Coronavirus LIVE: Aim to vaccinate 300 mn people in next few mnths, says PM

Coronavirus live updates: With 16,085 fresh Covid-19 cases, India's caseload now stands at 10,467,431. Death toll has mounted to 151,198

2:06 AM

Assam reports 45 new Covid-19 cases, three more deaths

Assam's Covid-19 tally rose to 2,16,635 on Monday as 45 more people tested positive for the infection, while three fresh fatalities pushed the death toll to 1,064, a bulletin issued by the National Health Mission said.
 

At least 64 patients were cured of the disease and discharged from hospitals during the day, taking the total number of recoveries to 2,12,567, it said.

The recovery rate among coronavirus patients in the state stands at 98.1 per cent.
 

The current rate of fatality due to the infection is at 0.49 per cent, while 1,347 Covid patients have died for other reasons, the bulletin said.
 

The forty-five new cases were detected from 19,033 sample tests conducted during the day with a positivity rate of 0.24 per cent.
 

Assam now has 3,001 active cases, and three Covid patients have migrated to other states.
 

The northeastern state has so far conducted 61,98,370 sample tests.
 

2:06 AM

Regeneron says antibodies likely potent vs virus variants, Lilly concerned about S. Africa version

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc's dual antibody therapy for Covid-19 will likely be effective against new variants of the coronavirus identified so far, the drugmaker's chief executive officer said on Monday.
 

The discovery in recent weeks of highly transmissible new variants of the coronavirus in the United Kingdom and South Africa has raised alarm that current drugs and vaccines against the virus might be rendered less effective.
 

Eli Lilly and Co said its coronavirus antibody treatment, bamlanivimab, which is approved for emergency use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, is effective against the UK variant, but may not be able to neutralize the one identified in South Africa.
 

2:05 AM

Biden gets second shot and faults mask-rejecting Republicans

President-elect Joe Biden received his second dose of a coronavirus vaccine on Monday -- warning that the pandemic will worsen before it improves and criticizing Republican lawmakers who refused to wear masks while hiding from a mob at the US Capitol last week.
 

Biden told reporters he was “appalled” to learn that some Republican members of Congress refused to wear masks while hiding with colleagues from a mob that overran the Capitol on Wednesday as lawmakers counted Electoral College votes.
 

Representative Bonnie Coleman, a New Jersey Democrat, announced Monday on Twitter that she had tested positive for coronavirus infection after sheltering “with several colleagues who refused to wear masks.”
 

“It’s irresponsible,” Biden said. “It’s not a political issue, it’s an issue of public safety and it’s going to get worse before it gets better.”
 

He added that 3,000 American deaths per day from Covid-19 is “beyond the pale.”
 

Biden is due to unveil a proposal for another coronavirus aid package on Thursday, and will meet remotely with his advisers later Monday as he plots a plan to speed up vaccinations and pass a relief bill.
 

“My number one priority is getting vaccine into people’s arms, like we just did today, as rapidly as we can,” Biden said. “It’s going to be hard, it’s not going to be easy, but we can get it done.”
 

Biden said he has asked whether lawmakers can “bifurcate” handling an impeachment trial along with confirmation of his cabinet and passage of a new aid package.
 

“My priority is to get, first and foremost, a stimulus bill passed,” he said. “Could you go half a day on dealing with impeachment and half a day getting my people nominated and confirmed in the Senate, as well as moving on the package? So, that’s my hope and expectation.” He said he hasn’t yet been told if that’s possible.

10:44 PM

156 more test positive for Covid-9 in U'khand

Uttarakhand's Covid tally rose to 93,777 on Monday with 156 more people testing positive while five more infected patients died. Dehradun district reported the highest number of 56 cases followed by Nainital (44), Haridwar (15), and Udham Singh Nagar (13), astate health department bulletin here said.

Meanwhile, five more COVID-19 patients died in the state taking the toll so far to 1,578, the bulletin said. A total of 88,196 infected people have recuperated, 1,250 have migrated out of the state and 2,753 are under treatment, it said.

9:37 PM

Over 1,100 mock 'vaccines' administered for Covid-19 in second dry run in Noida

Over 1,100 'practice beneficiaries' were administered shots during the second 'dry run' for COVID-19 vaccination that was conducted in Uttar Pradesh's Gautam Buddh Nagar district on Monday amid tight security, officials said. The first dry run (or mock drill) for the vaccination had taken place at six centres -- three rural and three urban -- in the district on January 5. The dry run was held at 30 centres spread across 75 sessions during which 1,125 practice beneficiaries were administered the mock vaccine, District Information Officer Rakesh Chauhan said in a statement.

There were 15 beneficiaries per session of the mock drill, he added. "District Magistrate Suhas L Y reviewed the dry run at the CHC (community healthcare centre) in Bhangel. He instructed health department officials to adequately prepare and follow guidelines for the actual vaccination drive which will begin in the coming days on orders of the state government," Chauhan said.

Earlier, a police statement said the dry run was conducted successfully at all vaccination centres in Gautam Buddh Nagar by the health and the police departments. "Any shortcomings highlighted during the dry runs are being identified and corrected," the statement added.

9:04 PM

First lot of Covid-19 vaccine vials to arrive in Kolkata on Tuesday

The first consignment of around 70-80 lakh vials of COVID-19 vaccines is likely to reach the city on Tuesday. Four vehicles have been readied to ferry the consignment from the city airport to state-owned Central Family Welfare Stores at Bagbazar -- the biggest depot for stockpiling vaccines in Bengal, he said on Monday.

 

At the Bagbazar store, five walk-in-coolers (WICs) and four walk-in-freezers (WIFs) have been prepared to store the vials. Hoping that distribution of the vials to other districts may begin shortly after it arrives, or on Wednesday, the official said all "transportation has been arranged".

 

"Before the vials are dispatched to other districts, we will have to take down details, such as batch number and other specifications," he said. The central government had last week said that the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive would begin on January 16. Frontline workers will be among the first ones to receive the dose.

8:43 PM

Delhi records 306 new cases, 13 more deaths; positivity rate 0.54%

Delhi recorded 306 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, the lowest in over seven months, and a positivity rate much below one per cent. This is also the eighth time the count of daily cases stood below the 500-mark in January.

 

The infection tally in the city stood at 6.3 lakh and the death toll mounted to 10,666 with 13 more fatalities, they said.

 

This month, 585 cases were reported on January 1, 494 on January 2, 424 on January 3, 384 on January 4, 442 on January 5, 654 on January 6, 486 on January 7, 444 on January 8, 519 on January 9 and 399 on January 10. The active cases tally on Monday stood at 3,354, while the positivity rate was recorded at 0.54 per cent.

8:20 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Kerala records 3,110 new Covid-19 cases

Kerala reported 3,110 new positive cases and 20 COVID-19-related deaths on Monday, pushing the caseload to 8,14,258 and the toll to 3,322. State health minister K K Shailaja said one UK returnee also tested positive for coronavirus, taking the total number of affected UK returnees to the state to 54.

 

Untilnow,six returnees from Britain have been found infected with the new strain of the virus.

 

"The state has tested 35,281 samples in the last 24 hours and the test positivityrate is 8.81 per cent.Till now, 84,87,178 samples have been examined in Kerala," the minister said in a release. Meanwhile, 3,922 people recuperated from the disease on Monday, taking the total number of cured to 7,47,389. There are 63,346 people under treatment in the state.

7:53 PM

Centre to bear expenses for first round of vaccination for 30 crore in first few months: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Monday that the central government will bear the expenses of vaccinating nearly three crore healthcare and frontline workers in the first round and suggested that public representatives, a reference to politicians, should not be part of this initial exercise.

 

Interacting with state chief ministers, Modi underscored the enormity of what he described as the world's biggest vaccination exercise, which begins from January 16, saying over 30 crore citizens will get the jabs in the next few months in India against only 2.5 crore people who have received them in over 50 countries in around a month so far.

 

The two already approved made-in-India COVID-19 vaccines are more cost-effective than any other in the world and have been developed as per the country's needs, he said in his remarks in the meeting called to discuss the COVID-19 situation and the vaccination roll-out.

7:51 PM

Covid-19 impact: Govt not to print Budget documents this year

The voluminous Budget documents will not be printed this year following the COVID-19 protocol and will instead be distributed electronically to the Members of Parliament (MPs). This will be the first time since the presentation of independent India's first budget on November 26, 1947, that the documents containing income and expenditure statement of the Union government along with finance bill, detailing new tax and other measures for the new financial year, will not be physically printed.

 

Due to COVID-19, it has been decided not to print documents related to the Union Budget for the fiscal beginning April (FY 2021-22). All MPs will get soft copies of the budget and Economic Survey that contains an account of the state of the economy.

 

The printing of documents requires staff to be locked up in the basement printing press of the finance ministry couple of weeks ahead of the presentation of the Budget. The printing all these years began with a 'Halwa' ceremony that marked the staff going into the basement press only to emerge after the budget is presented.

6:58 PM

30 million will be vaccinated in the first phase: Modi in meeting with CMs

India will vaccinate around 300 million people in the "next few months" against the coronavirus, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, hailing the inoculation’s cost for a country that has the second most pandemic cases.
 

"From 16th January we are starting the world's largest vaccination program. Around 30 million healthcare workers and frontline workers will be vaccinated in the first phase, said Modi. In the second phase, those above 50 years and those under 50 years with co-morbid conditions will be given shots"

 

"Health workers – government as well as private - will be vaccinated first of all. Sanitation workers, other frontline workers, defence forces, Police and other paramilitary forces will also be vaccinated in the first phase," Modi said in a meeting with chief ministers through video. He added that India's vaccines are the most cost effective. READ ON...

 

6:24 PM

We've been scarred by the pandemic, task ahead is to restore economic growth and livelihood: RBI Governor

6:16 PM

Covid-19 pandemic can result in balance sheet impairments, capital shortfalls: RBI Governor

6:15 PM

30 crore people to be vaccinated against Covid-19 in next few months: PM Modi

Ahead of the first phase of COVID-19 vaccination drive in the country starting from January 16, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said India has worked in an exemplary manner to showcase federalism in the fight against the pandemic and proper dialogue between Centre and states played a major role in it. Speaking at an interaction with chief ministers on vaccination rollout, the Prime Minister said 30 crore people will be vaccinated against COVID-19 in the next few months.

 

He said quick decisions were taken with full sensitivity and, as a result, COVID-19 has not spread in India on the scale on which it spread in some other parts of the world.

 

"The proper dialogue between Centre and States has played a major role in combating COVID-19. In the fight against the COVID-19, we have worked in an exemplary manner to showcase federalism. I'm satisfied that we worked together by standing united in COVID crisis, quick decisions were taken with full sensitivity," the Prime Minister said.

 

He said India will start the world's largest vaccination programme from January 16 and two Made in India vaccines have been given emergency use approval.

 

"We aim to vaccinate 30 crore people in the next few months. Around 3 crore healthcare workers and frontline workers will be vaccinated in the first phase of vaccination. In the second phase, those above 50 years and those under 50 years with co-morbid conditions will be vaccinated," the Prime Minister said.

6:03 PM

Govt signs purchase order with Serum for AstraZeneca vaccine: Report

India’s government has signed a purchase order with vaccine producer Serum Institute for doses of the Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, a source familiar with the matter said on Monday.

 

Television channel CNBC-TV 18 said the order was for 11 million doses.

 

The government has also signed a purchase agreement with Indian firm Bharat Biotech for its COVID-19 vaccine, the news channel reported. Representatives for Serum, Bharat Biotech and India’s health ministry did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment. READ ON...