Coronavirus news highlights: Maharashtra records 6,738 new Covid-19 cases, 91 fatalities; Mumbai accounts for 1,354 fresh infections

India's Covid-19 death toll soars past 1.2 lakh as the country reports 508 deaths in the past 24 hours. With 43,893 fresh cases, the country's tally nears 80 lakh. Active cases remain below 7 lakh, less than 8% of the total positive cases.

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Cipla launches antibody detection kit for Covid-19 in India

Drug firm Cipla on Wednesday announced the launch of antibody detection kits for Covid-19 in India under the brand name 'ELIFast' in partnership with KARWA Ltd, under the technology transfer from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

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Rising recovery rate, falling active Covid-19 cases prove success of containment strategy: Harsh Vardhan

The continuously rising national recovery rate and progressively falling active cases of coronavirus infection have proven the success of Covid-19 containment strategy, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said on Wednesday.

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Childless for years, Covid-19 patient delivers twins in Tamil Nadu

A 44-year-old pregnant woman, who was undergoing treatment for Covid-19, successfully delivered twins at a government hospital here.

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1,518 new Covid-19 positive cases and 8 deaths reported in the state today. The total number of positive cases in the state is now 1,62,223 including 11,014 active cases, 1,49,451 recoveries and 1,758 deaths: Haryana Government

A man wears a bag over his head instead of a mask as demonstrators gather to protest the Covid-19 preventive measures downtown Prague, Czech Republic. Credit: AP Photo.

Himachal Pradesh's Covid-19 case tally stands at 21,149 including 18,179 recoveries, 2,646 active cases and 295 deaths so far: State Health Department

Covid-19 in India continues to be among the countries with the lowest per million cases & per million deaths. With 10,66,786 tests in last 24 hours, the cumulative number of tests conducted has crossed 10.5 crore: Government of India

Former MP and farmer leader Raju Shetti admitted to Pune hospital

Shetti (53), who heads the Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatna, a leading farmer organisation in Maharashtra, had tested positive for Covid-19 last month and later recovered from the infection.

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Covid-19: Maharashtra government plans to re-open local trains for all

Ahead of a fresh set of Unlock guidelines, the Uddhav Thackeray-government was contemplating opening up local trains in Mumbai metropolitan region (MMR) for all, in a phased manner.

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93 cases registered for violation of Covid-19 guidelines in the first phase of polling for Bihar assembly elections today: ADG Jitendra Kumar, Bihar (ANI)

Bengali actor Aparajita Adhya tests Covid-19 positive

India trials of Russian Sputnik V vaccine may end as early as March: Dr Reddy's

Drugmaker Dr Reddy's Laboratories Ltd on Wednesday rolled out a preliminary timeline for the India trials of Russia's coronavirus vaccine candidate, with the late-stage expected to be completed by as early as March 2021.

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Union minister Smriti Irani tests positive for Covid-19

Gujarat reports 980 fresh cases of Covid-19, 5 deaths and 1,107 recoveries today. State's case tally stands at 1,70,053 total cases including 1,52,995 recoveries, 13,354 active cases and 3,698 deaths till now: State Government

8,790 fresh Covid-19 cases & 7,660 recoveries reported in the state today. 94 healthcare workers among those infected. Covid-19 death toll in the state stands at 1,403: Kerala State Government

Punjab reported 528 new Covid-19 cases, 356 discharged cases & 20 deaths, taking total positive cases to 1,32,263 till date, including 1,23,866 discharges, 4,239 active cases & 4,158 deaths: State Health Department

UK says Covid-19 vaccine rollout could start before Christmas

A Covid-19 vaccine could be rolled out in Britain for some people before Christmas but an early 2021 launch is more likely, the woman responsible for procuring possible jabs in Britain said on Wednesday.

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A man in a costume adjust his face mask as he attends a protest of people working in the entertainment and event industry against the German government's economic policies to combat the spread of the coronavirus. Credit: AP Photo.

Iran reported 415coronavirusdeaths on Wednesday, its highest one-day total, health ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari told state TV, pushing total deaths in the Middle Eastern country hit hardest by the pandemic to 33,714.

Slovenian government 'using coronavirus to attack press'

Editors of the most influential Slovenian news outlets on Wednesday accused the centre-right government of using the coronavirus crisis to attack independent and critical media.

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Situation not normal, don't lower guard: Delhi's 1st Covid-19 patient

With experts predicting a major surge in Covid-19 cases in the coming months in Delhi, the city's first coronavirus patient on Wednesday cautioned people to stay indoors as much as possible during the festive season while emphasising that the situation is "not back to normal".

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Mizoram reports first Covid-19 death & fivenew recoveries today. The total number of positive cases is 2,607 now, including 368 active cases and 2,238 recoveries. (ANI)

Russia's coronavirus situation continuing to deteriorate, says deputy PM

Thecoronavirussituation in Russia is continuing to deteriorate, Deputy Prime Minister Tatiana Golikova told a meeting on Wednesday of senior government officials and President Vladimir Putin.

Golikova said there was a critical situation in 16 Russian regions, where hospital beds were at more than 90% of capacity.

An officer from the district magistrate office holds a coronavirus-themed mascot in a market area during an awareness campaign against coronavirus and rising air pollution levels in New Delhi. Credit: AFP Photo.

Hong Kong bars Air India flights for fourth time as passengers test positive for Covid-19

Hong Kong has banned Air India flights from Mumbai till November 10 after a few passengers on its flight earlier this week tested positive for Covid-19 post-arrival, a senior government official said on Friday.

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Like you saved yourself from Covid-19 with mask, vote to save Bihar from becoming 'bimar': PM Modi

BBMP to ramp up crackdown on mask offenders in Bengaluru's South zone

Rampant flouting of mask-wearing and social distancing regulations have prompted the special officer in the city’s South zone to increase the number of violators that each BBMP marshal must catch.

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India continues to be among countries with lowest per million Covid-19 cases, deaths

With calibrated measures and focussed strategy of the Centre along with the states and UTs, India has sustained its global position of recording one of the lowest Covid-19 cases as well as deaths per million population, the Union health ministry said.

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Polling officials check the names of voters at a polling booth as they arrive to cast their votes for the first phase of Bihar Assembly Election, amid the coronavirus pandemic, at Chenari police station in Rohtas district. Credit: PTI Photo.

Covid-19 downturn in Singapore to be more deeper, protracted than past recessions

The ongoing economic crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic is “deeper and likely to be more protracted” than past recessions in Singapore, the city-state's central bank said in a report on Wednesday.

Some sectors of the economy, especially those that are travel-related, may not return to pre-pandemic levels by the end of next year as the Singapore economy faces a “gradual but uneven” recovery, the Channel News Asia reported, citing

'Overwhelming' Covid-19 second wave floods Swiss hospitals

Swiss hospitals are scrambling to cope with a surge in new Covid-19 patients, bringing back retired staff to replace sick frontline workers and closing other wards as officials warn they could reach breaking point in about 10 days.

Case numbers in Switzerland have risen to record levels this month, with infection rates far exceeding those in neighbours Germany and Italy.

Indonesia coronavirus case tally tops 400,000

Indonesia's coronavirus infections have passed the 400,000 mark, with 4,029 new cases confirmed on Wednesday, according to health ministry data.

The Southeast Asian country has 400,483 cases. With the addition of Wednesday's 100 more Covid-19 deaths, it has recorded 13,612 fatalities.

Divisions turn Belgium into Europe's worst coronavirus hot spot

Small, yet so divided, Belgium has been hit hard again by the pandemic, and now presents some of the most worrying statistics in a continent reeling under the virus' resurgence.

If ever there was a common enemy for the rival Dutch- and French-speaking citizens and regions to fight, this would surely be it. But even now cooperation goes against the grain in Belgium, to the extent that the country's Roman Catholics bishops issued a call for all, in the name of the Lord, to show some unity.

Mizoram, only state which had not reported any Covid-19 fatality so far, registers its first coronavirus death

Mizoram, the only state which had not reported any Covid-19 fatality so far, registered its first coronavirus death on Wednesday as a 62-year-old man succumbed to the infection at a hospital near Aizawl, a health official said.

The patient was undergoing treatment for 10 days at the state-run Zoram Medical College, its medical superintendent, Dr H C Laldina, told PTI.

The man, who resided in Aizawl, was also suffering from a heart ailment, he said.

80% Covid-19 patients in study found with vitamin D deficiency

A study of over 200 Covid-19 cases in a hospital in Spain found that about 80 per cent of patients had vitamin D deficiency, scientists said on Wednesday.

However, the study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism did not find any relationship between vitamin D concentrations or vitamin deficiency and the severity of the disease.

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Merkel eyes tough new curbs to tame virus before Christmas

Chancellor Angela Merkel is seeking drastic new curbs, including fresh shutdowns hitting leisure, sports and the food and drink sectors, in crisis talks Wednesday with Germany's regional leaders to halt surging coronavirus infections and save the Christmas holiday season.

The proposed restrictions to come in force from November 4 to the end of the month would limit contact outdoors to people from two households, according to a draft of planned measures seen by AFP.

Schools, daycares and shops will remain open, but hotels will be allowed to offer overnight stays only for "necessary and expressedly non-tourist purposes".

Puducherry logs 102 new coronavirus cases, two more deaths

Puducherry posted 102 new Covid-19 cases on Wednesday, taking the infection count to 34,583 in the union territory. Two more people, including a 55-year old woman, died of the illness during the last 24 hours raising the toll to 590.

Director of Health and Family Welfare S Mohan Kumar said in a release that the two deceased had complaints of diabetes and hypertension.

France must accept new national lockdown, says hospital professor

Professor Philippe Juvin, a leading member of Paris' Georges-Pompidou hospital, told RTL radio on Wednesday that France had to accept a new, national lockdown to tackle a resurgence of the Covid-19 virus.

"We must take it up," said Juvin.

French President Emmanuel Macron will give a televised address on Wednesday evening. His government has been exploring a new, national lockdown from midnight on Thursday, BFM TV reported, albeit a slightly more flexible one than the two-month shutdown that began in mid-March

Australia cheers end of Melbourne lockdown but virus ravages Europe, US

Champagne corks popped in Australia's second-biggest city as a months-long coronavirus lockdown ended on Wednesday, contrasting with deepening gloom in Europe where France and Germany were set to reintroduce curbs.

The pandemic has unleashed vast devastation across the global economy and in the absence of a vaccine or effective treatment, countries are being forced to impose widely unpopular Covid-19 restrictions that have sparked violent clashes in Italy.

Tripura registers 160 new Covid-19 cases, 202 more recoveries

Single-day recoveries outnumbered new Covid-19 cases in Tripura, as 160 more people tested positive for the infection while 202 more people were cured of the disease on Wednesday, a health official said.

The new cases have pushed the northeastern state's Covid-19 caseload to 30,453, he said.

Tripura now has 1,757 active coronavirus cases, while 28,332 people have recovered from the disease and 341 patients have succumbed to the infection so far, the official said, adding 23 patients have migrated to other states.

Ministry of Health

Novartis, Molecular Partners ink potential $230 mn deal for Covid-19 candidates

Novartis has licensed global rights to two Molecular Partners' antiviral drugs that have potential to treat Covid-19 patients, the two companies said on Wednesday.

Molecular Partners will get an upfront payment of 60 million Swiss francs ($66.2 million), a potential milestone payment of 150 million francs, and a "significant royalty" on sales of the drugs called MP0420 and MP0423.

Odisha reports 1,540 new Covid-19 cases, 12 fresh fatalities

Odisha's Covid-19 caseload mounted to 2,85,482 on Wednesday as 1,540 more people tested positive for the infection, a health official said.

Twelve fresh fatalities pushed the coastal state's coronavirus death toll to 1,284, he said.

As many as 886 new cases were reported in quarantine centres, while 654 infections were detected during contact tracing, the official said.

Aerosol microdroplets ineffective at spreading coronavirus: Study

Aerosol microdroplets, which are tiny particles that linger in the air longest after we talk, cough, or sneeze, may be ineffective at spreading the virus that leads to Covid-19, according to a new study.

The results of the modelling study, published in the journal Physics of Fluids, noted that aerosol transmission of the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 in confined spaces is not very efficient.

"If someone enters a space even a few minutes after a mildly symptomatic carrier of the coronavirus has coughed in that area, the probability of infection is rather low," the researchers, including those from the University of Amsterdam in The Netherlands, noted in a statement.

GSK, Sanofi to make 200 mn doses available for Covid-19 vaccine alliance

French drugmaker Sanofi SA and Britain's GlaxoSmithKline plan to make 200 million doses of their Covid-19 vaccine candidate available to the vaccine allocation plan co-led by GAVI and the World Health Organization.

The companies said on Wednesday they have signed a statement of intent with vaccine alliance GAVI, which is coordinating the global plan known as COVAX.

COVAX aims to deliver 2 billion vaccine doses around the world by the end of 2021, and more than 180 nations have joined the plan.

Ministry of Health

Arunachal Pradesh reports 81 new Covid-19 cases, 1 fresh fatality

Arunachal Pradesh's Covid-19 tally rose to 14,472 on Wednesday as 81 more people tested positive for the infection, a health official said.

An undertrial prisoner lodged in Jully Central Jail succumbed to the infection at a hospital on Tuesday, taking the state's coronavirus death toll to 36, he said.

The 61-year-old man was admitted to the hospital on October 19. He died due to septic shock, State Surveillance Officer, Dr Lobsang Jampa said, adding the state has reported 18 coronavirus deaths this month.

China reports 42 new confirmed Covid-19 cases

China has reported 42 new Covid-19 cases, including 22 from Kashgar prefecture in Xinjiang province where all the 4.74 million people underwent tests following the detection of a villager as an asymptomatic carrier, the health authorities said on Wednesday.

This comes a day after the Kashgar prefecture reported 183 coronavirus cases after the completion of Covid-19 tests for all the residents in the region, according to official media reports.

80 new cases push Mizoram's Covid-19 tally to 2,607

Mizoram's Covid-19 tally rose to 2,607 on Wednesday as 80 more people tested positive for the infection, a health official said.

Twenty-seven school students, the majority of them staying in hostels, 11 Army jawans, and one Mizoram Armed Police (MAP) personnel are among the new patients, he said.

The Army jawans and the MAP personnel had returned from other states, the official said.

Telangana adds 1,481 fresh Covid-19 cases, 4 fatalities

With 1,481 new cases, Telangana's coronavirus tally reached 2.34 lakh while four more deaths pushed the toll in the state to 1,319.

Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) accounted for the most number of cases with 279, followed by MedchalMalkajgiri 138 and Rangareddy 111 districts, a government bulletin said on Wednesday providing data as of 8 PM on October 27. As many as 17,916 are under treatment and40,081samples were tested on October 27

21 new cases push Covid-19 tally of Andaman and Nicobar Islands to 4,274

The Covid-19 tally of Andaman and Nicobar Islands rose to 4,274 on Wednesday as 21 more people tested positive for the infection, a health official said.

Five new patients have travel history, while 16 infections were detected during contact tracing, he said. Twenty-two more people have been cured of the disease, the official said. The Union territory now has 197 active coronavirus cases, while 4,019 people have recovered from the disease and 58 patients have succumbed to the infection so far, he said.

People visit a shopping area after measures to curb the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus were eased allowing limited numbers of people back into shops, bars, cafes and restaurants in Melbourne

AFP Photo

Merkel eyes 'lockdown light' to tame coronavirus

Chancellor Angela Merkel is expected to push for a "lockdown light" in crisis talks with Germany's regional leaders Wednesday, as the number of coronavirus cases soars and hospital beds fill up.

The proposed new restrictions would include closing restaurants and bars and putting strict limits on private and public gatherings while keeping schools, daycares and shops open, according to the best-selling Bild daily.

Credit: ICMR

India's Covid-19 death toll soars past 1.2 lakh with 508 fatalities; 43,893 fresh cases reported in the last 24 hours, according to the Ministry of Health.

Almost half a million Americans contract Covid-19 in past week

Nearly half a million people in the United States have contracted the novel coronavirus in the last seven days, according to a Reuters tally, as cases and hospitalizations set fresh records in hot spots in the Midwest.

More than 5,600 people died from the virus nationwide in the last week, with hospitalizations shooting up 13 per cent, a Reuters analysis showed.

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Jharkhand's Covid-19 tally crosses 1 lakh-mark; death toll mounts to 876

Jharkhand's Covid-19 tally crossed the 1 lakh-mark on Wednesday as 318 more people tested positive for the infection, a health official said.

The new cases have taken the state's caseload to 1,00,224, he said.

Four more people have succumbed to the infection, pushing the state's coronavirus death toll to 876, the official said.

Brazil Navy chief says personnel ready despite Covid-19, submarines face technical setback

The readiness of the Brazilian Navy has not been affected by the coronavirus outbreak, despite 8% of personnel catching the virus and 549 people dying of Covid-19, its commander said on Tuesday.

Admiral Ilques Barbosa played down the impact of the virus on the Navy's 80,000 men and women, adding that those who caught it were never all out at the same time. Most of those who died were veterans over the age of 70, he said.

Mexico passes 900,000 confirmed coronavirus cases

Mexico's health ministry reported on Tuesday 5,942 additional cases of the novel coronavirus and 643 more deaths in the country, bringing the official number of cases to 901,268 and the death toll to 89,814.

Health officials have said the real number of infected people is likely significantly higher than the confirmed cases. On Sunday, the ministry said the true death toll from Covid-19 may be around 50,000 higher.

Canada's Trudeau predicts 'tough winter,' deaths top 10,000

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Tuesday predicted a "tough winter" in the face of a second wave of Covid-19 infections engulfing much of the country, and called it a horrific national tragedy as deaths topped the 10,000 mark.

Canada's case numbers have been rising, triggering new restrictions on public gatherings and indoor activities in several provinces. On Tuesday, Canada recorded 2,674 new cases, while there are now 10,001 deaths and a total of 222,887 cases.

Mainland China reports 42 new Covid-19 cases vs 16 a day earlier

Mainland China reported 42 new Covid-19 cases on Oct. 27, up sharply from 16 a day earlier as new cases were reported in the northwestern Xinjiang region, the country's health authority said on Wednesday.

Of the new cases, 22 of them were locally transmitted infections in Xinjiang following an apparent mass infection in Kashgar. The region's health authority also reported 19 new asymptomatic infections, half of the total number of symptomless infections reported in Mainland China for Oct. 27.

UK Vaccines Taskforce Chair says early Covid-19 vaccines may be imperfect: The Lancet

UK Vaccines Taskforce Chair Kate Bingham said on Tuesday that the first generation of Covid-19 vaccines "is likely to be imperfect" and that they "might not work for everyone".

"However, we do not know that we will ever have a vaccine at all. It is important to guard against complacency and over-optimism", Bingham wrote in a piece published in The Lancet medical journal

Refrigerated shipping containers for deceased coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients are parked at the El Paso Medical Examiner in El Paso, Texas, US

Reuters Photo

English Covid-19 data patchy, researchers say, as new dashboard launched

There are significant problems with the availability and quality of Covid-19 data in England, British researchers said on Wednesday as they launched a dashboard to help make sense of the patchwork of stats.

The Covid-19 Response Evaluation Dashboard (COVID RED) presents available statistics from Public Health England (PHE), the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and the National Health Service (NHS) and also highlights where more data are needed

Grave-counting satellite images seek to track Yemen's Covid-19 death toll

A first-of-its-kind study using satellite images to count fresh graves and analyse burial activity in Yemen has estimated the death toll there from Covid-19 or Covid-related causes is far higher than official government figures suggest.

Using high-resolution satellite imagery, researchers at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) analysed burial activity at all identifiable cemeteries in Yemen's Aden region and calculated an estimated 2,100 "excess deaths" during the Covid-19 outbreak between April and September.

Melbourne reopens after months of hard Covid-19 lockdown as cases ease

Australia's coronavirus hotspot of Victoria state reported two new Covid-19 cases on Wednesday after posting no infections in the previous two days, as state capital Melbourne emerged from more than three months of a hard lockdown.

Restaurants and cafes in Melbourne - home to 5 million people - can reopen from Wednesday and limits on social gatherings at homes have been eased, allowing two adults and dependents from one house to visit another household.

Pfizer says Covid-19 vaccine still possible in 2020 despite data lag

Pfizer executives expressed measured optimism Tuesday over the prospect of providing a coronavirus vaccine in 2020 even as they signaled key data on the vaccine would not be released before the US election.

Pfizer Chief Executive Albert Bourla said the drug giant could supply some 40 million doses in the United States in 2020 if clinical testing proceeds as expected and regulators approve a vaccine.

"If all goes well, we will be ready to distribute an initial number of doses," said Bourla, who pointed to a US government contract for Pfizer to supply 40 million doses by the end of this year and 100 million doses by March 2021.

More Italy protests as coronavirus gloom engulfs global economy

Italian police fired teargas at demonstrators protesting virus restrictions on Tuesday for the second night running, as dire figures on global tourism and investment highlighted the devastating economic impact of the pandemic.

Thousands protested again in Italian cities with the cry of "freedom" punctuated by clashes with police, with many traders and employees fearing a second wave economic slump as much as the rising virus numbers.

New York to increase testing of public transit workers

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced Tuesday it is embarking on a first-in-the-nation testing program to test thousands of workers weekly to guard against a second wave of the coronavirus.

MTA Chairman Patrick Foye said the goal will be to test 15% of frontline workers weekly.

That would amount to roughly 6,000 bus and subway workers, Transport Workers Union Local 100 President Tony Utano said in an email. Overall, the nation's largest public transit system has more than 70,000 employees. More than 120 MTA employees have died from Covid-19 this year.