India Coronavirus Cases: 80,66,501 people have recovered from coronavirus so far. (File)
India saw a single-day increase of 47,905 infections taking the country's COVID-19 caseload to 86,83,916, while the number of people who have recuperated from the disease have surged to 80,66,501, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Thursday.
The coronavirus death count climbed to 1,28,121 with 550 new fatalities, the data updated at 8 am showed.
The number of active cases remained below 5 lakh for the second consecutive day.
There are 4,89,294 active cases of coronavirus infection in the country as on date which comprises 5.63 per cent of the total caseload, the data stated. The total recoveries have surged to 80, 66,501 pushing the national recovery rate to 92.89 per cent, while COVID-19 case fatality rate stands at 1.48 per cent.
Meanwhile, Serum Institute of India, the world's largest vaccine producer, said on Thursday it has made 40 million doses of AstraZeneca's potential COVID-19 vaccine, and would soon begin making Novavax's rival shot, as they both seek regulatory approval.
Serum said it had enrolled 1,600 participants in India for late-stage trials of AstraZeneca's candidate, and also plan s to seek regulatory approval to run late-stage trials for the Novavax vaccine.
The AstraZeneca vaccine, co-developed by Oxford University, is the most advanced in human testing in India, Serum said, adding that the company and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) will pursue "early availability" of the shot in India.
Here are the highlights on Coronavirus Cases:
Andhra Pradesh reports 1,728 new COVID-19 cases
Andhra Pradesh reported 1,728 new cases of COVID-19 taking the tally of total positive cases to 8,49,705, as per the State Health Department on Thursday. According to the State Health Department, a total of 8,22,011 have so far been recovered while the active cases stand at 20,857. Meanwhile, the death toll in the state is 6,837.
Israel says it will sign deal for Pfizer coronavirus vaccine
Israel will sign a provisional deal with Pfizer Inc on Friday to receive 8 million doses of the drugmaker's still-experimental coronavirus vaccine as of January, the Israeli health minister said.
The deal, implementation of which would be subject to approval by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Israel's Health Ministry, would provide vaccines for close to half of the Israeli population, Minister Yuli Edelstein said.
COVID-19: Maharashtra reports 4,496 new cases, 122 deaths
A total 4,496 new cases of COVID-19 were reported in Maharashtra on Thursday taking the total count of cases to 17,36,329.
According to the State Public Health Department, the recoveries stand at 16,05,064 with 7,809 people recovering today. It said 122 people succumbed to the disease taking the death toll to 45,682.
The active cases of coronavirus stand at 84,627 and the recovery rate is at 92.44 per cent.
UK extends virus travel ban on Denmark for 14 days
Britain has extended its travel ban on Denmark to stop the spread of coronavirus for a further 14 days, the government announced on Thursday.
The strict measures were first announced by the UK on November 7 in response to the threat from a mutated version of Covid-19 found in humans and linked to mink farms.
"Following advice from the Chief Medical Officer, the travel ban introduced on 7th November 2020 on Denmark will also be extended for a further 14 days," the transport ministry said.
Chicago issues Covid stay-at-home advisory effective Monday
Chicago's mayor issued a new stay-at-home advisory on Thursday effective from November 16 as the United States' third-biggest city faces a surge in Covid-19 cases.
"I'm issuing a stay-at-home advisory asking all Chicagoans to only leave their homes for essential needs, including work and school," said Lori Lightfoot.
Kerala reports 5,537 new COVID-19 cases, 25 deaths
Kerala on Thursday reported 5,537 new positive cases of COVID-19 and 25 deaths.
According to the state government, out of the total cases reported today, 4,683 people were infected through contact while the source of contact was unknown in 653 cases and 61 medical personnel were among those infected
24/7 PHCs to be set up in Karnataka with World Bank's help: K Sudhakar
Karnataka Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar on Thursday announced that new and improved 25/7 Primary Healthcare Centres (PHC) will soon be set up in the state with the help of the World Bank. "There are 2,300 PHCs in the state presently.
The policy says that one PHC is required for every 30,000 people. But some districts are lagging in this. More PHCs will be set up with the help of the World Bank and existing PHCs will be made functional 27/7," said Sudhakar to the media after a meeting with former Health Ministers and doctor MLAs at the Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru.
Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Majithia tests positive for COVID-19
General Secretary of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) Bikram Singh Majithia tested positive for the novel coronavirus on Thursday.
"This is to inform everyone that I have tested positive for COVID-19. I request all those who have come in contact with me since the last couple of days to be observant about their health, follow self-quarantine and get themselves tested," the SAD leader wrote on Twitter.
As per data from the Union Health Ministry, there are currently 5,246 active COVID-19 cases in Punjab.
Assam reports 3 more COVID deaths, 328 new cases
Assam's COVID-19 deaths on Thursday went up to 957 with three more persons died due to the disease, while 202 new infections pushed the tally to 2,09,835, Health and Family Welfare Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.
Altogether 771 patients also recovered from the infection, taking the total number of cured people to 2,04,076. The recovery rate now is 97.25 per cent. The state currently has of 4,799 active cases, the minister said adding that three persons have migrated out of the state, he said.
Himachal Pradesh reports 765 fresh COVID-19 cases, 6 more deaths
Himachal Pradesh reported six more COVID-19 fatalities on Thursday, taking the deaths in the state to 406, while 765 new cases pushed the infection count to 28,184. Three deaths were reported from Shimla, two from Mandi and one from Hamirpur, according to the Health department data issued.
A total of 198 patients recovered from the disease on Thursday, pushing the total number of recoveries in the state to 21,585, it stated.
Twenty-two people have migrated out of the state, the Health Department said. There are currently 6,165 active COVID-19 cases in Himachal Pradesh.
Global daily coronavirus deaths top 10,000: Report
More than 10,000 people worldwide have died from the novel coronavirus in the last 24 hours as both Europe and the United States are battling a second wave of the pandemic, according to an AFP tally at 1100 GMT on Thursday.
With 10,010 recorded in the past 24 hours, it is the first time since the start of the pandemic that the daily number of deaths worldwide has surpassed the symbolic level of 10,000.
Over $500 Million to be pledged for Covid vaccine access at Paris forum
An international conference in Paris aims to raise more than $500 million towards ensuring fair access to coronavirus tests, treatment and vaccines for all, including poor countries, the organisers said Thursday.
The third edition of the Paris Peace Forum, which seeks to come up with concrete solutions to global issues, is dedicated to finding ways to ease the pain caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
It takes place as the number of cases is rising rapidly across Europe and beyond.
Delhi's home isolation policy a "successful model": Health Minister
Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Thursday asserted that the government's home isolation policy was a "successful model" and had it not been implemented, it would not have been possible to handle such a massive surge in COVID-19 cases at present.
Delhi recorded its biggest single-day jump of 8,593 COVID-19 cases on Wednesday that took its infection tally to over 4.59 lakh, while 85 new fatalities pushed the national capital's death toll to 7,228, authorities said.
One more dies of COVID-19 in Noida, death count 72
Uttar Pradesh's Gautam Buddh Nagar recorded one more death linked to COVID-19 that pushed its death count to 72, while the district's infection tally surged to 19,828 with 214 new cases, official data showed.
Active COVID-19 cases rose to 1,225, the fourth highest in the state, from 1,115 the previous day, according to data released by the Uttar Pradesh Health Department for a 24-hour period.
451 more test positive for COVID-19 in Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand's COVID-19 tally rose to 67,239 with 451 more people testing positive while seven more infected patients died, a health bulletin stated.
Dehradun district reported the highest number with 115 cases, Nainital 60, Chamoli 48, Rudraprayag 47, Pauri 46, Almora 41, Pithoragarh 32, Haridwar 20, Udham Singh Nagar 13, Bageshwar 10, Tehri 9, Champawat 6 and Uttarkashi 4, the state health department bulletin said.
WHO in talks with Russian institute on Sputnik V vaccine
The World Health Organization (WHO) is in discussions with the Russian institute that developed the Sputnik V candidate vaccine against COVID-19 over its potential application for emergency use listing, the UN agency said. Russia's Sputnik V vaccine is 92% effective at protecting people from COVID-19 according to interim trial results, the country's sovereign wealth fund said on Wednesday.
2,788 fresh COVID-19 cases reported in Haryana
Haryana on Thursday reported 2,788 fresh novel coronavirus cases taking the infection tally in the state to 1,93,111 while 19 more fatalities pushed the death count to 1,979.
Of the fresh fatalities, six were from Hisar, four from Faridabad, three from Gurgaon, two each from Jind and Bhiwani while a death each was reported from Jhajjar and Sirsa, according to the state health department's daily bulletin.
Rajasthan reports 13 more COVID-19 deaths, 2,176 new cases
Rajasthan reported 13 more COVID-19 fatalities, taking the death count to 2,032 as 2,176 new cases pushed the state's infection tally to 2,19,327. According to a health department bulletin, 17,352 patients are currently undergoing treatment in the state, and the number of recoveries stands at 1,99,943.
Andhra Pradesh reports 1,728 new COVID-19 cases
Over 77,000 sample tests today turned out 1,728 fresh cases of COVID-19 in Andhra Pradesh, taking the infection count to 8,49,705. Also, 1,777 patients got cured while nine more died during the period, the latest bulletin said. After 8,22,011 recoveries and 6,837 deaths, the number of active coronavirus cases stood at 20,857, it said.
China says faces rising coronavirus risks caused by imported infections
China is facing an increased risk of local transmission of the new coronavirus in the winter due to imported cases as the spread of the global pandemic accelerates, a senior official at the country's health authority said. In winter, there might be sporadic cases in some areas in China and some pocket cluster cases in others, Li Bin, vice minister of the National Health Commission, said. "China's epidemic prevention and control work cannot be relaxed for a single moment," Li said.
Mizoram reports 25 new COVID-19 cases, tally rises to 3,242
Twenty-five more people, including an 11-month-old baby, have tested positive for coronavirus in Mizoram, taking the tally to 3,242, an official said. The state now has 552 active cases and the death count stands at two. The official said that 2,688 COVID-19 patients have been cured of the disease till date and the recovery rate is 82.92 per cent.
Ramp up COVID-19 testing amid festive season: Uttarakhand Chief Minister
After reviewing the COVID-19 situation in the state, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat directed authorities to ramp up testing and ensure that people follow all health protocols amid the ongoing festive season. During the meeting with the officials, Mr Singh specifically asked authorities of Dehradun, Haridwar, Udhamsingh Nagar and Nainital to make efforts to organise public awareness campaigns.
"People must continue wearing masks, maintain social distancing and frequently sanitise their hands in market places for the next 15 days. Authorities must also ensure that results of COVID tests reach people within 24 hours in urban districts and within 48 hours in rural districts," Mr Rawat said.
Uttar Pradesh records 21 more COVID-19 deaths, 2,278 fresh cases
Twenty-one more coronavirus-related fatalities were reported in Uttar Pradesh, taking the death toll to 7,302, while 2,278 fresh cases pushed the infection tally to 5,05,426, according to a health bulletin.
At present, there are 22,949 active cases, while a total of 4,75,175 patients have recovered from the disease so far.
Tripura reports 59 new COVID-19 cases; tally rises 31,765
At least 59 more people tested positive for COVID-19 in Tripura, pushing the tally in the state to 31,765, a health department official said.
Tripura currently has 1,201 active COVID-19 cases, while 30,185 people have recovered from the disease and 23 patients have migrated to other states, the official said.
Study shows major lasting health effects in COVID-19 patients after hospitalisation
Scientists assessed data from more than 1,600 COVID-19 patients in the US and found that within two months of leaving the hospital, nearly 7 per cent of them had died, and 15 per cent had ended up back in the hospital.
The researchers, including those from the University of Michigan in the US, analysed the data from 1648 patients with COVID-19 admitted to 38 hospitals in Michigan, and found that 398 died during hospitalisation and 1250 survived.
COVID-19 vaccine "best science news" of 2020: Official
Data indicating that a vaccine being developed against Covid-19 is highly effective is the "best science news of the year", a pharmaceutical industry association chief said, voicing hope that other vaccine candidates would show equally good results. "A vaccine that has 90 percent efficacy and is pretty safe, that is a historic breakthrough," the head of the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA), Thomas Cueni, said.
American pharmaceutical giant Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech announced Monday that their vaccine had proven 90 percent effective in preventing Covid-19 infections in ongoing Phase 3 trials involving more than 40,000 people.
BJP MLA Surendra Singh Jeena dies due to COVID-19
BJP MLA from Salt in Almora district in Uttarakhand, Surendra Singh Jeena, who was undergoing treatment for COVID-19 at a private facility in New Delhi, has died, hospital authorities said.
Surendra Jeena, 51, was admitted to Sir Gangaram Hospital nearly a week ago, Pradesh BJP vice president Devendra Bhasin said.
"He was admitted to the hospital on November 2 and had a diabetic condition. He was COVID-19 positive and passed away at 6:30 am due to complications," a senior official at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital said.
78% of new coronavirus cases from 10 states, UTs: Centre
Seventy-eight per cent of the new 47,905 coronavirus infections reported in a span of 24 hours are from 10 states and union territories with Delhi continuing to register the highest single-day cases at 8,593 followed by Kerala and Maharashtra, according to the Union health ministry.
For the successive fifth day, new COVID-19 cases reported in a span of 24 hours did not cross the 50,000 mark, while the trend of daily new recoveries outnumbering daily new infections continued for the 40th day. As many as 52,718 new recoveries were registered in a day as against 47,905 infections during the same period.
WHO says coronavirus is "not tired", urges vigilance
The general public may be tired of the new coronavirus but should remain on high alert, the chief of the World Health Organization said. "We may be tired of Covid-19 but it is not tired of us. European countries are struggling but the virus has not changed significantly, nor the measures to stop it," WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at the Paris Peace Forum.
COVID-19 LIVE Updates: Maharashtra Governor Calls For Safe, Pollution-Free Diwali Amid PandemicMaharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari on Thursday extended Diwali greetings to people of the state and urged them to celebrate the festival in a "safe, eco-friendly and pollution-free" manner in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a message to citizens, the Governor said, "I extend my hearty greetings to all on the auspicious occasion of Diwali. May the festival of lights bring happiness, prosperity and contentment in the lives of all."
Mr Koshyari noted that the challenge thrown by the novel coronavirus is "far from over".
"I appeal to the people to celebrate a safe, eco- friendly and pollution-free Diwali. Let us make Diwali truly inclusive by sharing our joy with at least one poor and underprivileged person," he said.
Coronavirus LIVE: Finance Minister Announces Rs 900 Crore Grant For COVID-19 Vaccine ResearchFinance Minister Nirmala Sitharman on Thursday announced a Rs 900 crore grant to the Department of Biotechnology for COVID-19 vaccine research.
She said the grant does not cover the actual cost of vaccine and distribution expenses, which will be made separately as and when the vaccine is available.
She also said that Rs 10,200 crore additional budget outlay will be provided towards capital and industrial expenditure for domestic defence equipment, industrial incentives and infrastructure and green energy.
UK First Country In Europe To Cross 50,000 COVID-19 DeathsThe UK has become the first country in Europe to cross the grim milestone of 50,000 COVID-19 related deaths as Prime Minister Boris Johnson said, "we mourn everybody who's gone".
As per the official figures released by the government, 1,256,725 people have tested positive for the virus after 22,950 new cases were recorded this week.
A further 595 fatalities due to the deadly viral infection on Wednesday took the death count to 50,365, making the UK the fifth country in the world to cross the 50,000-mark after the US, Brazil, India and Mexico.
COVID-19 Live Updates: High Court Allows Delhi Government To Reserve 80% ICU Beds For Covid Patients In 33 Private HospitalsThe Delhi High Court Thursday allowed the AAP government to reserve 80 per cent of ICU beds for COVID-19 patients in 33 private hospitals, saying the situation in the national capital is fairly dynamic and cases of coronavirus are spiralling.
A bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Subramonium Prasad allowed the appeal of Delhi government challenging a single judge''s interim order staying the government's decision to reserve 80 per cent ICU beds.
The high court vacated the stay order passed by the single judge and listed the matter for further hearing on November 26 before the single bench and till then the reservation of 80 per cent of ICU beds will continue.
The high court was hearing a plea by the Delhi government urging it to empower it to enforce reservation of 80 per cent of ICU beds for COVID-19 patients in 33 private hospitals at least for 15 days in view of the rise in the number of cases, news agency PTI reported.
Coronavirus LIVE: Odisha Reports 986 New COVID-19 Cases, 14 More FatalitiesOdisha's COVID-19 tally on Wednesday rose to 3,05,986 with 986 more people testing positive for the infection, while 14 fresh fatalities pushed the count in the coastal state to 1,483, a health department official said.
Of the 986 new cases, 572 were reported from various quarantine centres, and the rest detected during contact tracing, he said.
Khurda district, of which the state capital Bhubaneswar is a part, reported the maximum number of new cases at 112, followed by Cuttack at 81 and Sundargarh at 80.
The positivity rate stands at 5.97 per cent.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates: BJP MLA Surendra Singh Jeena Dies Due To COVID-19BJP MLA from Salt in Almora district, Surendra Singh Jeena, who was undergoing treatment for COVID-19 at a hospital in New Delhi, died early Thursday.
The 50-year-old Jeena was admitted to the Sir Gangaram Hospital nearly a week ago. He breathed his last at around 4 am, Pradesh BJP vice president Devendra Bhasin said.
Condoling Mr Jeena's death, Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat said the state has lost an energetic and farsighted leader.
"He was reckoned among the most active MLAs who took keen interest in the development of his constituency. He was the voice of the deprived sections of society," he said.
"In his death the state has lost an energetic and farsighted leader," Mr Rawat said and prayed for strength to his family to bear the loss.
The chief minister recalled that he had met Mr Jeena recently at his residence in Delhi after his wife's death.
COVID-19 LIVE: Tamil Nadu Cancels Order For Allowing Socio-Political, Religious EventsThe Tamil Nadu government on Thursday cancelled its order allowing social, political, religious and cultural events from November 16 permitting participation of a maximum of 100 people.
Citing festival season and people congregating in large numbers in public places throwing anti-COVID-19 norms like social distancing to winds, the government said curbs shall continue as regards such programmes and it includes those related to entertainment and education.
It has come to the government's notice that people gathered in large numbers in public places like markets, and they thronged bus terminals, "without paying attention to social distancing and wearing masks," an official release said.
Though the spread of the virus has been controlled in Tamil Nadu due to a slew of measures, when a possibility of a second wave of the pandemic could be seen in some foreign countries, it has become imperative to intensify curbs, the government said.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates: ICU Beds Full Amid Covid Surge As Delhi Preps To Celebrate DiwaliAfter his 92-year-old grandmother started coughing and her blood oxygen levels plummeted, Varunn Kaushik took her to two top private hospitals in New Delhi on Monday. Neither took her in, even after one of them found her positive for COVID-19.
Kaushik said several other hospitals told him and his family on the phone that they did have free beds, but not in the intensive care units (ICU) his grandmother needed. He finally admitted her to a non-ICU COVID bed in a government hospital, 10 hours after leaving home.
Her condition was stable as of Thursday, according to Kaushik.
The family's ordeal is a warning sign for a city where infections are surging even though they are dropping elsewhere in the country.
Delhi's 20 million residents celebrate their biggest festival, Deepavali or Diwali, this weekend. Despite a ban, thousands of fireworks are likely to be set off, increasing already bad air pollution and raising the risk posed by COVID-19.
The capital reported 8,593 new COVID-19 infections on Wednesday, its highest daily tally yet. The average pollution reading was 299 on Thursday on a scale of 500, where any number above 300 is classified as very poor and can cause respiratory illnesses.
There is strong recovery in economy, active COVID-19 cases have declined, says Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman while announcing stimulus package
COVID-19 LIVE Updates: Gates Foundation Adds $70 Million More Funding For Covid Vaccine For PoorThe Gates Foundation added another $70 million of funding on Thursday to global efforts to develop and distribute vaccines and treatments against the COVID-19 pandemic, saying it hoped other international donors would now also pledge more.
An extra $50 million will go to the COVAX Advance Market Commitment (AMC) led by the GAVI vaccine alliance, the foundation said, and another $20 million to the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) which is co-funding development of several COVID-19 vaccine candidates.
"We have to ensure that everyone gets equal access to tests, drugs, and vaccines when they are available - no matter where you live in the world," the foundation's co-chair Melinda Gates said in a statement. "Our pledge today... means we are getting closer to having the resources needed to help the world fight this virus."
Along with the World Health Organization, CEPI and GAVI are co-leading a global scheme known as the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator which aims to speed up development, production and fair access to COVID-19 drugs, tests and vaccines.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates: High Court Concerned Over Rise In COVID-19 Cases In Delhi, Says AAP Government Doing Everything To "Unlock"The Delhi High Court Thursday expressed concern over rise in COVID-19 cases in the national capital and questioned the AAP government's "doing everything under the Sun to "unlock" things".
The high court said the Delhi government cannot be allowed to play with the lives of citizens and the state is responsible for the health of citizens for which others have to chip in, including private hospitals.
A bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Subramonium Prasad said the Delhi government has to be much more alive to the current situation which the whole city can see for itself.
The high court was hearing a plea by the Delhi government urging it to empower it to enforce reservation of 80 per cent of ICU beds for COVID-19 patients in 33 private hospitals at least for 15 days in view of the rise in the number of cases.
Delhi recorded its biggest single-day jump of 8,593 COVID-19 cases on Wednesday that took its infection tally to over 4.59 lakh people, while 85 new fatalities pushed the national capital's death count to 7,228.
Coronavirus LIVE: Delhi Government Bans Chhath Puja Celebrations At Ghats To Contain COVID-19 SpreadThe Delhi government has decided to ban community Chhath Puja celebrations near the ghats to contain the spread of COVID-19, said Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Thursday.
"In the view of safety and to avoid crowd gathering amid the pandemic, we have decided to ban community Chhath Puja celebrations near the ghats this year. The officials have been directed to take strict action against people not following COVID-19 protocols," Mr Jain told reporters.
The COVID-19 cases have rapidly increased in national capital and touched a new peak by crossing 8,000 positive cases in the past 24 hours. It recorded 8,593 new positive cases and 85 deaths on Wednesday while 7,264 patients recovered from the infection. The death rate so far stands at 1.57 percent while it remained at 0.99 per cent in the last 10 days.
COVID-19 LIVE Updates: No Lockdown This Weekend In Lucknow Due To FestivalsAll markets in Lucknow district will remain open from today till 14th November in light of Dhanteras and Diwali celebrations, as per the official press release.
On July 14, the Uttar Pradesh Government had imposed a weekend lockdown in the state to contain the spread of COVID-19 pandemic. The lockdown in the state is put into place on every Friday from 10 pm to 5 am on Monday.
For this week, the "weekly lockdown" in the state will now be from 15-17 November, news agency ANI reported.
COVID-19 LIVE Updates: Union Minister Smriti Irani Tests Negative For CoronavirusUnion minister Smriti Irani on Thursday said she has tested negative for COVID-19.
Ms Irani had on October 28 announced that she had tested positive for COVID-19.
"I have tested negative for COVID. Would like to extend my grateful thanks to everyone for their good wishes and prayers," Ms Irani tweeted.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates: Covid Norms Go For Toss As Commuters Cram Local Trains In BengalPassengers crowded local trains during the peak hours on Thursday morning -- the second day after suburban railway services resumed in Bengal -- with little or no regard for COVID-19 safety protocols.
Several of them demanded that the frequency of trains be increased to avoid the rush.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had also urged railway authorities on Wednesday to run more trains to ensure that people do not jostle to board the rakes.
Railway police personnel and other officials were seen making futile attempts to control the surge of passengers at the stations, mainly in the Eastern Railway's Sealdah and Howrah divisions.
The situation was slightly better in the Howrah-Kharagpur section of the South Eastern Railway on Thursday, with trains being comparatively less congested.
Long queues to buy tickets, with some extending way outside the station premises, were witnessed since early morning at various places including Sonarpur, Baruipur, Mallickpur, Sodepur, Barrackpore, Serampore, Naihati.
Throwing caution to the air, passengers shoved each other as they boarded or disembarked the crammed compartments.
In many trains, commuters occupied seats, which have stickers marked on them asking people not to use them.
The Eastern Railway has said that it would be operating 615 locals daily in its two divisions, while SER would be running 81 services as of now, news agency PTI reported.
Coronavirus LIVE: Making Covid Vaccines For Poorer Nations? India Could Be "The Star"Adar Poonawalla is an Indian billionaire whose family-owned firm makes more vaccines a year than any other company on Earth. Ask him about the race for a coronavirus vaccine and he will offer some unvarnished opinions.
One prominent vaccine candidate is "a joke" that will not work for the developing world. Anyone who declares how long a vaccine will confer immunity is talking "nonsense." The world's entire population will not be immunized until 2024, he says, contrary to rosier predictions.
Adar Poonawalla is equally frank about the gamble his company, Serum Institute of India, is making in the pandemic. He is putting $250 million of his family's fortune into a bid to ramp up manufacturing capacity to 1 billion doses through 2021.
COVID-19 LIVE Updates: Schools In Tamil Nadu To Remain Shut, Government Puts Reopening Plan On HoldDays after seeking the views of parents, Tamil Nadu government on Thursday reversed its move to reopen schools from November 16 for classes 9-12 and said they shall continue to remain closed.
While colleges were also earlier scheduled to function from November 16, the government said colleges and varsities shall reopen from December 2 only for research scholars and final year postgraduate students of science and technology streams.
"The opening of colleges for all other courses will be announced later," the government said in an official release adding hostels would be opened only for those students who shall resume studies from next month, news agency PTI reported.
Coronavirus Live Updates: Top Medical Body ICMR, Serum Institute Complete Enrolment Of Phase-3 Clinical Trials Of Covishield VaccineThe Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII) and Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Thursday announced the completion of enrolment of phase-3 clinical trials for potential COVID-19 vaccine Covishield in India.
The ICMR and SII have collaborated for the clinical development of Covovax developed by Novavax, US and upscaled by SII, a statement said.
"The partnership is a stellar example of private-public institutes collaborating to mitigate the dire consequences of the pandemic outbreak," the ICMR said in the statement.
While the ICMR has funded the clinical trial site fees, SII has funded other expenses for Covishield.
At present, SII and ICMR are conducting phase 2/3 clinical trials of Covishield at 15 different centres across the country. It had completed the enrolment of all 1,600 participants on October 31.
"The promising results of the trials so far gives confidence that Covishield could be a realistic solution to the deadly pandemic. Covishield is by far the most advanced vaccine in human testing in India," the ICMR said.
Produced 40 Million Doses Of AstraZeneca Covid Vaccine, Says Serum InstituteSerum Institute of India, the world's largest vaccine producer, said on Thursday it has made 40 million doses of AstraZeneca's potential COVID-19 vaccine, and would soon begin making Novavax's rival shot, as they both seek regulatory approval.
Serum said it has enrolled 1,600 participants in India for late-stage trials of AstraZeneca's candidate, and also plans to seek regulatory approval to run late-stage trials for the Novavax vaccine.
The AstraZeneca vaccine, co-developed by Oxford University, is the most advanced in human testing in India, Serum said.
"Virus Touched Almost Every Household": High Court On Delhi Sero SurveyOne in four persons in Delhi appears to be infected by COVID-19 and that the virus has touched almost every household in the national capital, said the Delhi High Court which on Wednesday perused latest sero survey report pointing out that the central district being the worst hit.
According to the latest report of the fourth round of sero survey carried out in the national capital, which was placed before a bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Subramonium Prasad, the central district of Delhi has seen an increase of more than double in the rate of infection as compared to the data of the survey carried out in September.
The latest report has found that COVID-19 antibodies were present in 25 per cent of the persons tested.
Serum Institute of India & ICMR, announce completion of enrolment of phase 3 clinical trials for COVISHIELD in India. ICMR & SII have further collaborated for clinical development of COVOVAX (Novavax) developed by Novavax, USA & upscaled by SII: Serum Institute of India
With 47,905 new COVID-19 infections, India's total cases surge to 86,83,917. With 550 new deaths, count mounts to 1,28,121
Total active cases are 4,89,294 after a decrease of 5,363 in the last 24 hrs.
Total cured cases are 80,66,502 with 52,718 new discharges in the last 24 hours.
A total of 12,19,62,509 samples tested for COVID-19 up to 11th November, of these 11,93,358 samples were tested yesterday: Indian Council of Medical Research
Coronavirus LIVE Updates: Restaurants, Gyms, Hotels Carry Highest Covid Superspreader Risk: StudyThe reopening of restaurants, gyms and hotels carries the highest danger of spreading Covid-19, according to a study that used mobile phone data from 98 million people to model the risks of infection at different locations.
Researchers at Stanford University and Northwestern University used data collected between March and May in cities across the U.S. to map the movement of people. They looked at where they went, how long they stayed, how many others were there and what neighborhoods they were visiting from. They then combined that information with data on the number of cases and how the virus spreads to create infection models.
Jharkhand Reports 284 New COVID-19 Cases, 3 FatalitiesJharkhand's COVID-19 tally rose to 1,05,224 on Thursday as 284 more people tested positive for the infection, a health official said.
Three fresh fatalities pushed the state's coronavirus death count to 913, he said.
Ranchi district reported the highest number of new cases at 78, followed by Bokaro (40), Dhanbad (37) and East Singhbhum (29), the official said.
One fresh fatality each was reported in East Singhbhum, Bokaro and Ranchi districts, he said.
The state now has 4,009 active coronavirus cases, while 1,00,302 people have been cured of the disease so far, the official said.
Jharkhand has tested 25,320 samples for COVID-19 on Wednesday, he added.
Moderna Expecting To Announce Results Of COVID-19 Vaccine By End Of MonthModerna expects to have an announcement on the efficacy of its COVID-19 vaccine after it finished accumulating data for a first analysis of the vaccine, the company said in a statement on Wednesday.
Moderna is conducting a clinical trial of about 30,000 participants, with half of the participants receiving the vaccine and the other half receiving a placebo, which is a shot of saline that does not seem to have any effect, reported CNN.
In order for the vaccine to be considered for authorization by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), at least 53 study participants needed to become ill with COVID-19.
The trial hit the 53-mark Wednesday, but Moderna doesn't know if the participants who became ill received the vaccine or the placebo. The company is now preparing data to send to the trial's Data and Safety Monitoring Board, an independent panel of experts.
If a statistically significant number of participants received the placebo, that would mean that the vaccine is effective against the virus.
Mainland China Reports 15 New COVID-19 Cases Vs 17 A Day EarlierMainland China reported 15 new COVID-19 cases for Nov. 11, down from 17 cases a day earlier, the country's national health authority said on Thursday.
The National Health Commission said in a statement that one of the new cases was a local infection in Tianjin. The remaining 14 cases were imported infections that originated from overseas, the commission said.
The total number of new asymptomatic cases fell to six from 15 reported a day earlier. China does not count symptomless patients as confirmed COVID-19 cases.
The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in mainland China to date now stands at 86,299, while the death toll remained unchanged at 4,634.
Coronavirus Live Updates: US Hits New All-Time High In Daily COVID-19 CasesThe United States hit a record-setting 136,325 new daily cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) disease, the latest data from Johns Hopkins University revealed.
The United States has reported more than 10.3 million cases of COVID-19 and more than 240,800 deaths caused by the disease, data showed on Wednesday.
The third wave of COVID-19 infections is underway in the United States as winter approaches.
Numerous US states are facing strained resources at medical facilities, such as shortages of medical personnel and hospital beds, forcing additional lockdowns in the communities considered hotspots.
The Trump administration has vowed to have a vaccine ready to be distributed by the end of the year.
Russia Says Sputnik V Vaccine 92% Effective Against CoronavirusRussia's Sputnik V vaccine is 92% effective at protecting people from COVID-19 according to interim trial results, the country's sovereign wealth fund said on Wednesday, as Moscow rushes to keep pace with Western drugmakers in the race for a shot.
The initial results are only the second to be published from a late-stage human trial in the global race to produce a vaccine that could halt a pandemic that has killed more than 1.2 million people and ravaged the world economy.
Russia registered Sputnik V for public use in August, the first country to do so, though the approval came before the start of the large-scale trial in September.
Brazil Allows Resumption Of Chinese Coronavirus Vaccine TrialBrazil's health regulator Anvisa on Wednesday (local time) announced the resumption of clinical trials of China''s Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine.
Quoting the latest official statement issued by Anvisa, Anadolu agency's said, "After evaluating the new data presented by the sponsor ... Anvisa understands that it has sufficient reasons to allow the resumption of vaccination."
"It is important to clarify that a suspension does not necessarily mean that the product under investigation is not of quality, safety or efficacy...The suspension and resumption of clinical studies are common events in clinical research and all studies aimed at registering medicines that are authorized in the country are previously evaluated by ANVISA in order to preserve safety for the study volunteers," the statement further read.
This comes days after the trial was suspended following " a severe incident".
Odisha reports 1,220 new COVID-19 cases, 15 fresh fatalities
Odisha's COVID-19 tally rose to 3,05,000 on Wednesday as 1,220 more people tested positive for the infection, a health official said. Fifteen fresh fatalities pushed the coronavirus deaths in the state to 1,469, he said.
At least 1,340 more patients were cured of the disease during the day, taking the total number of recoveries to 2,92,477, which is 95.89 per cent of the state''s caseload, the official said.
Cyprus announces local lockdowns to curb virus spike
Cyprus on Wednesday announced partial lockdowns in its virus hotspots on the Mediterranean coast and other measures in an effort to curb a spike in coronavirus cases.
The resort towns of Limassol and Paphos on the south coast are to go into partial lockdown from Thursday until the end of November.
Health Minister said that travel into or out of the towns would be banned, and a curfew in force from 8 pm to 5 am.
China reports 15 new COVID-19 cases
China reported 15 new COVID-19 cases for November 11, down from 17 cases a day earlier, the country's national health authority said on Thursday. The National Health Commission said in a statement that one of the new cases was a local infection in Tianjin.
The remaining 14 cases were imported infections that originated from overseas, the commission said. The total number of new asymptomatic cases fell to six from 15 reported a day earlier