Coronavirus LIVE: India cases at 10,141,215; global death toll 1,740,762

Coronavirus live updates: At 1,909,951, Maharashtra has the highest number of coronavirus cases, followed by Karnataka 912,340, Andhra Pradesh 879,718, Tamil Nadu 810,080, and Kerala 721,510

3:12 AM

Bollywood, reeling from coronavirus pandemic, shifts to streaming

“Coolie No. 1” has all the hallmarks of a big Bollywood film: colorful costumes, larger-than-life sets, foot-tapping music and a melodramatic story about a man who pretends he has a twin to woo the woman of his dreams.
 

After shooting wrapped in February, the film was set for a May theatrical release. But when “Coolie No. 1” finally reaches screens on Christmas Day, it will not show up in one of India’s 3,000 theaters. Instead, it will debut on Amazon’s streaming service.

 

“I make films for the theater, but this time there was no way we could do that,” said David Dhawan, the director. After the coronavirus pandemic barreled in and shut down movie theaters, the wait for a theatrical debut became excruciating, he said. So a deal to send the film to Amazon after its release shifted to a direct streaming plan.

 

“It’s a compromise, definitely,” said Mr. Dhawan, whose movie is a remake of a 1995 blockbuster of the same name that he also directed. “But at least my film is releasing.” Read more

3:01 AM

205 new coronavirus cases in Ahmedabad district, three deaths

Ahmedabad district recorded 205 new cases of coronavirus in the last 24 hours, highest in the state, the Gujarat Health Department said on Thursday evening.

 

It took the district's caseload to 56,412.

 

Three Covid-19 patients from the city died during this period, taking the death toll in the district to 2,226, the department said in a release.

 

Of 205 new coronavirus cases, 197 cases were from the city while only eight cases emerged from rural areas.

2:59 AM

Covid-19: Ghaziabad admin sets up dedicated wing for UK, Europe returnees

The Ghaziabad adminstration has established a dedicated wing inside the integrated Covid-19 control room to treat people who have returned from the UK and Europe after a new Covid-19 strain was found in Britain, officials said on Thursday.

 

Private Covid-19 hospitals have also been instructed to set up a separate wing and reserve beds to provide treatment to people suspected to be infected by the new strain of the virus, district magistrate Ajay Shankar Pandey told PTI.

2:56 AM

Masks, RT-PCR kits handed over to healthcare workers in J&K

In an effort to protect frontline workers and improve compliance around wearing face masks, Action Against COVID-19 Team (ACT) Grants along with Ekdesh, a non-profit organisation, on Thursday handed over one lakh N95 masks, 15,000 RT-PCR and RNA extraction kits and high flow oxygen cannula (HFNC) devices for healthcare workers in Jammu and Kashmir.

 

The mask distribution drive was flagged off by Financial Commissioner, Health and Medical Education, Atal Dulloo in presence of volunteers and local coordinator Ashim Khuda and Founder of Ekdesh Poonam Kaul in Jammu.

9:07 PM

Zydus Cadila seeks nod for phase three clinical trials of Covid vaccine

Zydus Cadila on Thursday submitted data from phase one and two clinical trials for its coronavirus vaccine ZyCov-D and sought approval for the next phase of tests. The vaccine was found to be safe and well tolerated in tests on more than a thousand healthy adult volunteers, said the company, adding phase three clinical trial in around 30,000 volunteers upon receiving necessary approvals.

 

The multi-centre and randomized trials were reviewed by an independent Data Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB). Reports have been submitted to Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) regularly for the update on safety outcome.

 

Zydus Group chairperson Pankaj Patel said that company is optimistic of the phase III clinical trial outcomes as well. "We would be able to start production of the novel vaccine on its successful completion," he said. READ ON...

8:56 PM

Centre chooses Punjab to conduct dry run for Covid-19 vaccine

8:45 PM

Delhi reports 1,063 new Covid-19 cases; total caseload 620,681

8:38 PM

Gujarat govt collected Rs 115 crore in fines from mask violators

The Gujarat government on Thursday informed the Gujarat High Court that it has collected nearly Rs 115 crore in fines from over 23 lakh people found without masks amid the coronavirus outbreak. The state government, in its affidavit, stated that till December 22, Rs 1,15,88,00,000 have been collected from 23,64,420 persons for not wearing masks or appropriately covering their faces.

 

The affidavit was submitted to the division bench comprising Chief Justice Vikram Nath and Justice J B Pardiwala.

 

The bench is hearing a suo motu plea regarding various aspects related to the COVID-19 outbreak in the state. The bench admitted the reply and kept further hearing on January 8. While listing several steps it had taken to stem the viral spread, the state government said it had restricted celebrations of various festivals, such as Navratri, Eid, Janmashtmi and Holi.

8:25 PM

Maharashtra reports 3,580 new Covid-19 infections; state tally rises to 1,909,951

8:21 PM

Covid-19 LIVE: Rajasthan records 1,001 fresh cases, eight more fatalities

With 1,001 fresh cases, Rajasthan's COVID-19 tally went up to 3,02,709 on Thursday while eight more fatalities pushed the death toll due to the disease to 2,650 in the state. Two deaths were reported from Jodhpur while Bundi, Chittorgarh, Jaipur, Jhalawar, Pali and Tonk recorded a death each, according to an official report issued here.

 

Of the fresh cases, Jaipur reported the maximum of 175 while Kota and Jodhpur recorded 113 and 100 respectively. The remaining cases were reported from other districts.

 

A total of 2,88,388 COVID-19 patients have recovered from the infection so far in the state, while the number of active cases is 11,759, the report said.