4 years ago
New Delhi:
India's COVID-19 caseload rose to 85,91,730 with 38,073 infections being reported in a day, while the number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 79,59,406 pushing the national recovery rate to 92.64 per cent, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Tuesday.
The coronavirus death count climbed to 1,27,059 with 448 new fatalities, the data updated at 8 am showed.
The COVID-19 case fatality rate stands at 1.48 per cent. The number of active cases remained below 6 lakh for the twelfth consecutive day.
There are 5,05,265 active cases of coronavirus infection in the country as on date which comprise 5.88 per cent of the total caseload, the data stated.
Meanwhile, the Covid-19 vaccine being developed by Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE prevented more than 90% of infections in a study of tens of thousands of volunteers, the most encouraging scientific advance so far in the battle against the coronavirus.
Eight months into the worst pandemic in a century, the preliminary results pave the way for the companies to seek an emergency-use authorization from regulators if further research shows the shot is also safe.
Here are the LIVE updates on Coronavirus:
Coronavirus News: Next 3 Months To Be "Very Challenging" Due To Winter, Festivities, Pollution, Says Ashok Gehlot
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Tuesday said the next three months would be "very challenging" in terms of the coronavirus outbreak due to winter, festive season and pollution, reported news agency PTI. The concerned officials should ensure that all necessary arrangements are made in advance so that the situation doesn't worsen, he said. Gehlot made the remarks at a meeting held to review the coronavirus situation in the state, which has recorded 2,15,071 cases so far.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Tuesday said the next three months would be "very challenging" in terms of the coronavirus outbreak due to winter, festive season and pollution, reported news agency PTI. The concerned officials should ensure that all necessary arrangements are made in advance so that the situation doesn't worsen, he said. Gehlot made the remarks at a meeting held to review the coronavirus situation in the state, which has recorded 2,15,071 cases so far.
Mumbai Reports 535 COVID-19 Cases, 1,057 Recoveries
Mumbai reported 535 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, taking its tally to 2,65,677, the city civic body said, reported news agency PTI. According to Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC) updated data, the death count in Mumbai increased to 10,481 with 19 fatalities getting recorded in the last 24 hours.
Mumbai reported 535 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, taking its tally to 2,65,677, the city civic body said, reported news agency PTI. According to Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC) updated data, the death count in Mumbai increased to 10,481 with 19 fatalities getting recorded in the last 24 hours.
Rajasthan Records 1,902 Fresh COVID Cases, 10 Fatalities
Rajasthan recorded 1,902 fresh COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, taking the tally to 2,15,071, while 10 more fatalities pushed the state's death count to 2,008, a health department bulletin said, reported news agency PTI. Of the fresh cases, 379 were reported from Jaipur, 278 from Jodhpur, 210 from Ajmer, 145 from Alwar, 119 from Kota, and 110 from Bikaner, among other districts, it said.
Rajasthan recorded 1,902 fresh COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, taking the tally to 2,15,071, while 10 more fatalities pushed the state's death count to 2,008, a health department bulletin said, reported news agency PTI. Of the fresh cases, 379 were reported from Jaipur, 278 from Jodhpur, 210 from Ajmer, 145 from Alwar, 119 from Kota, and 110 from Bikaner, among other districts, it said.
India In Talks With Domestic, Foreign COVID Vaccine Manufacturers: Health Ministry
A day after Pfizer and BioNTech SE announced more than 90 per cent efficacy of their potential vaccine for the coronavirus, the health ministry on Tuesday said the National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for COVID-19 is in conversation with all vaccine manufacturers, including domestic and foreign ones, reported new agency PTI.
A day after Pfizer and BioNTech SE announced more than 90 per cent efficacy of their potential vaccine for the coronavirus, the health ministry on Tuesday said the National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for COVID-19 is in conversation with all vaccine manufacturers, including domestic and foreign ones, reported new agency PTI.
Aligarh Muslim University VC Registers As First Volunteer Of Covaxin Phase-3 Trial
As the trial of COVID-19 vaccine enters the third phase, AMU Vice Chancellor Professor Tariq Mansoor on Tuesday got himself registered to be the first volunteer for the Covaxin trials, reported news agency PTI. The phase 3 trials of Covaxin developed by Bharat Biotech began at JN Medical College and Hospital (JNMCH) of the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU). Prof Tariq Mansoor volunteered himself to motivate and inspire others to come forward, an AMU spokesman said. Covaxin Phase 3 trial is aimed at evaluating the safety and efficacy of the coronavirus vaccine study led in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and Bharat Biotech, he said.
As the trial of COVID-19 vaccine enters the third phase, AMU Vice Chancellor Professor Tariq Mansoor on Tuesday got himself registered to be the first volunteer for the Covaxin trials, reported news agency PTI. The phase 3 trials of Covaxin developed by Bharat Biotech began at JN Medical College and Hospital (JNMCH) of the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU). Prof Tariq Mansoor volunteered himself to motivate and inspire others to come forward, an AMU spokesman said. Covaxin Phase 3 trial is aimed at evaluating the safety and efficacy of the coronavirus vaccine study led in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and Bharat Biotech, he said.
20 More Deaths, 491 New Cases In Punjab
Twenty more COVID-19 deaths in Punjab pushed the count to 4,358 while 491 new cases took the infection tally to 1,38,485 on Tuesday, officials said, reported news agency PTI. There are 5,038 active COVID-19 cases in the state as of now, according to the bulletin. The places which reported new coronavirus cases included Jalandhar (76), SAS Nagar (75) and Ludhiana (74). The total number of cured people in the state is 1,29,089. Fifteen critical patients are on ventilator support while 134 are on oxygen support, the bulletin said.
Twenty more COVID-19 deaths in Punjab pushed the count to 4,358 while 491 new cases took the infection tally to 1,38,485 on Tuesday, officials said, reported news agency PTI. There are 5,038 active COVID-19 cases in the state as of now, according to the bulletin. The places which reported new coronavirus cases included Jalandhar (76), SAS Nagar (75) and Ludhiana (74). The total number of cured people in the state is 1,29,089. Fifteen critical patients are on ventilator support while 134 are on oxygen support, the bulletin said.
Andhra Adds 1,886 New COVID-19 Cases, 12 Deaths
Andhra Pradesh added 1,886 new coronavirus cases, saw 2,151 recoveries and 12 more deaths, the state government said on Tuesday, reported news agency PTI. Consequently, the total confirmed cases of the pandemic touched 8,46,245 in the state so far. The total recoveries increased to 8,18,473 while the overall death count now stands at 6,814, the latest bulletin for the 24 hours ending 9 am on Tuesday said. The state now has 20,958 active cases.
Andhra Pradesh added 1,886 new coronavirus cases, saw 2,151 recoveries and 12 more deaths, the state government said on Tuesday, reported news agency PTI. Consequently, the total confirmed cases of the pandemic touched 8,46,245 in the state so far. The total recoveries increased to 8,18,473 while the overall death count now stands at 6,814, the latest bulletin for the 24 hours ending 9 am on Tuesday said. The state now has 20,958 active cases.
328 More Test Positive For Coronavirus In Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand recorded 328 fresh COVID-19 infections on Tuesday, taking the case count to 66,005, while five more fatalities pushed the state's death count to 1,080, a health department bulletin said, reported news agency PTI. Dehradun district reported the highest number of fresh cases at 130, followed by 29 in Haridwar, 27 in Udham Singh Nagar, 25 in Pithoragarh, 23 in Nainital, 19 in Tehri, 18 in Uttarkashi and 17 in Pauri, it said. Champawat reported 12 new cases, Bageshwar 11, Almora nine, Chamoli seven and Rudraprayag one.
Uttarakhand recorded 328 fresh COVID-19 infections on Tuesday, taking the case count to 66,005, while five more fatalities pushed the state's death count to 1,080, a health department bulletin said, reported news agency PTI. Dehradun district reported the highest number of fresh cases at 130, followed by 29 in Haridwar, 27 in Udham Singh Nagar, 25 in Pithoragarh, 23 in Nainital, 19 in Tehri, 18 in Uttarkashi and 17 in Pauri, it said. Champawat reported 12 new cases, Bageshwar 11, Almora nine, Chamoli seven and Rudraprayag one.
Bangladesh's COVID-19 Count Rises To 4,23,620 With 1,699 New Cases
Bangladesh reported 1,699 new COVID-19 cases and 16 new deaths on Tuesday, taking the tally to 423,620 and death count to 6,108, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) said, reported news agency ANI. The official data showed that 13,520 samples were tested in the last 24 hours across the country. The total number of recovered patients in the country stood at 3,41,416, including 1,648 new recoveries on Tuesday, said the DGHS.
Bangladesh reported 1,699 new COVID-19 cases and 16 new deaths on Tuesday, taking the tally to 423,620 and death count to 6,108, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) said, reported news agency ANI. The official data showed that 13,520 samples were tested in the last 24 hours across the country. The total number of recovered patients in the country stood at 3,41,416, including 1,648 new recoveries on Tuesday, said the DGHS.
Small Percentage Of Theatres Reopen In Tamil Nadu After Eight Months
Cinema theatres in Tamil Nadu reopened on Tuesday, after a gap of nearly eight months of closure due to the Covid-induced lockdown, but only few of them opened their screens to fans as the issue of Virtual Print Fee (VPF) weighed in on them, reported news agency PTI. Among the theatres and multiplexes which reopened today, some offered contactless scanners and hand sanitiser dispensers as part of COVID-19 protocols.
Cinema theatres in Tamil Nadu reopened on Tuesday, after a gap of nearly eight months of closure due to the Covid-induced lockdown, but only few of them opened their screens to fans as the issue of Virtual Print Fee (VPF) weighed in on them, reported news agency PTI. Among the theatres and multiplexes which reopened today, some offered contactless scanners and hand sanitiser dispensers as part of COVID-19 protocols.
Coronavirus News: One New Case Recorded In Mumbai's Dharavi
Only one new coronavirus patient was detected in Mumbai's Dharavi on Tuesday, taking the tally of cases in the slum-dominated area to 3,606, said an official of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, reported news agency PTI. This is the third time this month that Dharavi, Asia's largest slum cluster, has reported only one new COVID-19 case. Of 3,606 COVID-19 patients, 3,237 have already recovered. The number of active cases has come down to 58. The BMC does not reveal the number of deaths in the area.
Only one new coronavirus patient was detected in Mumbai's Dharavi on Tuesday, taking the tally of cases in the slum-dominated area to 3,606, said an official of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, reported news agency PTI. This is the third time this month that Dharavi, Asia's largest slum cluster, has reported only one new COVID-19 case. Of 3,606 COVID-19 patients, 3,237 have already recovered. The number of active cases has come down to 58. The BMC does not reveal the number of deaths in the area.
As of this morning, 46 per cent RT-PCR tests were conducted in the country, 49 percent rapid-antigen tests and 5 per cent CB-Nat and TrueNat tests, the government said, reported news agency PTI.
Coronavirus News: India Logs 79 Lakh Covid Recoveries, Highest Globally
India's Covid recoveries have crossed 79 lakh, the highest in world, the health ministry said, reported news agency PTI. On an average, 51,476 people have recovered daily in the last week, they said.
India's Covid recoveries have crossed 79 lakh, the highest in world, the health ministry said, reported news agency PTI. On an average, 51,476 people have recovered daily in the last week, they said.
Maharashtra, Delhi, Bengal, UP, Kerala, Punjab Account For 62% Covid Deaths In Last 24 Hours
62 per cent of new Covid deaths in last 24 hours were recorded from Maharashtra, Delhi, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala and Punjab, the Health Ministry said, reported news agency PTI.
62 per cent of new Covid deaths in last 24 hours were recorded from Maharashtra, Delhi, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala and Punjab, the Health Ministry said, reported news agency PTI.
India Recorded Average Of 3 New COVID Deaths Per Million Population: Centre
India recorded an average of three new COVID-19 deaths per million population in last 7 days, the government said, reported news agency PTI. The global average stands at seven new deaths per million, it said.
India recorded an average of three new COVID-19 deaths per million population in last 7 days, the government said, reported news agency PTI. The global average stands at seven new deaths per million, it said.
Indian Researchers Working Towards Developing Effective Vaccine Strategies Against SARS-CoV-2, HIV
Indian Institute of Science claimed on Tuesday that researchers led by Raghavan Varadarajan, Professor at IISc's Molecular Biophysics Unit, are working towards developing effective vaccine strategies against two viruses: SARS-CoV-2 and HIV.
In two studies published in the past week, they reported the design of a "heat-tolerant" COVID-19 vaccine candidate and a rapid method to identify specific regions on the HIV envelope protein that are targeted by antibodies, which can help design effective vaccines, an IISc press release said.
The studies were published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry and the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences respectively, according to Bengaluru-based IISc.
The COVID-19 vaccine candidate contains a part of the spike protein of the novel coronavirus called the Receptor Binding Domain (RBD) - the region that helps the virus stick to the hosts cell.
It is being developed by Varadarajans lab in collaboration with Mynvax, a startup co-founded by him and incubated at IISc, as well as several other institutes.
"When tested in guinea pig models, the vaccine candidate triggered a strong immune response", the statement said.
"Surprisingly, it also remained stable for a month at 37C, and freeze-dried versions could tolerate temperatures as high as 100C.
India's Daily New Covid Cases Remain Below 50,000-Mark For 3rd Day In A Row
For the third day in a row, daily new coronavirus infections in the country settled below the 50,000-mark, the Union Health Ministry said on Tuesday.
The ministry said the figures assume significance in the context of some countries reporting as high as one lakh cases per day since the last 3-4 days.
Seventy-two per cent of new infections reported in a span of 24 hours are from 10 states and UTs with Delhi continuing to report the highest daily new cases at 5,983, which is less than its previous day tally of 7,745 new cases, the ministry said.
There has been a sustained decrease in the number of active cases in the country over the past few weeks, which has shrunk to 5,05,265 and presently comprise 5.88 per cent of the total caseload.
For the 38th day as on date, recoveries have exceeded the daily new cases with 42,033 patients recovering in a span of 24 hours as against 38,073 infections being reported during the same period, the ministry underlined.
India has registered less than 40,000 daily new cases after six days.
The total recoveries have surged to 79,59,406 pushing the national recovery rate to 92.64 per cent.
"The gap between recovered cases and active cases has widened to 74,54,141," the ministry said.
Seventy-eight per cent of the new recovered cases are observed to be concentrated in 10 states and UTs.
COVID-19 Vaccine Will Be Optional In Britain: Minister
People in Britain will be able to decide whether they want to have the coronavirus vaccine or not, health minister Matt Hancock said on Tuesday, adding that children will not need to be vaccinated.
"We're not proposing to make this compulsory, not least because I think the vast majority people are going to want to have it," Hancock told BBC TV on Tuesday.
"This is not for children and children have a very low susceptibility to coronavirus," he added.
UK Sheds Number Of Jobs In Pandemic Fallout
Britain's unemployment rate has jumped to 4.8 percent as the coronavirus pandemic destroys a record number of UK jobs, official data showed Tuesday.
The reading for the third quarter compared with an unemployment rate of 4.5 percent for June-August, the Office for National Statistics said in a statement.
"The employment rate has been decreasing since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, while the unemployment rate is now rising sharply," the ONS said.
"Redundancies have reached a record high," it added.
Since the start of the UK pandemic in March, the number of payroll employees has dived by 782,000, the data showed.
In the third quarter, or July-September period, UK redundancies reached a record high 314,000.
This surpassed the quarterly record in the wake of the global financial crisis in 2009, the ONS said.
China Reports 22 New COVID-19 Cases Versus 33 A Day Earlier
China reported 22 new COVID-19 cases as of November 9, down from 33 cases a day earlier, its health authority said on Tuesday.
The National Health Commission said one of the new cases was a local infection reported in Shanghai, while the remaining 21 cases were imported by people returning from overseas. The commission also reported 25 new asymptomatic cases, up from nine a day earlier.
On Tuesday, one new locally transmitted case was reported in the city of Fuyang in the eastern province of Anhui, the province's first since Feb. 27. This case is not included in the Nov. 9 count.
The 50-year-old man, a close contact to Monday's case reported in Shanghai, carried out transportation work at Pudong airport in Shanghai before returning to Fuyang, the city's health authority said.
The total number of confirmed COVID-19 infections in mainland China is 86,267 as of Nov. 9, while the death toll remained unchanged at 4,634.
Nepal To Provide Free COVID-19 Tests, Treatment As Cases Surge
Nepal will provide free COVID-19 tests and treatment, an aide to the prime minister said on Tuesday, as the total number of infections was set to cross the 200,000 mark.
The move follows a Supreme Court order for free treatment last week after the Communist government asked citizens who could afford to pay to do so, limiting free testing and care to only those who couldn't.
Surya Thapa, an aide to Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli, said all government hospitals would provide testing and treatment to COVID-19 patients for free.
"Those who want fast services and wish to pay can continue to go to private hospitals," Thapa told Reuters.
Experts say many COVID-19 patients stayed home in isolation rather than pay up to 150,000 Nepali rupees ($1,266.57) in deposits before admission to a hospital.
"This also led to fewer people turning up for testing and less contact tracing, causing a rapid increase in infections," Rabindra Pandey, a public health expert, told Reuters.
Nepal has so far reported 197,024 coronavirus cases and 1,126 deaths, according to government data. There were 2,571 cases and 18 deaths on Monday.
Arunachal Pradesh's COVID-19 Tally Rises To 15,484
runachal Pradesh's COVID-19 tally mounted to 15,484 as 48 more people, including an Assam Rifles jawan and a health worker, tested positive for the infection, an official said on Tuesday.
Of the 48 new cases, 13 were reported from the Capital Complex region, 5 from Lepa Rada and 4 cases each from Tirap and West Kameng.
Three fresh cases each were also registered in Lower Dibang Valley, Changlang and Lohit, two each in Lower Siang, Papumpare, Shi-Yomi and Anjaw and one each in West Siang, East Kameng, Upper Siang, Namsai and Longding districts respectively, State Surveillance Officer (SSO) Dr Lobsang Jampa said.
"Three new cases were detected through TrueNat method and 45 found through rapid antigen test," Dr Jampa said, adding that the positivity rate in the state currently stands at 09.81 per cent.
Barring 16, all new patients are asymptomatic and have been shifted to Covid Care Centres, he said.
Altogether 85 people were discharged from hospitals on Monday, taking the total number of recoveries to 13,966, Dr Jampa said.
The recovery rate among coronavirus patients in the state is currently at 90.19 per cent, while the fatality ratio stands at 0.29 per cent, he said.
Arunachal Pradesh now has 1,472 active COVID-19 cases.
Coronavirus Live Updates: Less Than 40,000 Cases Reported In A Day For Second Time In November
The number of new coronavirus infections reported in India in a span of 24 hours dropped below 40,000 for the second time this month, as India's COVID-19 caseload rose to 85.91 lakh while the total number of recoveries neared 80 lakh, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Tuesday.
The COVID-19 caseload increased to 85,91,730 with 38,073 new infections being reported in a day, while the death toll climbed to 1,27,059 with 448 fresh fatalities, the data updated at 8 am showed.
The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 79,59,406 pushing the national recovery rate to 92.64 per cent, while the COVID-19 case fatality rate stands at 1.48 per cent.
The number of active cases remained below six lakh for the twelfth consecutive day. There are 5,05,265 active cases of coronavirus infection in the country as on date which comprise 5.88 per cent of the total caseload, the data stated.
Odisha reports 987 new COVID-19 infections taking total cases to 3,03,780, out of which 12,584 are active patients.
2,89,689 people have recovered while 1,454 deaths have been recorded.
Behind Pfizer's Covid Vaccine, A Husband-Wife "Dream Team"Positive data on BioNTech and US partner Pfizer Inc's COVID-19 vaccine is an unlikely success for the married couple behind the German biotech firm, who have devoted their lives to harnessing the immune system against cancer.Pfizer said on Monday said its experimental vaccine was more than 90% effective in preventing COVID-19 based on initial data from a large study.
Pfizer and BioNTech are the first drugmakers to show successful data from a large-scale clinical trial of a coronavirus vaccine. The companies said they have so far found no serious safety concerns and expect to seek US emergency use authorization later this month.
From humble roots as the son of a Turkish immigrant working at a Ford factory in Cologne, BioNTech Chief Executive Ugur Sahin, 55, now figures among the 100 richest Germans, together with his wife and fellow board member Oezlem Tuereci, 53, according to weekly Welt am Sonntag.
Australia May Open Borders To Asia As It Records Third Day Without Local COVID-19 Case
Australia is considering opening its borders to Asian countries, including parts of China, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Tuesday, as Canberra seeks to revive an economy ravaged by COVID-19.
Australia in March shut its borders to all non-citizens and permanent residents, though in October Canberra allowed New Zealand residents to enter. Internal travel is limited, although those restrictions are scheduled to be removed by the end of the year.
Morrison ruled out entry from the United States or Europe, but said Australia may allow people from low-risk countries such as Taiwan, Japan, Singapore and even provinces in China.
"We ... are looking at what alternative arrangements could be hard to channel visitors through appropriate quarantine arrangements for low-risk countries," Morrison told reporters in Canberra.
China was one of the first countries from which Australia restricted entry.
The consideration of easing travel curbs comes as Morrison said Australia has gone three days without any locally acquired cases of COVID-19.
With 38,073 new COVID-19 infections, India's total cases surge to 85,91,731. With 448 new deaths, count mounts to 1,27,059
Total active cases are 5,05,265 after a decrease of 4,408 in the last 24 hrs.
Total cured cases are 79,59,406 with 42,033 new discharges in the last 24 hours
COVID-19: 1.267 New Cases, 4 Deaths In Telangana
Telangana has registered 1,267 fresh coronavirus cases taking the total infection count to 2.52 lakh while fourmore deaths pushed the count to 1,385.
Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) accounted for the most number of cases with 201, followed by Medchal Malkajgiri 109 and Rangareddy 104, a government bulletin said on Tuesday, providing details as of 8 pm on November 9.
As many as 18,581 are under treatment and42,490 samples were tested on Monday.
Cumulatively,46.84 lakh samples have been tested.
The samples tested per million population was1, 25,866, the bulletin said.
The case fatality rate in the state was 0.54 per cent, while it was 1.5 per cent at the national level.
The recovery rate in Telangana was 92.09 per cent, while it was 92.6 per cent in the country.
US Allows Emergency Use Of First COVID-19 Antibody Drug
U.S. regulators on Monday authorized emergency use of the first experimental antibody drug for COVID-19 in patients who are not hospitalized but are at risk of serious illness because of their age or other conditions.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted emergency use authorization (EUA) to Eli Lilly & Co's bamlanivimab based on trial data showing that a one-time infusion of the treatment reduced the need for hospitalization or emergency room visits in high-risk COVID-19 patients.
The drug is a monoclonal antibody - a widely used class of biotech drugs which in this case is a manufactured copy of an antibody the human body creates to fight infections.
A similar treatment developed by Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc was given to U.S. President Donald Trump after he caught the coronavirus in early October. The nation's top infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci said it likely contributed to Trump's recovery.
The White House, in an emailed statement, hailed the FDA's decision as "a major milestone."
Regeneron is also seeking an EUA for its dual-antibody against COVID-19.
US COVID-19 Hospitalizations Surge To Record Of Almost 59,000 Patients: Report
There were almost 59,000 COVID-19 patients in hospitals across the United States on Monday, the country's highest number ever of in-patients being treated for the disease.
The number of people with the virus being hospitalized has surged around 73% over the past 30 days to at least 58,982 - a record level that surpasses the previous high of 58,370 on July 22.
The United States also recorded more than 100,000 cases for the sixth consecutive day on Monday, cementing its position as the nation worst affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
India's Active COVID-19 Case Count Falls Below 6 Per Cent Of Total Case: Health Ministry
India's COVID-19 active cases have fallen below 6 per cent of the total cases, said the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Tuesday.
In a tweet, the Health Ministry said, "Demonstrating a landmark achievement, India's Active Cases have fallen below 6% of the Total Cases. The Recovered Cases have leaped past 92% of the cumulative cases."
In another tweet, it said, "Calibrated and effective strategy of the Centre focused on high levels of testing for early identification combined with timely tracing, isolation and hospitalisation for the severe cases have resulted in a manageable number of active cases and continuously rising number of recoveries."
On Monday, Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan held a virtual meeting with Health Ministers of Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Punjab, Rajasthan, Telangana, and West Bengal to review the COVID-19 situation.
UK Reports 194 New COVID-19 Deaths, 7-Day Total Up 29 Per Cent
The United Kingdom reported a total of 194 new deaths from COVID-19 on Monday, up from 156 a day earlier, and data showed the weekly total of 2,385 deaths was up by 28.6% compared with the previous seven-day period.
Government data also recorded 21,350 new cases of the novel coronavirus, bringing the cumulative total across the country to 1.213 million. The seven-day total of 159,502 new cases was almost unchanged compared with the previous seven days.
The data on deaths uses the government's preferred measure: people who died within a period of 28 days after testing positive for the virus.
Brazil on Monday registered 10,917 new cases of coronavirus, totaling 5,590,025, the Health Ministry said. Deaths rose by 231 to 161,106.
Severe COVID-19 Infection Very Rare In Babies, Study Says
Scientists have assessed cases of COVID-19 in newborns across the UK, and found that nearly 90 per cent of them had fully recovered, and had been discharged from hospital, an advance which suggests that severe infection in babies is very rare.
The study, published in the journal The Lancet Child and Adolescent Health, traced babies less than 29 days old with COVID-19 across the UK, who needed to be admitted into hospital between the beginning of March and end of April.
In the research, scientists, including those from the Imperial College London in the UK, found that 66 babies required hospital treatment for COVID-19 infection in this period -- equivalent of 1 in 1785 births, or 0.06 per cent of births.
The main symptoms of COVID-19 infection in the babies included high temperature, poor feeding, vomiting, a runny nose, cough and lethargy, the researchers said.
They added that nearly half of the babies who developed severe infection were from Black, Asian or minority ethnic groups, and around one in four of the babies were born prematurely.
According to the study, only 17 babies, out of the 66 newborns were suspected to have caught COVID-19 from their mother in the first seven days after birth, and six of them may have contracted the disease while in hospital.
Biden Says Pfizer Covid Vaccine News Gives "Hope," But Long Battle Ahead
US President-elect Joe Biden Monday said it is a cause for "hope" the news that a Covid-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech was 90 percent effective -- but warned of a long battle still ahead.
"I congratulate the brilliant women and men who helped produce this breakthrough and to give us such cause for hope," Biden said in a statement, adding that he received advance notice of the announcement on Sunday night.
"At the same time, it is also important to understand that the end of the battle against COVID-19 is still months away," he added -- stressing the continued importance of mask-wearing for the foreseeable future.
Pfizer's Ultra-Cold COVID-19 Vaccine: Needs Minus 70 Degrees Celsius
Work to distribute the experimental COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer Inc and BioNTech is gearing up after the companies announced successful interim data earlier on Monday, but it will not be coming to local pharmacies for the general public any time soon.
The data, which sent U.S. stocks to record highs, showed that the two companies' experimental vaccine is 90% effective at preventing COVID-19. They are still awaiting data on safety, which could come later this month.
Pfizer and BioNTech need to get regulators to sign off on the shot before it can start shipping vaccines to those considered most in need by government. Healthcare workers and people living in nursing homes will likely top that list.
US Surpasses 10 Million Coronavirus Cases: Report
The United States recorded its 10 millionth case of the coronavirus Monday, according to a count by Johns Hopkins University, the same day that Pfizer and BioNTech announced their vaccine showed 90 percent effectiveness.
Shortly before 1400 GMT Monday the tracker by the Baltimore-based university showed 10,018,278 cases recorded in the United States since the pandemic began, and 237,742 deaths.
Both are the highest counts in absolute terms in the world.
The United States is now well into its third and by far biggest surge of its epidemic.
Two New Cases Of COVID-19 In The White House: Reports
Two more people close to US President Donald Trump tested positive for the coronavirus, media reports said Monday.
Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson. 69, has contracted the virus, his deputy chief of staff Coalter Baker told NPR.
"He is in good spirits and feels fortunate to have access to effective therapeutics which aid and markedly speed his recovery," Baker said in a statement.
According to ABC television, Carson was briefly treated at Walter Reid military hospital outside Washington DC, where Trump himself was treated for the virus.
Carson had spent Tuesday evening at the White House watching the election results come in.
Another top aide to the president, David Bossie, was also at the White House event and tested positive on Sunday and has been self-isolating at home, NBC news said.
Bossie, 55, was tapped a few days ago to lead the president's legal challenges to the election results.
On Friday, media reported that Trump's chief of staff Mark Meadows had tested positive for the disease after the election,. It was not clear when he contracted the virus.
Brazil Halts Trials Of Chinese COVID-19 Vaccine
Brazil's health regulator said Monday it had suspended clinical trials of a Chinese-developed Covid-19 vaccine after an "adverse incident" involving a volunteer recipient, a blow for one of the most advanced vaccine candidates.
The regulator, Anvisa, said in a statement that it had "ruled to interrupt the clinical trial of the CoronaVac vaccine after a serious adverse incident" on October 29.
It said it could not give details on what happened because of privacy regulations, but that such incidents included death, potentially fatal side effects, serious disability, hospitalization, birth defects and other "clinically significant events."
Mumbai reported 599 new COVID-19 cases, 507 recovered cases and 20 deaths on Monday.
Total cases in Mumbai stands at 2,65,142 including 2,37,029 discharges, 16,923 active cases & 10,462 deaths: Municipal Corporation, Greater Mumbai
Odisha: Bamboo craftsmen in Bhubaneswar say they are suffering a huge loss as there are fewer customers owing to #COVID19.
- ANI (@ANI) November 9, 2020
Padma, an artist says, "The business is no longer profitable as there is less demand. We are compelled to sell these items at lower price now." pic.twitter.com/X80NwmQyXo
