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This Article is From Nov 17, 2020

Coronavirus India LIVE Updates: 30,548 Fresh COVID-19 Cases In India, Lowest Daily Cases In 4 Months

Coronavirus Latest News LIVE Updates: The total number of recoveries has surged to 82,49,579, pushing the national recovery rate to 93.27 per cent.

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India News Edited by Deepika Pundir

Updated : November 17, 2020 12:00 am IST

Coronavirus Cases in India: India now has more than 88.45 lakh total Covid-19 cases so far.

New Delhi:

India registered the lowest daily cases in four months with 30,548 fresh COVID-19 infections in the last 24 hours, government data shows. This figure was 25 per cent lower than yesterday's case load. India now has more than 88.45 lakh total coronavirus cases so far, with 1.3 lakh deaths related to COVID-19.

The coronavirus deaths climbed to 1,30,070 with 435 new fatalities, the data updated at 8 am showed. The number of active cases remained below 5 lakh for the sixth consecutive day.

There are 4,65,478 active cases of coronavirus infection in the country as on date which comprise 5.26 per cent of the total caseload, the data stated.

The total number of recoveries has surged to 82,49,579, pushing the national recovery rate to 93.27 per cent. The COVID-19 case fatality rate stands at 1.47 per cent.

Meanwhile, Delhi will not be put under another lockdown in the wake of the third wave of COVID-19 since it has already peaked out, state Health Minister Satyendar Jain said today, dismissing all speculation.

"There is no chance of a lockdown," Health Minister Satyendar Jain said today. "I can tell you today that the peak of Delhi's third wave is gone," Mr Jain said. When asked about markets being shut down, he said, "It has not even been considered. The festival is over, the crowds will get thinner now on."

However, he said people ought to be cautious and wear masks. "The lockdown was a learning exercise...What we learnt was that the gains from a lockdown were the same as those from wearing masks."

Delhi on Sunday recorded 3,235 new COVID-19 cases and 95 deaths due to coronavirus, state government data shows.

Here are the LIVE updates on Coronavirus Cases:

Nov 17, 2020 00:00 (IST)

Coronavirus LIVE: WHO Hails "Encouraging" Covid Vaccine News, But Says, "No Time For Complacency"

The World Health Organization chief hailed Monday "encouraging" news about Covid-19 vaccines but expressed concern about surging cases in many countries and insisted that complacency was not an option.

"We continue to receive encouraging news about COVID-19 vaccines and remain cautiously optimistic about the potential for new tools to start to arrive in the coming months," WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a virtual press briefing.

But he added: "This is no time for complacency."

His comments came as global hopes of overcoming the coronavirus pandemic were boosted after a second candidate vaccine was found to be nearly 95 percent effective in an ongoing trial.

Nov 16, 2020 23:39 (IST)

Coronavirus LIVE Updates: Delhi Records 3,797 Cases; 99 Fatalities Take Overall Death Count To 7,713

Delhi recorded 3,797 fresh COVID-19 cases on Monday, taking the infection tally in the national capital to over 4.89 lakh, even as 99 new fatalities pushed the count to 7,713, authorities said.

These relatively low number of fresh cases came out of the 29,871 tests conducted the previous day, which was a Sunday, while the positivity rate stood at 12.73 per cent amid festive season and rising pollution in the city, according to the latest bulletin issued by the Delhi health department.

The highest single-day spike of 8,593 cases till date here was recorded on November 11 when 85 fatalities were reported.

Ninety-nine fatalities were recorded, pushing the count in the national capital to 7,713.

The active cases tally on Monday stood at 40,128.

The bulletin said that the total number of cases has climbed to 4,89,202.

Nov 16, 2020 23:14 (IST)

Assam reports 186 new COVID-19 cases and 405 new discharges today. Total cases in the state rise to 2,10,454, including 2,06,041 discharges and 964 deaths. Active cases stand at 3446.

Nov 16, 2020 22:38 (IST)

Will Get COVID-19 Under Control By Listening To Experts: Kamala Harris

US Vice President-elect Kamala Harris on Monday said the Biden administration would get COVID-19 under control by listening to the experts, implementing nationwide testing and tracing, and ensuring vaccines are safe and free for all.

The US is the worst affected country by the coronavirus pandemic, with over 11 million cases and 246,000 deaths.

"The Biden-Harris administration will get COVID-19 under control by listening to the experts, implementing nationwide testing and tracing, and ensuring vaccines are safe and free for all," Harris said in a tweet.

Her comments came amidst a sudden spike in the number of coronavirus cases in the US.

Nov 16, 2020 21:55 (IST)

Coronavirus LIVE Updates: Mumbai's Reports 409 Covid Cases, 12 Fatalities In A Day

Mumbai on Monday reported 409 fresh COVID-19 cases, its lowest single-day addition since May, taking the tally to 2,70,113, the city civic body said.

With 12 patients succumbing to the viral infection during the day, also lowest since May, the overall toll went up to 10,582, as per the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

In another good news, the number of active cases fell below 10,000 to 9,807 during data reconciliation, it said.

With 529 people getting discharged in the day, the count of recoveries in the city rose to 2,45,774, which is about 91 per cent of the tally of the total COVID-19 cases.

The average doubling rate of COVID-19 cases in the city has jumped to 273 days, while the average growth rate stands at 0.25 per cent, the BMC said.

A total of 16.89 lakh samples have been tested so far in Mumbai, it added.

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Nov 16, 2020 21:00 (IST)

Social Distancing Comes Naturally: How Finland Keeps Covid In Check

While many countries struggle with a second wave of the coronavirus, Finland has halted a rise in new infections at Europe's lowest level, helped by the fact that for Finns social distancing comes naturally.

While a remote Nordic location and one of Europe's lowest population densities play in its favour in the fight against COVID-19, it helps that many Finns like personal space and solitude.

"Maybe the Finnish personal comfort zone is a bit wider than in some other European countries. We'd like to keep people a metre or more away or we start feeling uncomfortable," said Mika Salminen, director at Finland's public health authority THL.

On Sunday, Finland's 14-day cumulative number of COVID-19 cases per 100,000 inhabitants stood at 54.2. The European average is around 576 and worst-hit Luxembourg 1302.8 cases, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control data showed.

Nov 16, 2020 20:22 (IST)

Rajasthan reports 2,169 new COVID-19 cases, 12 deaths and 1,810 recoveries/discharges today. Total cases in the state rise to 2,27,986 including 2,078 deaths and 2,07,224 recoveries/discharges. Active cases stand at 18,684

Nov 16, 2020 19:55 (IST)

Nov 16, 2020 19:18 (IST)

Maharashtra reports 2,535 new COVID-19 cases, 3,001 recoveries & 60 deaths today. There are 84,386 active cases in the state and 16,18,380 patients have recovered so far. The death count is at 46,034, news agency ANI reported.

Nov 16, 2020 18:49 (IST)

Coronavirus LIVE: COVID-19 Cases Spurt During Diwali Puts Strain On Gujarat Hospitals

A sudden spike in new COVID-19 cases during Diwali festivities has put a strain on hospitals in Gujarat which is witnessing a rise in patient occupancy, prompting the state government to announce creation of more facilities to handle the situation, officials said on Monday.

Over 90 per cent beds in private hospitals are occupied, while government and municipal hospitals, too, are witnessing a surge in arrival of new patients, they said.

Concerned over the rising number of COVID-19 cases in the state, especially in Ahmedabad and other districts of north Gujarat over the last few days, Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel, who holds the health portfolio, on Monday held a review meeting with officials.

He said new facilities will be created as per requirements and aggressive COVID-19 testing undertaken after Diwali vacation gets over to contain the spread of the virus.

"Since the last 3 to 4 days, there has been a rise in the number of coronavirus patients.

"The core committee that reviews coronavirus cases in Gujarat under the leadership of Chief Minister Vijay Rupani has also expressed concern over the rise in new cases," Mr Patel told reporters after the meeting at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital.

The meeting reviewed preparedness to tackle the surge in new COVID-19 cases.

Nov 16, 2020 18:32 (IST)

Coronavirus LIVE Updates: Belgian Firm Janssen Begins Major New COVID-19 Vaccine Trial In UK

Belgium-headquartered global pharmaceutical company Janssen began a major new clinical trial of its potential vaccine against COVID-19 in the UK from Monday, which will involve 6,000 volunteers across the country.

Recruitment into the Phase 3 study will complete in March 2021 and the trial will last for 12 months. It marks the third potential vaccine to enter clinical trials in the UK, alongside US biotech company Novavax and University of Oxford/ AstraZeneca, whose studies remain ongoing.

"The start of further clinical trials in the UK is yet another step forward in the race to discover a safe and effective vaccine, and comes alongside recent news that we could be on the cusp of the first major breakthrough since the pandemic began," said UK Business Secretary Alok Sharma.

"While we are optimistic with the progress being made, there are no guarantees and it is possible there will be no one-size-fits-all vaccine. That is why it is absolutely vital that while our scientists are cracking on with the job, we continue to follow the guidance to control the virus, protect the NHS and save lives," he said.

The UK volunteers will take part in the trial at 17 National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) sites, including in Southampton, Bristol, Cardiff, London Leicester, Sheffield, Manchester, Dundee and Belfast, according to the government's Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS).

Nov 16, 2020 18:10 (IST)

Coronavirus LIVE: Moderna Says Its COVID-19 Vaccine Is Over 94% Effective

Moderna on Monday announced its experimental vaccine against Covid-19 was shown to be 94.5 percent effective according to early results from a clinical trial with more than 30,000 participants.

"This positive interim analysis from our Phase 3 study has given us the first clinical validation that our vaccine can prevent COVID-19 disease, including severe disease," said Stephane Bancel, Moderna's CEO.

Nov 16, 2020 17:47 (IST)

Coronavirus LIVE: Number Of Non-Covid ICU Beds Shrinking Fast At Many Hospitals In Delhi, Shows Data

The number of non-COVID-19 ICU beds at several leading hospitals here is shrinking fast, parallelly to the surge in the number of coronavirus cases, according to official data.

The rise in COVID-19 cases has happened at a time when approaching winter and deteriorating air quality in the city has led to complications in people with respiratory illnesses.

The online "Corona Dashboard" of the Delhi government showed that around 4 pm, out of 1,588 non-COVID-19 ICU beds, only 422 were vacant.

At Max hospital, Patparganj; Batra hospital; Fortis hospital, Shalimar Bagh; and Fortis Escorts Heart Institute, all non-COVID-19 ICU beds were occupied, as per the data.

Their numbers were fast reducing in government facilities too, including AIIMS where out of 86 such beds, only 19 were vacant.

At Sir Ganga Ram Hospital (39 out of 108 such beds); Apollo Hospital (11 out of 81); BLK Hospital (36 out of 94); Max hospital, East-West Block (7 out of 32); BSA Hospital (2 out of 12); DDU Hospital (8 out of 43), were empty, according to the data at 4 pm.

Nov 16, 2020 17:30 (IST)

Coronavirus Live Updates: Haryana Governor Tests Positive For COVID-19, Admitted To Hospital

Haryana Governor Satyadeo Narain Arya tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday and was admitted to a private hospital in Mohali in Punjab.

The 81-year-old Governor is currently admitted in the ICU, hospital sources told PTI.

"His condition is stable," a hospital official said.

Haryana Chief Minister ML Khattar in a tweet wished Arya a speedy recovery.

Earlier, CM Khattar, Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala, some of their ministerial colleagues, Haryana Assembly Speaker Gian Chand Gupta had contracted the infection and subsequently recovered from it.

Nov 16, 2020 17:12 (IST)

Coronavirus LIVE Updates: 17 More Test Positive For COVID-19 In Tripura, Tally Rises To 31,962

Tripura reported 17 fresh COVID-19 cases on Monday, pushing the state's tally to 31,962, a health department official said.

The death count mounted to 361 after two more patients succumbed to the virus, he said.

West Tripura district, comprising state capital Agartala, has alone accounted for 185 COVID-19 fatalities.

The state now has 1,046 active cases, while 30,532 people have so far recovered and 23 patients migrated, the official said.

As many as 4,94,630 samples have been tested for coronavirus in Tripura, he added.

Nov 16, 2020 16:53 (IST)

Coronavirus LIVE: COVID-19 Norms Defied In UPSRTC Buses

Neither the passengers nor the UPSRTC staff have been following COVID-safety precautions as people were spotted standing in groups without masks.

On the occasion of Bhai Dooj, the bus station was thronged with people waiting for buses.

"We forgot to wear our mask, we will wear it now," said a UPSRTC bus conductor on being asked about COVID19 precautions.

Despite rising in COVID cases in the country, people are not adhering to the COVID-19 regulations.

The bus conductors and drivers too did not care to instruct the passengers to follow social distancing norms.

Nov 16, 2020 16:35 (IST)

COVID-19 LIVE Updates: Arthritis Drug May Improve COVID-19 Survival Among Elderly Patients, Study Shows

A drug used to treat rheumatoid arthritis may reduce the risk of dying for elderly patients with COVID-19, and provide a new weapon in the arsenal against the novel coronavirus, according to a study.

In the research, published in the journal Science Advances, 83 patients with a median age of 81 and all suffering from moderate to severe COVID-19 infection were given a drug called baricitinib.

This medication was initially identified by scientists at Imperial College London in the UK using artificial intelligence (AI) as a drug that could have anti-viral and anti-inflammatory effects.

In the study, the patients, who were in multiple hospitals across Italy and Spain, had a 71 per cent reduced risk of dying compared to patients who had not taken the drug.

The study found that 17 per cent of patients who were given the drug died or needed to go on a ventilator, compared to 35 per cent in the control group who were not given the medication.

The research team says the findings are being followed up with large-scale clinical trials.

Nov 16, 2020 16:20 (IST)

COVID-19: Easier To Spread Indoors Than Outdoors; Winters Perfect Set-Up For Contagion, Says Top Indian-American Surgeon

It is easier for coronavirus to spread indoors than outdoors as people stay inside their homes during winter which is a perfect set-up for the contagion, according to Dr Vivek Murthy, the top Indian-American advisor to President-elect Joe Biden on COVID-19.

The 43-year-old former US surgeon general, who co-chairs the COVID-19 advisory board of Biden, told Fox News on Sunday that people are tired from the pandemic fatigue.

"What's happening now in particular is that with winter, as people move indoors, this is actually the perfect set up for the virus because we know it''s easier to spread indoors than outdoors," Murthy said.

There is one last component, which is really important, is the pandemic fatigue, he said.

"We''ve been at this pandemic now for many months and I get that. A part of that fatigue means that people are letting others into their bubble, they're getting together for in-person dinner parties, game nights and public health departments are now tracing more and more cases back to these kinds of gatherings," Murthy, who advises Biden on COVID-19, said.

All this put together has resulted in the recent explosion in COVID-19 cases in the US, he said.

The US is the worst affected country with over 11 million cases and 246,000 deaths.

Nov 16, 2020 16:04 (IST)

Coronavirus LIVE Updates: India's Daily Covid Recoveries More Than Daily Fresh Infections For 44 Days In A Row

India's trend of registering daily COVID-19 recoveries outpacing the daily infections continued for the 44th day as 43,851 patients recuperated in a span of 24 hours as against 30,548 newly detected cases, the Union Health Ministry said on Monday.

This translates to a net reduction of 13,303 in the active COVID-19 caseload which now stands at 4,65,478 and accounts for 5.26 per cent of the total cases.

"Daily new cases numbering 30,548 is a historic low that assumes significance given many countries in Europe and America are experiencing a continuous steep rise in daily new cases," the ministry said.

The government's efforts to continue to maintain high levels of comprehensive testing have resulted in bringing down the net positivity to sustained low levels.

The recovery rate has improved to 93.27 per cent as the total recovered cases have surged to 82,49,579.

The ministry said that 78.59 per cent of the recovered cases reported in a span of 24 hours are from 10 states and union territories.

Nov 16, 2020 15:45 (IST)

CAPFs Will Play Major Role COVID-19 Vaccination Drive: ITBP DG

The Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) will play a major role in the COVID-19 vaccination programme of the country, even as their various healthcare facilities continue to treat people infected with the virus, ITBP Director General SS Deswal said.

The government's plan for the distribution and use of the vaccine against COVID-19 is ready, he said.

An effective vaccine against the coronavirus is keenly awaited across the globe. Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan has said India is hosting clinical trials for all major vaccines, and about 20 of them are in different stages of development.

Mr Deswal told PTI in an interview that the central security forces including the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) are prepared to assist the government in this mega drive as they have in the past few months by treating patients.

"The government has already made a plan for the distribution and use of the vaccine throughout the country and the CAPFs have a role in it by the way of vaccination of own troops, their families as well as helping out people," he said.

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