India recorded 18,732 new COVID-19 cases, the lowest daily rise in nearly six months. With this, the total number of cases rose to 1,01,87,850, according to the latest Health Ministry data.
Meanwhile, 279 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours, taking the number of deaths to 1,47,622.
97,61,538 people have recovered from the infection so far, with 21,430 recuperation in the last 24 hours. The total number of active cases stand at 2,78,690.
The five states which reported the highest number of cases in last 24 hours are Kerala, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.
Meanwhile, the national task force on COVID-19 held a meeting on Saturday over the new mutant strain of the coronavirus that was first traced in the UK and discussed surveillance strategies to detect and contain the highly contagious infection.
The global COVID-19 case total has crossed 80 million, according to the US-based Johns Hopkins University.
Here are the live updates on Coronavirus Cases:
According to a press statement from Punjab's Information and Public Relations Department, Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu said that the vaccine is planned to be rolled out on phased manner with priority groups- Healthcare workers, Frontline workers, Elderly and Population with co-morbidities.
Lebanon will receive its first shipment of coronavirus vaccines in February from Pfizer-BioNTech, the health ministry said Sunday.
"Lebanon will receive the vaccine in mid-February in instalments," it said in a statement.
"It will cover 15 percent of the population."
The ministry said it would later secure "additional vaccines" to cover another 20 percent of the population as part of an agreement with COVAX, without specifying which brand.
COVAX is an international initiative that aims to ensure equitable access to coronavirus vaccines for all countries.
The ministry said the vaccines would be made available via the private sector, AFP reported.
The new strain was identified in a married Jordanian couple who had returned from the United Kingdom on December 19, the health minister told the agency, ANI reported.
Four COVID-positive jail inmates, who were taken to a hospital for treatment, ran away on Sunday evening in this Uttar Pradesh district but the police managed to arrest three of them, officials said.
According to Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Santosh Kumar Singh, the four accused -- three from the Khurja Nagar police station and one from the Kotwali Rural police station -- were sent to jail on December 19, PTI reported.
Jharkhand reported 122 new COVID-19 cases, 134 recoveries and 1 death today.
- ANI (@ANI) December 27, 2020
Total number of cases now stands at 1,14,146 including 1,11,530 recoveries, 1,018 deaths and 1,585 active cases: State Health Department pic.twitter.com/4glXDnrEk3

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat has been admitted to Doon Hospital in Dehradun for COVID-19 treatment.
The United Kingdom on Sunday reported 30,501 new COVID-19 cases, government statistics showed, with a further 316 deaths within 28 days of a positive coronavirus test. The government's coronavirus portal said the figures reflected data from England and Wales but said there was no new data from Northern Ireland and no new deaths data from Scotland owing to the Christmas holidays.
Europe rolled out a huge COVID-19 vaccination drive on Sunday to try to rein in the coronavirus pandemic but many Europeans are sceptical about the speed at which the vaccines have been tested and approved and reluctant to have the shot.
The European Union has secured contracts with a range of drugmakers including Pfizer and BioNTech, Moderna and AstraZeneca, for a total of more than two billion doses and has set a goal for all adults to be inoculated next year.
But surveys have pointed to high levels of hesitancy towards inoculation in countries from France to Poland, with many used to vaccines taking decades to develop, not just months.
Top US government scientist Anthony Fauci warned Sunday the worst of the pandemic may be yet to come, driving the country to a "critical point" as holiday travel spreads the coronavirus.
"I share the concern of President-elect (Joe) Biden that as we get into the next few weeks, it might actually get worse," the infectious disease specialist told CNN.
Biden cautioned on Wednesday that the nation's "darkest days are ahead of us -- not behind us."
Fauci, who has been encouraging everyone eligible to be vaccinated, revealed he felt fine after receiving a first shot and experienced "nothing serious at all."
Russia launched a voluntary vaccination programme with the Russia-made Sputnik V vaccine earlier in December, starting with the most vulnerable groups in Moscow.
Some of these companies have also drawn up plans to scale up their vaccine manufacturing capacities.
Besides vaccine makers, the International Airport has also stepped up the cold-chain infrastructure for vaccine transportation.
Dubai said Sunday it expects to cut its budget to $15.5 billion in 2021 after its economy was impacted by a plunge in tourism and other sectors amid the novel coronavirus pandemic.
The emirate, one of the seven that make up the United Arab Emirates, had posted a record $18.1 billion budget for 2020.
"The newly-announced budget takes into account the exceptional economic conditions of the fiscal year 2020 and the repercussions of the Covid-19 pandemic on the global economy," said a statement by the Dubai Media Office.
Dubai foresees a deficit for the fifth year in a row, of $1.3 billion in 2021. In 2019, it had forecast a $700 million deficit for this year.
The emirate, which depends heavily on tourism and retail services, closed its border for several months due to the pandemic, resulting in a 10.8 percent GDP plunge in the first half of the year.
Israel was set Sunday to begin its third coronavirus lockdown, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu voiced optimism that a "world record" vaccination drive will restore a degree of normality within weeks.
After a sharp rebound in detected infections, Netanyahu's government announced three days ago that it would re-impose the strict measures that had previously helped limit transmission.
From 5:00pm (1500 GMT) on Sunday, most people will be forced to stay within 1,000 metres of their home.
There are a range of exceptions, including seeking medical care, attending legal proceedings or exercising.
A key difference in Israel's third lockdown compared to previous versions relates to schools, with more students able to attend classes.
Instead of near total closures, Israel is keeping schools open for children under six, as well as grades one to four and teenagers finishing secondary school in grades 11 and 12.
The Russian capital of Moscow begins accepting applications for Covid-19 vaccination from people aged over 60 starting December 28, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on Sunday.
On Saturday, Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko said that the use of the home-grown Sputnik V vaccine had been approved for people aged 60 and older.
Mr Soriot also said the vaccine, which is likely to be cleared this week by the British health regulator, "should be" effective against an aggressive mutant strain of the virus first detected in London and southeast England in September.
Bharat Biotech is developing Covaxin in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)-National Institute of Virology (NIV).
"A total 1,000 volunteers will be administered the vaccine by the end of this month. We have also begun giving the second booster dose to the volunteers who have completed 28 days of the first dose. We have covered 15 volunteers so far," Dr Kiran Rami, head of the hospital's TB and chest department said.
Twenty-three more patients recovered from COVID-19, taking the total number of recoveries in the state to 16,477. The recovery rate of Arunachal Pradesh at present is at 98.74 per cent.
Arunachal Pradesh now has 154 active coronavirus cases, while 56 people have died so far of the disease.
The total number of positive cases in the state has gone up to 2,84,863.
Of these, a total of 2,76,753 have recovered. While there are a total of 6,579 active cases currently, 1,531 patients have died due to the virus till now in Telangana, it added.
With 18,732 new #COVID19 infections, India's total cases rise to 1,01,87,850
- ANI (@ANI) December 27, 2020
With 279 new deaths, toll mounts to 1,47,622 . Total active cases at 2,78,690
Total discharged cases at 97,61,538 with 21,430 new discharges in the last 24 hours. pic.twitter.com/m7BYvuqf7G
The COVID-19 death count rose to 1,018 as two more persons died due to the infection in the last 24-hours, he said.
Jharkhand now has 1,598 active coronavirus cases, while 1,11,530 people have been cured of the disease so far, the official said.
Edith Kwoizalla was one of around 40 residents and 10 staff in a care home in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt to receive a jab of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, the home's manager Tobias Krueger told AFP.
The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine became the first to get the go-ahead for use in the West, when Britain gave its approval on December 2.
Meanwhile, 17,246 more infections were recorded, taking the national tally to 7,465,806, ANI reported.