Covid-19 Cases in India: Coronavirus recovery rate was recorded at 98.24%. (File)
India reported 10,853 COVID-19 cases and 526 deaths in the last 24 hours, informed the Ministry of Health and Family welfare on Sunday. With the addition of new deaths, the total deaths toll reached 4,60,791. The country's active caseload stands at 1,44,845 the lowest in the last 260 days, the Ministry said,
According to Ministry, with 12,432 recoveries reported in the last 24 hours, the total recoveries in the country have been increased to 3,37,49,900. The recovery rate is currently at 98.23 per cent which is the highest since March 2020.
Meanwhile, a total of 1,08,21,66,365 dosed of COVID-19 vaccine has been administered in the country so far.
Here are the Highlights on Coronavirus Cases In India:
Australia Begins Covid Vaccine Booster Rollout As Curbs Ease In SydneyAustralia will begin administering booster shots of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine from Monday as millions in its largest city, Sydney, woke up to more freedom amid an accelerating immunisation drive against the coronavirus, reported news agency Reuters.
Australia's vaccination rate has picked up pace since July, after widely missing its initial targets, when its southeast was hit by a third wave of infections triggered by the highly infectious Delta variant forcing months-long lockdowns.
Bihar Achieves 7 Crore COVID-19 Vaccination MilestoneBihar on Sunday achieved a milestone in its COVID-19 vaccination drive by crossing a benchmark of administering seven crore doses, State Health Minister Mangal Pandey said.
Speaking to ANI, Mr Pandey said, "We have completed over 7 crore vaccination today. It's a mass movement."
Australia's Sydney To Further Ease Covid Restrictions As Vaccinations Pick UpAustralia's largest city of Sydney will further ease social distancing curbs on Monday, a month after emerging from a coronavirus lockdown that lasted nearly 100 days, as close to 90% of people have got both doses of vaccine, officials said.
Although limited to people who are fully inoculated, the relaxation in the state of New South Wales, home to Sydney, lifts limits on house guests or outdoor gatherings, among other measures.
Global COVID-19 cases near 250 million as Delta surge easesWorldwide cases due to COVID-19 were approaching 250 million on Sunday as the surge from the Delta variant eases and more normal trade and tourism resume, although some countries in eastern Europe are experiencing record outbreaks. Over the last three months, the daily average number of cases has fallen by 36%, according to a Reuters analysis.
Even though the spread has slowed, the virus is still infecting 50 million people every 90 days due to the highly transmissible Delta variant, the analysis showed. It took nearly a year to record the first 50 million COVID cases.
Health experts are optimistic that many nations have put the worst of the pandemic behind them thanks to vaccines and natural exposure, although they caution that colder weather and upcoming holiday gatherings could increase cases.
Gujarat records 19 new COVID-19 infections; active cases 229Gujarat reported 19 new coronavirus positive cases, taking the tally of infections to 8,26,735, the state health department said. The death count remained unchanged at 10,090 with no fresh fatality being reported during the day.
With 17 patients getting discharged during the day, the number of recoveries in Gujarat went up to 8,16,416, leaving the state with 229 active cases.
Chhattisgarh records 13 new Covid cases, zero deathChhattisgarh's coronavirus caseload rose to 10,06,172 as 13 people tested positive for the infection, a health official said. No fatality due to the virus was reported in the state during the day and the death count remained unchanged at 13,584.
The number of recoveries in the state rose to 9,92,344 after eight patients were discharged from hospitals, while 20 others completed their home isolation during the day.
Delhi records 47 COVID-19 cases; positivity rate 0.11%Delhi recorded 47 COVID-19 cases and zero daily deaths due to the disease, while the positivity rate stood at 0.11 per cent, data shared by the health department showed.
The number of cumulative cases now stands at 14,40,118. Over 14.14 lakh patients have recovered from the infection so far.
The death count due to the coronavirus infection in Delhi stands at 25,091. The national capital has not reported any fatality due to COVID-19 so far this month. It reported four deaths in October and five in September.
Austrian chancellor expects tighter COVID rules to remain past Christmas: ReportAustria's latest measures to tackle the spread of coronavirus will likely stay in force over Christmas and New Year, Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg was quoted as saying on Sunday, as the country posted a record number of infections.
The country reported 9,943 new infections within a 24 hour period on Saturday, surpassing the previous worst day of Nov. 13 2020 when 9,586 cases were recorded.
To stem the virus, the government said on Friday that it will bar those not fully vaccinated against COVID-19 from cafes, restaurants and hairdressers, effective Monday. The '2G' rule, which requires proof of full vaccination or recovery, will also be in place for hotel and cinema visits or events for more than 25 people.
Costa Rica issues COVID-19 vaccine requirement for childrenCosta Rican children aged five and up must get COVID-19 vaccinations, according to a new health ministry mandate, making the Central American country one of the first to adopt such a requirement for kids.
The move would add COVID-19 to a list of other infectious diseases in which vaccines for children have for years been required, including for polio and smallpox.
"Our basic vaccination scheme has made it possible to subdue many of the viruses that cause suffering and health consequences and even fatalities in the underage population," Health Minister Daniel Salas said in a statement issued on Friday, announcing the addition of COVID-19 to the scheme.
Nirmala Sitharaman lauds India's COVID vaccine drive, abrogation of Article 370 in J-KUnion Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman lauded the initiatives taken by the Centre to curtail the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and reaffirmed the commitment of the party to seek justice for the victims of the political violence in West Bengal.
Sithararam addressed a press conference at NDMC Convention Center in New Delhi. She had also attended the BJP''s national executive meeting today.
The Union Minister said, "While lauding the commendable work of vaccination done in India we also remember how the Opposition parties had raised many questions on vaccination carried by the government from the very beginning."
COVID-19 AY.4.2 variant frequency too low to be of concern, says INSACOGThe frequency of the new AY.4.2 variant of COVID-19 is less than 0.1 percent of all VOI/VOC and is too low to be of concern at this time, the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) said.
Its weekly bulletin said the vaccine effectiveness does not seem to be different for AY.4.2 when compared to other Delta variants. The INSACOG said that AY.4.2 variant of COVID-19 is less than 0.1 percent of all of all variants of concern and variant of interest (VOC/VOI) and is too low to be of concern at this time.
"There is currently no biological basis for increased transmissibility of AY.4.2, as judged epidemiologically, and assays are in progress," it said. The INSACOG noted that Delta (B.1.617.2 and AY.x) continues to be the main variant of concern (VOC) in India and no new variant of interest (VOI) or VOC are noted in India.
India's cumulative COVID-19 vaccination coverage exceeds 108.21 croreWith the administration of 28,40,174 vaccine doses in the last 24 hours, India's COVID-19 vaccination coverage has exceeded 108.21 crore (1,08,21,66,365) as per provisional reports till 7 am, informed the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
Sustained and collaborative efforts by the Centre and the States, UTs continue the trend of less than 50,000 Daily New Cases that are being reported for 133consecutive days now. Meanwhile, India reported 10,853 new cases in the last 24 hours.
With new cases, the active caseload is presently at 1,44,845 which is the lowest in 260 days. Active cases presently constitute 0.42% of the country's total Positive Cases, which is the lowest since March 2020 according to the data released by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare early Sunday.
Russia registers 39,165 COVID-19 cases in past 24 hours: Response CenterA total of 39,165 of new COVID-19 cases were registered in Russia in past 24 hours raising the cumulative total up to 8,795,095, the federal response center said. The COVID-19-related deaths in Russia to 1,179 within the past 24-hour period, and the total number since the beginning of the pandemic is 246,814.
Most new COVID-19 cases were detected in Moscow, the Moscow Region, and Saint Petersburg with 4.975, 3.297, and 2.551, respectively.
Odisha logs 318 new COVID-19 cases, 3 fatalitiesOdisha registered 318 new cases taking the state's COVID-19 caseload to 10,43,469 while three fresh fatalities pushed the coronavirus death toll to 8,357, a health department official said.
The new cases included 58 children and adolescents. The rate of infection among people in the age group of 0 to 18 years now stands at 18.23 per cent against the previous day's 11.05 per cent. The state had reported 208 COVID-19 cases on Saturday, 170 on Friday and 351 on Thursday.
Of the 318 new cases, 186 were from quarantine centres while the remaining 132 were local contacts. Khurda district of which Bhubaneswar is a part, recorded the highest of 139 cases, followed by Cuttack (31).
Khurda district alone accounted for above 43 per cent of the state's daily caseload. Six other districts reported nil cases.
Maharashtra hospital fire: Some COVID-19 patients died due to smoke, say policeA day after a major fire at the ICU of a civil hospital in Maharashtra's Ahmednagar district killed 11 people, it has emerged that some of the victims died due to smoke which engulfed the ward following the blaze, according to a police official.
The blaze erupted around 11 am on Saturday in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) ward where 17 COVID-19 patients, many of them senior citizens and some on ventilator or oxygen, were undergoing treatment at the hospital in Ahmednagar, located 120 km from Pune and 253 km from Mumbai.
The ward had been added to the hospital after the pandemic began, officials earlier said.
Pakistan reports 471 new COVID-19 cases, 20 more deathsPakistan on Saturday confirmed 471 new COVID-19 cases and 20 more deaths, the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) said. The NCOC, a department leading the campaign against the pandemic, said that the country has conducted 21,101,314 tests so far, confirming 1,276,711 cases, including 1,225,363 recovered cases.
There are 22,810 active cases under treatment across the country, including 1,233 in critical condition.
The pandemic killed 20 people on Saturday, bringing the death toll to 28,538.
Annual COVID-19 booster vaccines likely in Australia for "foreseeable future": PharmacistsAustralians will require annual coronavirus vaccines for years, according to the nation's peak pharmacists body. Pharmacy Guild president Trent Twomey said annual booster vaccines will be necessary "for the foreseeable future" to protect Australians from COVID-19.
"The question is what booster and what interval we need to get that booster, whether it's every six, nine or 12 months. Those decisions need to be based on evidence and facts and at the moment that is an evolving space," he was quoted by Nine Entertainment newspapers as saying on Sunday.
"In time we will treat COVID like many other viruses that have been around for decades, and a COVID-19 shot will just be another element of the Australian vaccination program."
From Monday any Australian who has their second coronavirus vaccine at least six months ago will be eligible for a third booster shot.
Arunachal Pradesh logs four new COVID-19 casesArunachal Pradesh's COVID-19 tally rose to 55,180 as four more persons tested positive for the infection, two more than the previous day, a senior health official said.
The total number of recoveries in the state rose to 54,840 as five more persons recuperated from the disease on Saturday, the official said.
The COVID-19 recovery rate in the state now is 99.38 per cent, while the active percentage is 0.11, State Surveillance Officer (SSO) Dr Lobsang Jampa said. The COVID-19 death toll in the frontier state remained at 280 as no fresh fatality was reported in the last 24 hours, the SSO said.
Andaman & Nicobar reports one new COVID-19 caseAndaman and Nicobar Islands reported one new COVID-19 case in the last 24 hours, pushing the tally to 7,660, a health department official said. The archipelago now has 11 active COVID-19 cases and all the patients are in the South Andaman district of which the capital Port Blair is a part. The other two districts - North and Middle Andaman and Nicobar - are coronavirus free, he said.
The union territory had recorded zero COVID-19 cases on Friday, one on Thursday, zero on Wednesday, four on Tuesday, and three on Monday, the official said. A total of 7,520 patients have recovered from COVID-19 so far, the official said.
862 COVID-19 cases, 10 deaths in Tamil NaduTamil Nadu added 862 new COVID-19 infections on Saturday, pushing the overall tally to 27,08,230, while the toll rose to 36,214 with 10 more deaths. Recoveries eclipsed new infections with 1,009 people getting discharged in the last 24 hours, aggregating to 26,61,428 leaving 10,588 active cases, a health department bulletin said.
The State capital topped the infection count with 122 cases, while the remaining were scattered across other districts. Chennai also leads in the number of deaths, with 8,562 fatalities till date.
Coimbatore, which along with Chennai, had been contributing the majority of new cases in the state for several weeks, reported 99 infections today, indicating a decline in the number of the infections in the district.
A total of 1,01,023 samples were tested in the last 24 hours, pushing the cumulative number of specimens examined so far to 5,18,30,749, the bulletin said.
Over 116.58 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses provided to States, UTs so farMore than 116.58 crore (1,16,58,27,955) COVID-19 vaccine doses have been provided to States and Union Territories so far through the Centre and direct state procurement category, the Union health ministry said. More than 15.77 (15,77,70,771) crore balance and unutilised vaccine doses are still available with the States and UTs to be administered, it said.
The Union government is committed to accelerating the pace and expanding the scope of COVID-19 vaccination throughout the country, it added.
As part of the nationwide vaccination drive, the Government of India has been supporting the States and UTs by providing them COVID Vaccines free of cost. In the new phase of the universalisation of the COVID19 vaccination drive, the Union Government will procure and supply (free of cost) 75% of the vaccines being produced by the vaccine manufacturers in the country to States and UTs, the ministry said.
Malaysia reports 4,701 new COVID-19 infectionsMalaysia reported another 4,701 new COVID-19 infections as of midnight Saturday, bringing the national total to 2,501,966, according to the health ministry. Some 28 of the new cases are imported, with 4,673 being local transmissions, data released on the ministry's website showed.
Another 54 deaths were reported, bringing the death toll to 29,256.
Kerala logged 6,546 Covid cases yesterday with which the active cases in the state reached 72,876. During the same period,7,085 patients have recovered from the disease.
Turkey reports 27,474 daily COVID-19 cases, 203 fresh deaths
Turkey on Saturday confirmed 27,474 new COVID-19 cases, raising its tally of infections to 8,206,375, according to its health ministry.
The death count from the virus in Turkey rose to 71,927 as 203 fresh fatalities were recorded, while 30,584 more people recovered in the last 24 hours.
Turkey started mass COVID-19 vaccination on January 14 after the authorities approved the emergency use of the Chinese Sinovac vaccine.
Greece Imposes New Curbs For Unvaccinated As Covid Cases RiseQueues formed outside shops in Athens on Saturday on the first day of new restrictions to curb soaring coronavirus infections which require the unvaccinated to have negative COVID-19 tests.
COVID-19 infections in Greece hit a new daily high almost every day in November, prompting authorities to announce new measures on Tuesday, which also restrict access to cafes and restaurants, state services and banks to those who are either vaccinated or have a negative test.
Those vaccinated against COVID-19 also have to present their vaccination certificates, triggering long lines outside shops in the capital's busiest shopping street, Ermou.
Russia Reports Highest-Ever Daily Covid Count Despite Paid HolidayRussia on Saturday reported a record number of daily coronavirus cases as the country reaches the end of a nationwide paid holiday introduced to curb the spread of infections, reported news agency AFP.
Saturday's official tally registered 41,335 new cases in the past 24 hours, the highest number for new infections since the beginning of the pandemic.
The country also reported 1,188 coronavirus deaths during the same period.