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This Article is From Jan 16, 2021

Latest NEWS LIVE: India's COVID-19 Tally Rises To 1,05,27,683, Total 1.51 Lakh Deaths

Latest NEWS LIVE: The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 1,01,62,738 pushing the national COVID-19 recovery rate to 96.53 per cent.

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India News Posted by Deepika Pundir

Updated : January 16, 2021 4:35 am IST

Latest News Today: The COVID-19 active caseload remained below 3 lakh. (File)

New Delhi:

India's COVID-19 caseload rose to 1,05,27,683 with 15,590 people testing positive for the infection in a day, while the recoveries have surged to 1,01,62,738, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Friday.

The country's deaths increased to 1,51,918 with 191 daily new fatalities, the data updated at 8 am showed.

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 1,01,62,738 pushing the national COVID-19 recovery rate to 96.53 per cent, while the COVID-19 case fatality rate stands at 1.44 per cent. The COVID-19 active caseload remained below 3 lakh.

Meanwhile, the Centre has circulated the dos and don'ts for vaccination to the states on Thursday. The rollout on Saturday is expected to cover 3 lakh healthcare workers across 3,006 sites across the country. Interchangeability of COVID-19 vaccines is not permitted and pregnant and lactating women should not be administered the shots as they have not been part of any anti-coronavirus vaccine clinical trial so far, the Health Ministry said.

In a letter to all states and Union territories, the ministry highlighted that under the emergency use authorisation, coronavirus vaccination is indicated only for 18 years and above. If required, COVID-19 vaccine and other vaccines should be separated by an interval of at least 14 days.

"Interchangeability of COVID-19 vaccines is not permitted. Second dose should also be of the same COVID-19 vaccine which was administered as the first dose," the letter written by Manohar Agnani, Additional Secretary, Union health ministry said.

The ministry has listed precautions and contraindications for COVID-19 vaccination along with a comparative factsheet for both the vaccines (Covishield and Covaxin) which contains information on vaccine platform, physical specifications, dosage, cold-chain storage requirements, contraindications and minor AEFIs (adverse event following immunization).

Here are the LIVE updates:

Jan 16, 2021 04:35 (IST)

Coronavirus news: Joe Biden Unveils Plan To Speed US COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout
US President-elect Joe Biden on Friday said he would order increased production of syringes and other supplies to ramp up vaccinations against COVID-19 and improve upon the Trump administration rollout that he called a "dismal failure."

Under Biden's plan, federal disaster-relief workers would set up thousands of vaccination centers, where retired doctors would administer shots to teachers, grocery store workers, people over 65 years old and other groups who do not currently qualify.

The Democrat would invoke the Defense Production Act to increase production of equipment needed to distribute the vaccines, such as glass vials, needles and syringes, according to a document released by his transition team. He would also use the law to support vaccine refrigeration and storage.

Jan 16, 2021 03:12 (IST)

Coronavirus news: Andhra Pradesh receives 4.7 lakh doses of Covishield, 20,000 of Covaxin
Andhra Pradesh has received 4.7 lakh doses of Covishield and 20,000 doses of Covaxin for the first phase of COVID-19 vaccination drive.

The vaccination drive against COVID-19 will begin on Saturday all over the country.

A state government release said that 332 locations have been identified for the launch of the drive in Andhra Pradesh.

Jan 16, 2021 02:15 (IST)

Coronavirus news: 535 new coronavirus cases, three deaths in Gujarat

Gujarat recorded 535 fresh coronavirus cases and only three deaths in the last 24 hours, a state health official said on Friday evening.

The caseload thus went upto 2,54,849 while the death toll in Gujarat due to COVID-19 now stands at 4,360.

As many as 738 coronavirus patients were given discharge from different hospitals.

With 2,43,639 recoveries so far, Gujarat's rate of recovery has gone up to 95.60 per cent, said the official release.

During the day, one patient each died in Ahmedabad city, Rajkot district and Surat city. Of 6,850 active cases in the state, 55 patients are on ventilator.

Jan 16, 2021 01:46 (IST)

WhatsApp Delays Data Sharing Change After Backlash

WhatsApp on Friday delayed a data-sharing change as users worried about privacy fled the Facebook-owned messaging service and flocked to rivals Telegram and Signal.

"We're now moving back the date on which people will be asked to review and accept the terms," WhatsApp said in a blog post.

Jan 16, 2021 01:22 (IST)

COVID-19: Total Deaths Pass 2 Million Worldwide

Total confirmed deaths from Covid-19 around the world passed two million on Friday, according to a count by AFP.

As of 1825 GMT on Friday, 2,000,066 people have died of the virus since it first emerged in China in late 2019, according to the count based on official figures provided by authorities.

The grim milestone comes as countries around the globe battle rising infections, despite the gradual rollout of vaccination campaigns.

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Jan 15, 2021 23:22 (IST)

Norway Warns of Vaccination Risks For Sick Elderly Patients After 23 Die

Norway said Covid-19 vaccines may be too risky for the very old and terminally ill, the most cautious statement yet from a European health authority as countries assess the real-world side effects of the first shots to gain approval.

Norwegian officials said 23 people had died in the country a short time after receiving their first dose of the vaccine. Of those deaths, 13 have been autopsied, with the results suggesting that common side effects may have contributed to severe reactions in frail, elderly people, according to the Norwegian Medicines Agency.

Jan 15, 2021 22:29 (IST)

Coronavirus Updates: Mizoram Schools To Restart On January 22, Churches To Reopen In February

Mizoram has decided to allow reopening of schools for classes 10 and 12 from January 22, and places of worship from February, officials said on Friday.

Mizoram, a Christian-majority state, decided to reopen places of worship with limited attendees as the COVID-19 situation improved, they said.

The decisions were taken at a meeting among doctors, churches and civil society groups. Health minister R Lalthangliana presided over the meeting.

The churches would be opened for services every Saturday at noon for Sabbath followers, and on Sundays for other denominations.

However, only 200 attendees or 50 per cent of sitting capacity, whichever is less, will be allowed as per the existing Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), officials said.

Church services would not be held on other days.

In Mizoram, normally services are held thrice on Sabbaths (Saturday) and Sundays.

Jan 15, 2021 21:56 (IST)

Integrated Medicine Approach Shortens Covid Patients' Stay In Hospital: Study

An integrated medicine approach in treating Coronavirus patients not only shortened their stay in hospital but also helped the infected recover faster, revealed a study by Siddha doctors initiated when the pandemic was at the peak in Tamil Nadu.

The overall median length of stay was 12 days for those who were administered zinc, vitamin c tablets, as advised by the state government and Kabasura Kudineer, a Siddha polyherbal formulation, which was advised by the union Ayush ministry, claims a survival analysis study.

The study was to assess the length of stay of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) patients under Integrated Medicine - Zinc, Vitamin C and Kabasura Kudineer, carried out by the team of government Siddha doctors at the Government Medical College and ESI Hospital Coimbatore.

According to Dr Sathya Rajeswaran, Director in-charge, Siddha Central Research Institute, Chennai, the data was collected from confirmed COVID-19 cases admitted in GMC & ESI Hospital Coimbatore.

Jan 15, 2021 21:26 (IST)

Gujarat: 535 New Coronavirus Cases, Three Deaths

Gujarat recorded 535 fresh coronavirus cases and only three deaths in the last 24 hours, a state health official said on Friday evening.

The caseload thus went upto 2,54,849 while the death count in Gujarat due to COVID-19 now stands at 4,360.

As many as 738 coronavirus patients were given discharge from different hospitals.

While the government has stopped disclosing the daily test figure, as many as 1,01,01,064 persons have been tested so far.

Gujarat COVID-19 figures are as follows: Positive cases 2,54,849, new cases 535, death toll 4,360, discharged 2,43,639, active cases 6,850 and people tested so far 1,01,01,064.

Jan 15, 2021 20:49 (IST)

Coronavirus Latest News: For Los Angeles-Area Ambulance, The COVID-19 Call Never Stop

For Southern California ambulance crews, the shifts feel never-ending and the calls to pick up COVID-19 patients seem endless.

"In 30 years, I've never seen a call volume like this," said Eileen Cegarra, 56, an ambulance dispatch center supervisor for Care Ambulance Service, one of the largest ambulance companies in the Los Angeles area, which has become the epicenter of the U.S. coronavirus pandemic.

California hospitals have grown so full of COVID-19 patients that state officials ordered hospitals to delay non-life-threatening surgeries, preserving space for serious cancer removal and necessary heart operations.

Outside many Southern California hospitals, ambulances loaded with COVID-19 patients wait for hours until space becomes available in the intensive care unit (ICU) or emergency room (ER).

Beside affecting the patients, the backlog has taken its toll on the ambulance crews who respond to calls for the sick.

"The calls don't stop just because the crews are in the ER," Cegarra said.

Jennifer Mueller, 30, works 24-hour shifts as a Care emergency medical technician, saying the pandemic has taken a physical and emotional toll on those in her profession.

Jan 15, 2021 20:15 (IST)

Maharashtra reports 3,145 new COVID-19 cases, tally increases to 19,84,768; death count reaches 50,336 with 45 fatalities, news agency PTI reported quoting health official

Jan 15, 2021 19:39 (IST)

India's COVID-19 Case Count Of UK Coronavirus Strain Rises To 114

As India prepares to launch its coronavirus vaccination tomorrow, the total number of COVID-19 patients found infected with the new strain of coronavirus first detected in the United Kingdom (UK) has risen to 114, the Health Ministry said on Friday.

Five cases of the new strain - believed to be more infectious - were detected in the last 24 hours, the data shows. Till yesterday, this number was 109.

All the patients are recovering in single-room government quarantine centres, and their close contacts have also been quarantined. Genome sequencing to ascertain the strain of infection is going on for other samples, the ministry said, adding the situation is under careful watch.

Jan 15, 2021 19:01 (IST)

Covid Latest News: Pfizer Temporarily Reduces Vaccine Deliveries To Europe

Pfizer will temporarily reduce its deliveries to Europe of its vaccine against COVID-19 while it upgrades its production capacity, the company and the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (FHI) said on Friday.

"We received this message today a little before 10am (0900 GMT). We had expected 43,875 vaccines doses from Pfizer in week 3 (next week). Now it appears that we will get 36,075 doses," the FHI said in a statement.

The reduction in deliveries is due to Pfizer limiting output so that it can upgrade production capacity to 2 billion vaccine doses per year from 1.3 billion currently, the FHI said.

"This temporary reduction will affect all European countries," said the FHI. "It is as yet not precisely clear how long time it will take before Pfizer is up to maximum production capacity again."

Pfizer said it had to make modifications to the process and facility that will require additional regulatory approvals.

"Although this will temporarily impact shipments in late January to early February, it will provide a significant increase in doses available for patients in late February and March," Pfizer said in a statement.

Jan 15, 2021 18:38 (IST)

COVID-19 LIVE Updates: Delhi Records 295 Fresh Cases, Positivity Rate Dips To 0.44 Per Cent

Delhi on Friday recorded 295 fresh COVID-19 infections, the lowest in more than eight months, which pushed the caseload to 6,31,884 while the positivity rate slipped to 0.44 per cent, authorities said.

The national capital had recorded 293 cases on April 26, according to official data.

The death count mounted to 10,732 with 10 new fatalities, the authorities said.

The number of active cases in the national capital came down to 2,795 from 2,937 the previous day. The positivity rate dropped to 0.44 per cent.

The 295 fresh cases came out of 66,921 tests conducted the previous day, including 38,990 RT-PCR tests and 27,931 rapid antigen tests, according to the latest bulletin issued by the Delhi health department.

Jan 15, 2021 18:09 (IST)

Arvind Kejriwal To Visit LNJP Hospital To Inspect Delhi Vaccination Drive

India is all geared up for the mass coronavirus vaccination drive that begins Saturday. The rollout tomorrow is expected to cover 3 lakh healthcare workers across 3,006 sites across the country.

In Delhi, coronavirus vaccines will administered from 81 centres including six central government facilities. The healthcare workers, who have been at the forefront of the fight against the pandemic, will be the ones to receives the shots first.

The inoculation drive will begin from the state-run LNJP Hospital with a simple ceremony. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will visit the hospital at around noon to inspect the vaccination drive of the Delhi government.

Jan 15, 2021 17:27 (IST)

Coronavirus LIVE Updates: Himachal Schools To Partially Open From February

The Himachal Pradesh government has decided to partially open schools from next month by strictly following standard operating procedures in view of the coronavirus pandemic, an minister said on Friday.

Classes 5 and 8-12 in schools in the plains that have summer vacations will open from February 1, while those in the hilly areas having longer winter vacations will start February 15, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Suresh Bhardwaj said.

Industrial training institutes, and polytechnic and engineering colleges will also open from February 1. The decision to reopen these institutions was taken in the cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Jairam Thakur after reviewing the current coronavirus situation in the state, Bhardwaj said.

The management of these institutions will ensure strict use of face masks, social distancing and use of sanitisers in their premises, he added.

Jan 15, 2021 16:43 (IST)

Coronavirus Updates: Vaccine Drive To Be Held At 10 Centres In Maharashtra's Aurangabad

The administration in Maharashtra's Aurangabad district is all set for the COVID-19 vaccination drive, which will take place at 10 centres in the region on January 16, a health official said on Friday.

As many as 100 healthcare workers will be inoculated at each of these 10 centres, the official said.

While four centres have been earmarked for Aurangabad rural in Vaijapur, Paithan and Sillod talukas, six are in Aurangabad city, including the Government Medical College, civil surgeon Dr Sundar Kulkarni said.

"As many as 100 healthcare workers will be inoculated at each centre from Saturday onwards," he said.

As on Thursday, Aurangabad's COVID-19 tally stood at 46,398, including 44,823 recoveries and 1,222 casualties.

The district currently has 353 active cases.

Jan 15, 2021 16:20 (IST)

Coronavirus LIVE Updates: 3 Civil Defence Volunteers Arrested For Issuing Fake Covid Challans

Three civil defence volunteers have been arrested for allegedly issuing fake COVID-19 challans and collecting the penalty amount, police said on Friday.

The accused -- Sunny (19), Yashwant Rathi (21) and Lucky (20) -- were posted in the office of SDM (New Delhi) in Jamnagar House, they said.

They mostly issued fake challans to people visiting the Talkatora Garden, they said.

The matter came to notice on December 31, when a resident of Shakarpur was issued a fake challan by the accused for not wearing masks when he was sitting inside the Talkatora Garden with his friend, police said.

In his complaint, the victim alleged that the three volunteers came in Khakhi uniform and told him that they were posted in the office of SDM, New Delhi.

They told us that since we had violated COVID-19 guidelines by not wearing face masks, challans of Rs 2,000 each will be issued, the victim alleged, news agency PTI reported.

Jan 15, 2021 15:49 (IST)

Coronavirus Latest News: India's New Covid Cases Per Million Population In Last 7 Days Among Lowest In World, Says Health Ministry

India recorded 87 new COVID-19 cases per million population in the last seven days which is one of the lowest in the world when compared with countries like the US, the UK, Russia, Germany, Brazil, France and Italy, the Union Health Ministry said on Friday.

It further said that only one new death per million population was reported in India in this period.

"With a case fatality rate of 1.44 per cent, COVID-19 deaths per million population in India are one of the lowest in the world," the ministry underscored.

India's total COVID-19 active caseload continues to manifest a sustained downward movement and has dropped to 2.13 lakh comprising just 2.03 per cent of the country's total infections, it said.

Jan 15, 2021 15:26 (IST)

WHO Team In China Will Start Meetings Online From Quarantine

A World Health Organization-led team investigating the origins of COVID-19 are to begin virtual meetings with their Chinese hosts from a hotel in China's Wuhan, where the pandemic first emerged, on Friday. Their arrival at the city in central China on Thursday was disrupted by the absence of two members who failed coronovirus antibody tests in Singapore. One of the missing members has since passed a test and their travel to China is being arranged, according to China's foreign ministry.

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