Coronavirus news highlights: Karnataka clocks 952 fresh Covid-19 cases, nine deaths

India reported 21,821 new Covid-19 cases, 26,139 recoveries, and 299 deaths in last 24 hours, as per Union Health Ministry on Thursday. Anticipating a huge turnout at Bengaluru’s central business district on New Year’s eve, police have banned vehicles on some CBD roads from 8 pm on December 31 to 6 am on January 1. The United States is expected to approve the low-cost AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine in April, a senior official said, more than three months after Britain's green light on Wednesday.Oxford and AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine can be 80 per cent effective when there are three months between shots, an official involved in approving the vaccine in Britain said, but there is insufficient evidence to back a regime involving a half dose.

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Karnataka clocks 952 fresh Covid-19 cases, nine deaths

Karnataka on Thursday logged 952 fresh Covid-19 cases and nine deaths taking the infection count to 9,19,496 and the toll to 12,090, the state health department said.

The number of United Kingdom returnees testing positive for Covid-19 rose to 33 with two more additions on Thursday, it said. A total of 2,028 tests had been done for those who travelled from the UK, where a new strain of the virus has been detected.

Of this, 1,887 samples returned negative and the test reports of 61 people were awaited. So far, seven people have been found to be carrying the new strain in the state and are being treated in designated government hospitals.

Sikkim reports 12 new Covid-19 cases, tally rises to 5,889

Sikkim reported 12 fresh Covid- 19 cases in the last 24 hours, taking the tally in the Himalayan state to 5,889, an official said on Thursday.

The state Information Education and Communication (IEC) member Sonam Bhutia said that East Sikkim district registered seven positive cases followed by three in South Sikkim and two in West Sikkim district.

38 UK returnees found Covid-19 positive in Delhi; new strain detected in 7

Seven people who recently arrived in Delhi from the UK and tested positive for COVID-19 have been found infected with the new strain of coronavirus, officials said on Thursday.

Interacting with reporters earlier in the day, Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain said a total of 38 people have been found positive since coming to Delhi from the UK recently, and kept in a separate institutional isolation unit on the LNJP Hospital premises.

6 deaths, 271 fresh coronavirus cases in Haryana

Haryana on Thursday reported six more coronavirus deaths as 271 fresh cases pushed the state’s infection tally to 2,62,325, according to a bulletin.

So far, 2,905 people have died from the infection in the state.

According to the bulletin, two deaths each were reported from Hisar and Panipat and one each from Jhajjar and Kaithal districts. Gurgaon reported the maximum 61 cases, followed by 30 in Faridabad.

Gujarat registers 780 Covid-19 cases, 916 recoveries; 4 die

Gujarat recorded 780 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, taking its count to 2,45,038, while four more patients succumbed to the infection, the state Health Department said.

With the addition of 780 new cases, Gujarat's Covid-19 tally reached 2,45,038, while the death toll increased to 4,306, said a release by the department.

Also, 916 patients were discharged from hospitals during the day, taking the count of recovered cases to 2,30,893, it said.

844 new coronavirus cases in Madhya Pradesh, 11 deaths, 866 recoveries

Madhya Pradesh on Thursday reported 844 new Covid-19 cases, taking the total case count to 2,41,791, a health official said.

With eleven more people succumbing to the viral infection, the death toll rose to 3,606.

A total of 866 patients were discharged from hospitals since Wednesday evening, taking the state's overall recovery count to 2,28,831.

971 people test positive for infection, 12 die in UP: Official

Uttar Pradesh on Thursday reported 971 new cases of coronavirus infection, taking the contamination tally to 5,85,902 even as 12 people died of Covid-19 raising the death toll due to the disease to 8,364.

The number of active cases stood at 14,260 in the state with 6,337 recuperating in home isolation and 1,275 getting treatment in private hospitals, Additional Chief Secretary Health Amit Mohan Prasad said.

6 new Covid-19 cases push Nagaland s tally to 11,927

Six more persons have tested positive for Covid-19 in Nagaland, pushing the tally in the state to 11,927, a Health department official said on Wednesday.

The six new cases were reported from Kohima (3), Dimapur (2) and Mokokchung (1), the official said.

85 new coronavirus cases, two deaths in Goa

Goa recorded 85 coronavirus cases on Thursday to take its tally to 51,066, a health department official said.

The death toll due to the pandemic in the state reached 739 as two patients died during the day.

The number of recovered persons in the state rose to 49,388 with 75 patients getting discharged on Thursday.

32 UK returnees test positive in Kerala; Over 5K new Covid-19 cases

As many as 32 people, who recently returned from the UK, have tested positive for Covid-19 in Kerala, while the state recorded 5,215 fresh infections and 30 more fatalities on Thursday.

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3,509 new coronavirus cases in Maharashtra, 58 deaths

Maharashtra's Covid-19 caseload rose to 19,32,112 on Thursday with 3,509 fresh cases being reported.

As many as 58 coronavirus patients died during the day, taking the death toll to 49,521, thestate health department said.

On the other hand, 3,612 patients were discharged from hospitals, taking the number of recovered persons to 18,28,546.

UAE again posts record new daily virus cases

For the second consecutive day, the United Arab Emirates has shattered its single-day record of new coronavirus infections, with 1,730 cases recorded ahead of New Years Eve celebrations expected to draw tens of thousands of revelers to Dubai from around the world.

The record figures come after the UAE said it detected its first known cases of the new, fast-spreading variant of the virus in people arriving from abroad.

Schools to reopen partially in Kerala from January 1

Schools in Kerala, remained closed since the imposition of coronavirus lockdown in March, will reopen partially on January 1, marking a new beginning in the education sector, but strictly in compliance with Covid protocols.

The classes for 10th and 12th standards would begin with limited hours and restricted number of students, official sources here said on Thursday. State Health Minister K K Shailaja said here on Thursday that the academic year, which comes at a time of Covid pandemic, should be dealt with confidence but caution.

Andhra Pradesh Covid-19 tally reaches 8.82 lakh, adds 338 fresh cases

Andhra Pradesh Covid-19 tally rose to 8.82 lakh as 338 cases were added afresh in 24 hours ending 9 am on Thursday. The latest bulletin said 328 patients had recovered and four more succumbed in a day.

The number of active cases in the state now reduced to 3,262 after a total of 8,71,916 recoveries and 7,108 deaths.

Comic John Bishop shares Covid-19 diagnosis

Comedian and TV personality John Bishop has said he and his wife Melanie Bishop have contracted the novel coronavirus, describing the disease "the worst illness" he has ever had.

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Health Ministry releases communication strategy to support Covid-19 vaccine rollout

The Union Health Ministry on Thursday released a communication strategy to support the Covid-19 vaccine rollout in India that seeks to disseminate accurate and transparent information by alleviating apprehensions and ensuring its acceptance.

The 88-page document details information to guide national, state and district level communication activities to enable information about Covid-19 vaccines and vaccination process reaches all people, across all states in the country.

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South Korea moves coronavirus patients out of nursing homes as deaths mount

Dozens of elderly South Korean coronavirus patients were transferred from nursing homes to hospitals this week after criticism that government policy had led to a spike in deaths among the vulnerable residents.

South Korea's total tally of infections passed 60,000 on Thursday, as 967 additional cases were reported.

At least 486 of South Korea's 900 reported deaths were people over the age of 80. Only 40 deaths have been reported among people younger than 60.

Odisha reports 315 new Covid-19 cases, 2 fresh fatalities

Odisha's Covid-19 tally rose to 3,29,621 on Thursday as 315 more people tested positive for the infection, while two fresh fatalities pushed the state's coronavirus death toll to 1,873, a health official said.

As many as 181 new cases were reported in quarantine centres and 134 infections were detected during contact tracing, he said.

Night curfew in Odisha on Dec 31 due to Covid

The Odisha government has imposed a night curfew from 10 pm on Thursday to avoid large gatherings during the New Year celebrations in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, an official said.

The restriction will remain in place till 5 am on Friday, Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) P K Jena said.

Taking to Twitter, the SRC said, "Govt (Government) of Odisha imposing night curfew from 10 pm of tonight to 5 am tomorrow across the state. General public requested to cooperate. All essential services & movements are allowed to continue during the curfew hours."

All states, UTs to begin dry run of Covid-19 vaccine on January 2

A dry run for Covid-19 vaccination will be conducted by all state and union territory administrations on January 2 to test the linkages between planning and implementation and to identify the challenges, the Centre said on Thursday.

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China confirms first case of UK coronavirus variant

The new strain, which experts say potentially spreads faster than the original variant, has prompted travel restrictions on the UK by more than 50 countries -- including China, where the coronavirus first emerged late last year.

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All states to begin dry run of Covid-19 vaccine on January 2

India will conduct a dry run of Covid-19 vaccine in all states on January 2, 2021.The activity is proposed to be conducted in all state capitals in at least 3 session sites.

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38 UK returnees to Delhi found positive for Covid-19; new strain detected in 4 patients

Four persons who recently came to Delhi from the UK and tested positive for Covid-19, have been found infected with the new strain of coronavirus, Health Minister Satyendar Jain said on Thursday.

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Covid-19 shook, rattled and rolled the global economy in 2020

When 2020 dawned, the global economy had just notched its 10th straight year of uninterrupted growth, a streak most economists and government finance officials expected to persist for years ahead in a 21st Century version of the "Roaring '20s."

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India's Covid-19 recovery rate crosses 96%

India has crossed a significant milestone in its fight against coronavirus, with the national Covid-19 recovery rate crossing 96 per cent, one of the highest globally, the Union Health Ministry said on Thursday.

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Section 144 in Bengaluru from 12 pm: Confusion prevails after Karnataka government's late-night order

After triggering confusion over the imposition of Night Curfew across Karnataka, the state government yet again created confusion on Thursday by ordering prohibitory orders starting from Thursday noon. The overnight orders by the Bengaluru City Police Commissioner have left several people fuming at the state government on frequent changes in its decisions leading to confusion among the public.

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Explained: All you need to know about the new coronavirus variant

Does it spread more easily? Make people sicker? Mean that treatments and vaccines won't work? Questions are multiplying as fast as new variants of the coronavirus, especially the one moving through England and now popping up in the US and other countries.

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Four patients have been found to be positive for the new strain of Coronavirus in Delhi. Flights have been banned and more passengers are not arriving. We are tracing & monitoring people who have already arrived: Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain.

India reports 5 more cases of UK coronavirus variant

Four new cases were found in samples tested by NIV, Pune and one new case sequenced in IGIB, Delhi. All 25 persons are in physical isolation at health facilities, the Union Health Ministry said.

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Will gain control of Covid-19 pandemic, get back to normal by Autumn 2021, says Dr Anthony Fauci

The leading US infectious disease specialist, DrAnthony Fauci, said on Wednesday he foresees America achieving enough collective Covid-19 immunity through vaccinations to regain "some semblance of normality" by autumn 2021, despite early setbacks in the vaccine rollout.

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China gives conditional approval to Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine

The vaccine is an inactivated, two-dose vaccine from the Beijing Institute of Biological Products, a subsidiary of state-owned conglomerate Sinopharm. The company announced Wednesday that preliminary data from last-stage trials had shown it to be 79.3 per cent effective.

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US reports 3,927 Covid-19 deaths, a new daily record

More than 3,900 people died of Covid-19 in the US Wednesday, according to a count released by Johns Hopkins University, a new daily record for fatalities from the virus.

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India reports 21,821 new Covid-19 cases, 26,139 recoveries, and 299 deaths in last 24 hours, as per Union Health Ministry.

A total of 17,20,49,274 samples tested for Covid-19 up to December 30. Of these, 11,27,244 samples were tested yesterday: Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

UK coronavirus variant found in California

The highly infectious coronavirus variant originally discovered in Britain has been detected in California, California Governor Gavin Newsom said on Wednesday, a day after the first known US case was documented in Colorado.

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UK coronavirus variant in Colorado, California alarms scientists

A contagious variant of the coronavirus spreading through Britain has left that nation grappling with new lockdowns, curtailed air travel and a surge in infections. Now it has appeared in Colorado and California.

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In order to control the spread of Covid-19, it is mandatory for devotees coming to the Magh Mela, Prayagraj and Sant Samagam, Mathura and other fairs to bring negative test report conducted within 5 days: Government of Uttar Pradesh. (ANI)

Premier League under pressure as Covid-19 wreaks fresh havoc

Premier League chiefs postponed a third English top-flight match due to coronavirus outbreaks on Wednesday but said they had full confidence in their protocols despite calls for a "circuit-breaker".

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25 days that changed the world: How Covid-19 slipped from China’s grip

Celebrated as the hero who helped uncover the severe acute respiratory syndrome epidemic, or SARS, 17 years ago, Dr. Zhong Nanshan, now 84, was under orders to rush to Wuhan, a city in central China, and investigate a strange new coronavirus.

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US expects to approve UK-backed AstraZeneca-Oxford Covid-19 vaccine in April

The United States is expected to approve the low-cost AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine in April, a senior official said, more than three months after Britain's green light on Wednesday.

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Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine can be up to 80% effective with a delay between doses: UK Official

Oxford and AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine can be 80 per cent effective when there are three months between shots, an official involved in approving the vaccine in Britain said, but there is insufficient evidence to back a regime involving a half dose.

Read more here

New Year: Bengaluru to impose Section 144 from 12 noon today

Anticipating a huge turnout atBengaluru’scentral business district on New Year’s eve, police have banned vehicles on some CBD roads from 8 pm on December 31 to 6 am on January 1.

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