4 years ago
New Delhi:
India's COVID-19 caseload went past 86 lakh on Wednesday, while the number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 80.13 lakh, pushing the national recovery rate to 92.79 per cent, according to the Union Health Ministry's data.
With 44,281 more people testing positive for coronavirus in a span of 24 hours, the infection tally mounted to 86,36, 011, while the death count rose to 1,27,571 after 512 new fatalities were reported, the data updated at 8 am showed.
The number of active cases dropped below five lakh. At present, there are 4,94,657 active cases in the country which comprise 5.73 per cent of the total caseload, the data stated.
The total recoveries have surged to 80,13,783, pushing the national recovery rate to 92.79 per cent, while COVID-19 case fatality rate stands at 1.48 per cent.
Meanwhile, the third phase of clinical trials for Covaxin, the coronavirus vaccine being developed by pharmaceutical firm Bharat Biotech in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), has started. The Vice Chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) registered as the first volunteer for the trails which will take place at the university's JN Medical College and Hospital (JNMCH).
Vice Chancellor Professor Tariq Mansoor on Tuesday encouraged others to participate in the trials.
"Volunteered myself for Phase III trial of COVID19 vaccine "Covaxin"- a study led by AMU in collaboration with ICMR & Bharat Biotech aimed at evaluating the safety and efficacy of this vaccine. I fervently appeal to everyone to volunteer/register for this trial and participate in this ground breaking research for developing better cures and treatment options," Professor Mansoor tweeted.
Here are the Highlights on Coronavirus:
Brazil registers 544 new coronavirus deaths
Brazil registered 48,331 new cases of coronavirus on Wednesday, the health ministry said, bringing the total confirmed cases to 5,748,375.
Cyprus announces local lockdowns to curb virus spike
Cyprus on Wednesday announced partial lockdowns in its virus hotspots on the Mediterranean coast and other measures in an effort to curb a spike in coronavirus cases.
The resort towns of Limassol and Paphos on the south coast are to go into partial lockdown from Thursday until the end of November.
Health Minister said that travel into or out of the towns would be banned, and a curfew in force from 8 pm to 5 am.
Odisha reports 1,220 new COVID-19 cases, 15 fresh fatalities
Odisha's COVID-19 tally rose to 3,05,000 on Wednesday as 1,220 more people tested positive for the infection, a health official said. Fifteen fresh fatalities pushed the coronavirus deaths in the state to 1,469, he said.
At least 1,340 more patients were cured of the disease during the day, taking the total number of recoveries to 2,92,477, which is 95.89 per cent of the state''s caseload, the official said.
West Bengal logs record recovery of 4,431 COVID patients
West Bengal on Wednesday reported the highest single-day recovery of 4,431 COVID-19 patients, taking the total number of cured people to 3,76,696, the health department said in a bulletin. The discharge rate is now 90.34 per cent. The deaths rose to 7,452 after 49 more people died due to the disease.
7,007 new COVID-19 cases in Kerala
Kerala on Wednesday reported 7,007 new cases of COVID-19 and the total count of cases in the state has crossed five lakh mark.
According to the state government, the total count of cases is 5,02,220.
It said 64,192 samples were tested during the last 24 hours. Of the cases detected, 6,152 were caused by local transmission and the contact source of infection was not traceable in 717 cases. There were 52 medical staffers among those infected.
Spain COVID-19 death count passes 40,000: government
Coronavirus news: Russia set to start post-registration trials for second COVID-19 shot
Russia's Sputnik V vaccine is 92% effective at protecting people from COVID-19 according to interim trial results, the country's sovereign wealth fund said on Wednesday, as Moscow rushes to keep pace with Western drugmakers in the race for a shot.
Russia's results are only the second from a late-stage human trial, following on swiftly from data released on Monday by Pfizer Inc and BioNTech, which said their shot was also more than 90% effective, Reuters reported.
Coronavirus news: Spain to demand negative PCR test for travellers arriving from high-risk countries
Spain will demand a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours for all travellers arriving from countries with a high risk of contracting the coronavirus from Nov. 23, the Health Ministry said on Wednesday.
One of Europe's main COVID-19 hotspots, Spain had increasingly become an exception in the region for its policy of - so far - not asking visitors to provide a PCR test on arrival.
Spain will use European Union criteria to define which countries are classified as high-risk, Reuters reported.
Coronavirus news: Swiss boost COVID-19 vaccine reservations with shots from Pfizer, WHO-led programme
Switzerland has reserved 16 million doses of potential COVID-19 vaccines, the government said on Wednesday, announcing a new 3.2 million-dose reservation with a World Health Organization-led programme and a tentative 3 million-dose pact with Pfizer and BioNTech.
Switzerland, which has 8.6 million people and hopes to start vaccinating some time in the first half of 2021, had previously reserved nearly 10 million doses of prospective vaccines from Moderna and AstraZeneca and has now set aside 400 million Swiss francs ($435.92 million) for purchases.
Pfizer and BioNTech said on Monday their COVID-19 vaccine was more than 90% effective based on initial trial results, prompting governments to rush to secure a share. Data from separate trials of Moderna's and AstraZeneca's candidates are due later this year.
A Russian vaccine project on Wednesday also said that its candidate's efficacy topped 90% in a small sampling of trial participants, Reuters reported.
Coronavirus news: Swiss boost COVID-19 vaccine reservations with shots from Pfizer, WHO-led programme
Switzerland has reserved 16 million doses of potential COVID-19 vaccines, the government said on Wednesday, announcing a new 3.2 million-dose reservation with a World Health Organization-led programme and a tentative 3 million-dose pact with Pfizer and BioNTech.
Switzerland, which has 8.6 million people and hopes to start vaccinating some time in the first half of 2021, had previously reserved nearly 10 million doses of prospective vaccines from Moderna and AstraZeneca and has now set aside 400 million Swiss francs ($435.92 million) for purchases.
Pfizer and BioNTech said on Monday their COVID-19 vaccine was more than 90% effective based on initial trial results, prompting governments to rush to secure a share. Data from separate trials of Moderna's and AstraZeneca's candidates are due later this year.
A Russian vaccine project on Wednesday also said that its candidate's efficacy topped 90% in a small sampling of trial participants, Reuters reported.
Coronavirus news: UK COVID-19 deaths pass 50,000
More than 50,000 people who tested positive for coronavirus in Britain have now died, official figures showed Wednesday, with another 595 fatalities recorded in the last 24 hours, AFP reported.
Britain's death count now stands at 50,365, the highest in Europe, with another 22,950 testing positive for the disease over the last day, according to government data.
Coronavirus news: Gibraltar suffers first virus death
An elderly woman living in a care home has become the first person to die of Covid-19 in Gibraltar, the government said on Wednesday.
The woman, who was in her early 90s, died of pneumonia after contracting the virus which has so far affected 842 people in this tiny British enclave on the southernmost tip of Spain.
In the past 24 hours, 28 new cases have been diagnosed, and there are 10 virus patients in hospital, including one in intensive care.
The ERS care homes network, which has counted five infections, has been placed on indefinite lockdown, AFP reported.
Coronavirus news: Even with vaccine, recovery may be "unsteady", says Christine Lagarde
European Central Bank president Christine Lagarde on Wednesday warned of an "unsteady" eurozone recovery from the pandemic despite "encouraging" news about a vaccine, AFP reported.
"We could still face recurring cycles of accelerating viral spread and tightening restrictions until widespread immunity is achieved," Lagarde told a virtual forum on central banking, a day after Pfizer and BioNTech said their Covid-19 vaccine had shown 90 per cent effectiveness in trials.
Coronavirus news: Bengal Doctors express concern as people flout COVID-19 norms on local trains
Doctors expressed concern over flouting of COVID-19 safety norms in suburban trains that resumed services in Kolkata and other parts of West Bengal on Wednesday, warning that the pandemic situation would deteriorate.
People jostled at several stations to catch the trains with compartments crammed as services resumed after seven months in the morning, PTI reported.
Coronavirus news: Moderna On Track To Report COVID-19 Vaccine Data Later This Month
Moderna Inc said on Wednesday it was on track to report early data from a late-stage trial of its experimental coronavirus vaccine later this month, and could file for US emergency use authorization in early December.
The company may have to wait for a two-month follow up safety data to apply for US emergency use authorization, even after reporting positive interim data on the vaccine's effectiveness.
Moderna said it expects the safety data in the second half of this month, Reuters reported.
Coronavirus news: Brazil allows trials of Chinese vaccine to resume
Brazil's national health regulator allowed clinical trials of a Chinese-developed Covid-19 vaccine to resume Wednesday, two days after suspending them in what critics called a decision tainted by politics.
The regulatory agency, Anvisa, said it had now received more details on the nature of the "adverse incident" that led it to halt trials of the CoronaVac vaccine, and had "sufficient information to allow vaccination to resume."
Far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, who has criticized the vaccine "from that other country," had claimed the suspension as a victory. However, public health officials said the "adverse incident" that led to the suspension -- a volunteer recipient's death, which police are investigating as a suicide -- had no connection with the vaccine, AFP reported.
Coronavirus news: 129 more test COVID-19 positive in Ladakh
The COVID-19 tally in Ladakh surpassed the 7,000-mark on Wednesday with 129 more people testing positive for the infection, according to an official bulletin.
The fresh cases pushed the infection count to 7,063 in the Union Territory, the bulletin said.
The death count linked to the pandemic stands at 85 in Ladakh, while 6,058 patients have so far recovered from the infection in the UT, PTI reported.
Coronavirus news: 7,007 fresh COVID-19 cases in Kerala, 29 more deaths
Kerala reported 7,007 new COVID-19 cases and 29 more deaths on Wednesday, taking the total infections to 5,02,719 and the count to 1,771. As many as 7,252 people were cured of the infection, taking the total recoveries in the state to 4,22,410, PTI reported.
Kerala reported 7,007 new COVID-19 cases and 29 more deaths on Wednesday, taking the total infections to 5,02,719 and the count to 1,771. As many as 7,252 people were cured of the infection, taking the total recoveries in the state to 4,22,410, PTI reported.
Coronavirus news: Delhi High Court pulls up AAP government for relaxing norms as COVID-19 cases spike in Delhi
The Delhi High Court Wednesday pulled up the AAP government for relaxing norms for public movement and gatherings even as COVID-19 cases were increasing with no household "left untouched", and sought to know if it had any policy or strategy in place to deal with the "alarming" situation.
A bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Subramanium Prasad said that when Delhi, as city state, was "hands down beating" Maharashtra and Kerala in the number of daily new cases in the past two weeks, what concrete steps have been taken by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government to contain the spread of infection.
The court noted that the daily number of new COVID-19 cases received for November 10 was at 8,593 and "still counting" and the number of containment zones in the city were 4,016, PTI reported.
Coronavirus news: Cuba reopens Havana airport ahead of tourism high season
Havana airport will open to regular commercial flights on Sunday after being closed for seven and a half months due to the coronavirus pandemic, Cuban state-run media said late on Tuesday citing Cuba's Institute of Civil Aeronautics.
The move comes on time for what is traditionally the Caribbean island nation's high tourist season from November to March although the pandemic is expected to reduce the flow of visitors.
The tourism sector is one of the top hard currency income earners in cash-strapped Cuba which already opened most of the country last month to travelers, Reuters reported.
Coronavirus news: Protests as Ukraine eyes tighter virus restrictions
Nearly 2,000 people protested near the government headquarters on Wednesday against possible weekend restrictions that officials say may come into force in Ukraine to slow down the spread of coronavirus.
In a bid to halt the spread of the virus, the ex-Soviet country is considering whether to shutter non-essential businesses on weekends, with only grocery stores and pharmacies allowed to remain open.
The new restrictions could come into force as early as Wednesday, AFP reported.
Coronavirus news: Geneva's landmark fountain turned off over pandemic
Geneva's famous Jet d'Eau fountain, which spouts water over a hundred metres into the air, is to remain switched off to signal the need for people to observe virus restrictions, authorities said Wednesday.
The Lake Geneva landmark had been due to be turned back on this week after annual maintenance work, but local officials have decided it is better to leave it off for now, AFP reported.
Coronavirus news: Delhi Chief Minister requests Union health minister to augment bed capacity in Centre-run hospitals in city
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has requested Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan to augment bed capacity in central government-run hospitals in the city in view of apprehensions that the number of COVID-19 cases could reach 15,000 a day in the coming weeks.
In a letter to Mr Vardhan last week, Mr Kejriwal cited a shortfall of around 4,900 beds in hospitals, seeking the Union Minister's direction to the hospitals run by the central government in Delhi to provide at least 1,092 additional beds, including 300 ICU beds, with the required medical staff, PTI reported.
Coronavirus news: Czechs plagued by virus again ahead of Germany friendly
The Czech Republic football team has lost several players to COVID-19 ahead of Wednesday's friendly against Germany and Nations League games with Israel and Slovakia later this month.
Last week, coach Jaroslav Silhavy called up 26 players for the three games, already missing three key members -- all from Slavia Prague -- due to the virus.
Goalkeeper Filip Nguyen and midfielder David Pavelka then dropped out after announcing positive tests, AFP reported.
Coronavirus news: High Court pulls up AAP government for relaxing norms as COVID-19 cases spike in Delhi
The Delhi High Court Wednesday pulled up the AAP government for relaxing norms for public movement and gatherings even as COVID-19 cases were increasing with no household "left untouched", and sought to know if it had any policy or strategy in place to deal with the "alarming" situation.
A bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Subramanium Prasad said that when Delhi, as city state, was "hands down beating" Maharashtra and Kerala in the number of daily new cases in the past two weeks, what concrete steps have been taken by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government to contain the spread of infection.
Coronavirus news: Third Covid peak is longer than previous ones, may subside soon, says Satyendar Jain
The duration of the third peak of the spread of COVID-19 in the national capital is longer than those of the previous peaks but it may subside in the next few days, Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain said on Wednesday.
Interacting with reporters, he asserted that the city government has significantly ramped up testing by nearly three times on an average per day compared to the number of tests conducted when the second peak had hit around September 16, when over 4,000 daily cases were being reported, PTI reported.
Coronavirus news: Philippines' COVID-19 cases pass 400,000-mark as economy reopens
The Philippines' Department of Health (DOH) Wednesday reported 1,672 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, bringing the country's total tally to 401,416.
The DOH said that 311 more patients recovered, raising the total number of recoveries to 362,217. The death count from the COVID-19 pandemic rose to 7,710 with 49 new deaths. The DOH said it has tested over 4.81 million people so far in the country of about 110 million population, ANI reported.
In view of #COVID19, Delhi Government extends the validity of all vehicle-related documents till 31 December, 2020. pic.twitter.com/8MkRKyl78f
- ANI (@ANI) November 11, 2020
Russia Says Sputnik V Covid Vaccine 92 Per Cent Effective
Russia's Sputnik V vaccine is 92% effective at protecting people from COVID-19 according to interim trial results, the country's sovereign wealth fund said on Wednesday, as Moscow rushes to keep pace with Western drugmakers in the race for a shot.
The initial results are only the second to be published from a late-stage human trial in the global race to produce a vaccine that could halt a pandemic that has killed more than 1.2 million people and ravaged the world economy.
Russia registered Sputnik V for public use in August, the first country to do so, though the approval came before the start of the large-scale trial in September.
The interim results are based on data from the first 16,000 trial participants to receive both shots of the two-dose vaccine, the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), which has been backing the vaccine and marketing it globally, said.
The so-called Phase III trial of the shot developed by the Gamaleya Institute is taking place in 29 clinics across Moscow and will involve 40,000 volunteers in total, with a quarter receiving a placebo shot.
Maharashtra: Thane Sees 414 New COVID-19 Cases, 11 More Casualties
Maharashtra's Thane district has detected 414 fresh COVID-19 cases and 11 more casualties, an official said on Wednesday.
With the addition of the latest cases reported on Tuesday, the tally in the district reached 2,16,894, while the count rose to 5,476, the official said.
COVID-19 cases in the district have risen by 2.25 per cent in the last 10 days, as over 4,000 cases were reported from November 1 to 10, he said.
The current recovery rate in the district stands at 94.35 per cent and the mortality rate is 2.52 per cent, the official said.
At present, there are 6,772 active cases in Thane district, he said.
One Person Dies Of COVID-19 In Puducherry, Count Touches 605
Puducherry registered one more death due to coronavirus on Wednesday taking the count to 605. The Union Territory also added 115 fresh infections pushing the overall tally to 36,114.
Director of Health and Family Welfare Services S Mohan Kumar said in a release that the deceased, a 57-year-old woman, was from Puducherry and had co-morbidities such as rheumatoid arthritis and systemic hypertension.
He said the 115 new cases were identified at the end of examination of 3,921 samples on Wednesday.
As many as 107 patients were discharged after recovery from hospitals today.
The fatality and recovery rates were 1.68 percent and 95.04 percent respectively.
Of the 3.47 lakh samples tested so far 3.06 lakh were found to be negative and result of test of remaining samples was awaited, he said.
Of the total 115 cases, Puducherry region accounted for 83 followed by Karaikal 6, Yanam 9 and Mahe 17.
The Director said of the overall COVID-19 cases, 1,077 were active, 34,432 patients recovered and were discharged.
Plasma Jets May Kill Novel Coronavirus Within Seconds, Study Shows
Plasma jets may kill the novel coronavirus on surfaces such as metal, leather, and plastic in as a little as 30 seconds, according to a study which suggests that plasma could promise a significant breakthrough in the fight against the spread of COVID-19.
Plasma is one of the four basic states of matter and can be created by heating a stable gas or subjecting it to a strong electromagnetic field.
Published in the journal Physics of Fluids, the modelling study conducted in June showed strains of the novel coronavirus on surfaces like metal, leather, and plastic were killed in as little as 30 seconds of treatment with argon-fed, cold atmospheric plasma.
The researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in the US used an atmospheric pressure plasma jet they built with a 3D printer to spray surfaces that were treated with SARS-CoV-2 cultures.
The surfaces included plastic, metal, cardboard, and basketball, football, and baseball leather.
The spray using plasma fed by argon killed all the coronavirus on the six surfaces in less than three minutes, and most of the virus was destroyed after 30 seconds.
Odisha Reports 1,220 New COVID-19 Cases, 15 Fatalities In 24 Hours
Odisha's COVID-19 tally rose to 3,05,000 on Wednesday as 1,220 more people tested positive for the infection, a health official said.
Fifteen fresh fatalities pushed the coastal state's coronavirus death count to 1,469, he said.
As many as 703 new cases were reported in quarantine centres, while 517 infections were detected during contact tracing, the official said.
We had already issued an order earlier to private hospitals for increasing ICU beds but Delhi HC stayed that. Hope we get a vacation tomorrow from Supreme Court on our plea against HC stay: Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain on increasing ICU beds for #COVID19 cases in Delhi https://t.co/0rEDPXCMI0 pic.twitter.com/ahI1NJn0KV
- ANI (@ANI) November 11, 2020
32 Security Personnel Among 97 New COVID-19 Patients In Arunchal Pradesh
Arunachal Pradesh's COVID-19 tally rose to 15,581 on Wednesday as 97 more people, including 32 security personnel, tested positive for the infection, a senior health official said.
The Capital Complex region reported the highest number of new cases at 28, followed by East Siang (23) and Changlang (nine), State Surveillance Officer Dr Lobsang Jampa said.
"Twenty-seven Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB) personnel, three Assam Rifles jawans and two Army men are among the new patients," he said.
The IRB jawans are among the 641 security personnel who returned from Bihar on Tuesday after election duty, the official said.
"Ninety-four fresh infections were detected during rapid antigen tests, while three new cases were found during TrueNat tests," Mr Jampa said.
COVID-19 Cases In Brazil Exceed 5.7 Million
Brazil's COVID-19 cases exceeded 5.7 million after registering 25,012 new cases in the last 24 hours, the Ministry of Health said Tuesday.
Meanwhile, 201 more deaths from the disease were reported, raising the national death count to 162,829.
According to the ministry, the number of deaths and cases nationwide is likely to be higher as five states did not update their data on Tuesday.
Brazil currently ranks second worldwide in terms of COVID-19 deaths, only behind the United States, and third in terms of confirmed cases, following the United States and India.
India's Active COVID-19 Cases Drop Below 5-Lakh Mark For First Time After 106 Days
The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) on Wednesday said that "India has scaled an unprecedented peak as the active COVID-19 cases have dropped below the 5-lakh mark for the first time after 106 days".
"This assumes significance in the context of many countries reporting a surge in their active caseload," the Ministry of Health tweeted.
This landmark achievement has been made possible by the Centre's sustained, graded and targetted strategies, their effective implementation by the States and Union Territories, dedicated and selfless service of doctors and all other COVID-19 warriors, the Ministry added.
COVID-19: 1,196 New Cases, 5 Deaths In Telangana
Telangana clocked 1,196new coronavirus cases taking the aggregate to2.53 lakh while five-related deaths pushed the count to 1,390.
Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) accounted for the most number of cases with 192, followed by Rangareddy 121 and Medchal Malkajgiri 101, a government bulletin said on Wednesday proving details as of 8 pm on November 10.
As many as18,027 are under treatment and 44,635 samples were tested on November 10.
Cumulatively, 47.29 lakh samples have been tested so far. The samples tested per million population was1,27,066 , 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 92.34 per cent, while it was 92.7 per cent in the country.
Phase 3 Trials Of Covaxin Begin, AMU Vice Chancellor Is First Volunteer
The third phase of clinical trials for Covaxin, the coronavirus vaccine being developed by pharmaceutical firm Bharat Biotech in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), has started. The Vice Chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) registered as the first volunteer for the trails which will take place at the university's JN Medical College and Hospital (JNMCH).
Vice Chancellor Professor Tariq Mansoor on Tuesday encouraged others to participate in the trials.
"Volunteered myself for Phase III trial of COVID19 vaccine "Covaxin"- a study led by AMU in collaboration with ICMR & Bharat Biotech aimed at evaluating the safety and efficacy of this vaccine. I fervently appeal to everyone to volunteer/register for this trial and participate in this ground breaking research for developing better cures and treatment options," Professor Mansoor tweeted.
With 44,281 new COVID-19 infections, India's total cases surge to 86,36,012. With 512 new deaths, count mounts to 1,27,571
Total active cases are 4,94,657 after a decrease of 6,557 in the last 24 hrs.
Total cured cases are 80,13,784 with 50,326 new discharges in the last 24 hours.
West Bengal: Suburban railway services resume in the state from today. Visuals from Naihati and Kankinara railway stations in North 24 Parganas district.
- ANI (@ANI) November 11, 2020
696 suburban services are resuming in the state from today, after months of lockdown in the wake of #COVID19 pandemic. pic.twitter.com/1SmhnL1WBj
Jharkhand Reports 252 New COVID-19 Cases, 5 Fatalities
Jharkhand's COVID-19 tally rose to 1,04,940 on Wednesday as 252 more people tested positive for the infection, a health official said.
Five fresh fatalities pushed the state's coronavirus death count to 910, he said.
Ranchi district reported the highest number of new cases at 43, followed by East Singhbhum (36) and Dhanbad (32), the official said.
One fresh fatality each was reported in East Singhbhum, Bokaro, Ranchi, Giridih and Deoghar districts, he said.
The state now has 4,042 active coronavirus cases, while 99,988 people have been cured of the disease so far, the official said.
Jharkhand has tested 28,815 samples for COVID-19 on Tuesday, he added.
US Plans To Distribute Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine In December
If Pfizer Inc submits the positive initial data from its COVID-19 vaccine trial to health regulators as quickly as expected, the U.S. government plans to begin vaccinating Americans in December, Health Secretary Alex Azar said on Tuesday.
Pfizer on Monday said the vaccine it has been developing with German partner BioNTech SE was 90% effective against COVID-19, based on an early look at results from its large, late-stage trial.
The U.S. drugmaker said it expects to have safety data as soon as next week that it needs to apply for emergency use authorization (EUA) with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Upon FDA authorization, the United States would receive about 20 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine per month, Azar said on a call with reporters, noting that HHS could being procuring supplies at the end of this month.
The United States has a $1.95 billion contract for 100 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine - enough to inoculate 50 million people - with an option to acquire 500 million more.
US Records New High Of Over 200,000 COVID-19 Cases In 24 Hours: Report
The United States on Tuesday far exceeded its previous daily record of new Covid-19 cases, adding 201,961 cases in 24 hours, according to the tally compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
The high number, partly due to data delayed over the weekend, took total cases in the US to 10,238,243, with a total of 239,588 deaths, as of 8:30 pm (0130 GMT).
In the 24-hour period, 1,535 deaths from Covid-19 were registered, a record in recent months as the US struggles to contain the spread of the pandemic.
For a week now, the number of new infections has trended at over 100,000 each day.
Coronavirus hospitalizations have also hit an all-time high, with more than 60,000 people hospitalized across the country, according to the COVID Tracking Project.
