In the last 24 hours, 94 deaths linked to Covid were reported. (File)
With 8,635 fresh coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, India recorded the lowest single-day rise in its tally in nearly eight months, the government data this morning showed. In a boost to the fight against the pandemic, the country has been vaccinating its citizens much faster than any other nation in the world, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday in his radio address - "Mann Ki Baat".
The surge in Covid infections in the last 24 hours has been the lowest since June 2 when 8,171 cases were recorded. A total of 1,07,66,245 infections have been logged since January 30 last year when Kerala reported the country's first COVID-19 case - a student who had returned from China's Wuhan where the pandemic is believed to have originated.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization on Monday blasted critics of its investigation into the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic and challenged those claiming to know better to come forward with the smoking gun.
A WHO investigative team is in Wuhan, China -- where the first cases were discovered in December 2019 -- trying to piece together how the virus jumped from animals to humans before going on to kill more than two million people.
Here are the Latest News Highlights:
Some US Pharmacies Will Offer COVID-19 Vaccines From February 11The United States will begin to offer Covid-19 vaccines at pharmacies from February 11, part of efforts to rapidly increase the rate at which shots reach arms.
The White House's Covid-19 response coordinator Jeff Zients told reporters on Tuesday that because of supply constraints, the program would initially be limited to 6,500 participating pharmacies nationwide, before eventually expanding to 40,000.
"This will provide more sites for people to get vaccinated in their communities. And it's an important component to delivering vaccines equitably," he said.
Major chains like Walgreens, CVS Pharmacy, Walmart and Rite Aid are among those participating and the program is planned to work on an appointment basis, as people become eligible on the basis of their priority group.
Pfizer Sees About $15 Billion In 2021 Sales From COVID-19 VaccinesPfizer Inc said on Tuesday it expects to generate about $15 billion in sales this year from the COVID-19 vaccine that it developed with German partner BioNTech.
The drugmaker is trying to deliver two billion doses of the vaccine in 2021 at a breakneck pace as countries rush to sign supply deals in an effort to control a pandemic that has killed over 2 million people globally.
Pfizer has supplied 65 million doses of the vaccine globally and 29 million doses to the United States as of Jan. 31. It expects to supply 200 million doses to the U.S. government by the end of May.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it had distributed just under 50 million doses total of Pfizer and Moderna Inc's COVID-19 vaccines as of Feb. 1.
About 32 million of them have been administered and 17 million of those doses were Pfizer's vaccine, according to the CDC data.
Latin America and Caribbean top 600,000 Covid-19 deaths, news agency AFP reported
Second Phase Of Covid Vaccination To Be Rolled Out In Haryana TodayThe second phase of COVID-19 vaccine will be rolled out in Haryana on Wednesday and frontline workers will get the jab during the drive.
To ensure its smooth implementation of the drive, the registration of all such workers will be completed on the CoWIN portal by Sunday, it said.
"Haryana is all set to start the second phase of the COVID-19 vaccine roll out from February 3, after the successful implementation of its first phase," an official statement said.
Russia Expects India To Approve Sputnik V Vaccine For Use Soon: ReportIndia is expected to grant emergency use authorization for Russia's Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine this month or next, the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), which markets the shot abroad, told ANI on Tuesday.
India has already approved two other vaccines for emergency use and has inoculated nearly 4 million people since mid-January in what the government touts as the world's biggest immunization campaign, aiming to vaccinate over 300 million people by August.
"India is a key partner in terms of production of vaccine and we expect that there'll be a restricted emergency use order for the Sputnik V vaccine...this month or next. After that we will be able to start our vaccine delivery to India," RDIF chief Kirill Dmitriev was quoted by ANI as saying.
9,357 People Get Vaccine Jabs In Delhi
Coronavirus vaccine jabs will to be given six days a week in Delhi from now on instead of the earlier four days, officials said on Tuesday.
A total of 9,357 people were administered vaccine against the coronavirus in Delhi on Tuesday. Seventeen cases of adverse event following immunisation (AEFI) were reported during the day and around 51 per cent of the targeted beneficiaries were inoculated, they said.
Four cases of AEFI each were reported from South Delhi and West Delhi districts. Vaccines were administered at 183 centres, up from 106 on Monday. Each centre has a target of 100 vaccinations per day, a Delhi government official said.
UK Lockdown Hero "Captain Tom" Dies Of COVID-19 At 100: Family
Coronavirus vaccine jabs will to be given six days a week in Delhi from now on instead of the earlier four days, officials said on Tuesday.
A total of 9,357 people were administered vaccine against the coronavirus in Delhi on Tuesday. Seventeen cases of adverse event following immunisation (AEFI) were reported during the day and around 51 per cent of the targeted beneficiaries were inoculated, they said.
Punjab To Pass State Amendment Bills Again To negate Farm LawsWith Punjab Governor VP Singh Badnore refusing to send the state amendment bill negating the three central farm laws to President Ram Nath Kovind, the state government will again bring an amendment bill to the central laws.
"We will bring the Bills again as the Constitution provides that if Bills are passed twice by the Vidhan Sabha, they have to be sent by the Governor to the President," said Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh in a statement.
PM-CARES Fund To Cover Over 80% Cost Of 1st Phase Of Covid Vaccination: Top Official
The PM-CARES fund, which has been set up to provide relief during the coronavirus pandemic, has contributed over ₹ 2,200 crore for the first phase of vaccination drive, which is looking to inoculate frontline healthcare workers, the Expenditure Secretary said on Tuesday.
Set up in March 2020, the exact collections made by the fund through voluntary contribution by individuals and corporates, are not known but the corpus managed by the PMO has been providing relief to pandemic-hit sectors.
With the Budget for the current fiscal, which was presented before the onset of the pandemic, making no separate allocation for vaccination, more than 82 per cent of the cost of the same during January to March is being borne by the PM CARES Fund.
No Nationwide Anti-Conversion Law Planned, Says Centre In Parliament
A nationwide law to ban religious conversions or interfaith marriages is not being planned since it falls under the dominion of states, the central government said in parliament on Tuesday, amid a renewed drive for such legislation in several BJP-ruled states.
"Public order and police are state subjects as per the seventh schedule to the constitution of India. Hence prevention, detection, registration, investigation and prosecution of offences related to religious conversions are primarily the concerns of the state governments and union territory administrations. Action is taken as per existing laws by the law enforcing agencies whenever instances of violation come to notice," Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs G Kishan Reddy said.
The minister's statement was in response to questions raised by five Congress MPs from Kerala who had asked whether the government believed that forced conversions were taking place because of interfaith marriages and details of any laws planned to curb them.
Over 2 Crore Farmers Benefitted From MSP in 2019-20: Minister
More than 2 crore farmers benefited from the government's procurement of seven commodities at the minimum support price (MSP) during 2019-20, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar informed Parliament on Tuesday.
Mr Tomar, in a written reply in the Lok Sabha, however added that it is difficult to assess the accurate number of farmers benefitting from MSP as the procurement is done by government agencies under various schemes.
"Besides, the overall market also responds to declaration of MSP and Government's procurement operations which results in private procurement on or above the MSP for various notified crops. Therefore, accurate number of farmers benefiting from MSP declaration is difficult to assess," Mr Tomar said.
Health Workers Treating COVID Patients To Get Rs 11,000: Trivendra Rawat
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat on Tuesday said each doctor and health care worker attending to coronavirus patients will be given Rs 11,000 as an honour.
Mr Rawat made the announcement while flagging off a fleet of 132 ambulances under the 108 emergency service here. He said all corona warriors of the Health Department will be given certificates.
Mr Rawat said the ambulances equipped with advanced and basic life support systems will prove to be the lifeline for the sick in hilly areas of the state.
Russia's Sputnik V Vaccine 91.6% Effective In Late-Stage Trial: LancetAn alleged gangster and his aide wanted in multiple cases have been arrested by the Special Cell of the Delhi Police, officials said on Tuesday.
Ashok Pradhan, 36, was carrying a reward of over Rs 5 lakh on his arrest and his aide Arun Baba a reward of Rs 1 lakh, they added.
The duo was devising plans to eliminate arch-rivals Neeraj Bawana and Naveen Bali during their upcoming court appearances, police said.
Police official Manishi Chandra said technical and manual surveillance was mounted and a police team was stationed at different locations to trace the suspects' movements.
"On January 31, our team received a tip-off that Ashok Pradhan and Arun Baba were expected to travel towards Millennium Park, Outer Ring Road, for some purpose. Accordingly, we dispatched a team which managed to nab the accused persons who were travelling in a car," he said.
Over 160 Doctors, 107 Nurses Lost Lives Due To COVID-19 In India
COVID-19 has so far claimed the lives of 162 doctors, 107 nurses and 44 ASHA workers in the country, Rajya Sabha was told on Tuesday.
The figures are based on the intimations received from the states till January 22.
This was stated by Minister of State for Health Ashwini Kumar Choubey in the House in response to a question on the number of healthcare staff, including doctors, nurses and ASHA workers who have been affected died due to COVID-19.
Olympics Will Happen "However Coronavirus Evolves": Tokyo 2020 ChiefThe pandemic-postponed Olympics will go ahead this summer "however the coronavirus evolves", Tokyo 2020 president Yoshiro Mori said Tuesday, brushing aside doubts about the event. "We'll certainly go ahead however the coronavirus (pandemic) evolves," he told a meeting of Olympic organisers and members of Japan's ruling party in Tokyo. "We must go beyond discussion about whether we will hold it or not. It's about how we will do it. Let's think about a new kind of Olympics on this occasion," he added.
Read Dubai Shuts Bars Until End Of Month After Coronavirus Surge
Dubai on Monday ordered bars and pubs to close until the end of the month to suppress a spike in coronavirus cases, after tourists flocked to the emirate over the holiday period.
The closures, effective from Tuesday, are among a raft of steps "taken in response to rising violations of preventive measures," authorities said in a statement.
Indoor venues, including cinemas and sports venues, will have their capacity cut by half.
Dubai's vast shopping malls, as well as hotels, swimming pools and private beaches, must operate at 70 percent of capacity.
Over 56% In Delhi Have Antibodies Against Coronavirus: 5th Sero Survey
More than half of the residents in Delhi have been exposed to the coronavirus and developed antibodies for the infection, the fifth serological survey in the capital has found, the government said on Tuesday. The data suggested that the city is inching towards herd immunity but people not let their guard down, Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain said.
"In the fifth sero survey done in the national capital of Delhi, antibodies have been detected in 56.13 per cent of the population. This was the largest survey in any state involving around 28,000 samples. Delhi has largely won over COVID-19, though we should continue to practice Covid-appropriate behaviour," Mr Jain said.
COVID-19: Centre Appoints 2 High-Level Medical Teams To Maharashtra, Kerala
The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) has decided to depute two high-level multi-disciplinary teams to Kerala and Maharashtra to collaborate with the State health authorities in instituting public health measures for COVID-19 management. According to an official release, Kerala and Maharashtra continue to report a large number of cases when almost all states/Union Territories are showing a declining trend in the number of cases and deaths due to COVID-19.
BioNTech To Produce 2 Billion Doses Of COVID-19 Vaccine In 2021
German biotechnology company BioNTech is planning to produce two billion doses of COVID-19 vaccine in 2021 because of the increase in global demand, the company has said in a statement. "In order to respond to an increased global demand, we plan to manufacture two billion doses of our COVID-19 vaccine in 2021 by expanding the previously expected output of 1.3 billion doses by more than 50 per cent," the company said in a press release.
Russia Records Less Than 17,000 COVID-19 Cases In Past 24 Hours
Russia's single-day increase in COVID-19 cases fell below 17,000 for the first time since October 28, as 16,643 new cases were confirmed in the past 24 hours (down from 17,648 the day before), the response centre said on Tuesday.
Barricades, Barbed Wires At Farmers Protest Sites; Water Shortage Alleged
Multiple barricades and barbed wire fences have been set up at the protest sites near Delhi's borders with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh as farmers continue their sit-in against the centre's three agricultural laws.
Read Here India Showing Declining Trend Of COVID-19 Cases Since Last 4 Months: Government
The country is showing a declining trend of COVID-19 cases since the last four months and compared to similarly placed nations, the cases and deaths per million population in India is among the lowest, the government told Rajya Sabha on Tuesday. Minister of State for Health Ashwini Choubey was responding to a question on the reasons for an exponential multiplication of coronavirus cases in the country and whether there was a wrong approach at the initial stage by the government in focusing on testing, contact tracing, isolation, and quarantine management.
WHO-Led COVID-19 Probe Team In China Visits Animal Health Facility
A team of investigators led by the World Health Organization (WHO) arrived on Tuesday at an animal health facility in China's central city of Wuhan in the search for clues about the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic. The independent team has already visited key hospitals, the regional disease control centre and the city's Huanan seafood market, where the first cluster of infections was believed to have originated late in 2019.
8,635 Fresh COVID-19 Cases In India, Lowest One-Day Rise In Eight Months
With 8,635 fresh coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, India recorded the lowest single-day rise in its tally in nearly eight months, the government data this morning showed.
Read Here Latest visuals from the Ghazipur border where farmers are protesting against Farm Laws.
COVID-19: 512 Train Passengers In Mumbai Fined For Not Wearing Masks
The Mumbai Division of Railways and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) have fined 512 train passengers for not wearing face masks, a mandatory health protocol to be followed amid the COVID-19 pandemic. In a joint drive with the BMC, Mumbai division of Railways has fined 275 passengers for not wearing a mask in the train, informed the Chief Public Relation Officers (CPRO), Central Railway. They were charged Rs 200 each.
COVID-19: Telangana Reports 152 New Cases
Telangana added 152 fresh COVID-19 cases, taking the total infection count to over 2.94 lakh while one fatality pushed the toll to 1,602. Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) accounted for the most number of cases with 29, followed by Rangareddy and Medchal Malkajgiri with 11 each, a government bulletin said on Tuesday providing details as of 8 pm on February 1.
Budget Allocation For Vaccines Will Help End Pandemic: Health Minister
Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan has appreciated the 2021-2022 Budget, saying the allocation of ₹ 35,000 crore for COVID-19 vaccines and commitment to provide further support will help end this pandemic and expedite economic recovery. He hailed the "visionary leadership" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and "prudence" of Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman "for taking us closer to Health For All".
Coronavirus News: India Records 8,635 Covid Cases In A Day
With 8,635 fresh coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, India recorded the lowest single-day rise in its tally in nearly eight months, the government data this morning showed. In a boost to the fight against the pandemic, the country has been vaccinating its citizens much faster than any other nation in the world, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday in his radio address - "Mann Ki Baat".
A total of 19,77,52,057 samples tested for COVID-19 up to February 1. Of these, 6,59,422 samples were tested yesterday: Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
BioNTech-Pfizer Pledges 75 Million More Vaccine Doses To European Union
BioNTech and Pfizer said Monday they will ramp up their coronavirus vaccine deliveries to the European Union, pledging to send up to 75 million extra doses to the bloc in the spring. "Pfizer and BioNTech continue to work toward increased deliveries beginning the week of February 15, ensuring we will supply the full quantity of vaccine doses in the first quarter we contractually committed to and up to an additional 75 million doses to the European Union in the second quarter," they said in a statement.
Pakistan Receives First Batch Of China's Sinopharm Covid Vaccines
A Pakistan military aircraft brought back the country's first consignment of COVID-19 vaccines from China on Monday, the country's health adviser, Faisal Sultan, said. China's envoy in Islamabad would formally handover the 500,000 doses of vaccine produced by Sinopharm later on Monday, enabling Pakistan to begin its vaccination drive this week, officials said.
South Africa Receives First Batch Of Covid Vaccine Doses From India
South Africa's first coronavirus vaccine doses arrived by airplane on Monday, offering some relief for health workers who have been stretched during a second wave of infections and are first in line for the shots. President Cyril Ramaphosa and other top officials were at the OR Tambo international airport to receive the 1 million shots of the AstraZeneca vaccine, produced by the Serum Institute of India (SII).
Delhi Records Lowest COVID-19 Deaths In 10 Months
The national capital reported 121 new COVID-19 cases and three deaths due to the disease today, the lowest in the last 10 months, authorities said. Only 32 COVID-19 patients needed hospitalisation, which was also the lowest in the last 10 months, Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain tweeted. The death count mounted to 10,856 and the cumulative COVID-19 case count rose to 6,35,217. The 121 cases came out of 43,712 tests, including 29,730 RT-PCR and 14,342 rapid antigen ones, conducted the previous day for detection of COVID-19, according to a bulletin issued by the Delhi Health Department.
WHO Slams Critics Of COVID-19 Origins Probe
The World Health Organization on Monday blasted critics of its investigation into the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic and challenged those claiming to know better to come forward with the smoking gun. A WHO investigative team is in Wuhan, China -- where the first cases were discovered in December 2019 -- trying to piece together how the virus jumped from animals to humans before going on to kill more than two million people.
BioNTech-Pfizer Pledges 75 Million More Vaccine Doses To European Union
BioNTech and Pfizer said Monday they will ramp up their coronavirus vaccine deliveries to the European Union, pledging to send up to 75 million extra doses to the bloc in the spring. "Pfizer and BioNTech continue to work toward increased deliveries beginning the week of February 15, ensuring we will supply the full quantity of vaccine doses in the first quarter we contractually committed to and up to an additional 75 million doses to the European Union in the second quarter," they said in a statement.
Assam reports one more COVID-19 death, 13 new cases
Assams COVID-19 death count went up to 1,083 as one more person died due to the disease on Monday, while 13 new infections pushed the total number of positive cases to 2,17,154, the National Health Mission (NHM) said.
The NHM also said that as many as 39,724 people have so far received the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine across the state. Assam currently has a total of 476 active cases, PTI reported.
Coronavirus news: Madhya Pradesh reports 226 new coronavirus cases; 318 recover, three die
Madhya Pradesh's COVID-19 tally on Sunday rose to 2,55,112 after the state recorded 226 fresh cases, a health official said. With three more people dying due to the infection, the death count rose to 3,810, PTI reported.