Coronavirus news highlights: Karnataka sees over 1,200 new Covid-19 cases; state tally at 8.96 lakh

India's Covid-19 caseload rose to 97.35 lakh on Wednesday, while the number of people who have recuperated from the disease crossed 92 lakh, pushing the national recovery rate to 94.66 per cent. The total coronavirus cases mounted to 97,35,850 with 32,080 new infections being reported in a day, while the death toll rose to 1,41,360 with 402 new fatalities. There are 3,78,909 active coronavirus infections in the country now which comprises 3.89 per cent of the total caseload.

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Covid-19 toll rises to 96 in UP's Muzaffarnagar district with another death; 55 new cases take the tally to 7,348, active cases 509.

Jharkhand reported 191 new Covid-19 cases, 202 recoveries and 3 deaths, today.

Total positive cases 1,10,830
Total recoveries 1,08,100
Death toll 991

Total active cases in the state are 1,739

Despite Covid-19 pandemic, IIT Hyderabad placements begin on positive note

Despite the impact of Covid-19 on the economy, the Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad has received 222 placement offers, including 30 from 63 overseas companies during the Phase I of campus placements.

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Higher education institutions in Uttarakhand to reopen from December 15

Higher education institutions in Uttarakhand, which have been closed since the coronavirus-induced lockdown was imposed in March this year, will open from December 15, official sources said on Wednesday.

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Rapid decline in number of people falling sick to Andhra Pradesh's mysterious disease

The number of people falling sick to a mysterious disease in Eluru city of Andhra Pradesh saw a rapid decline on Wednesday even as medical and scientific experts could not yet exactly pinpoint what caused the outbreak.

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Sri Lanka cremates Muslim Covid-19 victims against religious wishes

Sri Lanka said Wednesday it would cremate the bodies of 19 Muslim coronavirus victims, overriding the families' objections against the contentious policy.

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With 1,318 new cases, Gujarat's Covid-19 tally rises to 2,22,811; death toll goes up by 13 to 4,123.

First 'Covid-tested' flight lands in Rome from New York

The first "Covid-tested" flight arrived in Rome from New York on Wednesday, an initiative designed to open up air routes between Europe and the United States blocked by the pandemic.

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Jantar Mantar wears a deserted look due to low footfall amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, in Jaipur. Credit: PTI Photo

Uttarakhand reports 515 new Covid-19 cases, 425 recoveries and 13 deaths today.

Total cases 79,656
Total cured 71,966
Death toll 1,320

Active cases 5,456

Maharashtra reports 4,981 new Covid-19 cases which take caseload to 18,64,348; death toll reaches 47,902 with 75 new fatalities.

Karnataka reports 1,279 new Covid-19 cases, 3,218 discharges, and 20 deaths today.

Total cases: 8,96,563
Total discharges: 8,61,588
Death toll: 11,900

Active cases: 23,056

Tamil Nadu reports 1,232 new Covid-19 cases, 1,315 discharges, and 14 deaths today: State Health Department, Govt of Tamil Nadu

Total cases: 7,94,020

Total discharges: 7,71,693

Death toll: 11,836

Active cases: 10,491

Andhra Pradesh reports 618 new Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours taking the total number of cases in the State to 8,73,457, as per State Health Department. Total active cases stand at 5,259.

Manipur reports 138 new Covid-19 cases, 135 recoveries, and 7 deaths today, says State Health Department.

Total cases so far: 26,534
Total recoveries: 23,301
Active cases: 2,915
Total Deaths till date: 318

Pandemic putting democracy under threat, says study

More than six of 10 countries around the world have adopted measures during the Covid-19 pandemic that threaten democracy or human rights, a report by democracy institute International IDEA said Wednesday.

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What motivates Covid-19 rule breakers?

As the Covid-19 pandemic lashes countries in a second (and in some cases, third) wave of infections, patience and solidarity are giving way to frustration and blame. Officials in the United States and Germany say the latest upsurge in infections in their countries is a consequence of a selfish minority that is ignoring basic social distancing rules, while Berlin’s tourism authority has launched a colourful campaign—complete with an old lady and an offensive finger—chastising visitors who refuse to wear masks.

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Rajasthan reports 1,511 new Covid-19 cases, 2,577 recoveries and 17 deaths today.

Total cases 2,85,627
Total recoveries 2,63,350
Death toll 2,485

Active cases 19,792

Around 2.6 lakh government employees in the healthcare sector including doctors and nurses will get the coronavirus vaccine in the first round of inoculation in Maharashtra, an official said on Wednesday.

The state government on Wednesday held its first review meeting on the preparation for vaccination, where facilities of storage and transportation, finalisation of lists of beneficiaries and setting up of vaccination booths were discussed, he said.

(PTI)

HC tells Delhi govt if around 50% ICU beds reserved in private hospitals for Covid-19 patients are lying vacant, its decision to retain 80 per cent of such beds needs to be reviewed immediately.

Delhi reports 2,463 new Covid-19 cases, 4,177 recoveries and 50 deaths today.

Total cases: 5,99,575

Total recoveries: 5,69,216

Death toll: 9,813

Active cases: 20,546

4,875 new Covid-19 cases and 4,647 recoveries reported in Kerala today. The total numbers of active cases and recovered cases are 59,923 and 5,86,998.

A health worker checks the body temperature of train passengers upon their arrival during the mandatory Covid-19 screening at a railway terminus in Mumbai. Credit: AFP Photo

Maharashtra schools to reopen for classes 5 to 8 after Health Department's nod

The Maharashtra Education Department will allow reopening of schools for classes 5 to 8 only after getting the approval of the state health department, School Education Minister Varsha Gaikwad said on Wednesday.

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World set for 3C warming despite pandemic, pledges, says UN

Earth remains on course to warm more than 3 degrees Celsius by the century's end despite a dip in greenhouse gas emissions due to the pandemic and pledges to curb pollution, the UN said Wednesday.

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Odisha reports 386 fresh Covid-19 cases, 5 fatalities

Odisha's Covid-19 caseload climbed to 3,22,299 on Wednesday after 386 people tested positive for the virus, while five fresh fatalities pushed the coastal state's coronavirus death toll to 1,789, a health department official said.

Will take Covid-19 vaccine; safety, efficacy not a concern: Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw

A certain section of people may be hesitant to take Covid-19 vaccine but not biotechnology industry veteran Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, who said on Wednesday she will get vaccinated though its durability is not known as of now.

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Sore eyes common vision-based indicator of Covid-19, study finds

Sore eyes are the most significant vision-based indicator of Covid-19, according to a study led by an Indian-origin scientist which provides more understanding of how the novel coronavirus travels through the body.

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The Mizoram government has launched a project to assist the migrant workers, who lost their jobs due to the Covid-19 pandemic, find suitable employment.

(PTI)

The world may be in the grip of Covid-19 pandemic, disrupting daily schedules and robbing many of their weekend getaways, but life seems to be normal in the small Lakshadweep islands, which is yet to record the first positive case of coronavirus.

(PTI)

Scientists have analysed the spread of Covid-19 among people in Manaus, Brazil, where more than 70 per cent of the population was infected within seven months of the novel coronavirus arriving in the city, findings which shed light on what may happen if the disease spreads unmitigated.

(PTI)

Indonesia holds regional polls under shadow of rising Covid-19 cases

Indonesian President Joko Widodo’s son and son-in-law were among candidates on track to win posts in regional elections on Wednesday after polls that health experts have warned could spark new coronavirus clusters across the archipelago.

More than 100 million people were registered to vote in the polls, a mammoth logistical task even without a pandemic, with nearly 300,000 polling stations in 24 districts and 37 cities.

(Reuters)

France rules out mutated coronavirus in mink farm case

A coronavirus outbreak detected last month on a mink farm in France did not involve a mutated strain of the virus, the agriculture ministry said on Wednesday.

Denmark's discovery of a variant form of the novel coronavirus that passed from humans to mink and back to humans led the country to slaughter all of its 17 million farmed mink.

(Reuters)

A youth cycles past a mural depicting Covid-19 coronavirus frontline workers in New Delhi. Credit: AFP Photo

Singapore 'cruise to nowhere' cut short after Covid-19 case

A "cruise to nowhere" off Singapore was cut short Wednesday after a passenger tested positive for the coronavirus, officials said, a blow to efforts to revive the hard-hit industry.

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Comorbidities proved fatal in most Covid-19 deaths in Bengal: Study

In most of the Covid-19 deaths in West Bengal comorbidities like hypertension, diabetes, cardiac problems, nephrotic syndrome and COPD were found to be fatal, a study conducted by the state health department said.

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Sinopharm vaccine shows 86% efficacy against Covid-19

The United Arab Emirates health ministry said on Wednesday an interim analysis of in-country Phase III clinical trials of Sinopharm's Covid-19 vaccine has 86% efficacy against the infection.

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No 'Covid-19 positive' to be affixed outside Covid-19 patients' homes: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court on Wednesday took note of the Centre's guidelines and said posters and signages should not be affixed by authorities outside homes of Covid-19 patients in the country.

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Arunachal Pradesh reports 22 new Covid-19 cases, 37 recoveries. Infection tally rises to 16,437. The state now has 692 active cases of the disease

Telangana reports 721 new Covid-19 infections, 3 more deaths

Telangana reports 721 new Covid-19cases, three more fatalities. Infection tally crosses 2.75 lakh, death toll rises to 1,480. Number of patients undergoing treatment for the disease in the state is 7,661.

Covid-19 cases in Andaman and Nicobar Islands rise to 4,778

Covid-19 infection tally in Andaman and Nicobar Islands rises to 4,778 as five more people test positive for the disease. The number of active cases in the union territory now stands at 70.

Jharkhand reports 182 new Covid-19 cases; infection tally rises to 1,10,639. The state now has 1,753 active cases of the disease

India's Covid-19 tally climbs to 97.35 lakh with 32,080 new infections

With 32,080 new Covid-19infections, India's total cases rise to 97,35,850. With 402 new deaths, toll mounts to 1,41,360. Total active cases at 3,78,909. Total discharged cases at 92,15,581 with 36,635 new discharges in the last 24 hours.

A total of 14,98,36,767 samples tested for Covid-19 up to December 8. Of these, 10,22,712 samples were tested yesterday: Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)

Joe Biden outlines Covid-19 vaccine goal: 100 million shots in 100 days

US President-elect Joe Biden on Tuesday said he would aim to get 100 million Covid-19 vaccine doses injected into Americans in his first 100 days in office, a key plank of his plan to fight the pandemic.

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After botched Covid-19 response, UK tackles giant vaccine rollout

In Bristol, a sports stadium is being converted into a temporary clinic to provide inoculations, as is a racecourse outside London. Village halls, libraries and parking lots across the country are also being quickly turned into makeshift vaccination centers, with the government enlisting military planners for advice.

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CSIR-CFTRI in pact with Bengaluru firm for Covid-19 virus sequencing

Mysuru-based Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-Central Food Technological Research Institute (CSIR-CFTRI) has signed a memorandum of understanding withClevergene of Bengaluru on Covid-19 virus sequencing.

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Covid-19 vaccine trial in Bengaluru yet to pick up pace

Even as Bharat Biotech filed for Emergency Use Authorisation of its Covid vaccine (Covaxin), Bengaluru-based Vydehi hospital is struggling to find volunteers to participate in the vaccine trials.

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Here is why vaccinated people still need to wear mask

The new Covid-19 vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna seem to be remarkably good at preventing serious illness. But it’s unclear how well they will curb the spread of the coronavirus.

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With 9 new cases, Mizoram's tally reaches 3977

Mizoram reports 9 new Covid-19 cases, taking the total number of cases to 3977. Active cases: 199 Discharges: 3772 Deaths: 6