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Coronavirus News LATEST Updates: Covaxin, being developed in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research and the National Institute of Virology, is now undergoing Phase 3 trials. Health Canada approved the COVID-19 vaccine developed by American biotech firm Moderna two weeks after authorising immunisations with the Pfizer/BioNTech shot. The UK has announced immediate quarantine for anyone who has travelled to South Africa, with reports quoting UK health secretary Matt Hancock as saying that the South Africa variant is more infectious than the UK variant. In view of COVID-19 pandemic, public prayers or gatherings will not be allowed in Gujarat during Christmas and New Year, the state government said on Wednesday. At the same time, the government allowed local authorities to take a call on allowing celebrations at public places “in special cases”. A total of 11 people, who travelled from the UK to Delhi in four flights, have tested positive for coronavirus, said reports. As per India Today, over 950 persons have been tested so far and the samples which tested positive have been sent to the NCDC for genome sequencing. As many as 1,688 passengers arrived at the Mumbai international airport from the UK and other countries since Monday midnight and 745 of them were quarantined in the city, a civic official said on Wednesday. Mumbai municipal commissioner on Monday had announced that all passengers arriving from the UK, other European countries and from West Asia will have to be under institutional quarantine for seven days. It could not be ascertained if any of these 745 passengers were found to have COVID-19 symptoms. Amid concerns over a new variant of the coronavirus detected in the United Kingdom, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that those who came to the state from abroad between 25 November and 8 December should undergo tests for detection of COVID-19. Those who arrive in UP from abroad after 9 December must undergo RT-PCR test, he told officials at a review meeting. Board examinations for Classes 10 and 12 will be held in June one after another, said West Bengal Education Minister Partha Chatterjee. The class 10 (Madhyamik) exams will be held first and the class 12 (Ucchya Madhyamik) examinations after that, he said. Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ had earlier ruled out conducting board examinations till February next year in view of the COVID-19 situation. Delhi health minister Satyendar Jain on Wednesday said people who have arrived in Delhi from the UK are being rigorously traced and tested for any COVID-19-like symptoms. He asserted that the coronavirus situation in the city is under control with the positivity rate plummeting to below one percent. The Maharashtra government on Wednesday widened the scope of the night curfew, which was imposed in municipal limits on Tuesday amid growing concerns over the emergence of a new coronavirus strain in UK. As a precautionary step amid growing concerns over the mutated COVID-19 variant, the state government clamped a curfew from 11 pm to 6 am in the limits of 27 municipal corporations, including Mumbai, from 22 December to 5 January. Taking to Twitter, the former Congress president also shared a ‘COVID-19 vaccinations’ chart showing China ahead followed by the United States, United Kingdom and Russia. Chilean authorities announced that at least 58 people that were at two military bases in Antarctica or on a navy ship that went to the continent tested positive for the new coronavirus. The night curfew has been imposed to contain the coronavirus strain found in the UK. We are also monitoring international passengers arriving in Karnataka, said health minister Dr K Sudhakar on Wednesday. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 96,63,382 pushing the national recovery rate to 95.69 percent, while the COVID-19 case fatality rate stands at 1.45 percent. According to BBMP officials, Prasad had slight fever and related symptoms and has been admitted to Mallige Hospital in Bengaluru. India reported 23,950 fresh cases of the novel coronavirus and 333 deaths in the past 24 hours, said the Union health ministry on Wednesday, as the country continued to witness a declining trend in average daily infections. A total of 16,42,68,721 COVID-19 samples have been tested up to 22 December. Of these, 10,98,164 samples were tested on Tuesday alone, said ICMR. There is no need to panic over the mutated variant of SARS-CoV-2 detected in the UK, the government said on Tuesday, asserting that no such variant or any significant mutation in the coronavirus strain has been seen in India yet. NITI Aayog member (health) Dr VK Paul, during a press briefing, also said the mutated SARS-CoV-2 strain detected in the UK will have no impact on the potential of emerging vaccines which are being developed in India and other countries. “As of now, based on our discussions, deep understanding of data available and our deep assessment, there is no need to panic but it is a cause to be more vigilant,” he said. Paul said that “this new challenge, we have to counter with our comprehensive efforts”. “We will be safe if we suppress the genomic sequence,” he said. There is no change in the treatment guidelines so far due to this mutation and the vaccines that are being developed, particularly those in the country, will not be impacted, Paul said. This variant of the virus in the UK is defined by a set of 17 changes or mutations, he said and added that its tendency to enter the body’s cells has become higher and transmissibility has also increased with mutation. “It is also being said that in these viruses, the transmissibility has increased by 70 percent, you can also call them super spreader in a way. This virus increases infectiousness but does not increase propensity for death or hospitalisation or severity of the disease. What is affected is the tendency to affect more people that by itself is a cause of concern. It is an adverse development,” he said. Paul said that there is no need to “panic” and added that “we are yet to spot such a virus in our country and for which there are intensive efforts in the offing.” BioNTech CEO confident vaccine will work on UK variant German pharmaceutical company BioNTech is confident that its coronavirus vaccine works against the new UK variant, but further studies are needed to be completely sure, its chief executive said Tuesday. The variant, detected mainly in London and the southeast of England in recent weeks, has sparked concern worldwide because of signs that it may spread more easily. While there is no indication it causes more serious illness, numerous countries in Europe and beyond have restricted travel from the UK as a result. “We don’t know at the moment if our vaccine is also able to provide protection against this new variant,” CEO Ugur Sahin told a news conference the day after the vaccine was approved for use in the European Union. “But scientifically, it is highly likely that the immune response by this vaccine also can deal with the new virus variants.” Sahin said that the proteins on the UK variant are 99 percent the same as on the prevailing strains, and therefore BioNTech has “scientific confidence” that its vaccine will be effective. “But we will know it only if the experiment is done and we will need about two weeks from now to get the data,” he said. “The likelihood that our vaccine works is relatively high.” Should the vaccine need to be adjusted for the new variant the company could do so in about six weeks, Sahin said, though regulators might have to approve the changes before the shots can be used. Having to adjust the vaccine would be a blow for the rollout of immunization campaigns and the effort to rein in the pandemic that has so far killed more than 1.7 million people worldwide. BioNTech’s vaccine, which was developed together with US pharmaceutical company Pfizer, has been authorized for use in more than 45 countries including Britain, the United States and the EU. Hundreds of thousands of people have already received the shots. The companies submitted data to regulators showing the vaccine, which goes by the brand name COMIRNATY in Europe, is 95 percent effective in preventing infection with COVID-19. “All countries across the EU that have requested doses will receive them in the next five days, the very initial supply, and that will be followed up next week with further supplies,” said Sean Marett, BioNTech’s chief commercial officer. The company is distributing super-cooled batches of vaccine across the 27-nation bloc by truck and plane from a Pfizer plant in Belgium. The EU has ordered 200 million doses of the vaccine, with an option of 100 million more. Marett said BioNTech is examining ways to deliver more than the 1.3 billion doses currently planned worldwide for 2021. “As BioNTech we’re always interested in looking at facilities that could help boost up production next year,” he told The Associated Press, citing the recent acquisition of a plant in Germany from Novartis. “We would be looking to do very quick transactions if we can.” BioNTech expects demand for COVID vaccines to continue in the future. “This virus is not going to go away,” Marett told The AP. “It’ll be there at least for the next decade, and therefore it’s important that if people so choose, they should get vaccinated.” It’s also still unclear how long the immunity conferred by a vaccine lasts. “It’s quite possible that we will need to give a booster injection,” Marett said. “So a repeat injection, maybe as frequently as one year, maybe every two years. We don’t know yet.” Several EU countries have said they plan to start vaccinating on Sunday. Germany’s health minister, Jens Spahn, said he expects the country to receive more than 1.3 million doses by the end of this year. Germany is among the European countries that have banned flights from the UK because of the new variant there. “We want to avoid for as long as we can that a possibly dangerous virus variant spreads to continental Europe,” said Spahn. But Lothar Wieler, the head of Germany’s national disease control center, said it was very likely the UK variant is already circulating in Germany. Wieler, who heads the Robert Koch Institute, said it was common for viruses’ genetic material to change, and that can affect how transmissible they are. “Whether that is really the case with the variant in England is not yet entirely clear,” Wieler said. “What is clear is that the more widely viruses spread, the more opportunity they have to change.” A leading German virologist who was initially skeptical about reports that the strain was much more contagious voiced concern after seeing further data. Christian Drosten, a professor of virology at Berlin’s Charite hospital, tweeted that “unfortunately it doesn’t look good”. But Drosten added: “What is positive is that cases with the mutation so far only increased in areas where the overall incidence was high or rising. So contact reduction also works against the spread of the mutation.”
Coronavirus News Updates: Covaxin displaying encouraging results in clinical trial, claims Bharat Biotech
Coronavirus News Updates: Covaxin, being developed in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research and the National Institute of Virology, is now undergoing Phase 3 trials
 "Coronavirus News Updates: Covaxin displaying encouraging results in clinical trial, claims Bharat Biotech")
One more dies of COVID-19 in Noida, toll at 89
Uttar Pradesh’s Gautam Buddh Nagar recorded one more fatality linked to COVID-19 that pushed the district’s death toll to 89, while the infection tally surged to 24,673 with 67 new cases on Wednesday, official data showed. Active cases in the district rose to 579 from 572 the previous day, as the total recoveries crossed past 24,000, according to the data released by the UP health department for a 24-hour period.
The number of active cases in Gautam Buddh Nagar is the seventh highest in the state. On the brighter side, 59 more patients got discharged during the period with the overall recoveries reaching 24,005, the fifth highest in the state.
Gautam Buddh Nagar now has a death toll of 89 and a mortality rate of 0.36 percent. The recovery rate of patients reached 97.29 percent, the statistics showed. Meanwhile, the number of active COVID-19 cases in Uttar Pradesh came down to 16,378 from 16,691 on Tuesday while the overall recoveries reached 5,53,019 and the death toll climbed to 8,245 on Wednesday, the data showed.
41 fresh COVID-19 cases in UP’s Muzaffarnagar
Forty-one fresh COVID-19 cases were reported in Muzaffarnagar, taking the number of active patients to 383 in the district on Wednesday, officials said.
According to DM Selvakumari J, 1,154 samples were received of which 41 tested positive while 77 recovered from the infection.
The total recoveries have gone up to 7,330 in the district with the latest discharges while the total cases now stands at 7,812.
Night curfew on 31 Dec in Rajasthan’s cities
The Rajasthan government has imposed a night curfew on 31 December in all cities having a population of over one lakh. The restrictions will remain in place from 8 pm on 31 December to 6 am on 1 January, according to an order issued by the home department. No New Year party will be organised on the occasion while bursting of firecrackers will be banned. According to the order, markets will be closed at 7 pm.
Health secretary reviews status of passengers from UK
Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan reviewed the status of passengers coming from the UK to India and found positive in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Goa, Punjab, Gujarat and Kerala and their response measures in a meeting held through video-conferencing.
ICMR DG; health secretaries of states and union territories; NHM MD; Arti Ahuja, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Health; Dr Sujeet Singh, Director, NCDC, and other senior health officials were also present in the meeting, a health ministry statement said.
The Standard Operating Procedure issued by the ministry on 22 December for Epidemiological Surveillance and Response in the context of new variant of SARS-CoV-2 virus detected in the UK was discussed in detail in the meeting.
Covaxin shows encouraging results in clinical trials: Research paper
Covaxin, a COVID-19 vaccine being developed by Bharat Biotech, showed long-term antibody and T- cell (immune) memory responses three months after the shot in Phase 1 volunteers and tolerable safety outcomes in Phase 2 study, the city-based company has said, suggesting the antibodies may persist for six to 12 months.
In Phase 2, it also showed enhanced humoral and cell- mediated immune responses and the results were found in the safety and immunogenicity clinical trial of the vaccine candidate. Memory T cells are antigen-specific T cells that remain over a long term after an infection has been eliminated.
Covaxin, being developed in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research and the National Institute of Virology, is now undergoing Phase 3 trials.
Canada approves second COVID vaccine
Canada has approved the COVID-19 vaccine developed by American biotech firm Moderna, the health department announced Wednesday, two weeks after authorising immunisations with the Pfizer/BioNTech shot.
The decision makes Canada the second country to greenlight the Moderna vaccine, after the US.
“Health Canada… has determined that the Moderna vaccine meets the department’s stringent safety, efficacy and quality requirements,” it said in a statement.
The authorisation is a “critical step,” the statement continued.
Britain announces travel curbs on South Africa
Britain on Wednesday introduced restrictions on travel from South Africa over the spread of another new variant of coronavirus, reported news agency AFP. UK Health Minister Matt Hancock said. “We’re placing immediate restrictions on travel from South Africa,” Hancock said, adding that two cases of the “highly concerning” new virus strain had been discovered in Britain. According to _the BBC, b_oth people had travelled to South Africa, where the variant has been linked to a surge in cases. Persons with recent travel history to South Africa or those who came in contact with them have been asked to quarantine immediately, said the report.
No public gathering during Christmas and New Year in Gujarat
In view of COVID-19 pandemic, public prayers or gatherings will not be allowed in Gujarat during Christmas and New Year, the state government said on Wednesday. At the same time, the government allowed local authorities to take a call on allowing celebrations at public places “in special cases”.
“In view of the coronavirus situation in the state, no religious public gatherings, rallies, prayers in public places or public procession will be allowed during Christmas and New Year,” a release quoted Minister of State for Home Pradeepsinh Jadeja as saying. If permission is granted in special cases, the
administration must ensure full compliance with COVID-19 related guidelines at such places and ensure that only a limited number of people attend such events," the release said.
PTI
Qatar starts vaccinating priority groups
Qatar began inoculating a prioritised group of citizens and residents against the coronavirus with the vaccine created by Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech. Qatar state-run media reported that several health centres across the tiny energy-rich country started providing the Pfizer vaccine free of charge on Wednesday to older adults, healthcare workers, people in nursing homes and those with underlying health conditions. Authorities approved the Pfizer vaccine for emergency use earlier this week. The government has also signed a supply agreement with American drugmaker Moderna.
AP
Delhi HC directs AAP govt to frame SOPs for post-COVID complications
The Delhi High Court directed the AAP government to frame standard operating procedures (SOPs) to deal with post COVID-19 complications relating to the lungs and other vital organs in those who have recovered from the coronavirus infection. The high court further said that in view of the new coronavirus strain in the UK, from where a large number of people arrived before the Centre suspended the flights between the two countries, the Delhi government should “ensure prompt and adequate testing and follow up in respect of those found positive with all seriousness to avoid another spate of infection in the city”. The new strain can spread faster. The directions were issued by a bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Subramonium Prasad while hearing a PIL by advocate Rakesh Malhotra seeking increase in the COVID-19 testing numbers in the national capital and getting speedy results.
PTI
NIV studying new coronavirus strain, says Tope
The Maharashtra health minister said there is no need to panic over the new strain of the novel coronavirus detected in the UK and the Pune-based National Institute of Virology (NIV) is studying the variant, which is said to be highly infectious. Medicines being used currently for treating COVID-19 patients will be used against the new strain of coronavirus, he told reporters . Tope said the state government has taken a slew of measures like mandatory institutional quarantine for passengers returning from Britain and night curfew in cities to deal with the emerging situation.
PTI
Maharashtra health minister says 16,000 medical staff trained for vaccine drive
The Maharashtra government has completed the preliminary task of training 16,000 medical staff for mass vaccination against COVID-19 and a vaccine,
when it is made available, will be administered in two dosages, Health Minister Rajesh Tope said on Wednesday. “The ball is in the Centre’s court. Once approval is given, states will be allocated to the companies to distribute their vaccines,” the minister said adding that all requirements for the vaccine drive have been completed in the state. “They are ready to scale up the vaccination drive whenever the Centre permits. Cold chain required for transportation and storage of vaccine doses has been also put in place,” Tope said.
Workplaces requiring night operations allowed to operate with 50% staff in Karnataka
According to the Karnataka government order imposing night curfew, while movement of individuals shall remain strictly prohibited between 11 pm to 5 am, except for essential activities. There shall be no restriction in movement of all types of goods through trucks, goods vehicles or any goods carriers, including empty vehicles. It said all industries/companies/organisations which require operations at night shall be permitted to operate with 50 percent staff, and movement of employees of such organisations shall be allowed on producing valid ID cards issued by their respective organisation/institution.
Infected people should also take COVID-19 vaccine, says Bharat Biotech chairman
People who are infected should also take a vaccine,and India is well prepared regarding the logistics for the vaccine distribution, Bharat Biotech Chairman and MD Krishna Ella said at a virtual session on ‘Sero surveillance significance in immunogenicity and safety in pre and post vaccination era’ organised by industry body CII. “For the people who are infected, should they take a vaccine, “the answer is yes”, because they may not have a good T-cells response…,” Ella said. On the distribution of vaccines in India, he said India is well prepared and added that the Indian immunisation system is very robust, Ella said.
Maharashtra’s caseload climbs to 19,06,371
With 3,913 new COVID-19 cases Maharashtra’s coronavirus caseload increases to 19,06,371 and toll mounts to 48,969 with 93 fatalities, reports news agency PTI quoting a health official.
Kerala records 6,169 new cases, 22 deaths
Kerala’s COVID-19 tally touched 7,21,510 on Wednesday with the addition of 6,169 new cases, while the toll rose to 2,892 with 22 deaths, reported news agency PTI. A total of 4,808 people recovered from the disease taking the total number of those cured from the disease to 6,55,644, state health minister K K Shailaja said. Currently,62,802 patients are undergoing treatment for COVID-19 in the state. “Out of the total infected, 5,349 were cases of local transmission and the source of infection was unknown for 662. Of those diagnosed,98 arrived from outside the state. Sixty health workers were among those infected,” she said
in a release.
11 passengers in four UK flights test positive in Delhi: reports
A total of 11 people, who travelled from the UK to Delhi in four flights, have tested positive for coronavirus, reported The Hindu, quoting Genestrings Lab which is conducting the mandatory RT-PCR tests for passengers at the Delhi airport. As per India Today, over 950 persons have been tested so far and the samples which tested positive have been sent to the NCDC for genome sequencing.
Toll in Uttar Pradesh rises to 8,245 with 22 deaths
With 22 fresh COVID-19 fatalities, the toll in the state rose to 8,245, while the tally climbed to 5,77,642 with 1,233 new COVID-19 cases reported in the state in the past 24 hours. In a statement, the Uttar Pradesh government said that of the 22 fresh COVID-19 deaths, four were reported from state capital Lucknow, three from Kanpur and two deaths were reported from Varanasi. Of the 1,233 fresh COVID-19 cases reported in the state, Lucknow registered 252 new cases. In the past 24 hours, 1,102 COVID-19 patients have been discharged. So far, 5,53,019 patients have recovered from the disease, and have been discharged in the state. The number of active COVID-19 cases in the state stands at 16,378, the statement said.
PTI
Night curfew in Karnataka to be enforced from tomorrow
Night curfew (from 11 pm to 5 am) in Karnataka will be enforced from Thursday (24 December) instead of Wednesday, said the Chief Minister’s Office in a tweet. The night curfew will be enforced till 5 am on 2 January. “During the night curfew, special rituals (Midnight Mass) can be held without interruption on the night of 24 December,” the CMO said in another tweet.
Puducherry LG urges Narayansamy to ban new year celebrations in UT
Puducherry Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi has objected to the Congress government’s decision allowing new year celebrations in the Union Territory next week, flagging concerns in view of the coronavirus pandemic and urged Chief Minister V Narayanasamy to ban the revelries, reported news agency PTI. Bedi, in a letter to Narayanasamy, said as neighbouring Tamil Nadu has banned new year celebrations in public places, the UT will draw people from there and the good work done to contain the spread of COVID-19 spread was likely to be at peril.
In his reply, Narayanasamy said Puducherry was a “tourism state” where a lot of people’s livelihood depended on the industry and that curbing such festivities will ‘severely’ and asserted that the festivities will go on following all guidelines. He also asked Bedi to refrain from “interfering in the day to day administration” of the UT.
Andhra Pradesh record 379 fresh COVID-19 cases, three deaths
Andhra Pradesh reported 379 fresh cases of COVID-19, 490 recoveries and three deaths in 24 hours ending 9 am on Wednesday. The state’s COVID-19 tally now showed 8,79,718 total positives, 8,68,769 recoveries and 7,085 deaths so far. A health department bulletin said the number of active cases fell to 3,864. So far, 1.14 crore sample tests have been completed that turned out an overall infection positivity rate of 7.71 percent.
PTI
Pfizer to supply another 100 million vaccine doses to US
Pfizer and BioNTech will supply an additional 100 million doses of their COVID-19 vaccine to the US under a new agreement, reported news agency The Associated Press. The drugmakers said on Wednesday that they expect to deliver all the doses by 31 July. Pfizer already has a contract to supply the government with 100 million doses of its vaccine.
745 passengers quarantined after landing in Mumbai in two days
As many as 1,688 passengers arrived at the Mumbai international airport from the UK and other countries since Monday midnight and 745 of them were quarantined in the city, a civic official said on Wednesday. In the wake of detection of a new variant of coronavirus in the UK, a new Standard Operating Procedure has been issued for dealing with passengers arriving from Europe and the Middle-East. It could not be ascertained if any of these 745 passengers were found to have COVID-19 symptoms.
PTI
Annaathe shoot halted after four crew members test positive
The shooting for Rajinikanth’s Annaatthe has been postponed after four members from the film’s crew tested positive for the novel coronavirus. Sun Pictures, which is producing the film, tweeted the information adding that the 70-year-old actor and the rest of the crew have tested negative.
Announcement : During routine testing at #Annaathe shoot 4 crew members have tested positive for Covid19. Superstar @rajinikanth and other crew members have tested negative. To ensure utmost safety #Annaatthe shooting has been postponed.
— Sun Pictures (@sunpictures) December 23, 2020
Maharashtra to keep COVID-19 positive passengers from UK in institutional quarantine
Amid concerns over the new coronavirus strain, all passengers from the UK who test positive for COVID-19 will be kept under institutional quarantine, Maharashtra government official said on Wednesday. This is as per the standard operating procedures (SOPs) issued by the Centre, he said. The other passengers, who test negative, will be home quarantined along with daily updates by district surveillance officers, the official said.
PTI
Adityanath orders compulsory tests for foreign arrivals in UP between 25 Nov and 8 Dec
Amid concerns over a new, more infectious variant of the coronavirus detected in the United Kingdom, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said on Wednesday that those who came to the state from abroad between 25 November and 8 December should undergo tests for detection of COVID-19. Those who arrived in UP from abroad after December 9 must undergo RT-PCR test, he told officials at a review meeting. “We have to remain alert keeping in mind the new strain of coronavirus. All those who came to the state from abroad between 25 November and 8 December should be tested and compulsory RT-PCR test should be done for those coming after 9 December,” the chief minister was quoted as saying in a statement.
PTI
33 UK returnees asked to home quarantine in Indore
Amid growing concerns over the detection of a new coronavirus strain in the UK, the Madhya Pradesh health department has asked 33 people who returned to Indore from that country in the last 15 days to remain in home isolation,reports news agency PTI quoting an official. Indore district nodal officer for COVID-19 prevention, Amit Malakar, told PTI that health of these passengers was being closely monitored. The list of these passengers was received from the state government, he said.
“These 33 people had returned from the UK in the last fortnight. They have been told to keep themselves isolated in their homes for 15 days after their arrival in Indore,” he said. Malakar said, as per the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), samples of these 33 people were being tested by RT-PCR method.
Class 10, 12 board exams in West Bengal to be held in June, says education minister
Board examinations for class 10 and 12 will be held in June one after another, West Bengal Education Minister Partha Chatterjee said on Wednesday. The class 10 (Madhyamik) exams will be held first and the class 12 (Ucchya Madhyamik) examinations after that, he said. The exams are usually held between February and March every year.
PTI
Maharashtra allows water sports, amusement parks to resume
The Maharashtra government has allowed water sports as well as activities like boating and entertainment/amusement parks to resume as part of phase-wise
easing of lockdown restrictions in the state. A government circular, dated 21 December, said all norms of social distancing and precautions to check the spread
of COVID-19 will have to be followed during these activities. It said water sports and other activities like boating will be allowed outside the COVID-19 containment zones. “Entertainment/amusement parks including indoor entertainment activities, tourist places will be allowed to function provided the same are outside containment zones,” the circular further said. The standard operating procedures for these activities will be issued by the departments concerned, it added.
PTI
Situation in Delhi under control, says Satyendar Jain
“Delhi situation is under control as of now with less than 1,000 cases being reported for the third successive day… the positivity rate has dropped to less than one percent which is the lowest in the last eight months. We will do everything to keep this situation under control,” said state health minister Satyendar Jain.
Delhi has fought difficult battles with COVID-19 and all efforts will be made to ensure that the gains made in the management of the pandemic are “not reversed” due to the new situation in the UK, Jain had said on Tuesday.
PTI
People arriving from UK being rigorously traced, says Delhi health minister
Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain said people who have arrived in tha National Capital from the UK are being rigorously traced and tested for any COVID-19-like symptoms. Interacting with reporters, Jain said the suspension of flights to and from the United Kingdom was a prompt move by the Centre and will help in containing the spread of the new coronavirus strain detected in that country. “We are alert and watchful at our end. People who have arrived here from the UK in the last several days are being rigorously traced and tested for slightest of COVID-like symptoms,” Jain said. “A team has been made and house-to-house tracing is being done… they (UK returnees) are being advised self-isolation too,” he added.
PTI
Avoid mass gatherings, advises Maharashtra COVID-19 task force head
Talking to reporters, Maharashtra COVID-19 task force head Dr Sanjay Oak also said mass gatherings were acting as COVID-19 super-spreaders and should
be avoided. He said there was a need to be careful, and that he feels people need to wear mask for next one year.
PTI
Vaccines developed earlier may not be 100% effective against new strain: Maharahstra COVID taskforce head
In the wake of a new coronavirus strain detected in the UK, Maharashtra COVID-19 task force head Dr Sanjay Oak on Wednesday said vaccines currently
available in some countries may not be 100 percent effective against the new variant. Referring to the new COVID-19 variant detected in Britain, he said “a minor change in the mRNA has created a new strain of the coronavirus”. The vaccines which are in approval stage or have been approved in some countries were developed on the earlier strains of coronavirus, he said. “Even a minor change in the mutated COVID-19 strain could challenge the efficacy of the vaccines which are recently developed,” Oak said. The outer layer of the virus has spikes which look like a corona, hence the virus is called as coronavirus. “Even
a change in one spike could increase or decrease its severity,” the official said. “Because of the new strain, the currently available vaccines may not have 100 percent impact on the virus (variant),” he said.
PTI
Maharashtra authorises collectors to clamp night curfew
The Maharashtra government on Wednesday widened the scope of the night curfew, which was imposed in municipal limits on Tuesday amid growing concerns over the emergence of a new coronavirus strain in UK, authorising collectors to issue similar orders, subject to approval of chief secretary.
As a precautionary step amid growing concerns over the mutated COVID-19 variant, the state government clamped a curfew from 11 pm to 6 am in the limits of 27 municipal corporations, including Mumbai, from 22 December to 5 January.
“District collectors are authorised to impose a night curfew in their jurisdiction subject to approval from the state chief secretary,” the state government said in an order issued on Wednesday.
Total tests in India nearing 16.5 crore
India’s total tests conducted for detection of COVID-19 are nearing 16.5 crore, the Union health ministry said on Wednesday highlighting that an average of more than 10 lakh tests conducted daily has ensured that the cumulative positivity rate is sustained at low levels.
The share of COVID-19 active cases in the total infections has further shrunk to 2.86 per cent with 26 states and UTs having less than 10,000 active cases,the ministry said.
India’s tests per million population (TPM) are 1,19,035. Twenty-three states and UTs have better tests per million than the national average, the ministry said.
Companies hopeful of economic recovery in 2021
Sanitaryware makers to manufacturers of consumer durables remain optimistic about an economic revival in 2021 but cautious as the risk of COVID-19 pandemic still exists, officials said on Wednesday.
Many companies across sectors are looking to make their balance sheets strong after they have experienced market disruptions in the current calendar year due to the raging global coronavirus outbreak, they said.
“Firms ranging from tourism, food and beverage sectors to sanitaryware industry are focusing on the health and hygiene segment and strengthen their digital presence to overcome the challenges, the officials said, adding that the economic revival is expected in the second half of the next year,” they said.
– PTI
Recovery rate jumped to 95.69 percent, says Centre
Total number of COVID-19 recoveries stand at 9,663,382 and the recovery rate has also increased to 95.69 percent, said the health ministry on Wednesday. Moreover, 75.87 percent of the new recovered cases are observed to be concentrated in 10 states/UTs.
Tamil Nadu govt allows Jallikattu celebrations in 2021 with COVID-19 guidelines
The Tamil Nadu government on Wednesday allowed Jallikattu celebrations in the state amid the coronavirus disease. As per the advisory, the event will held with 50 percent audience.
While for participants, negative certificate for COVID-19 is mandatory.
COVID-19 reaches Antarctica as Chile’s navy confirms 58 cases at its military bases
The pandemic has finally reached every continent on Earth. Chilean authorities announced that at least 58 people that were at two military bases in Antarctica or on a navy ship that went to the continent tested positive for the new coronavirus.
So far no other country with a presence in Antarctica has publicly reported any other cases.
Rahul Gandhi asks PM about COVID-19 vaccinations, says ‘when will India’s turn come’
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said 23 lakh people in the world had already received the COVID-19 vaccine and asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi when India’s turn would come.
Taking to Twitter, the former Congress president also shared a ‘COVID-19 vaccinations’ chart showing China ahead followed by the United States, United Kingdom and Russia. “China, US, UK, Russia have started. India ka number kab ayegaa, Modi ji?,” Rahul tweeted.
23 lakh people in the world have already received Covid vaccinations.
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) December 23, 2020
China, US, UK, Russia have started...
India ka number kab ayegaa, Modi ji? pic.twitter.com/cSmT8laNfJ
The new human organ scientists discovered in 2020 can help fight cancer of head and neck: Research
Dutch scientists discovered a new organ in the human throat, the tubarial salivary glands, during prostate cancer imaging. This finding could revolutionize head and neck cancer care by refining radiation therapy, reducing side effects, and enhancing patient quality of life.
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