Coronavirus Updates: Boris Johnson Cancels India Visit Over UK Virus Crisis

"Nobody Said It's A Trial": A New Covid Vaccine Controversy In Bhopal
Trials of a coronavirus vaccine have run into fresh controversy in Madhya Pradesh's Bhopal where some allege they received shots without informed consent.

NDTV has spoken to over a dozen people who claim they were misled into taking part in trials held by a local private hospital, the People's College of Medical Sciences. They say they were not informed about the trial or the risks, but told only that the injection would prevent Covid. They also claim they were not given copies of the consent form, mandatory for such trials.

"... nobody told me about any side effects and nobody gave me a copy of the informed consent form. I have never got a call from the hospital," Rekha, from Bhopal's Oriya Basti said, adding, "... the hospital said (if I take if this injection) I won't get corona." Read

Covid Vaccine Roll-Out By Next Week? What Government Said
The Covid-19 vaccines will be ready for rollout in 10 days from the emergency use authorisation date based on feedback from the dry run, the government said today, ending speculation about the time frame that started since the drug regulator's approval on Sunday. Two vaccines have received approval -- Oxford University's Covishield, which is being developed by the Pune-based Serum Institute, and Bharat Biotech's Covaxin.

Today's announcement by the government came amid the growing number of the highly infectious strain of mutant Covid that is reaching India with people returning from the United Kingdom. So far, 58 people have tested positive for the new strain, the Union Health ministry said this morning, reporting 20 new cases.  Read

"Inoculate Teachers First": Top Medical Research Body Chief On Schools
A vaccine should first be given to adults, starting with teachers, to prevent community spread of the coronavirus disease through students, the chief of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said responding to a query on when can Indians expect schools to reopen.

"The United Kingdom has burnt its fingers twice by opening up schools. The teachers should be the first to get vaccinated. The adults in their families also need to be vaccinated so that there is no spread," ICMR Director General Dr Balram Bhargava said on Tuesday.

The question assumes importance since only one of the two vaccines approved so far - Serum Institute of India's Covishield and Bharat Biotech's Covaxin - has been tested in children. Read

Boris Johnson Cancels Republic Day Visit To India Over Covid Crisis In UK
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson cancelled his visit to India, hours after he announced a fresh lockdown in the United Kingdom over the new strain of coronavirus that has affected thousands of people in the UK. Mr Johnson was to be the chief guest at this year's Republic Day parade in New Delhi, which was also to be his first bilateral visit after the UK's departure from the European Union in December. He had accepted the invitation last month.

"The prime minister spoke to Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi this morning, to express his regret that he will be unable to visit India later this month as planned," read a statement from his Downing Street office.

"In light of the national lockdown announced last night, and the speed at which the new coronavirus variant is spreading, the Prime Minister said that it was important for him to remain in the UK so he can focus on the domestic response to the virus," the statement read. Read

Germany Toughens, Extends Covid Lockdown Until End-January

Schools, leisure and sporting facilities and most shops will remain shut through to January 31, Chancellor Angela Merkel said after talks with leaders of Germany's 16 states.

People will be allowed to meet up with only one other individual from another household under the new rules, instead of five people previously.

Covid Vaccination Voluntary, Antibodies Develop 2 Weeks After Second Dose: AIIMS Director

Protective levels of antibodies generally develop two weeks after receiving the second dose, he said.

The senior pulmonologist also stressed that the vaccine introduced in India will be as effective as any vaccine developed by other countries.

With the COVID-19 vaccine expected to be rolled out within a few days, Mr Guleria answered some FAQs about the vaccination drive in a video uploaded on the health ministry's website.

UK COVID-19 Daily Reported Cases Pass 60,000 For The First Time

The news is another reminder of the severity of the crisis as England and Scotland started a new COVID-19 lockdown, with citizens under orders to stay at home.

"The rapid rise in cases is highly concerning and will sadly mean yet more pressure on our health services in the depths of winter," said Yvonne Doyle, the medical director for Public Health England.

World Bank Warns Global Recovery Could Erode If COVID-19 Worsens
   
The World Bank on Tuesday downgraded its outlook for the global economy, and warned the situation could deteriorate if COVID-19 infections accelerate or the vaccine rollout is delayed.

The coronavirus pandemic also has worsened the risks surrounding the rising debt load in developing nations, and it will take a global effort to avoid a new crisis in those economies, the bank cautioned.

After shrinking 4.3 per cent in 2020, the world economy is projected to grow by 4.0 per cent this year, two-tenths lower than previously forecast, as more than half of countries were downgraded in the semi-annual Global Economic Prospects report.

All Indian Vaccines Being Developed For Storage At 2-8 Degrees: Department Of Biotechnology Secretary

Ms Swarup said Bharat Biotech's COVID-19 vaccine Covaxin and Oxford-AstraZeneca's Covishield have robustly undergone immunoassay lab tests.

"(For) all our vaccines, we are looking at right now~CHECK~(we) are targeting 2-8 degree because our logistics are worked out on that basis and we are working on that," Ms Swarup said at a press briefing.

She said the DNA vaccine candidate being developed by Zydus Cadila, and the Biological E's mRNA vaccine work at storage temperatures of 2-8 degrees Celsius.

COVID-19 Latest News: No Night Curfew In Mandi, Shimla, Kullu And Kangra In Himachal Pradesh

Coronavirus Latest News: Rajasthan Reports 397 New Cases, 5 Deaths And 751 Recoveries

COVID-19 Live Updates: Tamil Nadu Reports 820 New Cases, 971 Discharges And 11 Deaths

Coronavirus Live News: Mumbai's Dharavi Records Four New Cases Of COVID-19 Cases

The slum-dominated area had reported five new COVID-19 cases on Monday.

Of the total number of cases reported from the locality so far, 3,492 have recovered from the infection, the official said.

There are currently 26 active COVID-19 cases in the area, he added.

Coronavirus Live Updates: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Resumes Office After Recovering From COVID-19

"Rawat has fully recovered from COVID-19 and has resumed his duties as chief minister. After completing the mandatory isolation period, Rawat has started to clear the pending works from his Delhi residence," an official said.

Mr Rawat had tested positive on December 18 along with his wife and son and was under home isolation. Later, he was admitted to All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi following a mild infection in his lungs.

Covid-19 Latest Updates: Kerala Reports 5,615 New Cases, 4,922 Recoveries And 24 Deaths

Covid-19 Latest News: Delhi Reports 442 New Cases, 557 Recoveries And 12 Deaths

COVID-19 Live Updates: UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson Postpones India Visit

"The prime minister spoke to Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi this morning, to express his regret that he will be unable to visit India later this month as planned," a spokesperson was quoted as saying by news agency AFP.

Bihar Prepared For COVID-19 Vaccination: Chief Minister Nitish Kumar

"We are prepared for COVID-19 vaccination in Bihar. It will be given to the healthcare workers, frontline workers and people above 50 years on priority. We'll be following the central guidelines and will conduct the vaccination effectively," Nitish Kumar said.

"Our country has managed to create a COVID-19 vaccine. As per the requirement, we will start giving the vaccine shots. After that, will vaccinate at large," he added.

Ready To Roll Out Covid Vaccine Within 10 Days Of Emergency Use Authorization: Health Ministry

India's Active COVID-19 Cases Less Than 2.5 Lakh: Health Ministry