Coronavirus Highlights: Landmark 1 Billionth Vaccine Dose To Be Administered Next Week, Say Sources

WHO Says Approval Process For Russia's Sputnik V Vaccine "Still On Hold"
The World Health Organization said on Wednesday the Emergency Use Listing process for Russia's Sputnik-V COVID-19 vaccine was on hold pending some missing data and legal procedures, which the U.N. body hopes will be "sorted out quite soon". reported news agency Reuters.

"We are working almost on a daily basis with the ministry of health in Russia to address the remaining issues to be fulfilled by the Russian Direct Investment Fund," said Mariangela Simao, WHO assistant director-general for access to medicines and health products.

Kerala Reports 11,079 Fresh Covid Cases, 123 Deaths
Kerala on Wednesday reported 11,079 fresh Covid-19 cases and 123 deaths, taking the total caseload to 48,20,698 and fatalities to 26,571.

The state has been showing a decline in the daily fresh cases after crossing the 30,000-mark post-Onam festival in August.

With 9,972 more people recovering from the virus since Tuesday, the total recoveries touched 46,95,904 and the active cases dropped to 97,630, a state government release said

G20 Trade Ministers Vow To Work Towards Fairer Covid Vaccine Distribution
G20 trade ministers on Tuesday promised to work towards a fair distribution of Covid-19 vaccines by lifting export restrictions and making the trade system more transparent.

Their final statement, adopted after a meeting in Sorrento, southern Italy, was a sign of the return of multilateralism, said Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio.

"We have to ensure that there is greater circulation of vaccines and that there are production factories in the developing countries," French trade minister Franck Riester said.

European Nations To Charge For COVID-19 Tests
France is set to join Germany in charging for Covid tests in a bid to ramp up vaccinations.

While some countries are keeping tests free, others are ramping up the price.

Why Some Nations Have Deadlier Outbreaks With The Same Vaccines
It's one of the great puzzles of the pandemic. Most developed economies are now highly vaccinated with some of the most effective shots on offer, so why are the latest Covid-19 outbreaks more deadly in some places than in others?

While it's clear vaccines led to a drop in fatalities during the most recent delta variant-driven waves compared with earlier bouts with the virus, some countries saw deaths fall to a greater degree than others, an outcome scientists still don't have answers for.

Countries like Germany, Denmark and the UK have seen Covid deaths fall to roughly a tenth of previous peaks, according to Bloomberg calculations using data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. In Israel, Greece and the US, fatalities fell but remained more than half of the previous peaks.

Coronavirus positive woman stopped from boarding Dubai-bound flight

Coronavirus India Updates: Over 97.79 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses provided to states, UTs: Centre

US to open land borders to vaccinated travelers in 'early November': senior official

Coronavirus India Updates: 1 new COVID-19 case in Andamans, tally rises to 7,635

Just In|15,823 fresh coronavirus cases in India in last 24 hours, 10.5% higher than yesterday

Over 13 lakh COVID-19 tests conducted in India in last 24 hours

Update| 58,63,63,442 samples tested for COVID-19 up to 12th October 2021. Of these, 13,25,399 samples were tested yesterday: Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)