Coronavirus news highlights: 8 people in Maharashtra, 3 in Rajasthan test positive for new UK Covid-19 strain

Daily new Covid-19 cases in the country remained below 20,000 for the third consecutive day taking the virus caseload to 1,03,40,469, while the recoveries surged to 99.46 lakh. A total of 16,505 people tested positive for coronavirus infection in a day. The death toll increased to 1,49,649 with 214 new fatalities. Meanwhile, India approved the emergency use of two Covid-19 vaccines on Sunday, as nations across the world raced to get their populations inoculated to beat back surging infection numbers. Stay tuned to DH for the latest updates.

Three people have tested positive for UK strain of coronavirus in Hakmabad area of Sri Ganganagar district, says Sadulshahar SDM Hawa Singh Yadav | ANI

8 passengers who returned from Britain have been found positive for the new strain of COVID-19. Five of them are from Mumbai and one each from Pune, Thane and Mira Bhayander. Contact tracing is underway: Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope

Schools reopen in Pune after a gap of more than nine months. "Today, we welcomed the students with flowers. We are following all the SOPs in school. We'll also educate students about the precautionary measures," says a school coordinator.

Covid-19 vaccine in India to cost around Rs 300 per shot to Centre, double in private market

Indian drug regulator on Sunday approved Covishield and Bharat Biotech's Covaxin for restricted emergency use in the country.

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Experts question govt's claim of Covaxin efficacy against new coronavirus strains

Noted virologist Shahid Jameel said he does not believe that eventually, Covaxin would turn out to be safe and show more than 70 per cent efficacy.

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Tamil Nadu reported 838 new Covid-19 cases, 985 discharges, and 10 deaths in the last 24 hours: State Health Department

Total cases: 8,21,550

Total discharges: 8,01,414

Death toll: 12,166

Active cases: 7,970

Women walk back after collecting free gift hampers from a government fair price ration shop on the occasion of the harvest festival of 'Pongal' in Chennai on January 4, 2021. Credit: AFP Photo

Delhi reports 384 new Covid-19 cases, 727 recoveries and 12 deaths in the last 24 hours, as per Delhi Health Department

Total cases: 6,27,256

Total recoveries: 6,11,970

Death toll: 10,597

Active cases: 4,689

Total number of people infected with UK Covid-19 strain now stands at 38

Indian shares close at record highs as country approves Covid-19 vaccines

Indian shares notched record closing highs on Monday for a second straight session of the new year, as investor sentiment lifted after the country gave emergency use approvals to twocoronavirusvaccines over the weekend.

The blue chip NSE Nifty 50 index ended up 0.82% at 14,132.90, while the benchmark S&P BSE Sensex firmed 0.64% to 48,176.80, marking its first close above the 48,000 level.

India, which has the second-highest number ofcoronavirusinfections in the world, on Sunday approved for emergency use twocoronavirusvaccines – one developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University and the other by local company Bharat Biotech.

The country is expected to start a massive immunisation program within a week. Serum Institute of India, the local maker of the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine, intends to meet the nation's demand first before exporting its vaccine.

Reuters

Britain begins vaccinating its citizens with Covid-19 vaccine

Britain begins inoculating its citizens with the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine against Covid-19 giving the shot to Brian Pinker, an 82-year-old dialysis patient, at a hospital in Oxford: Reuters

Thai PM urges compliance as Covid-19 cases hit record

Thailand's prime minister on Monday urged the public to stay home to help contain the country's biggest coronavirus outbreak yet and avoid a strict lockdown, as authorities confirmed a daily record of 745 new infections.

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Vietnam wants to buy AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine, in talks with other producers

Vietnam has agreed to buy 30 million doses of the Covid-19 vaccine produced by AstraZeneca Plc , the government said on Monday, adding that authorities are also seeking to purchase vaccines from other sources, including Pfizer Inc.

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Consistent fall in India's active caseload due to decline in daily infections: Health ministry

The decline in India's daily Covid-19 cases has ensured a consistent fall in the active caseload, which constitutes 2.36 per cent of the total infections, while higher testing has led to the positivity rate further going down to 5.89 per cent, the Union health ministry said on Monday.

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Cinemas, theatres to have 100% seating capacity in Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu government permits to increase the seating capacity of cinemas, theatres, multiplexes from existing 50% to 100% following Covid-19 protocols

Schools in Puducherry reopen for students of classes 1 to 12

Schools in Bihar reopen

PM Modi hails Indian scientists for developing Covid-19 vaccines

The Indian scientists have been successful in coming up with two 'made in India' Covid-19vaccines. The country is proud of its scientists: Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the inaugural address at National Metrology Conclave

Telangana reports 238 new Covid-19 cases, 2 deaths

A total of 238 new Covid-19cases, 518 discharges, and 2 deaths were reported in Telangana yesterday, says State Health Department Total positive cases: 2,87,740 Total recoveries: 2,81,083 Active cases: 5,106 Death toll: 1,551

Drugs Controller General of India grants permission to Serum Institute of India to manufacture its Covid-19 vaccine 'Covishield'

India records 16,505 new Covid-19 cases, 214 deaths in a day

India reports 16,505 new Covid-19 cases, 19,557 recoveries, and 214 deaths in last 24 hours, as per Union Health Ministry Total cases: 1,03,40,470 Active cases: 2,43,953 Total recoveries: 99,46,867 Death toll: 1,49,649

Total number of samples tested up to 3rd January is 17,56,35,761 including 7,35,978 samples tested yesterday: ICMR

DH Toon | A vaccine to brave all political storms

A political war broke out over the roll-out of the Covid-19 vaccine with opposition targeting the Modi government on issues ranging from “premature” approval of the indigenously-developed Covaxin, to fears of impotency post-vaccination.

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The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare tweets the trajectory of new cases in top six states

Learning in times of Covid-19

School education matters a lot - to school managers, teachers and students. Parents do not go to schools as such but issues concerning school education do come home to them. Waking up their wards at the crack of dawn five (or six) days in a week, getting them ready, prim and proper.

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Covid-hit Manchester City still too good for Chelsea

Manchester City brushed off a series of coronavirus-related absences to outclass Chelsea 3-1 at Stamford Bridge on Sunday and reassert their Premier League title challenge.

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Here are the states, cities in India that are reopening schools from January 2021

As the daily coronavirus cases subsided in India, several states and cities have decided to reopen schools with the onset of the new year. From January, schools across several states are set to begin regular classes for Class 9-12, whose board exams for 2021 are yet to be held.

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Bharat Biotech vaccine more likely to work against newer strains like UK variant: Harsh Vardhan

With some Congress leaders raising concerns over the grant of approval to Bharat Biotech's Covid-19 vaccine, Health Minister Harsh Vardhan asserted on Sunday that Covaxin is more likely to work against newer variants of the virus, including the UK variant, and asked politicians not to "discredit well laid out science-backed protocols" followed for approving the jab.

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Serum Institute of India to meet local demand for AstraZeneca vaccine for next two months before exporting

Serum Institute of India (SII), the local maker of the AstraZeneca/Oxford coronavirus vaccine, said on Sunday it intends to concentrate on meeting India's own immediate demand in the next two months before exporting to other interested countries.

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Covid-19 death toll in West Bengal rises to 9,792 with 26 new fatalities

Covid-19 death toll in West Bengal rises to 9,792 with 26 new fatalities, infection tally jumps to 5,54,975 as 896 more people test positive; active case count 10,446: Health department bulletin

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