COVID-19 India: A dry run for vaccination is scheduled in all states tomorrow.
The Oxford COVID-19 vaccine manufactured by the Serum Institute of India will be sent for approval to the regulator Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) by a government-appointed panel of experts.
The Serum Institute of India (SII) is making the vaccine Covishield developed by Oxford University and pharma major AstraZeneca, while Bharat Biotech has partnered with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) for its Covaxin.
Pfizer had sought more time to present their data to the panel of experts.
The centre is looking to start giving vaccine shots from this month, once the vaccine is cleared for a final time by the DCGI.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization on Thursday granted emergency validation to the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, paving the way for countries worldwide to quickly approve its import and distribution.
Here are the Highlights on Coronavirus Cases:
2,500 Attend Illegal New Year Rave In France Despite Covid RestrictionsSome 2,500 partygoers attended an illegal New Year rave in northwestern France, violently clashing with police who failed to stop it and sparking concern the underground event could spread the coronavirus, authorities said Friday.
The revellers had set up the illegal rave in Lieuron, south of Rennes in Brittany, after skirmishes with police, said a statement from the local prefecture. Many were still on the site Friday as a sanitary cordon was thrown up around it.
Local gendarmes tried to "prevent this event but faced fierce hostility from many partygoers" who set one of their cars of fire and threw bottles and stones, the statement said.
Those present had come from across France and even abroad, it said.
By Friday evening, the sound of techno music could still be heard from the party venue, though police were preventing any newcomers from joining the rave, according to an AFP photographer.
France Tightens COVID-19 Curfew In Worst-Affected AreasThe French government on Friday announced it is bringing forward its nighttime curfew by two hours in 15 regions to help combat the coronavirus, as infections remain high.
The 15 of France's 101 departments affected by the switch from Saturday, to a curfew beginning at 6:00 pm rather than 8:00 pm, include the Les Alpes-Maritimes department where the Mediterranean city of Nice is located.
The other areas are concentrated in the east of the country.
Paris has, for now, been spared the additional restriction.
"The virus is continuing to spread in France... but with a disparity between regions," said government spokesman Gabriel Attal as he announced the move.
"If the situation were to deteriorate further in certain areas, we will take the necessary decisions," he told TF1 broadcaster.
UK Reactivates Emergency Covid Hospitals, Closes London Primary SchoolsBritain reactivated emergency hospitals built at the start of the pandemic and shut primary schools in London on Friday to counter the rapid spread of a much more infectious variant of the coronavirus.
With more than 50,000 new daily cases of COVID-19 for the last four days, the health service said it was preparing for an anticipated rush of patients and needed more beds.
The announcement comes just days after the Royal London Hospital told staff in an email it was now in "disaster medicine mode" and unable to provide high standard critical care.
With the capital one of the areas worst-hit by the new variant, which is up to 70% more infectious, the government also decided to close all London primary schools, reversing a decision made just two days ago.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates: Odisha Ready To Hold Covid Vaccination Mock DrillThe Odisha government on Friday said it is prepared to conduct a dry run for COVID-19 vaccination programme at 31 places across the state on January 2.
Additional Chief Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, PK Mohapatra said the dry run of vaccination programme will be held in 30 district headquarters hospitals and the Capital Hospital in Bhubaneswar.
He said dedicated and well trained personnel were deployed in each centre for the exercise.
After its arrival in Odisha, the vaccine will be kept in the state vaccine store from where it will be sent to districts in two phases.
The vaccine will be transported to centres through 1222 vehicles in ice lined refrigerators (ILRs), said Health and Family Welfare Department Director and Vaccine in-charge Bijay Panigrahi.
Sikkim Reports 11 Positive Cases, One More Death Due To COVID-19Sikkim reported 11 fresh positive cases and one more death due to Covid-19 infection in the past 24 hours, an official said on Friday.
The state IEC member Sonam Bhutia said that all the 11 positive cases were registered in East Sikkim which took the caseload in the Himalayan state to 5901.
US Passes 20 Million Coronavirus CasesThe United States has recorded more than 20 million cases of Covid-19, Johns Hopkins University said Friday in its real-time tally, as the New Year brought another grim milestone underlining the country's struggle to quell the virus.
The US has so far registered 20,007,149 cases and 346,408 deaths in the pandemic, the Baltimore-based university said, making it the country with by far the highest official number of cases and the highest death count.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates: Karnataka reports 877 new COVID-19 cases, 6 deaths
Karnataka on Friday reported 877 new cases of COVID-19 and six related fatalities, taking the total number of infections to 9,20,373 and the death count to 12,096, PTI reported.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates: UK reactivates emergency hospitals as coronavirus cases surge
British health officials have reactivated emergency hospitals that were built at the start of the pandemic to handle a surge in COVID-19 cases that is putting existing wards under extreme pressure, particularly in London.
The United Kingdom has recorded more than 50,000 new daily cases of the virus for the past four days, driven in part by a new variant that is much more infectious, and a rise in the number of people who are dying each day, Reuters reported.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates: 631 new coronavirus cases in Mumbai, nine deaths
Mumbai reported 631 new COVID-19 cases and nine deaths on Friday, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said. With this the tally of COVID-19 cases in the city rose to 2,94,067 and death count reached 11,125, PTI reported.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates: Lucknow To Hold Covid Vaccine Dry Run At 6 Places TomorrowA total of 15 people died of Covid-19 and 871 tested positive for it in last 24 hours in Uttar Pradesh, taking the death count due to the disease in the state on Friday to 8,379 and total cases of infection to 5,86,751.
A dry run for vaccination against Covid-19 would be held at six places in the state capital on Saturday, Additional Chief Secretary (Health) Amit Mohan Prasad said in the state's daily health bulletin.
The government is making all preparations for administering vaccines, PTI reported.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates: COVID-19 vaccination dry run in 7 Chhattisgarh districts on Saturday
A dry run to assess preparedness to roll out the COVID-19 vaccination drive will be conducted in seven districts in Chhattisgarh on Saturday, PTI reported.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates: Punjab sees 8 more COVID deaths, 253 new cases
Eight more deaths due to COVID-19 in Punjab raised the count to 5,349 on Friday, while 253 fresh cases took the infection count to 1,66,770 in the state, PTI reported.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates: France tightens virus curfew in several regions
The French government on Sunday announced that it was bringing forward by two hours a the nighttime curfew in 15 regions to help combat the coronavirus, as infections remain high.
The 15 of France's 101 departments affected by the switch to a curfew beginning at 6:00 pm rather than 8:00 pm include the Les Alpes-Maritimes department where the Mediterranean city of Nice is located.
The other areas are concentrated in the east of the country and Paris has, for now, been spared the additional restriction, AFP reported.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates: India-UK Flights, Suspended Over Mutant Strain, To Resume From January 8
The flight operations between India and the United Kingdom that were suspended last month by the centre over the detection of a highly contagious coronavirus strain in the European country, will resume from January 8, Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri informed on Friday.
"It has been decided that flights between India & UK will resume from 8 Jan 2021. Operations till 23 Jan will be restricted to 15 flights per week each for carriers of the two countries to & from Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru & Hyderabad only. @DGCAIndia will issue the details shortly," he tweeted.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates: BioNTech founders warn of vaccine supply gaps
BioNTech is working flat out with partner Pfizer to boost production of their COVID-19 vaccine, its founders said, warning there would be gaps in supply until other vaccines were rolled out.
The German biotech startup has led the vaccine race but its shot has been slow to arrive in the European Union because of relatively late approval from the bloc's health regulator and the small size of the order placed by Brussels.
The delays in rolling out the home-grown vaccine have caused consternation in Germany, where some regions had to halt vaccinations within days of starting an inoculation drive, Reuters reported.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates: 32 new COVID-19 cases, recovery rate over 98% in Noida
The recovery rate of COVID-19 patients went past 98 per cent in Uttar Pradesh's Gautam Buddh Nagar on Friday, even as the district recorded 32 new cases that pushed its inflection tally to 24,974, PTI reported.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates: J&K records 256 fresh COVID-19 cases, one more death
Jammu and Kashmir recorded 256 fresh COVID-19 infections on Friday that took its caseload to 1,21,227, while one more fatality pushed the death toll to 1,884, officials said. Of the fresh cases, 106 were from the Jammu division and 150 from the Kashmir division, PTI reported.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates: Ayurveda formulations to be tested by CCMB for checking anti-viral efficacy
Ayurveda formulations would be tested on lab-grown strains of coronavirus by the CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) here to ascertain their anti-viral efficacy in the fight against the pathogen, under a pact with Kerala-based Arya Vaidya Sala (AVS), PTI reported.
Standardised Ayurveda formulations provided by AVS in Kottakkal would be tested on the lab-grown coronavirus in the cell culture system, the premier research institute said on Friday.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates: Total 29 people in India test positive for new COVID-19 strain
A total of 29 people have tested positive for the new UK variant of SARS-CoV-2 in India so far, the Union Health Ministry said on Friday.
These include the 25 cases which were announced till Thursday, PTI reported.
"All the 29 persons are in physical isolation in health facilities," an official said.
"Bharat Biotech's vaccine for #COVID19 is also at its final stage. Safety signals that we have seen from the trials are very encouraging": Dr Randeep Guleria, Director, AIIMS
"Data suggests that Serum Institute has around 50 million doses currently available as far as stockpiling is concerned": Dr Randeep Guleria, Director, AIIMS
Two doses of Astrazeneca vaccine is recommended: AIIMS director Randeep Guleria
Coronavirus LIVE Updates: Oxford COVID-19 Vaccine Cleared By Expert Panel For India, Say SourcesThe
Oxford COVID-19 vaccine manufactured by the Serum Institute of India will be sent for approval to the regulator Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) by a government-appointed panel of experts, sources have said.
The Serum Institute of India (SII) is making the vaccine Covishield developed by Oxford University and pharma major AstraZeneca, while Bharat Biotech has partnered with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) for its Covaxin.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates: Norway lifts ban on flights from Britain introduced due to virus variant
Norway is lifting its ban on flights from Britain, introduced to stop the spread of a more contagious variant of the coronavirus, the health ministry said on Friday, with planes allowed to land from Jan. 2 at 1600 GMT.
Following the lead of other European nations, Norway on Dec. 21 halted travel from Britain after news that the new variant of the virus was rapidly spreading, Reuters reported.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates: Germany's BioNTech racing to ramp up vaccine production
German firm BioNTech said Friday it was racing to ramp up production of its COVID-19 jab in Europe, to fill the "gap" left by the lack of other approved vaccines.
The vaccine developed by BioNTech and its US partner Pfizer was the first to be approved in the European Union in late December, AFP reported.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates: JP Nadda recovers from COVID-19, expresses gratitude to AIIMS director
BJP president Jagat Prakash Nadda on Friday informed that he and his family members have fully recovered from COVID-19, thanking AIIMS director Randeep Guleria and his team for their dedication and support.
Taking to Twitter, Mr Nadda also thanked people for their wishes, prayers, and moral support during his illness, ANI reported.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates: 75 UK Returnees To Be Traced In Karnataka: Minister
Efforts are on to trace 75 people who have travelled to Karnataka from the UK with authorities hopeful of locating them soon, PTI reported.
The number of returnees from the UK who have tested positive for the new strain of coronavirus prevalent in the European nation remained at seven and results of genomic sequencing of 31 others was awaited, state Health Minister K Sudhakar said on Friday.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates: India's COVID-19 active caseload drops to 2.54 lakh, lowest after 179 days
India's total active COVID-19 caseload significantly dropped to 2,54,254 which is the lowest after 179 days, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW).
The total active cases were 2,53,287 on July 6, 2020, ANI reported.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates: Jharkhand reports 240 new COVID-19 cases, 3 fresh fatalities
Jharkhand's COVID-19 tally rose to 1,15,113 on Friday as 240 more people tested positive for the infection, while three fresh fatalities pushed the state's coronavirus death count to 1,030, PTI reported.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates: Harsh Vardhan reviews preparations ahead of dry-run for coronavirus vaccine in Delhi
Ahead of the dry-run for COVID-19 vaccine in the national capital, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Friday held a review meeting with the Delhi government officials for the preparations of the mock drill, which is scheduled for January 2.
The minister was speaking to the Delhi government officials via video-conference. He said the procedure of the vaccination drive is similar to the election preparations, ANI reported.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates: Russia records 27,039 COVID-19 cases in past 24 hours
Russia has registered 27,039 COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, down from 27,747 the day before, bringing the total to 3,186,336, the federal response center said on Friday.
"Over the past 24 hours, 27,039 coronavirus cases were confirmed in 85 regions, including 4,080 cases (15.1 percent) without clinical symptoms," the center said, adding that the cumulative case count has now reached 3,186,336 with the rate of increase at 0.9 percent, ANI reported.
Coronavirus news: Israel vaccinates over 10 per cent of population against COVID-19
The number of people vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus in Israel has reached more than 950,000, the state's Ministry of Health said on Friday.
Israel has thus vaccinated more than 10.2 per cent of its population of about 9.3 million in less than two weeks, since the vaccination campaign began on December 20, 2020.
The number of vaccinations given on Thursday reached a daily high of 153,400, after the daily number was also over 150,000 on Tuesday and Wednesday, the ministry reported in a statement.
The number of coronavirus cases in Israel reached 423,262 on Friday, with 3,319 new cases since Thursday evening.
COVID-19 active caseload drops to 2.54 lakh, lowest after 179 daysIndia's COVID-19 active caseload continues to exhibit a sustained downward slide and has significantly dropped to 2.54 lakh, the lowest after 179 days, the Union Health Ministry said on Friday.
The total active cases were 2,53,287 on July 6. India's present active caseload consists of just 2.47 per cent of India's total cases.
The daily new cases in India in the recent days have been around 20,000. The new cases in a span of 24 hours were 20,035 whereas 23,181 recoveries were registered during the same period.
"Recoveries outnumbering daily new cases from last 35 days have ensured a consistent decline in active cases," the ministry said.
The total recovered cases are nearing 99 lakh (98,83,461).
COVID-19: Odisha reports 245 new cases, 3 fresh fatalitiesOdisha's COVID-19 tally rose to 3,29,866 on Friday as 245 more people tested positive for the infection, while three fresh fatalities pushed the state's coronavirus death count to 1,876, a health official said.
As many as 139 new cases were reported in quarantine centres, while 106 infections were detected during contact tracing, he said.
Sambalpur registered the highest number of new cases at 35, followed by Sundergarh (34) and Angul (32), the official said.
The fresh fatalities were reported in Khurda, Cuttack and Nabarangpur districts, he said.
Fifty-three other coronavirus patients have died due to comorbidities, the official said.
Coronavirus news: Union Health Minister on dry run of Covid-19 vaccine
"The lists of health workers have been created & will be uploaded on COVID platform. Just like we prepare during elections, the same way we need to train each member of all medical teams responsibly," Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan on dry run of Covid-19 vaccine on Jan 2
COVID-19: Puducherry adds 32 new cases, tally rises to 38,164Puducherry logged 32 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours while no fresh fatality was reported, a top Health department official said on Friday.
The new cases were identified at the end of testing of 3,068 samples taking the overall tally in the union territory to 38,164, Director of Health and Family Welfare S Mohan Kumar said in a release.
The 32 fresh cases were spread over Puducherry (16), Mahe (10) and Karaikal and Yanam (three each).
As many as 50 patients were discharged from hospitals during the last 24 hours ending 10 AM Friday.
Coronavirus news: Singapore to block entry to visitors from South Africa over new virus variant Singapore said on Friday it will stop allowing entry to visitors with a recent travel history to South Africa, citing reports of a potentially more contagious strain of the novel coronavirus circulating in the country.
All long-term pass holders and short-term visitors with travel history to South Africa within the last 14 days will not be allowed entry into the city-state, or transit through it, the health ministry said.
Returning Singapore citizens and permanent residents will be required to undergo a COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test upon arrival at the start of a 14-day quarantine.
Coronavirus news: Union Health Minister on dry run of Covid-19 vaccine
"The lists of health workers have been created & will be uploaded on COVID platform. Just like we prepare during elections, the same way we need to train each member of all medical teams responsibly," said Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan on dry run of Covid-19 vaccine on January 2
COVID-19 vaccine dry run to be conducted tomorrow in 4 Maharashtra districts
As the country awaits a Coronavirus vaccine, the Maharashtra Health Department will conduct a dry run tomorrow in four districts of the state to ensure effective preparedness for its rollout.
The districts of Pune, Nagpur, Jalna, and Nandurbar have been selected for the dry run, state Health Minister Rajesh Tope informed after a meeting with senior health officials.
All four districts will have three vaccination centers, with each having 25 people for vaccination.
COVID-19: Ladakh reports 19 new cases
A total of 19 new COVID-19 cases and 12 discharges were reported from the Union Territory of Ladakh on Thursday.
Department of Information and Public Relations, Ladakh reported that 12 out of 19 positive samples were received by Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of Leh while 2 positive samples were received by CMO Kargil. All the 12 patients were discharged by CMO Leh.
The total number of active COVID-19 cases now stands at 196 in Union Territory of Ladakh. Out of these 185 are active in Leh district and 11 are active in Kargil district.
The total number of confirmed positive cases in Leh is 9466, while cured cases are 9143. This takes the recovery rate of Ladakh to 97 per cent.
Coronavirus news: Key Meet On COVID-19 Vaccine Approval Today, Day Before Pan-India Dry RunApplications for the emergency use approval for the coronavirus vaccines filed by the Serum Institute of India, Bharat Biotech and Pfizer are being taken up once again for consideration by a government-appointed panel of experts today.
Serum Institute which is making the vaccine 'Covishield' developed by Oxford University and pharma major AstraZeneca and Bharat Biotech which has partnered the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) for its 'Covaxin' had made presentations before the panel on Wednesday. Pfizer had sought more time to present their data.
Once the vaccines are cleared by the expert panel, the applications will move to the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) for final approval. The government wants to start administering the shots starting this month.
Coronavirus news: Irish COVID-19 spread worse than formal reporting suggests About 4,000 additional positive tests for COVID-19 in the last two to three days have yet to be formally confirmed in Ireland, meaning the situation is worse than recent record daily figures suggest, a senior health official said on Thursday.
Ireland reported more than 1,500 cases for the third day in a row on Thursday, a day after the government announced the shutdown of all non-essential retail for at least four weeks and an extension of school holidays to curb a rapid surge.
Ireland has gone from having the lowest infection rate in the European Union just two weeks ago to having the fastest rate of deterioration after shops and large parts of the hospitality sector were allowed to reopen for most of December.
Coronavirus news: Delhi Reduces Covid Bed-Strength At Two Government, 108 Private Hospitals
On the first day of the year 2021, people in large numbers thronged to temples, gurudwaras and other religious places to seek blessings despite the COVID-19 restrictions.
Devotees thronged the Golden Temple in Amritsar to seek a blessing on the first day of the year 2021, even as the gathering this time was less as compared to previous years due to the ongoing pandemic.
Precautionary measures to check the spread of COVID-19, such as social distancing and wearing of face masks, were not being observed by those present.
COVID-19: British doctors criticise change of plan on vaccine boostersBritish doctors have said a government decision to delay giving a coronavirus vaccine booster shot to vulnerable patients who have already had a first dose will be distressing and disruptive, their trade union said on Thursday.
The government said on Wednesday it wanted to give a first dose to as many people as possible before starting to administer boosters at 12 weeks, in an effort to provide more people with a degree of protection more quickly.But Dr Richard Vautrey, chair of the British Medical Association (BMA) committee for local family doctors, said it was "grossly and patently unfair to tens of thousands of our most at-risk patients to now try to reschedule their appointments".
For the newly approved vaccine developed by Oxford University and made by AstraZeneca being rolled out in Britain next week, the plan is consistent with a finding that waiting 12 weeks maximises protection against the virus.But in the case of the Pfizer/BioNTech shot that is already being given, the manufacturer said the shot had not been evaluated on dosing schedules different from the recommended 21 days.
COVID-19: Telangana reports 416 new cases, 3 deaths
A total of 461 new COVID-19 cases, 617 discharges and three deaths were reported in Telangana on Thursday.
According to the state Health Department, the total count of coronavirus cases in the state has increased to 2,86,815 including 2,79,456 discharges and 1,544 deaths.
The active cases currently stand at 5, 815 With 1,544 deaths reported in Telangana till Thursday.
Telangana's recovery rate stands at 97.43 per cent and the case fatality rate is at 0.53 per cent.
As many as 42,013 samples were tested yesterday and 3,674 patients are kept under home/institutional isolation.
Coronavirus news: More infectious COVID-19 variant found in Florida, say officials
A more infections variant of COVID-19 that has swept through the United Kingdom has been identified in Florida, state health officials said on Thursday, marking the third known U.S. state to identify such a case.
The Florida Department of Health said the case involved a male in his 20s in Martin County with no history of travel. Two other cases involving the UK variant have been identified in Colorado and California.
"The Department is working with the CDC (U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) on this investigation," it tweeted.
COVID-19: France Detects First Case Of South African Coronavirus VariantFrance has detected its first case of the South African variant of coronavirus, the health ministry said on Thursday.
The 501.V2 Variant was detected by South African authorities in mid December.
Cases have since been found in Japan and Britain among others.
The variant, believed to be more easily transmitted like another version found in Britain, was discovered in France in a man who had returned from South Africa to his home in the Haut-Rhin region which borders Switzerland.
COVID-19: Telangana logs 461 new cases, 3 deaths take figure to 1,544Telangana recorded 461 fresh COVID-19 cases, taking the total positives to over 2.86 lakh while three fatalities pushed the count to 1,544, the state government said on Friday.
Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) accounted for the most number of cases with 108, followed by Rangareddy and Medchal Malkajgiri with 44 and 41 respectively, it said in a bulletin, providing details as of 8 PM on December 31.
The total number of cases stood at 2,86,815 while recoveries were at 2,79,456.
As many as 5,815 patients are under treatment and 42,013 samples were tested on Thursday.
COVID-19: 12 new cases push Mizoram's tally to 4,216Mizoram's COVID-19 tally mounted to 4,216 on Friday as 12 more people, including eight security personnel, tested positive for the infection, a health official said.
Lunglei district reported six new cases, Aizawl five and Kolasib one, he said.
Five Border Security Force (BSF) personnel, two CRPF jawans and an Army man are among the new patients, the official said.
Mizoram now has 110 active coronavirus cases, while 4,098 people have recovered from the disease and eight patients have succumbed to the infection so far, he said.
COVID-19: Maharashtra's Thane district's count rises by 343, death count by 4
With 343 new coronavirus positive cases, the infection count in Thane district of Maharashtra mounted to 2,43,178, an official said on Friday.
These new cases were reported on Thursday, he said. As the virus claimed the lives of four persons during the day, the death count in the district rose to 5,958.
Thane district's mortality rate is 2.45 per cent, he added.
So far, 2,33,168 patients have recuperated from the infection, which took the recovery rate to 95.88 per cent.
COVID-19: 4 new cases push tally of Andamans to 4,945The COVID-19 tally of Andaman and Nicobar Islands rose to 4,945 on Friday as four more people tested positive for the infection, a health official said.
All the new cases were detected during contact tracing, he said.
Six more people have recovered from the infection, the official said.
The archipelago now has 57 active cases, while 4,826 people have been cured of the disease and 62 patients have succumbed to the infection so far, he said.
Coronavirus news: Key Meet On COVID-19 Vaccine Approval Today, Day Before Pan-India Dry RunApplications for the emergency use approval for the coronavirus vaccines filed by the Serum Institute of India, Bharat Biotech and Pfizer will be taken up once again for consideration by a government-appointed panel of experts today.
Serum Institute which is making the vaccine 'Covishield' developed by Oxford University and pharma major AstraZeneca and Bharat Biotech which has partnered the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) for its 'Covaxin' had made presentations before the panel on Wednesday. Pfizer had sought more time to present their data.
Once the vaccines are cleared by the expert panel, the applications will move to the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) for final approval. The government wants to start administering the shots starting this month.
Just In | 20,035 fresh COVID-19 cases in India, 8% lower than yesterday; 1.02 crore total cases, 1,48,994 deaths
Coronavirus news: More infectious COVID-19 variant found in Florida, say officials
A more infections variant of COVID-19 that has swept through the United Kingdom has been identified in Florida, state health officials said on Thursday, marking the third known U.S. state to identify such a case.
The Florida Department of Health said the case involved a male in his 20s in Martin County with no history of travel. Two other cases involving the UK variant have been identified in Colorado and California.
"The Department is working with the CDC (U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) on this investigation," it tweeted.
Coronavirus: Mizoram reports 12 new cases
Mizoram has registered 12 new cases of novel coronavirus in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of cases to 4,216, the state's Department of Information and Public Relations (DIPR) informed on Friday.
The total discharged cases in the state are 4,098, while the active cases in the state stand at 110.
Moreover, eight persons have succumbed to the virus so far.
WHO emergency COVID-19 vaccine listing aims to lift access in poor countries
The World Health Organization on Thursday listed Pfizer and BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use, in a move seeking to speed access in the developing world
The United Nations health agency said it will work with regional partners to tell national health authorities about the two-dose shot and its anticipated benefits.
The WHO established its emergency use listing (EUL) process to help poorer countries without their own regulatory resources quickly approve medicines new diseases like COVID-19, which otherwise could lead to delays.
The WHO's review found Pfizer/BioNTech's vaccine met the "must-have" criteria for safety and efficacy benefits outweigh its risks."This is a very positive step towards ensuring global access to COVID-19 vaccines," said Mariangela Simao, the WHO's access to medicines program leader.
Coronavirus news: WHO Grants "Emergency Validation" To Pfizer Covid VaccineThe World Health Organization on Thursday granted emergency validation to the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, paving the way for countries worldwide to quickly approve its import and distribution.
Britain launched its inoculation drive with the US-German vaccine on December 8, with the United States, Canada and EU countries following suit.
WHO said the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine was the first to receive its "emergency validation" since the novel coronavirus first broke out in China a year ago.
"This is a very positive step towards ensuring global access to COVID-19 vaccines," said Mariangela Simao, a top WHO official tasked with ensuring access to medicines.
Coronavirus news: Long lines as Florida's Covid vaccination drive picks up pace
The lines are endless and hospital telephones are ringing off the hook since coronavirus vaccines became available this week for the elderly in retiree-rich Florida.
The state government gave the green light Monday for inoculating those aged 65 and above -- a group that makes up nearly 20 percent of the Sunshine State's population, the largest such proportion in America.
So ever since, it has been mayhem, as tens of thousands try to get a shot they hope will protect them against the potentially deadly Covid-19.
Governor Ron DeSantis has asked for patience, admitting that at least for now, there are not enough doses for every elderly Floridian.
"The Covid vaccine supply is limited," he told a press conference on Wednesday in a retirement community in Palm Beach.
US Expects To Approve UK-Backed AstraZeneca-Oxford Vaccine In AprilThe United States is expected to approve the low-cost AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine in April, a senior official said, more than three months after Britain's green light on Wednesday.
Moncef Slaoui, the chief advisor to Operation Warp Speed, the military-led US effort for vaccines, told reporters that US trials and assessments would be complete for approval "sometime in early April."
"Several tens of millions of doses will have been manufactured... and therefore will be available for use if the data supports its approval," he said.
He did not allege that Britain rushed its decision and praised Britain's MHRA regulatory agency as "science-based."
"Therefore I am not raising any question as to the decision that they have made," he said.
"Having said that, the requirements of the decision process as we have built it here in the US is what I can really comment on."
Slaoui also voiced hope for approval in the first half of February of the Janssen vaccine by Johnson & Johnson, which in contrast to the initially approved vaccines comes in a single dose.
WHO Grants "Emergency Validation" To Pfizer Covid VaccineThe World Health Organization on Thursday granted emergency validation to the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, paving the way for countries worldwide to quickly approve its import and distribution.
The decision "makes the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine the first to receive emergency validation from WHO since the (novel coronavirus) outbreak began a year ago," WHO said in a statement.
France Detects First Case Of South African Coronavirus VariantFrance has detected its first case of the South African variant of coronavirus, the health ministry said on Thursday.
The 501.V2 Variant was detected by South African authorities in mid December.
Cases have since been found in Japan and Britain among others.
The variant, believed to be more easily transmitted like another version found in Britain, was discovered in France in a man who had returned from South Africa to his home in the Haut-Rhin region which borders Switzerland.