Coronavirus news highlights: Delhi reports 2,706 new Covid-19 cases, 4,622 recoveries

India's Covid-19 tally rises to 96,74,378, and death toll climbs to 1,40,505. Total discharged cases at 91,00,792. The virus has globally claimed over 1.5 million lives. As the race for getting a vaccine to the market heats up, Pfizer has sought emergency approval for its vaccine in India. Stay tuned for more updates.

Pfizer has sought emergency approval for Covid-19 vaccine in India

Pfizer Inc has applied for emergency use authorisation of its coronavirus vaccine in India, a top government health adviser said in a TV interview on Sunday, the first to do so in a country with the world's second-highest number of infections. -Reuters.

Punjab seeks priority allocation of Covid-19 vaccine once available

Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure priority allocation of Covid-19 vaccine to Punjab on account of its higher mortality rate and high levels of co-morbidities in the state.

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UK records 17,272 new Covid cases and 231 new deaths

The United Kingdom recorded 17,272 new cases of Covid-19 on Sunday, up from 15,539 a day earlier and raising the total number of infections since the start of the pandemic to over 1.723 million, official data showed.

The country also recorded 231 deaths from the disease, down from 397 a day earlier, taking the total toll measured by the number of deaths within 28 days of a positive test to 61,245. -Reuters.

Italy's Covid-19 death toll passes 60,000, with 564 new fatalities

Italy reported 564 Covid-related deaths on Sunday, down from 662 the day before and taking the official toll since its outbreak began in February to 60,078, according to health ministry data. -Reuters.

Delhi reports 2,706 new Covid-19 cases, 4,622 recoveries and 69 deaths today -ANI

Delhi reports 2,706 new Covid-19 cases, 4,622 recoveries and 69 deaths today.

Total cases 5,92,250
Total recoveries 5,57,914
Death toll 9,643

Active cases 24,693

Assam reports 97 new Covid-19 cases and 84 discharges today -ANI

Assam reported 97 new Covid-19 cases and 84 discharges today, says Govt. of Assam

Total cases: 2,13,759

Total discharges: 2,09,211

Deaths: 993

Active cases: 3,552

Face masks can reduce new Covid-19 infections by more than 45%, says new study

While several Indians are still reluctant to wear a mask even after the country has registered over 96 lakh Covid-19 cases, new scientific evidence has emerged from Germany demonstrating how the protective face cover can lower the number of new cases by more than 45%.

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31 new cases push Tripura's Covid-19 tally to 32,891

At least 31 more people tested positive for Covid-19 in Tripura on Sunday, pushing the tally in the state to 32,891, a health department official said. The death toll remained at 369 as no new fatality due to the infection was reported, he said. -PTI

Moscow aims to vaccinate 7 million as Russia reports record rise in Covid cases

Moscow wants to vaccinate up to seven million people, its Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said, as Russia on Sunday reported yet another record high number of new Covid-19 cases.

Moscow began distributing its Sputnik V Covid-19 shot via 70 clinics on Saturday to the most exposed groups, marking Russia's first large-scale vaccination against the disease. -Reuters

Covid-19: 10 more deaths, 802 new cases in Punjab

Punjab on Sunday reported 10 more deaths, pushing the toll to 4,915, while 802 new cases took the Covid-19 infection count to 1,56,226. There are 7,896 active Covid-19 cases in the state as of now, according to a medical bulletin. -PTI

Gujarat reports 1,455 new Covid-19 cases, taking tally to 2,18,788; 17 deaths push toll to 4,081: State health department - PTI

Maharashtra records 4,757 new Covid-19 cases, tally rises to 18,52,266; death toll goes up by 40 to 47,734: Health department - PTI

Christmas a sign of hope amid difficulties of Covid-19 pandemic: Pope Francis

Pope Francis says the Christmas season provides reason for hope amid the difficulties of the coronavirus pandemic.

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Karnataka reports 1,321 new Covid-19 cases (733 in Bengaluru urban), 889 discharges, and 10 deaths -ANI

Karnataka reports 1,321 new Covid-19 cases (733 in Bengaluru urban), 889 discharges, and 10 deaths today.

Total cases: 8,93,006

Total discharges: 8,55,750

Death toll:11,856

Active cases: 25,381

Don't know where records of Covid-19 vaccine expert group are kept, says Ministry of Health in RTI reply

The Union Health Ministry has said in response to an RTI application that it does not know where records related to agenda circulated in meetings of the National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for Covid-19 are held.

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Manipur reports 216 new Covid-19 cases, 193 recoveries, and 7 deaths -ANI

Manipur reported 216 new Covid-19 cases, 193 recoveries, and 7 deaths today, says State Health Department

Total cases so far: 26,073

Total recoveries: 22,848

Active cases: 2,919

Total Deaths till date: 306

Tamil Nadu reports 1,320 new Covid-19 cases, 1,398 discharges, and 16 deaths -ANI

Tamil Nadu reported 1,320 new Covid-19 cases, 1,398 discharges, and 16 deaths in the last 24 hours: State Health Department, Govt of Tamil Nadu

Total cases: 7,90,240

Total discharges: 7,67,659

Death toll: 11,793

Active cases: 10,788

CPCB guidelines in place for disposal of waste from Covid-19 diagnosis, treatment: AAP govt to HC

The AAP government has told the Delhi High Court that guidelines issued by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) are in place for handling and disposal of waste generated during treatment, diagnosis and quarantine of Covid-19 patients. -PTI

Oxygen shortage leaves six Covid patients dead in Pakistan

At least six Covid-19 patients died after "criminal negligence" resulted in a delayed supply of oxygen to a hospital in northwest Pakistan, officials said Sunday, as the country battles a second wave of the epidemic. -AFP

17 volunteers given Sputnik V vaccine in Pune

A total of 17 volunteers have been administered Russia's Sputnik Vcoronavirusvaccine at a Pune hospital as part of the human clinical trials, doctors said on Sunday. -PTI

Andhra Pradesh reports 667 new Covid-19 cases, 914 recoveries, and 9 deaths -ANI

Andhra Pradesh reported 667 new Covid-19 cases, 914 recoveries, and 9 deaths in the last 24 hours.

Total cases 8,71,972
Total recoveries 8,59,029
Death toll 7,033

Active cases 5,910

UK Opposition Leader Keir Starmer self-isolates for second time

Britain's Leader of the Opposition, Labour leader Keir Starmer, has gone into self-isolation for a second time after a member of his staff tested positive for Covid-19. -PTI

Job cuts, salary adjustments in Covid-19 aftermath not as widespread as expected: Report

Job cuts and salary adjustments have not been as widespread as originally apprehended despite the severe impact on the revenue of companies in the aftermath of Covid-19 pandemic, a study has revealed.

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Delhi: 11% of symptomatic negative cases in RAT found Covid-19 positive through RT-PCR

Nearly 11 per cent of those in the national capital who tested negative for Covid-19 in rapid antigen tests (RAT) but had symptoms for the disease were found to have been afflicted by the viral infection in RT-PCR test between September 1 and November 7, according to official data.

Out of the 56,862 symptomatic patients who tested negative in rapid antigen tests, 32,903 were retested through RT-PCR and of them 3,524 were found Covid-19 positive, according to the data shared by health authorities in response to an RTI query filed by a PTI reporter.

Woman on the cusp of turning 100 recovers from Covid-19

A month shy of 100, Bhabatarini Samanta had to battle the deadliest of foes in the path of her becoming a centenarian - the coronavirus. And, she mananged to get the better of it, stunning doctors and family members alike.

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Two on England cricket's touring party test Covid-19 positive

Two members of the England touring party in South Africa have returned "unconfirmed positive tests" for Covid-19, the England and Wales Cricket Board said Sunday, as the first one-day international was canceled because of a virus outbreak at the hotel where both teams are staying.

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US sees record number of Covid-19 cases in 24 hours as reports say British queen to get vaccine soon

The United States notched a record number of coronavirus cases in 24 hours for the third day running, as it was reported that Britain's Queen Elizabeth II will get a vaccine within weeks.

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Economy to reach pre-Covid-levels by end of FY2022: Niti Aayog

India's economic growth is likely to reach pre-Covid-19 levels by the end of 2021-22 fiscal as the GDP contraction in this financial year is expected to be less than 8 per cent, Niti Aayog vice-chairman Rajiv Kumar said on Sunday.

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IISc researchers working on Covid-19 detection using Raman spectroscopy, artificial intelligence

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore, are working on rapid identification of Covid-19 biomarkers in blood plasma using Raman spectroscopy and artificial intelligence.

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Covid-19 active caseload further contracts to 4.03 lakh after 138 days

The Covid-19 active caseload in India has dipped to 4.03 lakh, the lowest after 138 days, comprising 4.18 per cent of the total coronavirus infections reported so far in the country, the Union Health Ministry said on Sunday.

The total active cases were 4,02,529 on July 21.

Continuing with the trend of the last nine days, India has reported more daily recoveries than daily new cases in a span of 24 hours.

Pakistan reports 416,499 new cases of coronavirus: Health Ministry

Pakistan has reported 3,308 new cases of coronavirus in the last 24 hours, taking the total cases of infections in the nation to 416,499, the health ministry said on Sunday.

The Ministry of National Health Services also said that 58 more people died, taking the total deaths due to the contagious disease to 8,361.

“The cases of coronavirus in the country continues to go up and now it has touched 416,499,” the health ministry said in a statement.

611 new Covid-19 cases in Thane; tally reaches 2,32,401

Thane has added 611 new Covid-19 cases, raising the tally in the Maharashtra district to 2,32,401, an official said on Sunday.

Seven more people have also succumbed to coronavirus infection, taking the toll in the district to 5,733, he said.

As of now, there are 7,278 active Covid-19 cases in the district, while 2,19,390 patients have recovered, he said.

The Covid-19 recovery rate in the district is 94.40 per cent, the mortality rate is 2.47 per cent, while the active cases constitute 3.13 per cent of the total cases reported so far, the official said.

Russia reports record 29,039 new Covid-19 cases

Russia reported a record high of 29,039 new Covid-19 cases on Sunday, taking the national total to 2,460,770 since the pandemic began.

Authorities confirmed 457 deaths related to Covid-19 in the past 24 hours, pushing the official national death toll to 43,141.

Europe battles surge in coronavirus deaths in nursing homes

As the two mortuary workers pushed a stretcher with a bagged corpse out of the room, the elderly man in the adjacent bed briefly awakened from his dementia. “Is he dead?” he muttered, extending his arm, trying to touch his roommate for the last time.

Reflecting on a scene repeated too many times, one of the workers, Manel Rivera, despaired at the growing number of elderly people dying as the coronavirus resurges.

“The sad thing is,” he said of the surviving man in the Barcelona nursing home, “in a few days we'll probably come back for him.”

South Africa-England ODI delayed after new Covid-19 cases

The start of Sunday's One Day International between South Africa and England was delayed as players underwent a new round of testing after hotel workers tested positive for Covid-19.

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'Immune system's requirements for protection against Covid-19 decoded'

Scientists have assessed the novel coronavirus infection in monkeys and found that the immune system's T cells may contribute to protection against the virus if antibody responses are suboptimal, an advance which may aid in the development of vaccines and therapeutics for Covid-19.

The study, published in the journal Nature, shed light on the role of antibodies and immune cells in protection against SARS-CoV-2 -- the virus that causes Covid-19.

ISc researchers working on Covid-19 detection using Raman spectroscopy, artificial intelligence

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore, are working on rapid identification of Covid-19 biomarkers in blood plasma using Raman spectroscopy and artificial intelligence.

Raman Spectroscopy is a non-destructive chemical analysis technique which provides detailed information about chemical structure, phase and polymorphy, crystallinity and molecular interactions. It is based upon the interaction of light with the chemical bonds within a material.

According to the team, using artificial intelligence and deep learning, the Covid-19 detection process will be automated and rapid and there will be no requirement of any extraction procedure.

Bengal woman, days away from turning 100, recovers from Covid-19

A month shy of 100, Bhabatarini Samanta had to battle the deadliest of foes in the path of her becoming a centenarian - the coronavirus. And, she mananged to get the better of it, stunning doctors and family members alike.

Samanta, at 99 years and 11 months, was admitted to a designated Covid-19 hospital in Fuleswar area on November 24 with fever and breathing trouble.

Subhasis Mitra, director of the hospital, said she had numerous complications, and a medical team had to be set up to assess her health condition.

Tamil Nadu Congress chief K S Alagiri has tested positive for coronavirus

Tamil Nadu Congress chief K S Alagiri has tested positive for coronavirus, the party said on Sunday. The former Lok Sabha MP has been admitted to a private hospital for treatment,

Indonesia minister turns himself in for Covid-19 aid graft

Indonesia's social affairs minister turned himself in to anti-corruption authorities Sunday to face charges of taking bribes related to the government's Covid-19 aid distribution.

Social Affairs Minister Juliari Batubara arrived at the Corruption Eradication Commission's headquarters in the capital, Jakarta, hours after the commission's Chairman Firli Bahuri called on him to surrender in a news conference just before midnight Saturday.

Britain's Queen Elizabeth to get Covid-19 vaccine 'in weeks': Reports

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II will receive the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine within weeks after UK regulators granted emergency approval and the world's first roll-out begins next week, reports late Saturday said.

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Arunachal Pradesh reports 17 new Covid-19 cases

Seventeen more people tested positive for Covid-19 in Arunachal Pradesh, pushing the tally in the state to 16,384, a senior health department official said here on Sunday.

Of the 17 fresh cases, six were reported from the Capital Complex region, three from Tawang and two from Upper Siang, State Surveillance Officer (SSO) Dr Lobsang Jampa said.

Covid-19 caseload in India rises to 96.44 lakh

India's Covid-19 caseload rose to 96.44 lakh, while the total number of people who have recuperated from the disease crossed 91 lakh pushing the national recovery rate to 94.37 per cent, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Sunday.

The Covid-19 active caseload plunged to almost 4 lakh after 138 days.

The total coronavirus cases mounted to 96,44,222 with 36,011 new infections being reported in a day, while the death toll crossed to 1.40 lakh with 482 new fatalities, the data updated at 8 am showed.

China prepares large-scale rollout of Covid-19 vaccines

Provincial governments across China are placing orders for experimental, domestically made coronavirus vaccines, though health officials have yet to say how well they work or how they may reach the country's 1.4 billion people.

Developers are speeding up final testing, the Chinese foreign minister said Thursday during a UN meeting, as Britain issued approval for emergency use of Pfizer Inc.'s vaccine candidate and providers scrambled to set up distribution.

Mizoram's Covid-19 caseload rises to 3,934 with 21 new cases

At least 21 people, including two Border Security Force jawans, have tested positive for novel coronavirus in Mizoram, pushing the tally to 3,934, an official said on Sunday.

Among the fresh cases, a policeman, who was recently discharged from a Covid-19 Care Centre after testing negative, contracted the virus for the second time, he said.

Mizoram now has 220 active cases, while 3,708 people have recovered from the disease, he said.

India reports 36,011 new Covid-19 cases, 482 deaths take toll past 1.4 lakh

US sets another record for Covid cases in one day

For the third day in a row, the United States on Saturday notched a record number of coronavirus cases in 24 hours, reaching nearly 230,000 new infections, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.

In that same stretch the US recorded 2,527 Covid-related deaths, according to real-time data provided by the Baltimore-based university at 8:30 pm (0130 GMT Saturday).

Mainland China reports 18 new Covid-19 cases for Dec 5

Mainland China reported 18 new Covid-19 cases on Dec. 5, up from 17 cases from a day earlier, the country's national health authority said on Sunday.

The National Health Commission said in a statement that 17 of the new cases were imported infections. The number of new asymptomatic cases, which China does not classify as confirmed cases, fell to 2 from 12 a day earlier.

Australian state eases restrictions for 'Covid safe' summer

Australia's Victoria state eased Covid-19 restrictions on Sunday after the country's pandemic hotspot recorded 37 days without any new coronavirus infections, moving toward a "Covid-safe" holiday season.

From midnight on Sunday, up to 100 people will be able to attend public gatherings such as weddings, with density rules of one person per two square metres remaining in place, while 50 per cent of office workers will be able to return to workplaces by Jan. 11, up from 25 per cent now, the state's premier said.

Mexico registers 11,625 new coronavirus cases, 593 more deaths

Mexico's Health Ministry on Saturday reported 11,625 new confirmed cases of coronavirus infection and an additional 593 fatalities, bringing the total in the country to 1,168,395 cases and 109,456 deaths.

The government says the real number of infected people is likely significantly higher than the confirmed cases.

S.Korea reports 631 new coronavirus cases as new restrictions loom

South Korea reported 631 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, ahead of an expected government decision on whether to further tighten social distancing curbs as health authorities struggle to contain a third wave of outbreaks.

This brings the country's total tally to 37,546, with 545 deaths, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency reported.

Britain's Queen Elizabeth to get Covid-19 vaccine 'in weeks': Reports

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II will receive the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine within weeks, after UK regulators granted emergency approval and the world's first roll-out begins next week, reports late Saturday said.

The monarch, 94, and her 99-year-old husband Prince Philip are in line to get the jab early due to their age and will not receive preferential treatment, the Mail on Sunday reported.

Britain gets ready for roll-out of Pfizer's Covid-19 vaccine this week

Britain is preparing to become the first country to roll out the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine this week, initially making the shot available at hospitals before distributing stocks to doctors' clinics, the government said on Sunday.

The first doses are set to be administered on Tuesday, with the National Health Service (NHS) giving top priority to vaccinating the over-80s, frontline healthcare workers and care home staff and residents.

Most of California to be under stay-at-home orders as Covid-19 surges

California's two most densely inhabited regions and its agricultural breadbasket will be under stay-at-home orders by Sunday night as the Covid-19 pandemic strains hospitals in the most populous U.S. state, officials said.

Designed to kick in when intensive care units in any of five regions have little remaining capacity, the order affecting Southern California and the San Joaquin Valley will close bars, hair salons and barbershops, and allows restaurants to remain open only for takeout and delivery service.

Brazil registers 43,209 new cases of coronavirus -health ministry

Brazil reported 43,209 additional confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in the past 24 hours, and 664 deaths from Covid-19, the Health Ministry said on Saturday.

The South American country has now registered 6,577,177 cases since the pandemic began, while the official death toll has risen to 176,628, according to ministry data, in the world's third worst outbreak outside the United States and India.

Fine up to Rs 1 lakh for hotels, other establishments violating Covid-19 rules

In its biggest crackdown on commercial establishments violating Covid-19 norms, the BBMP has proposed a fine of up to Rs 1 lakh on hotels, theatres, malls, marriage halls and event organisers who fail to ensure use of masks and social distancing norms.

In a new order issued on Saturday evening, BBMP Commissioner N Manjunatha Prasad said commercial establishments have an obligation to ensure that people on their premises follow Covid-19 containment rules.