Coronavirus LIVE: Local restrictions only in containment zones, says Centre

Coronavirus update: At 1,789,800, Maharashtra has the highest number of coronavirus cases, followed by Karnataka 876,425, Andhra Pradesh 863,843, Tamil Nadu 773,176 and Kerala 571,872

Coronavirus update: Senior Congress leader Ahmad Patel died from Covid-related complications this morning. Meanwhile, India reported 44,376 fresh Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours, taking its tally to 9,222,216. The country's death toll mounted to 134,743. The seventh-most-affected country by active cases, third by fatality, and second by total cases, India has added 309,309 cases in the past 7 days.

At 1,789,800, Maharashtra has the highest number of coronavirus cases, followed by Karnataka 876,425, Andhra Pradesh 863,843, Tamil Nadu 773,176 and Kerala 571,872. Delhi recorded 6,224 fresh Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours and a positivity rate of 10.14 per cent, while 109 more fatalities pushed the city's death toll to 8,621. Schools in the national capital were unlikely to reopen until a vaccine was available, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said yesterday.

World coronavirus update: The global tally of coronavirus cases stands at 60,077,383. While 41,510,093 have recovered, 1,413,713 have died so far. The US, the worst-hit country, has 12,949,200 cases, and 265,853 have died from the disease there. It is followed by India, which has 9,222,216 cases, Brazil (6,121,449), France (2,153,815), Russia (2,138,828).

Stay tuned for the latest coronavirus-related news.

2:26 AM

Covid vaccine development in fast track mode, first immunisation by early-Jan: Biden

There's been significant record-breaking progress made recently in developing a vaccine & several of these vaccines look extraordinarily effective. It happens to be on track for the first immunisation to begin by late December-early January, said US President-elect Joe Biden. He added that US government will need to put in place a distribution plan to get the entire country immunised as soon as possible, which we will do, but it's going to take time.

1:43 AM

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

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday ruled out closing down businesses and urged the public to follow health guidelines as the country grappled with the second wave of the coronavirus with the national tally of infections reaching 382,892. Khan told media in Lahore that he was concerned about the situation after the daily COVID-19 death toll crossed 50 while being as low as below the single digit just two weeks ago. He said that despite the rising cases, his government would not shut down factories and businesses.

"We cannot render the daily wage worker unemployed, he said, adding that people should follow the guidelines. I strongly urge all factory, shop and shopping mall owners to strictly enforce safety protocols. And the easiest thing to do is just to wear a mask, he said. He said that Pakistan was successful in defeating the virus during the first wave and asked people to show the same willingness to follow safety measures. In reply to a question, he said that the opposition should stop holding public rallies as his government would not allow any such activity because it would spread the infection.

1:42 AM

Bihar logs 763 fresh Covid cases

Bihar's COVID-19 tally rose to 2,32,459 after 763 new cases were reported in the past 24 hours, while four fresh fatalities took the death toll to 1,237, a health department bulletin said on Wednesday. It said that 350 patients recovered from the disease taking the total number of cured people to 2,25,797. The state now has 5,425 active cases.

The four new deaths were registered in Patna, Bhagalpur, Rohtas and Jamui districts, the bulletin said. It said that 763 fresh positive cases included 292 in Patna. Altogether 1,31,743 samples were tested for coronavirus since Tuesday, taking the total number of tests to 1.40 crore.

12:07 AM

Goa makes screening of air, rail passengers mandatory amid Covid

In a bid to curb the spread of coronavirus, the Goa government on Wednesday made it mandatory for the passengers arriving at the state's airport and railway stations to undergo thermal screening. The government issued Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to this effect on Wednesday.

The order said that in view of the spread of COVID-19 due to the rising cases in other states and the likely risk to the public health and safety, the State Executive Committee has adopted the SOPs for persons travelling to Goa by air and trains with effect from November 25. "All the passengers arriving at the airport and railway stations in Goa will be subjected to compulsory thermal screening," the SOPs read.

11:59 PM

Assam's Covid-19 toll mounts to 978 with two more fatalities

Assam reported two more COVID-19 deaths on Wednesday, raising the toll to 978, even as 182 fresh cases took the tally to to 2,12,021, Minister for Health and Family Welfare Himanta Biswa Sarma said. The two deaths reported during the day include an 85- year old man of Dibrugarh and a 74-year old man from Barpeta. "Sad to share the demise of two #COVID patient today... Condolences to the bereaved families," he tweeted.

The new infections include 64 from Kamrup Metropolitan district, and were detected out of 24,426 sample tests, with a positivity rate of 0.75 per cent, Sarma said. The total number of tests conducted in the state so far is 52,09,399. A total of 117 patients were discharged during the day, with the total number of recoveries increasing to 2,07,763.

11:13 PM

Himachal reports 837 new Covid-19 cases, 99 recoveries

11:12 PM

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

The government has initiated a robust COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing and delivery ecosystem to meet the demand, Science and Technology Minister Harsh Vardhan said on Wednesday. Vardhan, who is also the health and family welfare minister, said that as the world races to develop the vaccine for COVID-19, India is looking to be self-reliant in both its development and mass production. Addressing a virtual Global R&D Summit 2020, organised by FICCI, jointly with the Department of Science and Technology, Vardhan said, "Called as the pharmacy of the world, India has the largest capacity to produce COVID-19 vaccines.

"We have now initiated to look at a robust vaccine manufacturing and delivery ecosystem to meet our demands in the coming days. That is one area where your (industry) inputs will help us in not only addressing a topical issue but also creating best practices for the future." Research and innovation, he said, are the way of life. The current pandemic has further reinforced the belief in innovation and R&D to accelerate products and services that not only are helping in disease management but in turn to make the nation resilient and self-reliant, Vardhan said.

10:28 PM

Jharkhand reports 237 new Covid-19 cases

10:21 PM

Haryana reports 2,197 new Covid-19 case

10:10 PM

Bengal's Covid-19 toll rises to 8,172 with 51 more fatalities

The COVID-19 death toll in West Bengal climbed to 8,172 after 51 more patients succumbed to the disease on Wednesday, a bulletin released by the state health department said. The coronavirus tally mounted to 4,66,991 with 3,528 fresh cases, it said. The discharge rate improved to 92.95 per cent after 3,605 recoveries were registered since Tuesday.

West Bengal now has 24,752 active cases. In the past 24 hours, 44,631 samples have been tested, it added.

9:47 PM

87 more test Covid-19 positive in Chandigarh

Chandigarh on Wednesday reported 87 new cases of the novel coronavirus, bringing the infection tally to 16,925, according to a medical bulletin. The death of a 57-year-old coronavirus positive man pushed the related toll to 266, the bulletin said. Chandigarh has 1,127 active COVID-19 cases, as of now, according to the bulletin.

Seventy-seven more patients were discharged after they recovered from the infection, taking the number of recoveries to 15,532. A total of 1,35,876 samples have been taken for COVID-19 testing and 1,18,166 of them came out negative while reports of 120 are awaited, according to the bulletin.

9:10 PM

Pandemic LIVE: US weekly jobless claims rise as Covid-19 infections surge

The number of Americans filing first-time claims for jobless benefits increased further last week, suggesting that an explosion in new COVID-19 infections and business restrictions were boosting layoffs and undermining the labor market recovery. Other data on Wednesday showed business spending on capital remained solid at the start of the fourth quarter, though momentum has cooled from the prior months. The economy is shifting into slower gear as the boost from more than $3 trillion in government coronavirus relief ends.

 

Another rescue package is expected only after President-elect Joe Biden is sworn in on Jan. 20. President Donald Trump is heavily focused on contesting his electoral loss to Biden.

 

"There is a two-tier recovery from the pandemic recession where the top of society continues to spend as normal while the bottom-half of the country sits in long lines at food banks with the opportunities for employment few and far between," said Chris Rupkey, chief economist at MUFG in New York.

8:54 PM

5,246 new coronavirus cases, 5,361 recoveries, and 99 deaths in last 24 hours in Delhi

8:45 PM

Haryana reports 42 coronavirus deaths, 2,197 new cases

Haryana on Wednesday recorded 42 more coronavirus-related deaths, its highest single-day fatality count so far, pushing the toll to 2,291 while 2,197 fresh cases took the state's infection tally to 2,24,489. The new fatalities include six each from Faridabad and Panipat and five each from Rohtak and Bhiwani while three people each died in Gurugram, Hisar and Fatehabad, according to the state health department's daily bulletin.

 

Earlier on November 24, Haryana had reported 33 deaths linked to the virus.

 

Haryana has witnessed a surge in cases and fatalities over the past several days, especially in districts falling in the National Capital Region. Among the districts which reported a big spike in cases included Gurugram (661), Faridabad (485), Hisar (147) and Sonipat (100). The state has 20,948 active cases of the novel coronavirus and a recovery rate of 89.65 per cent.

8:29 PM

Coronavirus positivity rate in Kerala continues to be below 10%

The Covid-19 test positivity rate in Kerala continues to hover below 10 per cent, indicating things are looking better, as 6,491 people tested positive on Wednesday from 66,042 samples tested in the past 24 hours. In a statement issued here, state Health Minister K.K. Shailaja also said that on Wednesday, 5,770 people turned negative, taking the total cured to 5,11,008 while the state has 65,106 active cases.

 

Wednesday also saw 26 Covid fatalities, taking the death toll to 2,121. Across the state, there were 3,14,676 people under observation at various places, including 16,060 people at hospitals. There were 546 hot spots in the state.