Coronavirus Cases in India: The COVID-19 active caseload has risen to 4,52,344. (Representational)
India's COVID-19 caseload increased to 92.66 lakh with 44,489 new infections being reported in a day, while the recoveries surged to 86.79 lakh, the Union health ministry said on Thursday. The country's infection tally mounted to 92,66,705, while the deaths climbed to 1,35,223 with 524 new fatalities, the ministry data updated at 8 am showed.
The COVID-19 active caseload has risen to 4,52,344, an increase of 7,598 cases from Wednesday, even though it remained below 5 lakh for the 16th consecutive day. The active cases comprise 4.88 per cent of the total caseload, the data stated. The total number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 86,79,138, pushing the national recovery rate to 93.66 per cent, while the COVID-19 case fatality rate stands at 1.46 per cent.
The United States on Wednesday registered more than 2,400 deaths from Covid-19 in 24 hours, according to the Johns Hopkins University tally -- the highest daily number of deaths in six months as the Thanksgiving holiday began. At 8:30pm (0030 GMT Thursday), the country had recorded a total of 262,080 Covid deaths, up by 2,439 in 24 hours. It also registered nearly 200,000 new cases.
Here are the Highlights on Coronavirus Cases:
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Coronavirus news: Bihar COVID-19 tally 2.33 lakh
Bihar's COVID-19 tally rose to 2.33 lakh on Thursday with 682 fresh cases reported in the past one day, while the recoveries surged to 2.26 lakh putting the states recovery rate to 97.10 per cent, a health department bulletin said on Thursday.
Coronavirus news: Bengal records 3,507 new COVID-19 cases, 52 fatalities
West Bengal's COVID-19 death count rose to 8,224 on Thursday after 52 more people died due to the disease, a state health department said in its bulletin. The tally mounted to 4,70,498 with the detection of 3,507 fresh cases from different districts, PTI reported.
Coronavirus news: UK Prime Minister says three-tiered system best way to avoid spike in COVID-19 cases
The new COVID-19 alert level tier allocations, which will come into force in the UK once the country's nationwide lockdown expires on December 2, is the best way to prevent a spike in COVID-19, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said at a press briefing on Thursday.
Assam Reports No New COVID-19 Deaths
After a gap of eight days, Assam reported no COVID-19 deaths on Thursday, while 150 new cases pushed the tally to 2,12,171.
The death count remained at 978 with a death rate of 0.46 per cent, Minister for Health and Family Welfare Himanta Biswa Sarma said.
This is the fourth time during November when no coronavirus deaths were reported.
Have Increased Number Of ICU Beds: Delhi To High CourtDelhi government has augmented the number of ICU beds in its hospitals and private ones and was also in the process of procuring more breathing support systems for patients suffering from COVID-19, the AAP government has told the Delhi High Court.
The submissions were made in a status report filed to the court, detailing the steps taken by the Delhi government for dealing with the rising number of coronavirus cases in the national capital.
Delhi Records 91 COVID-19 Deaths, 5,475 Cases Take Count To 5.51 Lakh
Delhi recorded 5,475 fresh COVID-19 cases in a day as the number of RT-PCR tests crossed the 28,000-mark, while 91 more fatalities pushed the city's death count to 8,811 today, authorities said.
The positivity rate was 8.65 per cent today. It was 8.49 per cent on Wednesday.
As many as 63,266 tests, including 28,897 RT-PCR ones -- the highest till date for the city -- and 34,369 rapid antigen tests, were conducted the previous day for the detection of COVID-19, according to a bulletin issued by the Delhi health department on Thursday.
The city had recorded its highest single-day spike of 8,593 cases on November 11.
Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai Tests Positive For COVID-19Delhi environment minister Gopal Rai was shifted to Delhi's Max hospital hours after he tested positive for the coronavirus disease early Wednesday morning. Officials said that the move was just a precautionary measure, and that the Aam Aadmi Party leader's health was stable.
Taking to Twitter, Mr Rai had urged all those who came in contact with him to "take care and get themselves tested".
"I got a coronavirus test was done after experiencing initial symptoms. My report shows I am Covid-positive. I urge all those who came in contact with me over the last few days to get tested and please take care of themselves," Mr Rai wrote in Hindi.
Read Economy Exhibited Stronger-Than-Expected Rebound: RBI Governor Shaktikanta DasReserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Shaktikanta Das said on Thursday that the country's economy has exhibited a stronger-than-expected rebound from the initial impact of the coronavirus pandemic, but there is a need to be watchful of demand sustainability after the festive season.
"After witnessing a sharp contraction in the economy in Q1 and a multi-speed normalisation of activity in Q2, the Indian economy has exhibited a stronger-than-expected pickup in recovery momentum," Mr Das said. His remarks come a day before the government is scheduled to release gross domestic product (GDP) data for the July-September period, as the economy is on track to register its first annual contraction in more than four decades.
No Covid Rules In Bihar Polls, But They Apply To Farmers: Yogendra Yadav
Swaraj India chief Yogendra Yadav, detained by the Haryana Police at Gurugram, questioned why the state's Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala recently held a rally with farmers if the coronavirus pandemic was the cause for crackdown on protesting farmers. "It is a very strange pandemic," he told NDTV, in a jibe at the state's BJP government led by Manoharlal Khattar.
"Three days ago, Dushyant Chautala rallied thousands of farmers. No mask. No social distancing. Then there is no pandemic. Bihar election - no pandemic. When farmers gather, then there is pandemic. This must be a very strange disease," he added.
Curfew Under "Consideration", No Decision Yet: Delhi Tells Court On Covid
A curfew in Delhi is under "active consideration" depending on the situation, the Delhi government told the High Court today amid a huge coronavirus surge which the city has not been able to shake off in a month. The government's response came after the court questioned it on the measures being taken to control the spike in daily cases, which had mostly stayed above 6,000 over the last week.
The court had asked if the government is planning to impose night curfews or weekend curfews, similar to other cities in the country that are undergoing a similar surge.
Yesterday, the Union home ministry issued fresh guidelines for states to contain the contagion, especially within containment zones, starting December 1. The final decision, however, has been left to the states, many of which have been witnessing a fresh upswing in numbers.
PM Modi To Visit Serum Institute That's Making Oxford Vaccine On SaturdayPrime Minister Narendra Modi will on Saturday visit the Pune-based Serum Institute of India, which has partnered with global pharma giant AstraZeneca and the Oxford University for COVID-19 vaccine, a senior official said today.
The Central Drug Standard Control Organisation has granted permission for manufacture of COVID-19 vaccine for pre-clinical test, examination and analysis to seven firms, two of which are the Serum Institute of India (SII) and the Gennova Biopharmaceuticals.
"We have received a confirmation about PM Modi's visit to the Serum Institute of India on Saturday, but his minute-to -minute program is yet to be received," Pune Divisional Commissioner Saurabh Rao told news agency Press Trust of India.
Read Sweden's Prince Carl Philip and wife test positive for coronavirus
Sweden's Prince Carl Philip and his wife Princess Sofia have tested positive for COVID-19, the Swedish royal court said on Thursday.
The two are feeling well under the circumstances, the court said in a statement, adding that King Karl XIV Gustaf, Queen Silvia, the prince's older sister Crown Princess Victoria and her husband Prince Daniel would be tested during the day. Carl Philip is fourth in the line of succession to the Swedish throne
Uttarakhand govt revises prices of COVID-19 Rapid Antigen Testing, RT-PCR tests
The Uttarakhand government on Thursday fixed the maximum permissible cost for COVID-19 Rapid Antigen Testing across laboratories in the state at Rs 679 and RT-PCT tests at Rs 850 in government hospitals and Rs 900 (inclusive of sample collection by private labs) by private laboratories.
Earlier, the cost of an RT-PCR test would range from Rs 1,400 to Rs 1,650. The order was issued by Amit Negi, State Health Secretary, as a measure to control the spread of the infectious virus in the state.
Covid-19 LIVE Updates: Telangana reports 862 new COVID-19 cases, 3 deaths
As many as 862 new COVID-19 cases and three deaths were reported in Telangana on Wednesday, taking the total number of positive cases in the state to 2,66,904, the state health department informed.
The total figure includes 10,784 active cases, 2,54,676 discharges and 1,444 deaths. The recovery rate currently stands at 95.41 per cent, while the case fatality rate stands at 0.54 per cent.
India extends international flights suspension till December 31
The Indian government on Thursday extended the suspension of scheduled international commercial passenger services till December 31 in view of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), in a notification "Travel and Visa restrictions related to COVID-19", said, "In partial modification of circular dated 26-06-2020, the competent authority has further extended the validity of circular issued on the subject cited above regarding Scheduled International commercial passenger services to/from India till 2359 hrs 1ST of 31St December, 2020."
"This restriction shall not apply to international all-cargo operations and flights specifically approved by the DGCA," the order stated.
Germany's COVID restrictions likely to continue in January: Angela Merkel
Restrictive measures designed to slow the spread of the coronavirus in Germany will be in place until at least the end of December and possibly longer, Chancellor Angela Merkel told parliament on Thursday.
"Given the high number of infections, we assume that the restrictions which are in place before Christmas will be continue to be valid until the start of January, certainly for most parts of Germany," said Ms Merkel.
"We have to say, unfortunately, that we cannot promise an easing for Christmas and New Year's," she added
Sudan's former PM Sadiq al-Mahdi dies from coronavirus in UAE
Leading Sudanese politician and former prime minister Sadiq al-Mahdi died from a coronavirus infection three weeks after being hospitalised in the United Arab Emirates, according to family sources and a party statement early on Thursday.
Mahdi, 84, was Sudan's last democratically elected prime minister and was overthrown in 1989 in the military coup that brought former president Omar al-Bashir to power.
Odisha reports 644 new COVID-19 cases, 17 fresh fatalities
Odisha's COVID-19 tally rose to 3,16,645 on Thursday as 644 more people tested positive for
the infection, a health official said.
Seventeen more patients have died, pushing the coastal state's coronavirus deaths to 1,704, he said.
As many as 369 new cases were reported in quarantine centres, while 275 infections were detected during contact tracing, the official said. Cuttack district reported the highest number of new cases at 64, followed by Sundargarh (62) and Angul (50), he said.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates: COVID-19 positivity rate in Delhi down to 8.5 per cent, says Satyendar Jain
Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Thursday said COVID-19 positivity rate in the national capital has come down to 8.5 per cent in the last three weeks.
"The positivity rate that was 15.26 per cent on November 7, has now come down to 8.5 per cent. There is a downfall of over 40 per cent... A vaccine will hopefully soon be out. Until we are completely assured of the situation is in control, no schools will reopen," Mr Jain told ANI.
Coronavirus Latest News LIVE: Seven found positive in Noida's random COVID testing at Delhi border
Seven people coming from Delhi to Noida were found positive for COVID-19 during random tests of 147 people at Gautam Buddh Nagar's border with the national capital on Wednesday, officials said.
The Gautam Buddh Nagar administration had on November 18 started random testing of people coming to Noida from Delhi in view of the spike in coronavirus cases in the national capital.
"Health department officials randomly tested 147 people on Wednesday of which seven persons resulted positive for the infection. 57 people were tested at the DND border where three persons were found positive, while 90 people were tested at Hari Darshan border where four persons resulted positive," according to an official statement.
Coronavirus Latest News LIVE: Mexico reports 10,335 new COVID-19 cases
Mexico's Health Ministry reported on Wednesday 10,335 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the country's total number of infections to 1,070,487.
The country recorded 858 more deaths in the past 24 hours, raising its COVID-19-related deaths to 103,597.
Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard said Tuesday that the Latin American country may start COVID-19 vaccinations in December if regulatory institutions certify the effectiveness of related drugs.
Covid-19 Updates: 30 new cases push Arunachal Pradesh's virus tally to 16,174
Arunachal Pradesh's COVID-19 tally rose to 16,174 on Thursday as 30 more people, including an Army jawan, tested positive for the infection, a health official said.
Single-day recoveries continued to outnumber fresh cases as 66 more people were cured of the disease, State Surveillance Officer Dr Lobsang Jampa said.
The Capital Complex region reported the highest number of new cases at 11, followed by Lepa Rada (six) and Lower Dibang Valley (three), he said, adding all the fresh infections were detected through rapid antigen tests.
Covid-19 LIVE Updates: Telangana adds 862 new COVID-19 cases, 3 deaths
Telangana posted 862 fresh coronavirus cases, taking the total caseload to nearly 2.67 lakh while three fatalities pushed the toll to 1,444.
Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) accounted for the most number of cases with 164, followed by Medchal Malkajgiri 91 and Khammam 63, a government bulletin said on Thursday providing details as of 8 pm on November 25.
As many as10,784 patients are under treatment and 41,101 samples were tested on Wednesday.
COVID-19 tests being done on people arriving from Delhi, Rajasthan, Gujarat at Pune Railway Station
Following the state government's guidelines to screen every passenger coming from Gujarat, Delhi, Rajasthan and Goa for COVID-19 symptoms, the Pune district administration has deputed a team of doctors and health officials at Railway Station to perform the duty.
As per the advisory, passengers arriving in Pune from Delhi, Goa, Rajasthan and Gujarat with high temperatures are being made to undergo COVID-19 tests at the station to stop the spread of the virus.
"Passengers with high temperatures are undergoing Rapid Antigen Tests. If anyone tests positive, they are shifted to the nearby government hospital by ambulance. We are keeping a record of the COVID-positive patients," a doctor at the testing facility told ANI.
Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai tests positive for COVID-19: Official
Coronavirus LIVE News: 10 new cases push COVID-19 tally of Andaman and Nicobar Islands to 4,677
The COVID-19 tally of Andaman and Nicobar Islands rose to 4,677 on Thursday as 10 more people tested positive for the infection, a health official said. Five new patients have travel history, while five infections were detected during contact tracing, he said.
Fifteen more people have been cured of the disease, the official said.
The archipelago now has 137 active coronavirus cases, while 4,479 people have recovered from the disease and 61 patients have succumbed to the infection to date, he said. The administration has so far sent 1,21,931 samples for COVID-19 tests, of which 18 reports are awaited, the official added.
Coronavirus News: South Korea reports biggest COVID-19 spike since March
South Korea reported 583 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, the highest since March, as it grapples with a third wave of infections that appears to be worsening despite tough new social distancing measures
The government reimposed strict social distancing rules on Seoul and surrounding regions this week, only a month after they had been eased following the second wave of infections
Now some experts say the government moved too early to relax those rules, as the daily official case tally exceeds 500 for the first time since March 6
When And How Will COVID-19 Vaccines Become Available Around The WorldPfizer Inc with partner BioNTech SE and Moderna Inc have released trial data showing their COVID-19 vaccines to be about 95 per cent effective at preventing the illness, while AstraZeneca Plc this week said its vaccine could be up to 90 per cent effective." itemprop="description
Jharkhand reports 237 new COVID-19 cases, 3 fresh fatalities
Jharkhand's COVID-19 tally rose to 1,08,158 on Thursday as 237 more people tested positive for the infection, a health official said. Three more patients died, pushing the state's coronavirus deaths to 958, he said.
West Singhbhum, Hazaribag and Deoghar districts reported one fresh fatality each, the official said. Ranchi district reported the highest number of new cases at 92, followed by East Singhbhum (38) and Bokaro (18), he said.
The state now has 2,160 active coronavirus cases, while 1,05,040 people have been cured of the disease so far, the official said.
Coronavirus LIVE News: 6,159 new Covid-19 cases in Maharashtra
A total of 6,159 new cases of coronavirus were reported in Maharashtra on Wednesday. According to the state Health Department, 4,844 recoveries and 65 fatalities due to the COVID-19 were also recorded.
The total count of cases in the state now stands at 17,95,959 including 84,464 active cases.
Jammu And Kashmir reports 489 new Covid-19 cases, 12 deaths
As many as 489 new positive cases of Covid-19 were reported in Jammu and Kashmir taking the tally of total cases to 1,07,819, the administration of Union Territory (UT) said on Wednesday.
According to UT government, 264 new cases were reported from Jammu division while Kashmir division recorded 225 fresh cases. The total deaths in the UT rose to 1,663 with twelve people succumbed to coronavirus today.
France registers 16,282 new COVID-19 cases, 381 deaths
France on Wednesday registered 16,282 new COVID-19 cases and 381 deaths in a 24-hour span, while pressure on the country's health services continued to ease, health authorities said.
Since the start of the pandemic, 2,170,097 people have been infected with the virus, and 50,618 of them have died. France now ranks fourth in the number of total COVID-19 cases after the United States, India and Brazil.
As of Wednesday, 29,972 COVID-19 patients had been hospitalized (down 650 from Tuesday), confirming a downward trend reported since mid-November. Of the hospitalized, 4,148 are in intensive care, down 141 in the past 24 hours.
In Brazil, Pfizer begins process to register Covid-19 vaccine
Pfizer gave the office of Brazil's health regulators results of the tests of their Covid-19 vaccine, a necessary step to approve and register the vaccine, the US-based pharmaceutical said Wednesday.
"This is an important step so that the vaccine can be available in Brazil," Pfizer said in a statement in Portuguese.
Brazil, with a population of 212 million, has the highest Covid-19 death rate in the world after the United States. It has recorded more than six million novel coronavirus cases since the pandemic began.
The clinical results of the Phase 3 study of the BNT162b2 vaccine, developed by Pfizer and the German pharmaceutical BioNTech, began in July and involved 43,661 participants in 150 places around the world. In Brazil there were 2,900 volunteers, the companies said.
Coronavirus news: Assam's COVID-19 death count mounts to 978 with two more fatalities
Assam reported two more COVID- 19 deaths on Wednesday, raising the count to 978, even as 182 fresh cases took the tally to to 2,12,021, Minister for Health and Family Welfare Himanta Biswa Sarma said.