigarh (279), Himachal Pradesh (244), Puducherry (196), Lakshadweep (86), Ladakh (56), Sikkim (43), Manipur (40), Tripura (32), Mizoram (27), Meghalaya (20), Nagaland (13), Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli (5), Arunachal Pradesh (3) and Andaman and Nicobar islands (2).

1:53 PM

Sri Lanka ends forced cremations of Covid-19 victims

Amidst mounting international criticism, Sri Lanka has revised a controversial mandatory order to cremate the bodies of COVID-19 victims, which denied minority communities, including Muslims, their religious rights. The government on Thursday revised a gazette notification issued in April last year. The new notification has allowed both burials and cremations.

 

For 10 months, Muslim and Christian minorities in the country and international rights groups have been lobbying the government to end the policy of forced cremations.

 

The government was resisting calls to allow burials citing health concerns. It cited the opinion of some experts who claimed that the burial of COVID-19 victims would contaminate the water table thereby spreading the pandemic further.

11:30 AM

Facebook disagrees with Oversight Board on tweaking Covid-19 policies

Facebook has disagreed with one Covid-19 related recommendation made by the independent Oversight Board, saying that this will lead to softening its enforcement of misinformation related to the pandemic.

 

The Oversight Board last month made 17 recommendations, based on the six cases, for Facebook to improve its content moderation.

 

Nick Clegg, VP, Global Affairs and Communications at Facebook said on Thursday that they are committed to consider the recommendations and communicate transparently about actions taken. Read on...

10:34 AM

Coronavirus in US: Biden marks 50 million Covid-19 vaccine doses in first 5 weeks in office

Days after marking a solemn milestone in the pandemic, President Joe Biden is celebrating the pace of his efforts to end it.

 

On Thursday, Biden marked the administration of the 50 millionth dose of Covid-19 vaccine since his swearing-in. The moment came days after the nation reached the devastating milestone of 500,000 coronavirus deaths and ahead of a meeting with the nation's governors on plans to speed the distribution even further.

 

The more people get vaccinated, the faster we're going to beat this pandemic, Biden said at the White House ceremony, noting that his administration is on course to exceed his promise to deliver 100 million shots in his first 100 days in office. Read on...

10:07 AM

Hospitals turn to pre-Covid biz as patients prefer home quarantine

The sudden spike in positive cases across many states is not making too many hospitals change their plans yet on winding down infrastructure exclusively linked to Covid-19. Hospitals and health care centres had begun freeing up space dedicated to Covid when cases went downhill. Even as cases have risen recently, home quarantine seems to be the preferred health care option for a large majority, according to health care executives.

 

The scene at Manipal Hospitals, which has the country’s second-largest hospital network in terms of beds, captures the new reality. The hospital has re-converted its Covid intensive care units into regular ICUs. These ICUs have an isolated section where Covid-19 patients can be kept, if necessary. Read on...

10:06 AM

Hong Kong begins Covid vaccinations for 7.5 mn residents with Sinovac jab

Hong Kong began administering its first Covid-19 vaccines to the public Friday, kicking off its program offering free vaccinations to all 7.5 million residents.

 

People age 60 and older and health care workers are among the some 2.4 million people currently prioritized to receive vaccines at community centers and outpatient clinics across Hong Kong. The government said registrations for the first two weeks of the program are full. Read on...

10:00 AM

Brazil signs Covid vaccine deal with Bharat Biotech for 20 mn Covaxin doses

On the same day Brazil reached the grim milestone of 250,000 deaths by Covid-19, the country's health ministry signed a deal with Indian pharmaceutical company Bharat Biotech for the purchase of 20 million doses of the Covaxin vaccine, which is yet to be approved by local regulators.

 

The administration of President Jair Bolsonaro said the first 8 million Covaxin shots, which will be made by Brazilian company Precisa Medicamentos, will arrive in March. A second batch of another 8 million doses is expected for April and in May, another 4 million doses will be available.

9:55 AM

Hungary extends Covid-19 restrictions to March 15

Hungary will maintain the restrictive measures introduced to rein in the novel coronavirus pandemic until March 15, Gergely Gulyas, the head of the Prime Minister's Office, said here on Thursday.

 

"Mass vaccination will provide an opportunity to ease the restrictions, but we are currently in the third wave of the epidemic, so we will extend the measures in force until March 15, taking into account the views of epidemiological experts," Gulyas said at a press conference following a session of the government.

 

He said that the national vaccination campaign has been accelerated, and explained that the restrictions could be radically eased once people over the age of 60 and those living with some kind of chronic illness -- who are most at risk -- receive the jab, the Xinhua news agency reported.

9:51 AM

India looks set to beat recession even as new coronavirus cases loom

As India’s economic fortunes stand at the cusp of a turnaround, a spike in coronavirus cases across its key business centers risks undoing some of the gains.

Data due later Friday will probably show gross domestic product expanded 0.6 per cent in the three months ended December, after contracting for two consecutive quarters, according to the median forecast in a Bloomberg survey of economists. That will help Asia’s third-largest economy exit an unprecedented recession. Read on...

9:44 AM

Coronavirus in India: Latest update by MoHFW

Active cases: 155,986 (Net addition: 4,278)

Deaths: 156,825 (Net increase: 120)

Cured: 10,750,680 (Net increase: 12,179)

Total cases: 11,063,491 (Net increase: 16,577)

Total vaccination: 13,472,643 (Increase over previous day: 801,480)