COVID-19 in India: National task force on COVID-19 held a meeting on Saturday over the new strain. (File)
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:
Coronavirus LIVE Updates: Punjab gears up for smooth dry run of corona vaccine in SBS Nagar, Ludhiana, says Balbir Singh Sidhu
To ensure the smooth implementation of the dry run of corona vaccine on December 28 and 29, the Punjab Government is all set to commence this first of its kind vaccination program in SBS Nagar and Ludhiana.
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.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates: Moscow's COVID-19 death count rises by 76 over past day to 10,989
A further 76 people have died from coronavirus-related complications in Moscow over the past 24 hours, taking the Russian capital's total death count to 10,989, the city's coronavirus response center said on Sunday.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates: Lebanon to get first vaccines in February, says ministry
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.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates: Jordan confirms first two cases of new COVID-19 variant linked to UK
The first two positive tests for a new coronavirus strain linked to the UK have been confirmed in Jordan, the country's health minister, Natheer Obeidat, told the Petra news agency on Sunday.
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.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates: 4 COVID-positive jail inmates run away from hospital; 3 held again
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.
No new COVID-19 case reported in Nagaland for first time since outbreakNagaland did not register any fresh COVID-19 case for the first time since the state reported its first coronavirus cases on May 25, a health official said. The recovery rate among the coronavirus patients in the state improved to an all-time high of 96.14 per cent as 23 people were cured of the disease, he said.
UK reports 30,501 new COVID cases
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.
Jordan detects two coronavirus variant cases: MinisterJordan on Sunday confirmed two cases of a particularly infectious coronavirus variant in a man and his wife who had arrived from Britain.
Health Minister Nazir Obeidat said the Jordanian couple travelled to the kingdom on December 19 and were found to be infected with the new strain of the virus after being tested and isolated.
The couple were still in quarantine and being monitored by medical experts according to virus protocols, Obeidat said, adding they were both in "excellent health" condition.
Coronavirus news: Despite Hi-Tech Advances, Many Europeans Wary Of Taking Covid Shot
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.
US Covid Outbreak May Worsen After Holidays, Says Top Scientist
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."
COVID-19: 3 UK returness among 911 fresh infections in KarnatakaKarnataka on Sunday reported 911 fresh coronavirus infections and 11 deaths taking the total cases and fatalities to 9,16,256 and 12,062 respectively.
Three more UK returnees were among those who tested positive, taking their total to 26, the state government said.
The total infections comprised 8,91,095 cumulative discharges of them 1,214 on Sunday and 13,080 active cases, including 209 in the intensive care units of various hospitals, a health department bulletin said.
More than half of the cases and fatalities of the day in the state were contributed by Bengaluru Urban district which reported 542 infections and eight deaths.
Cumulatively, the city has reported 3,86,599 cases 4,299 deaths, 3,73,724 discharges, including 754 on Sunday. The active cases in the state capital stood at 8,575.
Coronavirus news: International Kolkata Book Fair postponed till COVID-19 situation improves, says officialOrganisers of the International Kolkata Book Fair have finally decided to postpone the annual event for several months till there is an improvement in the COVID-19 situation, an official said on Sunday.
The Publishers and Booksellers Guild had initially decided to postpone the 45th edition of the book fair to a later date, the official said.
The book fair was originally scheduled to be held from January 27 to February 7.
The fair will be held once there is an improvement in the pandemic situation and the threat of infection lessens, he said.
"With normal international flight movement yet to begin and with the school, college campuses closed, we cannot put the health safety of lakhs of people at risk," Guild president Tridib Chatterjee told reporters.
Coronavirus news: Kerala logs 4,905 fresh cases, 25 fatalitiesKerala registered 4,905 new COVID-19 cases and 25 related deaths on Sunday, taking the total number of those affected in the state to 7.40 lakh.
Health Minister K K Shailaja said out of the total positive cases, 4,307 were of local transmission and the contact source of infection for 471 was not traceable.
"There are 44 healthcare workers among those infected. At the same time, 3,463 patients have recovered from the disease. Of those diagnosed with the disease, 83 have travelled to the state from outside," the Minister said in a release.
The Minister noted that 46,116 samples were tested in the last 24 hours and the test positivity rate was 10.64 per cent.
A total of 76.95 lakh samples have so far been sent for testing.
COVID-19: Madhya Pradesh sees 946 new cases, 18 deathsMadhya Pradesh on Sunday saw 946 fresh COVID-19 cases, taking its infection count to 2,38,352, while 18 deaths and 1,160 recoveries were also reported during the day, a health official said.
The death count in the state now stands at 3,563 while the number of people discharged is 2,24,692, he added.
"During the day, two patients each died in Indore, Bhopal, Raisen and Gwalior and one each in Jabalpur, Khargone, Ratlam, Dhar, Betul, Barwani, Chhindwara, Harda, Guna and Ashok Nagar," the official said.
"Of the new cases, Indore accounted for 286 and Bhopal 194. The total number of cases in Indore rose to 53,910, including 859 deaths. Bhopal's overall tally is 38,629 with 569 deaths. Indore now has 3,400 active cases, while this figure for Bhopal is 2,070," he added.
COVID-19: Four contacts of UK returnees in Andhra Pradesh test positiveFour contacts of the UK-returned COVID-19 positive persons contracted the infection in Andhra Pradesh on Sunday, the health authorities said.
So far, six of the 1,216 people, who returned from the UK in recent days tested positive for coronavirus in East Godavari, Krishna, Anantapuramu, Guntur and SPS Nellore districts.
Three of their contacts in Guntur and one in Nellore contracted the virus, Health Commissioner Katamaneni Bhaskar said.
Of the 1,216 people, 1,187 have been traced so far and 1,162 of them have been sent for the mandatory 14-day quarantine, Mr Bhaskar said.
Efforts were on trace the remaining 29 returnees from the UK.
COVID-19: Gujarat sees 850 new cases, 920 recoveries; 7 dieGujarat on Sunday reported 850 fresh coronavirus positive cases, taking the count of infections to 2,41,845, the state health department said.
With seven more persons succumbing to the viral disease, the total death count in the state reached 4,282, it said.
A total of 920 patients were discharged in the day, taking the cumulative number of recoveries in the state to 2,27,128.
With 53,075 new tests, the total number of samples tested in Gujarat has gone up to 94,37,105, the department said.
COVID-19: Maharashtra sees 3,314 new cases, 66 deathsThe COVID-19 tally in Maharashtra rose to 19,19,550 on Sunday with the addition of 3,314 fresh infections, the state health department said.
With 66 more people succumbing to the viral disease, the overall death count in the state mounted to 49,255, it said in a statement.
A total of 2,124 patients were discharged in the state during the day, taking the number of recoveries to 18,09,948, it said.
COVID-19: Andhra Pradesh adds 349 cases, tally touches 8.81 lakhFor the first time since May, a district in Andhra Pradesh reported zero cases of coronavirus even as a total of 349 were added afresh across the state in 24 hours ending 9 am on Sunday.
Vizianagaram achieved the distinction by not adding a single case in a day and incidentally, it was the last district in the state to join the Covid-19 chart on May 7.
Vizianagaram now has only 54 active coronavirus cases, the lowest in the state.
And, Chittoor district reported 105 fresh cases, the first district to cross the century mark in a day in close to three weeks.
The latest bulletin said 422 patients had recovered from the infection while two more succumbed in 24 hours.
COVID-19: Mumbai civic body issues revised SOP over new virus strain in UKIn view of the emergence of a new coronavirus variant in the UK, the Mumbai civic body on Sunday issued revised guidelines to ensure the compulsory quarantine for 14 days for all passengers arriving from the UK, Europe, and the Middle East.
As per the amended Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), travellers will be kept under institutional quarantine after arrival and RT-PCR test will be conducted on the seventh day from the arrival at the respective hotels, institutional facilities at their own coast.
"If the report of the test is found negative, the passenger would be discharged from the institutional quarantine after seven days with the advice of seven days mandatory home quarantine. A total of 14 days quarantine is to be ensured," the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said in a release.
COVID-19 - Vladimir Putin Decides To Receive Russian Coronavirus Vaccine: KremlinRussia's president Vladimir Putin will receive the Sputnik V vaccine against the coronavirus, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a Russian state TV channel on Sunday.
"He said he will be vaccinated, he made this decision and was waiting until all formalities are completed," the spokesman was quoted as saying to Rossiya 1 TV Channel on its website.
Russia launched a voluntary vaccination programme with the Russia-made Sputnik V vaccine earlier in December, starting with the most vulnerable groups in Moscow.
Hyderabad Set To Emerge As Global Hub For Coronavirus Vaccine In 2021As the world is set to brace for a new year amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the city is poised to emerge as a ''saviour'' from the killer virus, with as many as five vaccine manufacturing firms based in Hyderabad racing to bring out an antidote.
The vaccine development process by Bharat Biotech, Biological E Ltd and Aurobindo Pharma are currently in various stages, while Dr Reddy's and Hetero have tie-ups for manufacturing the vaccine.
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.
Covid-19: 31 more die, 959 found positive in UP, says officialWith 13 more people succumbing to coronavirus infection in Uttar Pradesh, the Covid-19 death count rose to 8,306 on Sunday in the state.
The number of total cases touched 5,81,980 with 959 more people found positive for the infection, an Uttar Pradesh government statement said.
Of the 13 COVID-19 deaths, three were reported from Lucknow and two from Varanasi.
Of the 959 fresh cases, 199 were reported from Lucknow.
In the past 24 hours, 1,391 Covid-19 patients recovered from the viral disease and were discharged, the statement added.
COVID-19: 61 Assembly staff, 5 MLAs test positive on eve of session in Madhya PradeshOn the eve of the three-day session of the Madhya Pradesh Assembly, 61 employees and officials of the Assembly secretariat and five MLAs have tested coronavirus positive.
Protem Speaker of MP Assembly Rameshwar Sharma told this to reporters on Sunday.
"As many as 61 employees and officials of the state Assembly secretariat have tested coronavirus positive so far. Besides, five MLAs were also found infected as per the reports received till now," he said, after taking stock of the preparation for the session that begins from Monday.
Mr Sharma said that the MLAs and their personal staff had been asked to undergo coronavirus test before the session began.
Coronavirus news - AstraZeneca Covid vaccine has "winning formula", says Chief ExecutiveThe Covid-19 vaccine developed by the British drugs group AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford has achieved a "winning formula" for efficacy, the company's chief executive said on Sunday.
The vaccine, currently being evaluated by Britain's independent medicines regulator, provides "100 percent protection" against severe Covid disease requiring hospitalisation, Pascal Soriot said in an interview with the Sunday Times newspaper.
He added he believes trials will show his firm has achieved a vaccine efficacy equal to Pfizer-BioNTech at 95 percent and Moderna at 94.5 percent.
Coronavirus news: Dubai cuts 2021 budget as pandemic impacts economy
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.
Coronavirus news: Israel enters third nationwide lockdown
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.
Coronavirus news: Muscovites aged over 60 can sign up for Covid-19 vaccination from Monday
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.
Oxford Vaccine Will "Protect 95 Per Cent", Says AstraZeneca CEO: ReportThe Oxford coronavirus vaccine will "protect 95 per cent of patients" and is "as effective as the Pfizer and Moderna" alternatives, Pascal Soriot, chief executive of AstraZeneca, told British daily The Sunday Times, adding scientists had figured out a "winning formula to get efficacy up there with everybody else".
However, AstraZeneca, a British-Swedish pharma giant, has yet to release data confirming these claims. Interim results of Phase III trials released last month showed a 70 per cent efficacy rate as the average of two dosing regimens. One of these regimens - a half dose followed by a full dose - showed 90 per cent efficacy, while Pfizer's data showed 95 per cent and Moderna's 94.5 per cent.
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.
COVID-19: 39 new cases in LadakhThirty-nine more people tested positive for the coronavirus in Ladakh, taking the infection count in the Union Territory to 9,394, officials said on Sunday.
Ladakh has so far recorded 126 COVID-related deaths -- 83 in Leh and 43 in Kargil -- while 9,050 patients or 96 per cent of the total cases have recovered from the infection in the UT.
The officials said 31 of the fresh cases were detected in Leh and eight others in Kargil during the past 24 hours.
COVID-19: Odisha logs 303 new cases, 4 more fatalitiesOdisha's COVID-19 tally on Sunday mounted to 3,28,504 after 303 more people tested positive for the infection, while four more fatalities pushed the count to 1,861, a senior health department official said.
Of the 303 cases, 172 were reported from various quarantine centres, and 131 detected during contact tracing. Khurda and Kendrapara reported the maximum number of new cases at 31 each, followed by Sundergarh at 30.
Five districts -- Boudh, Gajapati, Koraput, Puri and Subarnapur -- recorded just one case each.
Since Saturday, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Malkangiri and Rayagada did not register any new patient.
Taking to Twitter, the health and family welfare department said, "Regret to inform about the demise of four Covid positive patients while under treatment in hospitals."
Coronavirus Latest Updates: Lingaraj Temple In Bhubaneswar Reopens After 9 Months
Lingaraj Temple in Bhubaneswar reopens for devotees after remaining closed for almost nine months due to COVID-19 pandemic, PTI reported quoting officials.
COVID-19 Live Updates: Over 750 Volunteers Get First Dose Of Covaxin In Phase-3 Trials In Ahmedabad
Over 750 volunteers have been administered the first dose of Bharat Biotech's COVID-19 vaccine, Covaxin as part of its phase-3 trials at hospital in Ahmedabad, and none of them have experienced any side effects so far, PTI reported quoting a senior doctor on Sunday.
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.
Coronavirus LIVE News: Arunachal Pradesh Reports 9 New COVID-19 Cases
Nine more persons, including a policeman, tested positive for COVID-19 in Arunachal Pradesh, pushing the tally to 16,687, an official said on Sunday.
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.
Coronavirus Latest News: Telangana Reports 472 New COVID-19 Cases, 2 Deaths
As many as 472 new COVID-19 cases and two deaths have been reported from Telangana on Saturday, while 509 patients have been discharged during the day, the state's health department said.
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.
Coronavirus Latest Updates: Jharkhand Reports 192 New Cases, 2 More Deaths
Jharkhand's COVID-19 tally rose to 1,14,146 as 192 more people tested positive for the infection, a health department official said on Sunday.
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.
COVID-19 Live Updates: 101-Year-Old Woman First German To Be Vaccinated Against Coronavirus
A 101-year-old woman in an elderly care home became the first person in Germany to be inoculated against coronavirus on Saturday, a day before the official vaccination campaign was scheduled to get under way in both Germany and the European Union.
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.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates: President-elect Joe Biden pushes Donald Trump to sign COVID-19 relief bill
Accusing Donald Trump of "abdicating responsibility", US President-elect Joe Biden on Saturday pressed the outgoing President to immediately sign a COVID-19 relief bill that is pending, ANI reported.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates: Brazil registers 307 more deaths from COVID-19
The Brazilian government on Saturday reported 307 deaths from COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, bringing the country's death count to 190,795.
Meanwhile, 17,246 more infections were recorded, taking the national tally to 7,465,806, ANI reported.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates: 115 new cases push Sikkim's COVID-19 tally to 5,799
Sikkim's COVID-19 tally rose to 5,799 on Saturday as 115 more people tested positive for the
infection, PTI reported.