Coronavirus news highlights: Karnataka logs 1,505 new Covid-19 cases, 12 deaths

India's coronavirus tally reached 92.66 lakh with 44,489 new cases. The death toll surged past 1.35 lakh with over 524 fatalities in the last 24 hours. The number of active Covid-19 cases increased by nearly 7,600 taking the active coronavirus caseload above 4.5 lakh after a couple of weeks. More than six crore people have been infected by Covid-19, according to an AFP tally. The US is the worst-affected country, followed by Brazil, India, Mexico, and the United Kingdom. Stay tuned on DH for more latest updates.

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Himachal reports sharp spike in daily Covid-19 cases

Himachal Pradesh on Thursday reported 931 fresh Covid-19 cases, taking the hill state's tally to 3,7498, while 14 more people died due to the infection.

Shimla and Kangra registered four deaths each, Mandi three and Una, Kullu and Solan one each, according to the Health Department data. Of them, 10 were males and four females aged between 16 and 88.

Delhi minister Gopal Rai tests positive for Covid-19

Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Thursday said he has tested positive for the coronavirus.

The minister was later shifted to Max Hospital, Saket.

Rai is the third minister in the Arvind Kejriwal government to have contracted the virus. Earlier, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and Health Minister Satyendar Jain had been infected with the coronavirus.

Karnataka logs 1,505 new Covid-19 cases, 12 deaths

Karnataka has reported 1,505 new cases of Covid-19 and 12 related fatalities, taking the total number of infections to 8,79,560 and the death toll to 11,726, the Health department said on Thursday.

The day also saw 1,067 patients getting discharged after recovery. Out of 1,505 fresh cases reported on Thursday, 844 cases were from Bengaluru Urban alone.

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Chandigarh doubles fine to Rs 1,000 for not wearing masks

The Chandigarh administration on Thursday announced that the fine for not wearing masks in the city has been increased to Rs 1,000 from Rs 500.

The decision was taken by the UT Administrator V P Singh Badnore in a meeting held here.

Badnore also appealed to the people to take all precautions against the coronavirus, including wearing face masks.

Delhi records 91 more Covid-19 deaths, 5,475 cases take infection tally to over 5.51 lakh

The national capital recorded 5,475 fresh Covid-19 cases in a day as the number of RT-PCR tests crossed the 28,000 mark, while 91 more fatalities pushed the city's death toll to 8,811 on Thursday, authorities said.

The positivity rate was 8.65 per cent. It was 8.49 per cent on Wednesday.

Italy reports 29,003 new coronavirus cases, 822 deaths

Italy reported 822 Covid-19-related deaths on Thursday, up from 722 the day before, and 29,003 new infections, up from 25,853 on Wednesday, the health ministry said.

There were 232,711 swabs carried out in the past day, compared with a previous 230,007.

Italy was the first Western country to be hit by the virus and has seen 52,850 Covid-19 fatalities since its outbreak emerged in February, the second highest toll in Europe after Britain's. It has also registered 1.510 million cases.

Britain records 17,555 new coronavirus cases, 498 new deaths

Britain recorded 17,555 new coronavirus cases on Thursday and 498 new deaths within 28 days of a positive Covid-19 test, official data showed.

Both measures were lower than on Wednesday, when there were 18,213 new coronavirus infections and 696 deaths.

Gujarat records 1,560 new Covid-19 cases, highest one-day spike

Gujarat recorded 1,560 new cases of coronavirus in the last 24 hours, the highest daily spike so far, the state health department said on Thursday evening.

It took the case count in the state to 2,03,509.

With 16 patients succumbing to the infection during the day, the death toll due to the pandemic reached 3,922, it said.

Maharashtra records 6,406 fresh cases of Covid-19, 65 deaths

Maharashtra's Covid-19 case count on Thursday crossed 18 lakh to reach 18,02,365 as 6,406 new infections came to light, a health official said.

The state also reported 65 deaths, taking the death toll due to the pandemic to 46,813, he said.

A total of 4,815 patients were discharged during the day, taking the tally of recovered people to 16,68,538.

Madhya Pradesh logs 1,668 new coronavirus cases; 1,199 recover, 12 die

Madhya Pradesh on Thursday reported 1,668 fresh Covid-19 cases, taking the count of infections to 1,99,952, health officials said.

With 12 more persons succumbing to the viral infection, the overall death toll rose to 3,209, they said.

A total of 1,199 patients were discharged from hospitals in the last 24 hours, taking the state's overall recovery count to 1,82,544.

Goa records 148 new Covid-19 cases; two more deaths

Goa's coronavirus caseload rose to 47,341, after 148 people tested positive for the infection on Thursday, an official from the state health department said.

With the death of two more patients during the day, the coastal state's toll has reached 685, the official said.

At least 111 patients were discharged from various hospitals, raising the count of recoveries to 45,340, he said.

Tripura reports 50 new Covid-19 cases

Fifty more people tested positive for Covid-19 in Tripura on Thursday, pushing the coronavirus tally in the state to 32,578, a health department official said. The Covid-19 fatalities of the northeastern state remained at 367, with no person succumbing to the infection since Wednesday, he said.

Covid-19 testing has reached 'saturation level' in Delhi: Satyendar Jain

Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Thursday said the testing capacity for Covid-19 has reached the "saturation level" in the national capital and laboratories here are finding it difficult to release results of all RT-PCR tests within a day.

As many as 61,778 tests, including 26,080 RT-PCR -- the highest till date for the city -- and 35,698 rapid antigen tests, were conducted on Tuesday for the detection of Covid-19.

Confirmed coronavirus cases in Netherlands pass 500,000

The Netherlands reached over half a million in total coronavirus cases, with 503,123 confirmed infections, data released on Thursday showed.

The daily tally of new infections in 24 hours was 4,470 which was a slight drop from a day earlier in the country, one of the worst hit in Europe's second Covid-19 wave.

Andhra Pradesh adds 1,031 new Covid-19 cases, 8 deaths push toll to 6,970

Andhra Pradesh's Covid-19 tally increased by 1,031 to 8,65,705 on Thursday.

The total recoveries touched 8,46,120 after 1,081 patients got cured in 24 hours ending 9 am on Thursday.

The latest bulletin said eight more succumbed to coronavirus, pushing the overall toll upward to 6,970.

The active caseload in the state is now 12,615, the bulletin added.

London, most of England to move to high Covid alert level after lockdown

The UK capital of London along with most regions of England will move into Tier 2 of a three-tier Covid-19 restrictions system and remain at a high alert level at the end of the complete stay-at-home lockdown on December 2, the UK government announced in Parliament on Thursday.

Other regions such as Manchester, Birmingham, Hull, Newcastle and large parts of the north of England are set to face the toughest coronavirus restrictions with only three areas – Cornwall, the Isle of Wight and Isles of Scilly – placed into the lowest Tier 1 or the medium restrictions category.

EU drugs watchdog expects first application for Covid-19 vaccine in days

Europe's drugs watchdog said on Thursday it expects to receive the first application for conditional marketing approval for a Covid-19 vaccine "in the coming days", the latest step towards making a shot available outside the United States.

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) did not name the company it expects to file the application, but Pfizer Inc and BioNTEch are the most advanced in the regulatory process among the three companies that have published late-stage trial data for their vaccines.

With frozen food clampdown, China points overseas as source of coronavirus

As global Covid-19 infections surge, China is pushing a narrative via state media that the virus existed abroad before it was discovered late last year in the central city of Wuhan, where it was traced to a seafood market.

Chinese state media have cited the presence of the coronavirus on imported frozen food packaging, as well as scientific papers claiming that the coronavirus was circulating in Europe earlier than previously believed, as evidence that China may not have been its origin.

South Korea has its highest daily number of cases since March with a surge of new infections sparking fears of a major third wave.

More UK areas move into higher risk Covid tiers, says health minister

British health minister Matt Hancock said on Thursday more areas in England than before would be in the higher risk tiers with tougher restrictions from Dec. 2 to fight the coronavirus pandemic and reduce its spread.

"While all three tiers are less stringent that the national lockdown that we're all living in now, to keep people safe and to keep the gains that are being made, more areas than before will be in the top two tiers," Hancock told parliament, adding that the measures will be kept under regular review.

Germany's hotspot district to launch Covid-19 mass tests for children

The state premier of Thuringia on Thursday announced a first mass test for children in the district of Hildburghausen, Germany's coronavirus hotspot, to find out to what extent they contribute to a rapid surge in infections.

The east German district saw a record 603 cases per 100,000 people in the past seven days, more than four times Germany's average incidence of 140, according to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases.

80% ICU beds reservation for Covid-19 patients: HC says number of cases in Delhi alarming

The Delhi High Court Thursday termed the number of Covid-19 cases in the national capital as “alarming” while hearing a plea challenging AAP government’s decision to reserve 80 per cent of ICU beds for coronavirus patients in 33 private hospitals here.

“The numbers, we know, are presently in an alarming state,” said Justice Navin Chawla while listing the next hearing on December 9 for further consideration of the matter.

French PM: Only 30 people in places of worship for now

French Prime Minister Jean Castex confirmed on Thursday places of religious worship could only welcome 30 people for now, whatever their size, but added this measure could progressively evolve.

When French President Emmanuel Macron mentioned the 30-figure on Tuesday, Catholic authorities complained it was not adapted to the vast variety of the size of churches.

Schools won't be reopened till govt convinced about student safety: Delhi health minister

Schools in the national capital will not reopen till the government is convinced about students' safety, Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain said on Thursday.

Universities and schools across the country were closed on March 16, when the Centre announced a countrywide classroom shutdown as part of measures to contain the spread of Covid-19. A nationwide lockdown was imposed on March 25.

Increase Covid-19 testing in rural areas of Rajasthan: CM to officials

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Thursday stressed on the need to increase Covid-19 testing in rural areas of the state and directed officials to intensify awareness programmes on the coronavirus.

The chief minister issued the directions during a meeting to review the Covid-19 situation of the state.

Delhi records over 2,300 Covid deaths in less than a month: Official data

The national capital has witnessed 2,364 deaths due to coronavirus since October 28, when the daily rise in infections breached the mark of 5,000 cases for the first time, according to official data.

Amid a surge in Covid -19 cases and deaths, 99 more fatalities on Wednesday pushed the city's total death toll due to the disease to 8,720. It was after five days that Delhi recorded single-day deaths below 100.

Russia sees record coronavirus infections, deaths

Russia on Thursday registered record numbers for daily infections and deaths from the coronavirus for the second time in less than a week.

Health officials reported 25,487 new infections, bringing the national total to 2,187,990 cases since the beginning of the pandemic -- the fifth-highest caseload in the world.

Health authorities also reported 524 deaths, raising Russia's total fatalities from Covid-19 to 38,062.

It was the second time since Saturday that the country had registered record increases for both cases and deaths.

Most lungs recover well after Covid-19, says study

Lung tissue of patients who suffer severely from Covid-19 shows good recovery in most cases, according to a study.

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Finland's Covid-19 situation worsening rapidly, says PM

Finland's coronavirus situation has worsened rapidly in recent days, Prime Minister Sanna Marin said on Thursday.

Finland's 14-day incidence rate per 100,000 inhabitants stood at 75.8 on Wednesday, Europe's second-lowest level behind Iceland, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control data showed, but the Finnish government warned the number of new cases was rising at a worrying pace.

Reuters

Sweden's Prince Carl Philip and wife test positive for coronavirus

Sudan's former PM Sadiq al-Mahdi dies from coronavirus in UAE

6 states/UTs contributed to 60.72% of 44,489 fresh Covid-19 cases: Health Ministry

The Union health ministry on Thursday said 60.72 per cent of the 44,489 fresh Covid-19 cases registered in a span of 24 hours have been contributed by six states and UTs, with Kerala leading the tally followed by Maharashtra, Delhi, West Bengal, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.

Cambodian villagers trust magic scarecrows to ward off coronavirus

Cambodian villager Ek Chan has avoided the novel coronavirus so far without masks or social distancing but rather the scarecrows she has made to keep the deadly virus at bay.

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HC says RTPCR testing numbers increased by Delhi govt after loss of several lives and lot of prodding by court.

What have you done with fine amounts collected for violation of Covid-19 norms? Use it for a good cause: HC to Delhi govt

In door-to-door survey, 1,178 test Covid-19 positive in Delhi's containment zones

A door-to-door survey conducted under the instruction of the Centre to identify and isolate Covid-19 infected people in Delhi's containment zones and densely populated pockets threw up 1,178 positive cases with a positivity rate of 6.4 per cent, officials said.

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Avoid cash transactions for paying fines for violating Covid-19 norms; create portal for it, HC tells Delhi government

Delhi Government informs Delhi High Court that there is no decision yet on imposing any kind of a curfew, but it is under active consideration depending on the Covid-19 situation.

The response came on court's query over plans to impose night or weekend curfews like other cities.

When and which Covid-19 vaccines are likely to be available in Asia

Pfizer Inc with partner BioNTech SE, Moderna Inc and AstraZeneca Plc have released trial data this month showing their experimental vaccines are effective in preventing the disease.

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Bilawal Bhutto tests positive for Covid-19, in self-isolation

Shoppers wearing face masks walk through the Myeongdong shopping district of Seoul on November 26, 2020. Credit: AFP Photo

30 new cases push Arunachal Pradesh's Covid-19 tally to 16,174

Arunachal Pradesh's Covid-19 tally rose to 16,174 on Thursday as 30 more people, including an Army jawan, tested positive for the infection, a health official said.

Single-day recoveries continued to outnumber fresh cases as 66 more people were cured of the disease, State Surveillance Officer Dr Lobsang Jampa said.

(PTI)

Ukraine registered a record 15,331 new Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours, health minister Maksym Stepanov said on Thursday, up from a previous record of 14,580 reported on November21.

He said the total number of cases had climbed to 677,189, with 11,717 deaths.

Moscow extends self-isolation period for Covid-19 risk groups until January 15

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin on Thursday extended a recommended self-isolation period for residents older than 65 and those in Covid-19 risk groups through New Year until January 15 as a precaution against the coronavirus pandemic.

Puducherry's Covid-19 tally touches 36,840; 22 new additions

Puducherry on Thursday recorded 22 fresh cases of coronavirus, taking the aggregate to 36,840. The toll remained 609 as no new deaths due to the viral infection were reported for the seventh consecutive day.

Seven found positive in Noida's random Covid-19 testing at Delhi border

Seven people coming from Delhi to Noida were found positive for Covid-19 during random tests of 147 people at Gautam Buddh Nagar’s border with the national capital on Wednesday, officials said.

The Gautam Buddh Nagar administration had on November 18 started random testing of people coming to Noida from Delhi in view of the spike in coronavirus cases in the national capital.

(PTI)

We're at war with coronavirus, not each other: Joe Biden in Thanksgiving address

US President-elect Joe Biden has reminded Americans that they were at war with the coronavirus and not against each other, as he called for an end to the "grim season of division" in the country.

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New Zealand, West Indies welcome crowds back amid Covid-19

A sense of normality returns to cricket on Friday when New Zealand take on West Indies in their Twenty20 series opener with no restrictions on the crowd size in Auckland, but the Covid-19 pandemic continues to cast a long shadow over the tour.

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60.50% of 524 case fatalities reported in the last 24 hours are concentrated in Delhi, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Haryana, Punjab & UP. Maharashtra, Delhi, UP & West Bengal are the common states among the top 6 states contributing maximum to new cases as well as daily deaths: Govt of India

6 Pakistani cricketers test positive for Covid-19 in New Zealand

Six of Pakistan's squad tested positive for Covid-19, hosts New Zealand Cricket said Thursday, throwing preparations for their five-match tour into turmoil and causing a scare in a country that has largely eradicated the virus.

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Suspension on scheduled international commercial passenger services to and from India extended till December 31: Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

Maharashtra sees 799 new Covid-19 cases in Thane; 15 more die

As many as 799 new Covid-19 cases have been reported in Maharashtra's Thane district, taking the tally to 2,25,613, an official said on Thursday. The death toll in the district has gone up to 5,634, with 15 more people succumbing to the disease, he said.

Delhi High Court adjourns till December 9, the petition against Delhi Government's decision to reserve 80% ICU beds in 33 private hospitals for Covid-19 patients.

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 22,268 to 983,588, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Thursday. The reported death toll rose by 389 to 15,160, the tally showed.

Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai tests positive for Covid-19

The Covid-19 active caseload has risen to 4,52,344, an increase of 7,598 cases from Wednesday, even though it remained below 5 lakh for the 16th consecutive day.

A civil defence volunteer wearing a Covid-19-themed helmet distributes a placard to a vendor during an awareness campaign at a market in New Delhi. Credit: AFP Photo

South Korea reported 583 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, the highest since March, as it grapples with a third wave of infections that appears to be worsening despite tough new social distancing measures.

10 new cases push Covid-19 tally of Andamans to 4,677

The Covid-19 tally of Andaman and Nicobar Islands rose to 4,677 on Thursday as 10 more people tested positive for the infection, a health official said. Five new patients have travel history, while five infections were detected during contact tracing, he said.

Fifteen more people have been cured of the disease, the official said.

The archipelago now has 137 active coronavirus cases, while 4,479 people have recovered from the disease and 61 patients have succumbed to the infection to date, he said. The administration has so far sent 1,21,931 samples for Covid-19 tests, of which 18 reports are awaited, the official added.

(PTI)

Telangana adds 862 new Covid-19 cases, 3 deaths

Telangana posted 862 fresh coronavirus cases, taking the total caseload to nearly 2.67 lakh while three fatalities pushed the toll to 1,444.

Total number of samples tested up to November 25 is 13,59,31,545 including 10,90,238 samples tested yesterday: Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)

Narcolepsy fiasco spurs Covid-19 vaccine fears in Sweden

Take a vaccine developed in haste? Never again, says Meissa Chebbi, who, like hundreds of other young Swedes suffered debilitating narcolepsy after a mass vaccination campaign against the 2009-2010 swine flu pandemic.

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The number of active Covid-19 cases increased by nearly 7,600. The active coronavirus caseload currently stands at 4,52,344.

A total of 36,367 recovered in the last 24 hours taking the recovery tally to 86.79 lakh.

India's death toll reached 1,35,223 with 524 fatalities in the last 24 hours.

India reports 45,489 new Covid-19 cases; tally reaches 9,266,705.

US sees over 2,400 Covid-19 deaths in 24 hours, a six-month high

The United States on Wednesday registered more than 2,400 deaths from Covid-19 in 24 hours, according to the Johns Hopkins University tally -- the highest daily toll in six months as the Thanksgiving holiday began.

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'Infodemic' risks jeopardising coronavirus vaccines

As early as February, with the global pandemic spreading fast, the World Health Organization issued a warning about an "infodemic", a wave of fake news and misinformation about the deadly new disease on social media.

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Germany extends Covid-19 curbs to early January

Germany will extend its current coronavirus restrictions through to early January unless there is a dramatic drop in infections -- something that is not expected, Chancellor Angela Merkel said Wednesday

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In Brazil, Pfizer begins process to register Covid-19 vaccine

Pfizer gave the office of Brazil's health regulators results of the tests of their Covid-19 vaccine, a necessary step to approve and register the vaccine, the US-based pharmaceutical said Wednesday.

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OPINION | Even in a pandemic, the billionaires are winning

When I called up Chuck Collins on Tuesday afternoon, I found him glued to one of the grimmest new metrics documenting America’s economic and social unravelling.

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OPINION | Conversations before Covid-19

A group of us were sitting around the dining table when suddenly someone asked, “what did we talk about before Covid-19?”

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AstraZeneca manufacturing error clouds vaccine study results

The announcement this week that a cheap, easy-to-make coronavirus vaccine appeared to be up to 90% effective was greeted with jubilation. “Get yourself a vaccaccino,” a British tabloid celebrated, noting that the vaccine, developed by AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford, costs less than a cup of coffee.

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Covid-19 or not, people must stay active: WHO

The coronavirus pandemic is no excuse for not getting enough exercise, the World Health Organization said Wednesday, warning that even before the crisis many were getting too little physical activity.

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Centre issues fresh Covid-19 guidelines, allows states to impose night curfew

Tracking 80 per cent contacts of a Covid-19 patient in 72 hours and allowing states to implement staggered office timings in cities with higher positivity rate as well as imposing local measures like night curfew are among a slew of measures identified by the Centre in its new guidelines to tackle the surging pandemic.

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A groom during his wedding procession, amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, in Jaipur. Credit: PTI Photo

Robust Covid-19 vaccine manufacturing, delivery ecosystem initiated to meet demand: Harsh Vardhan

The government has initiated a robust Covid-19 vaccine manufacturing and delivery ecosystem to meet the demand, Science and Technology Minister Harsh Vardhan said on Wednesday.

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Global coronavirus cases surpass 60 million infections; death toll reaches 1.4 million

The global tally of confirmed coronavirus cases hit 60 million on Wednesday, with the pace of new infections accelerating and the United States reporting record numbers of hospitalisations, according to a Reuters tally.

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Goa makes screening of air, rail passengers mandatory

In a bid to curb the spread of coronavirus, the Goa government on Wednesday made it mandatory for the passengers arriving at the state's airport and railway stations to undergo thermal screening.

The government issued Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to this effect on Wednesday.

Infections jump as Turkey resumes publishing virus cases

The number of daily reported Covid-19 infections in Turkey jumped to above 28,000 on Wednesday after, in a surprise development, the government resumed publishing all positive cases and not just the number of patients being treated for symptoms of the coronavirus.

Defying warnings, millions in the US travel for Thanksgiving

Millions of Americans took to the skies and hit the road ahead of Thanksgiving at the risk of pouring gasoline on the coronavirus fire, disregarding increasingly dire warnings that they stay home and limit their holiday gatherings to members of their own household.

Pak PM rules out closing down businesses amid surge in Covid-19 cases

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday ruled out closing down businesses and urged the public to follow health guidelines as the country grappled with the second wave of the coronavirus with the national tally of infections reaching 382,892.

Khan told media in Lahore that he was concerned about the situation after the daily Covid-19 death toll crossed 50 while being as low as below the single digit just two weeks ago.