Last month, India's total COVID-19 vaccine doses administered crossed the 100-crore mark. (File)
India recorded a single-day rise of 12,729 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, taking the country's infection tally to 3,43,33,754, while the active cases rose to 1,48,922.
The death count due to the infection climbed to 4,59,873, with 221 daily fatalities being recorded, the data showed.
The country recorded 12,165 more recoveries on Friday, taking the total tally of people who have recovered from the infection to 3,37,24,959.
The daily rise in new coronavirus infections has been below 20,000 for 28 straight days and less than 50,000 daily new cases have been reported for 131 consecutive days now.
With Fourth Wave Raging, Germany Agrees Booster Shots For AllGermany's COVID-19 situation is entering a very difficult period with rising numbers of intensive care patients, health minister Jens Spahn said, as German state leaders warned the country may need a new lockdown unless it takes urgent action.
Spahn said he had agreed with regional health ministers that in future everyone should be offered a booster shot of COVID-19 vaccine six months after receiving their previous injection.
Alpha Covid Variant Detected In Dogs, Cats: ReportA new study in the Veterinary Record reveals that pets can be infected with the alpha variant of SARS-CoV-2, which was first detected in southeast England and is commonly known as the UK variant or B.1.1.7.
This variant rapidly outcompeted pre-existing variants in England due to its increased transmissibility and infectivity.
The study describes the first identification of the SARS-CoV-2 alpha variant in domestic pets; two cats and one dog were positive on PCR test, while two additional cats and one dog displayed antibodies two to six weeks after they developed signs of cardiac disease. Many owners of these pets had developed respiratory symptoms several weeks before their pets became ill and had also tested positive for COVID-19.
West Bengal's Daily Covid Tally Registers DeclineWest Bengal on Friday recorded 763 fresh Covid-19 cases, 155 less than the previous day's figure, while the number of fresh fatalities also dropped marginally from 14 on November 4 to 13, according to a health department bulletin.
The state's Covid-19 death count went up to 19,201 with 13 fatalities while 763 new cases pushed the tally to 15,97,095.
Kolkata accounted for four deaths during the day, while North and South 24 Parganas reported three fatalities each. The remaining deaths were recorded in other districts, the bulletin said.
Delhi Cabinet approves Rs 1,544 crore to tackle COVID-19
The Delhi Cabinet on Friday approved a budget of Rs 1,544 crore under the Emergency COVID-19 Response Package to bolster health systems in order to be prepared for a possible third wave, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said.
Gujarat reports 20 COVID-19 casesGujarat recorded 20 new coronavirus infections on Friday which took its caseload to 8,26,700, the state health department said.
With no new fatality being reported, the death toll remained unchanged at 10,090.
Covid cases in Tamil Nadu continue to declineTamil Nadu continued to report a decline in COVID-19 cases below the 1,000 mark for the fifth consecutive day, with the state logging 875 infections, pushing the tally to 27,07,368.
Thirteen people succumbed to the virus, taking the toll to 36,204 till date, a health department bulletin said.
Delhi records 32 new Covid cases
Mumbai records 238 new COVID-19 cases, 4 deaths; tests dip below 25,000
Mumbai on Friday reported 238 new coronavirus cases and four fresh fatalities, taking the infection tally to 7,57,272 and the toll to 16,269, a civic official said.
Over 116.50 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses provided to states/UTs: Centre
More than 116.50 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses have been provided to states and Union territories so far through the Centre and direct state procurement category, the Union health ministry said on Friday.
More than 15.54 crore (15,54,54,451) balance and unutilised vaccine doses are still available with the states/UTs to be administered.
Ladakh reports 10 fresh COVID-19 casesLadakh recorded 10 fresh COVID-19 cases, taking the infection tally to 21,005 and active cases to 98, officials said on Friday.
The Union territory has registered 208 Covid-related deaths -- 150 in Leh and 58 in Kargil -- since the outbreak of the pandemic last year.
Coronavirus India Updates: Karnataka withdraws Covid night curfew
Odisha logs 170 new COVID-19 cases, lowest in 7 monthsOdisha registered 170 new COVID-19 cases, the lowest in seven months and 181 less than the previous day, pushing the state's tally to 10,42,943, a health department official said. The COVID-19 death toll rose to 8,350 as three more persons succumbed to the infection. This apart, 53 other COVID-19 patients have also died in the state due to comorbidities.
The official said that the state had for the last time reported 170 new cases on March 24 this year. The new cases reported on Friday included 24 children and adolescents in the age group of 0-18 years. The rate of infection in the age group of 0 to 18 years, now stands at 14.11 per cent against the previous day's 12.82, he said. The state had reported 351 new cases on Thursday, 322 on Wednesday, 327 on Tuesday and 316 on Monday.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates: 32% of population projected to be fully vaccinated by December 2021
No new Covid cases reported in Arunachal Pradesh in 24 hours
Arunachal Pradesh did not report any new COVID-19 case in the last 24 hours, while 17 more people recuperated from the disease, pushing the total number of recoveries to 54,826, a senior health official said here on Friday.
The COVID-19 tally in the frontier state remained at 55,174, the official said.
Arunachal Pradesh now has 68 active COVID-19 cases, State Surveillance Officer (SSO) Dr Lobsang Jampa said.
The COVID-19 recovery rate now is 99.37 per cent, Jampa said.
The COVID-19 death count in the state remained at 280 as no new fatality was reported in the last 24 hours, the SSO said.
More Severe Covid In Indian Subcontinent May Be Blamed On Gene: StudyScientists identified a specific gene that doubles the risk of respiratory failure from Covid-19 and may go some way to explaining why some ethnic groups are more susceptible to severe disease than others.
Researchers from the University of Oxford found that a higher-risk version of the gene most likely prevents the cells lining airways and the lungs from responding to the virus properly. About 60% of people with South Asian ancestry carry this version of the gene, compared with 15% of people with European heritage, according to the study published Thursday.
Coronavirus China: Chinese Journalist Zhang Zhan Jailed For Wuhan Covid Coverage "May Not Survive"A citizen journalist jailed for her coverage of China's initial response to Covid in Wuhan is close to death after going on hunger strike, her family said, prompting renewed calls from rights groups for her immediate release.
Zhang Zhan, 38, a former lawyer, travelled to Wuhan in February 2020 to report on the chaos at the pandemic's epicentre, questioning authorities' handling of the outbreak in her smartphone videos.
She was detained in May 2020 and sentenced in December to four years in jail for "picking quarrels and provoking trouble" -- a charge routinely used to suppress dissent.
She is now severely underweight and "may not live for much longer", her brother Zhang Ju wrote last week on a Twitter account verified by people close to the matter.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates: 12,729 fresh COVID-19 cases in India, 1.2% lower than yesterdayIndia today logged 12,729 cases, which is 1.2 per cent lower than yesterday's numbers (12,885). The country also reported 221 deaths over the last 24 hours.
Kerala continues to lead states in most number of cases in a day. It reported 7,545 cases and 136 Covid deaths in a day.
With 945 Covid cases, neighbouring Tamil Nadu was the second southern state with most number of daily cases. The next highest was Andhra Pradesh with 301, it was followed by Karnataka with 261 cases.
Mumbai reports 262 fresh Covid cases, 6 related deaths
Mumbai reported 262 new COVID-19 cases and six deaths, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said on Thursday.
With 269 recoveries reported in the last 24 hours, the total recoveries mounted to 7,34,859.
At present, there are 3,370 active cases in the city. The death toll has reached 16, 265 in Mumbai.
Mizoram Reports 508 New COVID-19 Cases, 2 Deaths In 24 HoursMizoram reported 508 new COVID-19 cases and two deaths in the last 24 hours, informed the state Department of Information and Public Relations (DIPR) on Friday.
As per the data shared by the state government at 7 am today, with the addition of new cases, the active caseload in the state stands at 6,141.
A total of 1,24,026 COVID-19 cases have been reported in the state so far and as many as 440 people have succumbed to the virus.
The total number of recoveries in the state stands at 1,17,445.
Coronavirus News Updates: UK Becomes First Country To Approve Merck's Oral COVID-19 PillBritain on Thursday became the first country in the world to approve a potentially game-changing COVID-19 antiviral pill jointly developed by Merck and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics, in a boost to the fight against the pandemic.
Britain's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) recommended the drug, molnupiravir, be used as soon as possible following a positive COVID-19 test and within five days of the onset of symptoms, citing clinical data.
This is the first oral antiviral treatment for COVID-19 to get approved, with the green light coming ahead of potential U.S. regulatory clearance. U.S. advisers will meet this month to vote on whether molnupiravir should be authorized.
Tamil Nadu Reports 945 New COVID-19 Cases, 15 Deaths
Tamil Nadu reported 945 new COVID-19 cases during the last 24 hours, as per a health bulletin issued by the state government on Thursday.
During the same duration, 1,047 people recovered from the infection while 15 people succumbed to the deadly virus, taking the tally of currently active Covid cases to 10,895.
So far, a total of 27,06,493 Covid cases have been reported in the state, the bulletin says. Out of this, 26,59,407 people have recovered from the virus while 36,191 people have lost their lives to it.
Kerala Reports 7,545 New COVID-19 Cases, 55 DeathsKerala reported 7,545 new COVID-19 cases and 55 deaths in the last 24 hours on Thursday.
According to the State Health Department bulletin, the total active caseload in the state is 74,552.
Delhi Reports 40 Fresh Covid-19 Cases, No New Death For 13th Consecutive DayDelhi reported 40 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours on Thursday.
No death was recorded due to the disease for the thirteenth consecutive day.
As per the Delhi Health Department's bulletin, the cumulative caseload has escalated to 14,40,003 including 303 active cases.