Coronavirus news highlights: Post-Covid-19 world to be different for financial markets, govt, says Anurag Thakur

India's Covid-19 tally crossed the 1-crore mark on Friday, reaching 1,00,04,599. The death toll rose to 1,45,136. The active Covid-19 caseload currently stands at 3,08,751 with a recovery rate of 95.4 per cent. The Union Health Ministry said that 95,50,712 people have so far recovered from the infection.

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Jharkhand reported 247 new Covid-19 cases, 234 recoveries/discharges and 2 deaths today.

Total cases: 1,12,853

Total recoveries/discharges: 1,10,125

Death toll: 1,010

Active cases: 1,718

UK confirms new coronavirus strain spreads more quickly

England's chief medical officer Chris Whitty confirmed Saturday that a new coronavirus strain which surfaced in the country could spread faster and called for greater public vigilance to reduce transmission.

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Himachal Pradesh reports 385 new Covid-19 cases, 390 recoveries and 3 deaths..

Total cases: 52,010

Total recoveries/discharges: 45,138

Death toll: 858

Active cases: 5,966

Tamil Nadu reported 1,127 new Covid-19 cases, 1,202 discharges, and 14 deaths in the last 24 hours: State Health Department, Govt of Tamil Nadu

Total positive cases: 8,05,777

Total discharges: 7,84,117

Death toll: 11,968

Active cases: 9,692

Delhi reports 1,139 new Covid-19 cases, 2,168 recoveries and 32 deaths in the last 24 hours, as per Delhi Health Department

Total cases: 6,15,914

Total recoveries: 5,95,305

Death toll: 10,251

Active cases: 10,358

Puducherry reported 45 new Covid-19 cases, 21 discharges & 1 death today.

Total positive cases in the Union Territory at 37,715 till date, including 339 active cases, 36,752 recoveries & 624 deaths: Directorate of Health & Family Welfare, Government of Puducherry

Haryana recorded 590 new cases of Covid-19, 1,075 recoveries, and 13 deaths in the last 24 hours, as per the State Health Department

Total cases: 2,57,067

Total recoveries: 2,48,172

Active cases: 6,079

Death toll: 2,816

Karnataka sees 15 new Covid-19 deaths, toll crosses 12,000

The death toll due to Covid-19 in Karnataka has crossed the 12,000 mark, as the state reported 1,152 new cases and 15 related fatalities, taking the total number of infections to 9,08,275, the health department said on Saturday.

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With 1,026 new Covid-19 cases, Gujarat's tally rises to 2,34,289; death toll goes up to 4,227 with seven new fatalities: Health Department

24 more Coronavirus deaths in Uttar Pradesh, death toll mounts to 8,177, infection count reaches 5,73,401 with 1,226 fresh cases; the number of active cases now 17,593.

Maharashtra reported 3,940 new Covid-19 cases, 3,119 discharges, and 74 deaths today, as per State Health Department.

Total cases: 18,92,707

Total recoveries: 17,81,841

Death toll: 48,648

Total active cases: 61,095

Covid-19 death toll in Jammu and Kashmir rises to 1,837 with four more fatalities, 301 new cases push infection tally to 1,18,006; active case count 4,076.

(PTI)

UP's Gautam Buddha Nagar records one more fatality linked to Covid-19, district's death toll rises to 87, infection tally surges to 24,470 with 45 new cases, recovery rate reaches 96.87%; active case count 677: Official

(PTI)

The Covid-19 period has thrown up challenges & opportunities. The post-Covid world will be different, not only for personal lives but for financial markets, organisations & government in general: Union Minister Anurag Thakur in Indore, Madhya Pradesh

Rajasthan reported 989 new Covid-19 cases, 9 deaths and 1,259 recoveries/discharges today.

Total cases 2,98,018
Death toll 2,608
Total recoveries/discharges 2,82,631

Active cases 12,779

Uttarakhand reported 584 Covid-19 cases, 556 recoveries and 9 deaths today.

Total cases: 85,853
Total recoveries 77,326
Death toll 1,408

Active cases 6,074

Govt must indemnify coronavirus vaccine makers against all lawsuits: Adar Poonawalla

Vaccine manufacturers need to have protection against all lawsuits for their vaccines especially during a pandemic, Serum Institute of India (SII) Chief Executive Officer Adar Poonawalla has said.

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6,293 new Covid-19 cases, 4,749 recoveries and 29 deaths reported in Kerala today.

The number of active now at 60,396; so far 6,36,814 patients have recovered. Death toll rises to 2,786.

Andhra Pradesh reports 479 new Covid-19 cases, 497 recoveries, and 4 deaths, according to the State Health Department.

Total cases: 8,78,285

Active cases: 4,355

Total recoveries: 8,66,856

Death toll: 7,074

There may not be a second peak of Covid-19 in India: Experts

Healthcare experts have said that there may not be a second peak of Covid-19 in the country, and even if it occurs, it is unlikely to be as strong as the first one.

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Sydney to Hobart yacht race cancelled for first time in 76 years

Australia's gruelling Sydney to Hobart yacht race was called off for the first time in 76 years on Saturday because of an escalating coronavirus outbreak, organisers said.

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Need for expeditious Covid-19 vaccination drive to cover targeted population: Harsh Vardhan

Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Saturday stressed the need for an expeditious Covid-19 vaccination drive to cover the entire target population estimated to be around 30 crore.

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Tripura logs 26 more Covid-19 cases; tally rises to 33,145

Twenty-six more people tested positive for Covid-19 in Tripura on Saturday taking the tally to 33,145, a health department official said.

The death toll due to the disease remained unchanged at 375 as no fatalities were reported during the last 24 hours.

(PTI)

Our technical advisory committee has given a report saying Class 10 & Class 12 students can be allowed to go to their schools & colleges as they will be facing public exams. Students can attend classes twice or thrice a week: Dr K Sudhakar, Karnataka Health Minister

(ANI)

Kerala govt warns of surge in coronavirus cases following local body polls

Kerala Health Minister K K Shailaja on Saturday warned of a spike in Covid-19 cases, days after the local body elections in the state, and asked people to be 'extremely careful' for the next few weeks. The Health Minister also advised the public to self-quarantine and remain patient until a vaccine for the pandemic is made available.

(PTI)

Malaysia to get AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine, follows Pfizer-BioNTech deal

Malaysia said on Saturday it has secured coronavirus vaccine from AstraZeneca PLC, on the heels of news it will receive the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in February as it grapples with a surge in infections.

(Reuters)

Jawaharlal Nehru University to reopen the campus for students from December 21, 2020, in Phase IV. All students have to undergo self-quarantine of seven days after arrival at Delhi from outstation and before joining the university: JNU

(ANI)

Head of Pakistan's anti-coronavirus body tests positive for Covid-19

Pakistan's planning minister and the head of the nation's anti-coronavirus body has tested positive for Covid-19, the latest of several politicians in the country to contract the virus.

Asad Umar, the minister for planning development and special initiatives, tweeted on Friday night: "Just got my covid test result and it is positive. Will be isolating at home.

Umar is heading the National Command and Operation Center, which is spearheading a national drive to combat the coronavirus pandemic. (PTI)

India's cumulative COVID-19 tests cross 16 crore-mark

More than 11 lakh samples were tested for Covid-19 in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of tests conducted so far in the country to over 16 crore, the Union Health Ministry said on Saturday.

The ministry, in a statement, said comprehensive and widespread testing on a sustained basis has resulted in bringing down the positivity rate.

According to the health ministry, 11,71,868 samples were tested in the last 24 hours which has increased India's total cumulative tests to 16,00,90,514. (PTI)

China to inoculate frontline workers first with Covid-19 vaccines

China will begin its Covid-19 inoculation programme by first vaccinating some key priority groups, including those involved in medical treatment and disease control, within the winter-spring period, before starting a mass roll out, the National Health Commission (NHC) said on Saturday. (PTI)

Odisha recorded 356 new Covid-19 cases

Odisha recorded 356 new Covid-19 cases, 363 recoveries and 3 deaths on December 18, as per State Health Department.

Total cases stood at 3,25,861, while total recoveries were at3,20,947. The state has 3,029 active cases and a death toll of1,832. (ANI)

Stroke, altered mental state increase death risk for COVID-19 patients: Study

People hospitalised with Covid-19 and neurological problems including stroke and confusion, have a higher risk of dying than other patients infected with the novel coronavirus, according to a new study.

The research, published in the journal Neurology -- the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology -- assessed data from 4,711 Covid-19 patients who were admitted to the Montefiore Medical Center in the US during the six-week period between March 1, 2020 and April 16, 2020. (PTI)

Ladakh records one more COVID-19 death, nine new cases

Ladakh has recorded one more coronavirus-related death and nine fresh cases, taking the infection tally to 9,252 and death toll to 124, officials said on Saturday.

With this death, the fatality figure in Leh district reached 81, while rest of the 43 Covid-related deaths had taken place in Kargil district since the outbreak of the disease in March. (PTI)

1 in 5 prisoners in the US has had COVID-19, 1,700 have died

One in every five state and federal prisoners in the United States has tested positive for the coronavirus, a rate more than four times as high as the general population.

In some states, more than half of prisoners have been infected, according to data collected by The Associated Press and The Marshall Project.

As the pandemic enters its 10th month — and as the first Americans begin to receive a long-awaited Covid-19 vaccine — at least 275,000 prisoners have been infected, more than 1,700 have died and the spread of the virus behind bars shows no sign of slowing.

New cases in prisons this week reached their highest level since testing began in the spring, far outstripping previous peaks in April and August. (AP)

How Covid-19 spread across India in numbers

India's Covid-19 tally crossed the 1-crore mark on Friday, reaching 1,00,04,599. Meanwhile, the death toll rose to 1,45,136. The active Covid-19 caseload currently stands at 3,08,751 with a recovery rate of 95.4 per cent.

Take a look at how Covid-19 spread across India.

South Koreans line up for virus tests as Covid cases surge

Long lines are snaking from coronavirus testing sites in the South Korean capital of Seoul on Saturday as the country reports 1,053 more confirmed cases, the fourth straight day over 1,000.

Thousands are taking advantage of free tests being offered temporarily in the capital area. The government is struggling to decide whether to increase social distancing to maximum levels, which officials fear would further shock the economy.

The new cases brought the national caseload to 48,570. Nearly 7,000 of those cases have been added over the past week.

Germany's confirmed coronavirus cases rise by 31,300

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 31,300 to 1,471,238, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Saturday. The reported death toll rose by 702 to 25,640, the tally showed.

India's Covid-19 tally hits 1 crore with 25,152 fresh cases; 347 deaths

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New strain of coronavirus identified, says South Africa's health minister

South African Health Minister Zweli Mkhize has said that a new strain of the novel coronavirus has been identified which was spreading faster, driving the second wave of the pandemic the country was going through.

He said people should be concerned about this new variant of the virus, but there was no reason to panic.

As South Africans headed towards holiday destinations or their ancestral rural homes for the festive season, the minister said there was concern that the novel coronavirus was affecting many young people and those with no comorbidities, who were among those least at risk in the early days of the pandemic.

France's Macron blames his Covid-19 on negligence, bad luck

French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday blamed his Covid-19 on a combination of negligence and bad luck, urging his compatriots to stay safe as critics called out slip-ups in his behavior to prevent infection, from a close-quarters handshake to repeated big-group meals over the past week.

In what looked like a self-shot video from the presidential retreat in Versailles where he was isolating, Macron said he was experiencing symptoms that included headaches, fatigue and a dry cough. He promised to give daily updates and be "totally transparent" about the evolution of his illness.

WHO says expert team heads to China in January

The head of emergencies at the World Health Organisation says a team of international experts looking into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic will travel to China the first week of January.

Dr Michael Ryan says there will be quarantine arrangements for the team, which will visit the suspected site of the outbreak in the city of Wuhan.

“The purpose of the mission is to go to the original point at which human cases were detected and that we fully expect to do that,” he said

Sikkim reports 33 new Covid-19 cases, one more fatality

Thirty-three more people have tested positive for Covid-19 in Sikkim, taking the tally in the state to 5,439, an official said on Friday.

The death toll rose to 123 after a 60-year-old woman died due to coronavirus infection, state IEC member Sonam Bhutia said, adding that she had co-morbidities.

Of the fresh cases, 21 were reported from South Sikkim and 12 from East Sikkim.

Bengal reports 42 more Covid-19 deaths, 2,239 new cases

The Covid-19 death toll in West Bengal rose to 9,277 on Friday as 42 more people succumbed to the disease, the health department said in a bulletin.

The state registered 2,239 new cornavirus cases, pushing the tally to 5,32,695, it said.

According to the bulletin, the total number of recoveries reached 5,04,353 as 2,729 people were cured of the disease during the day.

China reports 17 new Covid-19 cases vs 12 a day earlier

Mainland China recorded 17 new Covid-19 cases on Dec. 18, up from 12 a day earlier, the country's health authority said on Saturday.

The National Health Commission said in its daily bulletin that 14 of the new cases were imported. Among the three local transmissions, two were in the capital Beijing and one was in the northeastern province of Liaoning.

Brazil governors urge extension of Covid-19 emergency measures

Governors from 17 Brazilian states urged President Jair Bolsonaro on Friday to extend a "state of public calamity" due to the Covid-19 pandemic now set to expire at the end of the year.

Under the emergency measure, lawmakers are permitted to break certain budget rules as they prioritize addressing fallout from the pandemic.

S.Korea reports 1,053 new coronavirus cases

South Korea reported 1,053 new coronavirus cases on Saturday, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said.

The daily numbers were above 1,000 for the fourth straight day for the first time since the start of the pandemic, the KDCA data showed.

Google rolls out free, weekly at-home Covid-19 testing for all US employee

Alphabet Inc's Google said on Friday is offering free and weekly at-home Covid-19 testing for all its US employees and plans to expand the benefit globally during the next year.

A Google spokesman said the company had rolled out the benefit this week for all 90,000 US employees, with the initiative guaranteeing them a weekly, at-home nasal swab and a lab analysis.

Good morning readers, welcome to DH's live coverage of the coronavirus outbreak.