Coronavirus news highlights: West Bengal reports 3,246 new Covid-19 cases and 49 deaths

In its most recent update, the Union Health Ministry placed the total number of coronavirus cases at 95,34,965 and the death toll at 1,38,648. The Ministry said that 89,73,373 people have so far recovered from the infection.

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Karnataka government to not impose night curfew again

Karnataka Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Thursday said the state government has no intention of imposing night curfew again in view of the Covid-19 situation in the state.

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Vaccine can't undo damage from Covid-19; it’s time to reset: UN chief Guterres

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Thursday warned that a Covid-19 vaccine cannot undo the damage that will stretch for decades to come, underlining that long-term fragilities, inequalities and injustices have been exposed by the pandemic and it is now “time to reset.”

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West Bengal reports 3,246 new Covid-19 cases, 3,257 recoveries, and 49 deaths in the last 24 hours: State Health Department.

Facebook bans false claims about Covid-19 vaccines

Facebook Inc on Thursday said it would remove false claims about Covid-19 vaccines that have been debunked by public health experts, following a similar announcement by Alphabet Inc's YouTube in October.

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Karnataka records 1,446 new Covid-19 cases, 13 deaths

Karnataka has reported 1,446 new cases of Covid-19 and 13 related fatalities, taking the total number of infections to 8,89,113 and the death toll to 11,821, the Health department said on Thursday.

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Fortune or foresight? AstraZeneca and Oxford's stories clash on Covid-19 vaccine

AstraZeneca and Oxford University have given conflicting accounts of how they came upon the most effective dosing pattern for their Covid-19 vaccine, a rare instance of public dissension between major institutions collaborating on a pivotal project.

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Rajasthan records 2,086 fresh coronavirus cases, 20 more fatalities, bringing infection tally to 2,74,486 and death toll to 2,370; number of active cases stands at 25,544: Official report

Maharashtra reports 5182 new Covid-19 cases, 8066 discharges and 115 deaths today.

AIIMS Director hopeful of emergency use of Covid-19 vaccine by December-end

AIIMS Director Dr Randeep Guleria on Thursday expressed hope that by the end of December or early January next year, at least one of the five vaccines being locally-tested should get emergency use authorisation from the drug regulator to be administered to the public starting with priority groups.

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Karnataka records 1,446 new coronavirus cases, 894 discharges, and 13 deaths, according to State Health Department.

West Bengal government caps price of RT-PCR test in private labs at Rs 950: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

Pregnant women in rural areas of Nainital to be brought in 'dolis' to hospitals

Addressing the needs of rural women who have to walk miles to reach the nearest hospital even during pregnancy, the Nainital district administration has introduced a palanquin service for ferrying women in labour to hospitals.

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Tamil Nadu reports 1416 new Covid-19 cases, 14 deaths and 1413 discharges today. Tally of positive cases in the state stands at 7,86,163 and the death toll is at 11,747.

Covid-19: WHO looks at possible 'e-vaccination certificates' for travel

The World Health Organization does not recommend countries issuing "immunity passports" for those who have recovered from Covid-19, but is investigating the prospects of using e-vaccination certificates, a WHO medical expert said on Thursday.

"We are looking very closely into the use of technology in this Covid-19 response, one of them how we can work with member states toward an e-vaccination certificate," he told a virtual briefing in Copenhagen. (Reuters)

Morning walkers at Botanical Garden after it reopened for visitors, amid the coronavirus pandemic, in Shibpur of Kolkata. Credit: PTI

Ho, ho - Whoa! Covid-19 keeping most Santas at a distance

This is Santa Claus in the Coronavirus Age, where visits are conducted with layers of protection or online. Putting hundreds of kids daily onto Santa's lap to talk into his face — that's not happening for most.

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It's not game over in Covid-19 fight, warns UK PM Boris Johnson

Prime Minister Boris Johnson sought to strike a note of caution amid the excitement of the UK becoming the first country to approve the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine against Covid-19, warning that it is not “game over” for the deadly virus just yet.

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Allow partial schools reopening from January for class 10, 12: CISCE writes to all CMs

The Chief Executive and Secretary Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) has written to all chief ministers to allow schools to reopen partially from January onwards, especially for students of class 10 and 12 who will be appearing for board exams.

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Daily Covid-19 recoveries outnumber daily new cases

India has reported more daily Covid-19 recoveries than the daily new infections in the last 24 hours leading to a net decline of 5,701 cases from the total active caseload which fell below the 4.5 per cent mark on Thursday, the Union health ministry said.

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AAP govt has failed to make arrangements to fight Covid-19: Congress

Delhi Congress leaders and workers on Thursday, during protests across the city, alleged that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government has "failed" to make arrangements to fight Covid-19 and demanded the resignation of Health Minister Satyendar Jain.

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Bihar reported 571 new Covid-19 infections on second December, taking total active cases in the state to 6,073.

Puducherry reported 42 new Covid-19 cases, 27 discharges and one death today. Total positive cases in the Union Territory rise to 37,119 till date, including 444 active cases, 36,062 recoveries & 613 deaths: Govt of Puducherry.

Criminal networks could try to sell fake Covid-19 vaccines physically and on internet, warns Interpol

In an Orange notice issued to all 194 member countries on Wednesday, the Lyon-based international police cooperation body warned agencies to prepare for potential criminal activity in relation to "the falsification, theft and illegal advertising of Covid-19 and flu vaccines".

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Committed to engaging with Indian govt to make vaccine available in country: Pfizer

The UK on Wednesday became the first country to approve the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine against Covid-19 with the UK regulator Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)granting a temporary authorisation for its emergency use.

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How the world has sped up Covid-19 vaccine approvals

As authorities in the US and Europe probe other candidates, here is how countries have sped up their approval procedures to face up to the pandemic.

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AAP govt has failed to make arrangements to fight Covid-19: Congress

Delhi Congress leaders and workers on Thursday, during protests across the city, alleged that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government has "failed" to make arrangements to fight Covid-19 and demanded the resignation of Health Minister Satyendar Jain.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal should remove Jain, city Congress president Anil Chaudhary said while citing that the national capital has recorded over 9,000 deaths due to the novel coronavirus.

India's daliy Covid-19 recoveries outnumber daily new cases

India has reported more daily Covid-19 recoveries than the daily new infections in the last 24 hours leading to a net decline of 5,701 cases from the total active caseload which fell below the 4.5 per cent mark on Thursday, the Union health ministry said.

There are 4,22,943 active coronavirus infections in the country which comprises 4.44 per cent of the total caseload, the data showed.

Finland to vaccine its population for free against Covid-19

Finland's government said on Thursday it had agreed a national strategy for COVID-19 vaccinations, planning to give them to everyone and to begin with vaccinating selected healthcare staff from January onwards.

"Finland's goal is to protect the entire population by offering the vaccine free of charge to all those willing and who don't have a health obstacle," Minister of Social Affairs and Health Krista Kiuru told reporters on Thursday.

Covid-19: No night curfew in Delhi for now, AAP govt tells HC

The AAP government informed the Delhi High Court on Thursday that no night curfew would be imposed in the national capital, or parts of it, for now, to contain the spread of coronavirus.

The submission was made before a bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Subramonium Prasad in response to the court's query on November 26 as to whether night curfew would be imposed in Delhi to contain spread of Covid-19 infection, as has been done in some other states.

Hungary reports record 182 daily Covid deaths

Hungary reported 182 new Covid-19 deaths on Thursday, by far the highest daily toll since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, government data showed.

Thursday's tally brought the total number of deaths to 5,324, while infections rose by 6,635 to 231,844. As of Wednesday, Hungary ran the European Union's fifth-highest death rate per 100,000 people over a two-week period based on data from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.

12 new cases push Mizoram's Covid-19 tally to 3,881

Mizoram's Covid-19 tally mounted to 3,881 on Thursday as 12 more people tested positive for the infection, a health official said.

Eight fresh infections were detected in Aizawl, two in Lawngtlai and one each in Lunglei and Kolasib districts, he said.

Russia reports record 28,145 new coronavirus cases, 554 deaths

Russia confirmed a record 28,145 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, including 7,750 in Moscow, taking the national total to 2,375,546.

Authorities also reported 554 deaths in the last 24 hours, pushing the official death toll to 41,607 since the pandemic began.

Why the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine is not coming to India any time soon

As countries to race to develop and get their hands on a Covid-19 vaccine, all eyes are now on the Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA vaccine after the UK gave its nod on Wednesday, becoming the first country in the West to approve mass rollout. However, it is unlikely to be available in India any time soon.

This is mainly because the pharma major has not held any clinical trials of its vaccine in India and the extremely cold temperatures required to store the vaccines pose a logistical challenge not just for India, but for most countries in the world.

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Puducherry clocks 42 new coronavirus cases, one more death

Puducherry posted 42 fresh cases of Covid-19 on Thursday pushing the overall tally to 37,119 while one related fatality took the toll to 613. The new cases were identified after examination of 2,820 samples in the last 24 hours.

Director of Health and Family Welfare S Mohan Kumar said in a release that a 45 year old woman from Villianoor died of the viral infection at JIPMER.

Odisha reported 434 new Covid-19 cases on Thursday, taking the state's tally to 3,20,017, a Health Department official said.

Karnataka hospitals report spate of suspected Covid-19 reinfections

The thought of contracting Covid-19 may be unsavoury in itself. Now, hospitals are noting cases of suspected reinfections with the number said to be as high as 100.

Officially, the government says there is no laboratory evidence of Covid-19 reinfection in Karnataka. But that has not stopped several government and private hospitals to report cases tentatively billed as “clinical possible reinfections,” because they manifest all the clinical indications of reinfection.

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South Korea reaches deal to buy AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine candidate

South Korea has reached a deal with AstraZeneca PLC to purchase its coronavirus vaccine candidate as it seeks to secure supplies amid a resurgence of outbreaks, local media reported on Thursday.

The government has said it was in final talks with global drugmakers including AstraZeneca, Pfizer Inc and Johnson & Johnson over their experimental vaccines, and launched a preliminary review of AstraZeneca's product in October for potential fast-track approval.

Covid-19 : 609 new cases, 3 death in Telangana

Telangana registered 609 fresh coronavirus cases, taking the aggregate to over 2.71 lakh while three fatalities pushed the toll to 1,465. Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) accounted for the most number of cases with 114, followed by Rangareddy 48 and Medchal Malkajgiri 45 , a government bulletin said on Thursday providing details as of 8 pm on December 2.

Los Angeles city issues remain-at-home order to all residents

The mayor of the city of Los Angeles announced an emergency order late on Wednesday directing all residents within the city to remain in their homes effective immediately.

Mayor Eric Garcetti, temporarily withdrew the earlier "safer-at-home" order, and issued the new order "necessary for the protection of life and property" in the city.

Cars are lined up at Dodger Stadium for Covid-19 testing in Los Angeles, California. Residents of the city of Los Angeles this evening were given an emergency order 'to remain in their homes' effective immediately amid a surge of coronavirus cases.

AFP Photo

India's coronavirus infections below 40,000 for fourth day in a row

India's daily rise in coronavirus infections stayed below 40,000 for a fourth straight day, as 35,551 new cases took the tally to 9.53 millon, health ministry data showed on Thursday.

India's daily rate has fallen since the south Asian nation reported the world's highest such tallies through most of August and September, despite a busy festival season last month that experts had warned could trigger a spike in infections.

4 security personnel among 24 new Covid-19 patients in Arunachal Pradesh

Arunachal Pradesh's Covid-19 tally mounted to 16,320 on Thursday as 24 more people, including four security personnel, tested positive for the infection, a senior health official said.

Single-day recoveries continued to outnumber fresh cases as 32 more people were cured of the disease, State Surveillance Officer Dr Lobsang Jampa said.

Jharkhand reports 206 new Covid-19 cases, 2 fresh fatalities

Jharkhand's Covid-19 tally mounted to 1,09,538 on Thursday as 206 more people tested positive for the infection, a health official said.

Two more patients succumbed to the infection, pushing the state's coronavirus death toll to 971, he said.

Ranchi district registered the highest number of new cases at 85, followed by East Singhbhum (20) and Dhanbad (18), the official said.

Germany's confirmed coronavirus cases rise by 22,046

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 22,046 to 1,106,789, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Thursday.

The reported death toll rose by 479 to 17,602, the tally showed.

India reports 35,551 new Covid-19 cases, 526 deaths

Karnataka hospitals report spate of suspected Covid-19 reinfections

The thought of contracting Covid-19 may be unsavoury in itself. Now, hospitals are noting cases of suspected reinfections with the number said to be as high as 100.

Officially, the government says there is no laboratory evidence of Covid-19 reinfection in Karnataka. But that has not stopped several government and private hospitals to report cases tentatively billed as “clinical possible reinfections,” because they manifest all the clinical indications of reinfection.

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Nearly 100 world leaders to speak at UN session on Covid-19

Nearly 100 world leaders and several dozen ministers are slated to speak at the U.N. General Assembly's special session starting Thursday on the response to Covid-19 and the best path to recovery from the pandemic which has claimed 1.5 million lives, shattered economies, and left tens of millions of people unemployed in countries rich and poor.

Assembly President Volkan Bozkir said when he took the reins of the 193-member world body in September that it would have been better to hold the high-level meeting in June.

US now has more than 100,000 Covid-19 patients in hospitals

The number of Covid-19 patients in US hospitals has surpassed 100,000 for the first time, nearly double the number from spring during the coronavirus’s deadly first wave, according to the Covid Tracking Project.

The Tracking Project on Wednesday put the number of patients at 100,226.

The relentless rise in hospitalizations follows a rapid climb in new cases, which now number more than 1 million every week. And deaths, a so-called lagging indicator that tends to spike after a rise in hospitalizations, have also been rising fast. They have now passed 270,000 in the US.

NBA-Forty-eight players test positive for Covid-19 as league gears up for new season

Forty-eight NBA players tested positive for Covid-19, the league said on Wednesday, as players returned to their team's home markets for the start of the 2020-21 season on Dec. 22.

The NBA said it tested 546 players as part of its "initial return-to-market testing phase," which kicked off between Nov. 24 and Nov. 30. Anyone who tested positive was placed in isolation until cleared under league rules.

Mainland China reports 16 new Covid-19 cases vs 9 a day earlier

Mainland China reported 16 new Covid-19 cases on Dec. 2, up from nine cases a day earlier, the country's national health authority said on Thursday.

The National Health Commission said all of the new cases were imported infections originating from overseas. The number of new asymptomatic cases, which China does not classify as confirmed cases, rose to six from three a day earlier.

Mexico reports 11,251 new coronavirus cases, 800 more deaths

Mexico's health ministry on Wednesday reported 11,251 new confirmed cases of coronavirus infection and 800 additional fatalities, bringing the total in the country to 1,133,613 cases and 107,565 deaths.

The 11,251 new cases announced on Wednesday represent one of the biggest one-day totals recorded by Mexico since the pandemic began.

US Covid daily death toll surpasses 2,700, highest since April

The US death toll from the coronavirus surpassed 2,700 in one day as of Wednesday evening, the highest since April, Johns Hopkins University said.

The new tally of 2,731 fatalities raises the overall known death toll in America to 273,181 since the pandemic started late last year.

The number of new infections over the past 24 hours was 195,121, the university said.

Now, smart Covid-19 vaccination strategy to check spread

The Union Health Ministry has prepared a “smart vaccination strategy” under which only a select group of people may be given the Covid-19 vaccination with the aim of breaking the chain of transmission, leaving out the vast majority.

The strategy, according to the experts, is distinctly different from the previous plan of protecting every individual through universal Covid-19 vaccination as highlighted even by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a review meeting in June.

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A Turkish-German couple may save us from the coronavirus. So why is Germany uneasy?

When the German company BioNTech and Pfizer announced last month that they had very promising results for a vaccine against the coronavirus, my Twitter feed went wild.

Alongside the flood of congratulations and expressions of joy, there was cause for special jubilation: Ugur Sahin and Özlem Türeci, the couple who founded and run BioNTech, are Germans of Turkish descent. Their story promised to challenge the resentment against immigrants that over the past decade has become pervasive in German public life.

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