Coronavirus Cases in India: The recovery rate is 94.98 per cent.
India's coronavirus case count rose to 98.84 lakh, while the number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 93.88 lakh pushing the national recovery rate to 94.98 per cent, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Monday. 27,071 infections were reported in a day on Monday, while the death count rose to 1,43,335 with 336 new fatalities, the data showed.
The COVID-19 caseload of the country remained below 4 lakh for the eighth consecutive day on Monday.
A nurse in New York became the first person in the United States to receive the coronavirus vaccine Monday. Sandra Lindsay, a critical care nurse at the Long Island Jewish Medical Center, received the shot live on television.
Meanwhile, Russian coronavirus vaccine developers published fresh results from their trial of the Sputnik V vaccine on Monday based on new data, and said the shot had again been found to be 91.4 per cent effective in providing protection from COVID-19.
Here are the Highlights on coronavirus (COVID-19) cases:
Coronavirus Deaths In US Cross 3,00,000: Report
More than 3,00,000 people in the United States have died from Covid-19, according to the Johns Hopkins University tally on Monday, as the country started its desperately-awaited vaccine program.
US begins Covid-19 vaccinations as its deaths cross 3,00,000
The United States kicked off a mass vaccination drive Monday hoping to turn the tide on the world's biggest coronavirus outbreak, as the nation's death toll passed a staggering 300,000.
The start of the desperately awaited vaccine program coincided with several European countries announcing new lockdowns amid spiraling infections, highlighting how the road to ending the global pandemic is still long.
New York nurse Sandra Lindsay became the first person in America to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech shot, live on television, six days after Britain launched the West's vaccine campaign against Covid-19.
The vaccinations come at one of the darkest phases of the pandemic, with cases in the US and many other countries soaring, and health experts still struggling against vaccine skepticism, lockdown fatigue and uneven adherence to safety rules.
Canada announces new Covid-19 aid package for developing nations
Canada on Monday announced a Can$458 million ($380 million) aid package to help developing countries fight the coronavirus pandemic.
Of that amount, Can$230 million will go to the UN children's agency UNICEF to buy approximately three million treatments based on new therapeutic antibodies, once clinical trials are complete and approvals received, according to international development minister Karina Gould.
"The faster we can get tests, treatments and vaccines out to people, the sooner this pandemic can be contained," Gould said during a press conference.
Ottawa will also invest an additional Can$255 million to support the World Health Organization's plan to distribute vaccines and therapeutic products, particularly in Latin America and the Caribbean, she said.
Turkey announces 4-day curfew over New Year's to combat COVID
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced the introduction of a round-the-clock curfew in Turkey for the New Year holidays, from 9 pm on December 31 to 5 am on January 4.
"At today''s government meeting, it was decided to establish a curfew from 9 pm on December 31 to 5 am on January 4," President Erdogan said.
Earlier, he announced new restrictive measures due to the increase in the coronavirus incidence in the country. Bathhouses, saunas, swimming pools, gyms have suspended work since Tuesday, a certain number of visitors are allowed to shopping centers and only by digital code. The curfew is in effect from 9 pm to 5 am on weekdays, and from 9 am Friday to 5 am on Monday.
South Africa battles second COVID-19 wave, beaches shut down, strict enforcement in place
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced the closure of some of the country's most popular holiday beaches and increased enforcement of regulations as part of heightened restrictions to combat the worsening second wave of coronavirus infections.
"Given the rate at which new cases have grown over the last two weeks, there is every possibility that if we do not act urgently and if we do not act together, the second wave will be more severe than the first wave," Ramaphosa said in a televised broadcast Monday evening.
COVID-19 infections in South Africa have doubled to 8,000 daily in the past 10 days, which the President said is "a cause for great concern."
"The daily average of COVID-19 deaths has increased by nearly 50 percent over the same period, from just over 100 deaths a day to just over 150 deaths.
US passes 3,00,000 Covid-19 deaths: Report
More than 300,000 people in the United States have died from Covid-19, according to the Johns Hopkins University tally on Monday, as the country started its desperately-awaited vaccine program.
The grim deaths of 3,00,267 was reached on the day that New York nurse Sandra Lindsay became the first person in America to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech shot, live on television. The country has recorded more than 16.3 million Covid-19 cases.
COVID-19 positive Hry minister Anil Vij's vital parameters normal; undergoing plasma therapy: Doctors
The vital parameters of COVID-19 positive Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij are normal and he is undergoing convalescent plasma therapy, a medical bulletin issued by the PGIMS hospital in Rohtak said on Monday.
Mr Vij was examined on Monday by a special medical board comprising a team of senior doctors of the Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (PGIMS), constituted by the institute''s director Rohtas Yadav. "Anil Vij was cheerful... and his vital parameters were normal," said the bulletin.
However, the minister has fever, it said. The treatment being given to him was thoroughly reviewed by the doctors, it said.
Myanmar's COVID-19 cases increase to 109,512, deaths reach 2,292
The number of COVID-19 cases in Myanmar has increased to 109,512 with 1,170 new cases reported in the country on Monday, according to a release from the Ministry of Health and Sports.
The deaths reached 2,292 with 24 more deaths reported on Monday.
Myanmar is trying to get COVID-19 vaccine for 40 per cent of its people in 2021, Soe Lwin Nyein, chairman of National Immunization Technical Advisory Group (NITAG) told Xinhua on Monday.
Coronavirus Updates: Delhi records 1,376 new COVID-19 cases, with 60 new fatalities
Delhi recorded 1,376 fresh COVID-19 cases on Monday which pushed the infection tally to 6.08 lakh, while the death count crossed the 10,000 mark with 60 new fatalities.
These fresh cases came out of 63,944 tests conducted the last day, including 36,176 Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests, according to the latest bulletin issued by the Delhi health department on December 14.
The tally of active cases on Monday mounted to 15,247. The number of total recoveries reached 5,83,509 and number of total cases in the national capital reached 6,08,830.
Coronavirus Latest News: Single-Day Recoveries Surpass Fresh COVID-19 Cases In West Bengal
Single-day COVID-19 recoveries outnumbered fresh cases in West Bengal on Monday, even as 43 more patients died due to the virus, pushing the death count to 9,100, PTI reported quoting the health department.
The discharge rate improved to 94.18 per cent with 2,980 people recovering from the disease since Sunday, while the state's coronavirus tally climbed to 5,23,629 with 1,834 new cases, it said.
COVID-19 Pandemic Has Worsened India's Growth Slowdown: Nobel Laureate Abhijit Banerjee
In a conversation with NDTV, Economist and Nobel Laureate Abhijit Banerjee said that the COVID-19 pandemic has worsened India's growth, which was already slowing down before the pandemic.
"We already knew we were in a growth slowdown. Covid has made it worse, but we have not been doing well for some years," Mr Banerjee said.
Talking about the availability of vaccines in India, he said that rich countries are buying all the vaccines globally.
"Then there is a question that vaccines developed are not suited for India. If the Oxford vaccine works, it will be good for India. Other developing countries will be doing worse," he said.
COVID-19 Live News: Haryana Records 993 New Cases, 1,744 Recoveries And 16 Deaths In The Last 24 Hours
Coronavirus Latest News: Nurse Gets First COVID-19 Vaccine As US Rollout Begins
New York on Monday inoculated its first healthcare worker, an intensive care unit nurse in Queens, with the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, marking a pivotal turn in the US effort to control the deadly virus, Reuters reported.
Sandra Lindsay, an ICU nurse, was given the vaccine at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in Queens, New York, an early epicenter of the country's COVID-19 outbreak, receiving applause on a livestream with New York Governor Andrew Cuomo."It didn't feel any different from taking any other vaccine," she said.
COVID-19 Live News: Maharashtra Reports 2,949 New Cases, 4,610 Discharges And 60 Deaths Today
COVID-19 Live News: Delhi Reports 1376 New Cases, 2854 Recoveries And 60 Deaths In The Last 24 Hours
COVID-19 Latest Updates: Rajasthan Reports 1,250 New Cases, 1,666 Recoveries And 13 Deaths
Conducting Large Scale Testing Via RT-PCR In The National Capital: Delhi Government To High Court
The Delhi government on Monday informed the Delhi High Court that it is conducting large scale testing via RT-PCR in the national capital, ANI reported. Directions were issued to all Market Trade Association visitors for strict compliance of Standard of Procedure on preventive measures in markets to contain spread of COVID-19, it further said.
COVID-19 Latest Updates: Andhra Pradesh Reports 305 New Cases, 2 Deaths And 541 Recoveries
Coronavirus Live News: 1,229 New COVID-19 Cases Take Uttar Pradesh's Tally To 5,66,728
The COVID-19 death count in Uttar Pradesh rose to 8,083 on Monday with 11 more fatalities, while 1,229 fresh cases pushed the infection tally to 5,66,728, PTI reported quoting an official.
"In the past 24 hours, 1,229 fresh cases were reported in the state while in the same period, 1,927 people were discharged," he said.
"At present, there are 18,918 active cases and the total number of people discharged after treatment stands at 5,39,727," Additional Chief Secretary (Health), Amit Mohan Prasad said.
The recovery rate in the state has now increased to 95.23 per cent, he added.
Coronavirus Latest News: Government Issues Guidelines For COVID-19 Vaccination Drive
Vaccinating 100-200 people in each session per day, monitoring them for 30 minutes after administering the shots for any adverse event and allowing only one beneficiary at a time are among the guidelines issued by the centre for the COVID-19 inoculation drive, PTI reported.
According to the guidelines issued to states recently, the COVID Vaccine Intelligence Network (Co-WIN) system - a digitalised platform - will be used to track enlisted beneficiaries for the vaccination and anti-coronavirus vaccines on a real-time basis.
At the vaccination site, only pre-registered beneficiaries will be vaccinated in accordance with the prioritisation, and there will be no provision for on the-spot registrations.
The states have been asked, as far as possible, to allocate the vaccine from one manufacturer to a district to avoid mixing of different COVID-19 vaccines in the field.
Coronavirus Live News: Over 100 People Test Covid Positive At IIT-Madras
More than 100 people at the Indian Institute of Technology-Madras, a majority of them students, have tested positive for COVID-19, PTI reported quoting Tamil Nadu Health Official.
Coronavirus Latest Updates: Marina Beach In Chennai Reopens For Public After Over Eight Months
COVID-19 Live Updates: Chandigarh Bans Hookah Bars To Contain Coronavirus
In the wake of COVID-19 pandemic, Chandigarh on Monday imposed a ban on hookah bars in the Union Territory from December 14 to February 11, PTI reported.
An order issued by District Magistrate Mandip Singh Brar stated that no hookah shall be served for smoke/consumption in hotels/restaurants/taverns/bars etc.
"Under Section 144, hookah bars are banned to operate in Chandigarh with respect to their offering Hookahs to visitors from December 14, 2020, to February 11, 2021," the order stated.
Coronavirus Latest News LIVE: Singapore approves Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, Says PM
Singapore has approved Pfizer-BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine for pandemic use and expects delivery of the first shots by the end of December, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Monday.
Coronavirus Latest News LIVE: Odisha logs 332 new COVID-19 cases, four more deathsOdisha on Monday registered 332 new COVID-19 cases, which raised the state's caseload to 3,24,089, while four fresh fatalities pushed the toll to 1,811, a health department official said.
Of the 332 new cases, 189 were reported from various quarantine centres and the rest detected during contact tracing, he said.
Sundergarh recorded the highest number of new cases at 51, followed by Angul at 35 and Khurda at 29.
Three districts -- Boudh, Kandhamal and Malkangiri -- did not record any new case since Sunday.
Taking to Twitter, the Health and Family Welfare department said, "Regret to inform about the demise of four Covid positive patients while under treatment in hospitals."
One each died in Khurda, Dhenkanal, Ganjam and Jharsuguda districts.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates: Telangana reports 384 new COVID-19 cases, 3 deaths
Telangana reported 384 COVID-19 cases and three deaths on Sunday, taking the total number of cases in the state to 2,78,108, the state's Health Department said on Monday.
According to the state's Health Department, a total of 2,69,232 people have recovered from the viral infection, while 1,496 succumbed to deaths due to the virus. The active cases in the state stand at 7,380.
Telangana's recovery rate stands at 96.80 per cent and the case fatality rate stands at 0.53 per cent.
On December 12, the Telangana government constituted four committees for the COVID-19 vaccination mechanism in the state.
Coronavirus LIVE News: COVID-19 vaccine preparations at war footing in Uttarakhand
The preparations for COVID-19 vaccination is being undertaken on a war footing in Uttarakhand. The vaccination will start as soon as vaccines are made available by the Centre, said State Health Secretary Amit Negi.
State Health Secretary Amit Negi said, "All preparations for vaccination are going on a war footing, as soon as the state gets vaccines from the centre, the vaccination process will be started in the state. In the first phase, health workers will be given the vaccination. Preparations for cold chain, man power, vaccination booth etc. are going smoothly."
The largest store in the state is being built in Dehradun, this centre will have the capacity to carry millions of vaccines, followed by three regional centres in Udhamsinghnagar, Almora and Srinagar, stores in the more populous Haridwar district.
COVID-19: Daily new cases dip below 30,000 again this month
The daily new COVID-19 cases fell below 30,000 for the third time this month taking India's virus caseload to 98.84 lakh, while the number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 93.88 lakh, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Monday.
The total coronavirus cases mounted to 98,84,100 with 27,071 infections being reported in a day. The death toll rose to 1,43,355 with 336 new fatalities, the data updated at 8 am showed.
The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 93,88,159 pushing the national recovery rate to 94.98 per cent, while the COVID-19 case fatality rate stands at 1.45 per cent.
Coronavirus Latest News LIVE: Arunachal Pradesh's COVID-19 tally rises to 16,513
Arunachal Pradesh's COVID-19 tally mounted to 16,513 with four more persons testing positive for the infection, a senior health official said here on Monday.
Of the four fresh cases, one case each was reported from the Capital Complex Region, Papumpare, Anjaw and Lepa Rada, state surveillance officer (SSO) Dr Lobsang Jampa said.
All the infections were detected through rapid antigen tests, the SSO said.
Barring one, all the new patients are asymptomatic, he said.
The state now has 252 active coronavirus cases.
Twenty one more people recovered from the disease on Sunday, taking the total number of recoveries to 16,206, he said.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates: Trump Suggests White House Staff Will Wait Longer For COVID-19 Vaccines
U.S. President Donald Trump suggested late Sunday that senior White House officials would wait longer for COVID-19 vaccines hours after media outlets reported senior officials were to receive doses within 10 days.
Late Sunday night, Trump said on Twitter he had asked for an "adjustment" to be made to the plans to vaccinate White House officials.
"People working in the White House should receive the vaccine somewhat later in the program, unless specifically necessary," Trump wrote, adding: "I am not scheduled to take the vaccine, but look forward to doing so at the appropriate time."
Reuters reported earlier Sunday that Trump, Vice President Mike Pence and other top U.S. officials would be offered the newly approved COVID-19 vaccine beginning on Monday as part of a plan aimed at ensuring continuity of government, a source familiar with the plan said.
US Vaccine Campaign Launches With First Shipments Delivering Hope To Millions
Cargo planes and trucks with the first U.S. shipments of coronavirus vaccine fanned out from FedEx and UPS hubs in Tennessee and Kentucky on Sunday en route to distribution points around the country, launching an immunization project of unprecedented scope and complexity.
The inoculations, seen as pivotal to ultimately halting a surging pandemic that is claiming more than 2,400 U.S. lives a day, could begin as early as Monday.
The first are likely to be at vaccination sites closest to any of the 145 initial shipment destinations nationwide, or those nearest the FedEx Corp or United Parcel Service cargo centers that are relaying deliveries from the factory.
Governor Andy Beshear of Kentucky suggested the very first injections of the vaccine will be given in his state, home to the UPS Worldport sorting facility in Louisville - one of two distribution command centers. The other is the FedEx air cargo hub in Memphis, Tennessee.
"We now believe that the first individuals will be vaccinated here in the commonwealth tomorrow morning. We are less than 24 hours away from the beginning of the end of this virus," Beshear wrote on Twitter on Sunday.
Covid Vaccines Can Have Side Effects - That Means They're WorkingThe new coronavirus vaccine appears to be extremely effective - blocking serious illness entirely in randomized trials - and it has passed strict safety reviews and won emergency authorization from regulators in five countries so far, including the United States. But news bulletins in the past week provided a reminder that this remains a revolutionary pharmaceutical agent that will be scrutinized in the months ahead as shots go into arms.
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Coronavirus LIVE News: 13 new COVID-19 cases push Andamans tally to 4,818
Thirteen more people have tested positive for COVID-19 in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, pushing the tally in the Union Territory to 4,818, a health department official said on Monday.
Of the fresh cases, seven were detected during contact tracing while six have travel history, he said.
Eight more people were cured of the disease on Sunday, taking the total number of recoveries in the archipelago to 4,673, the official said.
The Union Territory now has 84 active cases while 61 people have died of the infection so far, he said.
The Andaman and Nicobar administration has conducted 1,51,996 sample tests for COVID-19 so far, and the positivity rate stands at 3.17 per cent, he added.
Coronavirus Latest News LIVE: Jharkhand reports 144 new COVID-19 cases, four more deaths
Jharkhand's COVID-19 tally rose to 1,11,510 as 144 more people tested positive for the infection, a health department official said on Monday.
The COVID-19 death toll climbed to 999 as four more persons succumbed to the infection in the last 24 hours, he said.
Two deaths were reported from Dhanbad and one each from Ramgarh and Palamu.
Ranchi district registered the maximum number of fresh cases at 76, followed by East Singhbhum (19), Dhanbad (7), Hazaribagh (7).
Jharkhand now has 1,571 active coronavirus cases, while 1,08,940 people have been cured of the disease so far, the official said.
JustIn| 27,071 fresh COVID-19 cases in India, 10.5% lower than yesterday; 98.84 lakh total cases, 1,43,355 deaths
Health centre water crisis increasing virus risk: WHO
One in four health centres worldwide lacks access to water, putting around 1.8 billion people at increased risk of contracting the coronavirus, the World Health Organization said Monday.
The lack of this basic amenity endangers patients and staff alike at such centres, the WHO said in a joint report with the UN children's agency UNICEF. The study was based on data from 165 countries.
"Working in a healthcare facility without water, sanitation and hygiene is akin to sending nurses and doctors to work without personal protective equipment," said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
These elements "are fundamental to stopping Covid-19. But there are still major gaps to overcome, particularly in least developed countries."
According to WHO figures, while health professionals make up less than three percent of the population, they account for 14 percent of Covid-19 cases recorded around the world.
JustIn| A total of 15,45,66,990 samples tested for COVID-19 up to 13th December. Of these, 8,55,157 samples were tested yesterday: Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
Coronavirus LIVE Updates: First Batch Of Pfizer/BioNTEch COVID-19 Vaccines Arrives In Canada
The first COVID-19 vaccines landed on Canadian soil on Sunday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said, and some Canadians are expected to roll up their sleeves for a shot as soon as Monday.
Canada and the United States are set this week to become the first Western nations after the UK to begin inoculations with the newly approved vaccine.
"The first batch of doses of Pfizer-BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine have arrived in Canada," Trudeau said on Twitter on Sunday night above a picture of a cargo plane apparently used to transport the vaccine developed by Pfizer Inc and Germany's BioNTech SE.
The initial 30,000 doses will go to 14 sites across Canada. The most vulnerable people, including the elderly in long-term care facilities and healthcare workers, will be first in line for shots.
The vaccines left Belgium, where they were produced, on Friday, and traveled to Germany and the United States before being split up and sent to different parts of Canada.
Coronavirus LIVE: Mizoram reports 5 new COVID19 casesMizoram has registered five new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of cases in the state to 4,040, as per the state government's data.
According to the Department of Information and Public Relations (DIPR), Government of Mizoram, the total discharged cases in the state are 3,847. The active cases in the state are 186, while the death toll due to the infection is at seven.
The three new cases were confirmed through Rapid Antigen Test and no cases were reported by TrueNat.
"Next Four To Six Months Could Be Worst Of Pandemic": Bill GatesMicrosoft co-founder Bill Gates, whose foundation has been part of the effort to develop and deliver COVID-19 vaccines, warned on Sunday that the next four to six months could be the worst of the coronavirus pandemic.
"Sadly, the next four to six months could be the worst of the pandemic. The IHME (Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation) forecast shows over 200,000 additional deaths. If we would follow the rules, in terms of wearing masks and not mixing, we could avoid a large percentage of those deaths," Gates, the co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, told CNN.
In recent weeks, the US is experiencing record high cases, deaths and hospitalisations. "I thought the US would do a better job handling it," said Gates, who in 2015 had warned the world of such a pandemic.
"Overall, when I did the forecasts in 2015, I talked about the deaths potentially being higher. So, this virus could be more fatal than it is. We didn't get the worst-case. But the thing that has surprised me is that the economic impact in the US and around the world has been much greater than the forecasts that I made five years ago," he said.
Coronavirus News: US Begins Huge Vaccine Effort As Death Count Crosses 2.98 LakhFacing record levels of coronavirus, the United States began shipping vaccine nationwide on Sunday as it launched a massive immunization effort, while in Germany an explosion of cases forced a return to partial lockdown, reported news agency AFP. Delivery trucks with special refrigeration equipment rolled out of a facility in Kalamazoo, Michigan, as part of a public-private plan to ship millions of doses of the newly approved Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine to vulnerable Americans.