Coronavirus LIVE: Vardhan appeals to healthcare workers to get vaccinated

Coronavirus live updates: Global Covid-19 cases have crossed 110.8-million mark. USA tally stands at 28,523,524

Coronavirus live updates: India registered 12,643 fresh Covid-19 cases of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19). Active cases in India stand at 137,866, while the caseload tally has risen to 10,962,189. The country continues to be second-most-affected globally, and ranks 17th among worst-hit nations by active cases. A total of 94,22,228 vaccine doses have been given to beneficiaries through 1,99,305 sessions till 8 am on February 18.

The five most affected states by total cases are Maharashtra (2,820,000), Kerala (1,011,956), Karnataka (946,076), Andhra Pradesh (888,959), and Tamil Nadu (846,026). Amid rising concerns, Mumbai on Wednesday recorded 736 fresh Covid-19 cases, the highest single-day spike since January 7. Meanwhile, Maharashtra recorded 5,427 new Covid-19 cases.

World coronavirus update: Coronavirus cases rise unabated across the globe, with 110,822,973 infected by the deadly contagion. While 85,766,551 have recovered, 2,451,392 have died so far. The US remains the worst-hit country with 28,523,524, followed by India, Brazil, Russia and the United Kingdom. However, it terms of the total number of active cases, US tops the charts, followed by France, UK, Brazil and Belgium.

10:32 PM

Chandigarh sees 259 Covid-19 cases, 176 recoveries, 3 deaths

With 259 new Covid-19 cases and three deaths reported on Friday, Chhattisgarh's caseload rose to 3,10,469 and toll to 3,793, a health official said, according to PTI. The recovery count touched 3,03,637 after 32 people were discharged from hospitals and 144 persons completed home isolation during the day, leaving the state with 3,039 active cases, he said.

"Raipur district saw 87 new cases, taking its total count to 55,009, including 800 deaths. Durg recorded 49 new cases and Raigarh 14. Of the three deaths recorded during the day, two took place on Friday and one on Thursday," he said. With 21,952 samples tested on Friday, the total number of tests in Chhattisgarh went up to 46,28,050, he added, as per PTI.

9:42 PM

Tripura Medical College OPD services shut down for 72 hours after rise in Covid cases

Tripura West collector orders closure of OPD services of Tripura Medical College & Dr BR Ambedkar Memorial Teaching Hospital for 72 hours due to 'a sudden rise of Covid-19 cases among staff' of the medical college, according to ANI.

9:31 PM

Covid-19: 266 cases, 277 recoveries, 1 death in Gujarat

The COVID-19 caseload of Gujarat rose by 266 in the last 24 hours to reach 2,66,563, while the toll increased by one and the number of people discharged by 277, an official said on Friday, PTI reported. The toll in the state now stands at 4,404 and the recovery count is 2,60,475, or 97.72 per cent of the caseload, leaving it with 1,684 active cases, including 30 on ventilator support, he informed.

"Vadodara accounted for 51 of the new cases, followed by 47 in Ahmedabad, which was also saw the lone death, 46 in Surat and 29 in Rajkot," he added, as PTI. An official release said 8.09 lakh people have been covered so far in the COVID-19 vaccination drive underway.

9:17 PM

Pune reports 1,015 new Covid-19 cases, 493 recoveries

8:48 PM

Coronil has got Ayush Ministry certification as per WHO scheme: Patanjali

Yoga guru Baba Ramdev's Patanjali Ayurved on Friday said its Coronil tablet has received certification from the Ayush Ministry as a medicine supporting Covid-19 treatment as per the World Health Organization's certification scheme. Patanjali also released what it claimed was research work supporting Coronil's efficacy in Covid-19 treatment. The Union Ayush Ministry had earlier categorised ayurvedic Coronil tablets as an 'Immuno-booster'. Read more

8:45 PM

Karnataka reports 386 new Covid-19 cases, 291 recoveries

8:23 PM

Mumbai records 823 new Covid-19 cases, highest daily rise since Dec

With the addition of 823 new Covid-19 cases, Mumbai on Friday recorded the highest single- day spike in infections since December last year, an official from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said. According to the civic body's data, the tally of coronavirus cases in the city has risen to 3,17,310, while the toll has reached 11,435 with five new casualties.

The city's daily count of infections crossed the 700 mark in the last two days, after it recorded less than 500 cases at the start of the week, the official said. As many as 440 patients were discharged from hospitals in the day, taking the count of recoveries to 2,98,435, the official data stated. With this, the city now has 6,577 active cases, it was stated, reported PTI. 

8:18 PM

No foreign strain of virus found in Amravati, Yavatmal: Maharashtra govt

New strains of coronavirus found in the UK, South Africa and Brazil have not been detected in Amravati, Yavatmal and Satara districts of Maharashtra where cases have spiked recently, the state government said on Friday, according to PTI. In view of increase in cases in Western Maharashtra's Pune, Sarata districts and Amravati and Yavatmal in Vidarbha region, genome sequencing of coronavirus samples from these areas was carried out, the health department said.

Four samples each from Satara, Yavatmal and Amravati were tested at B J Medical College laboratory in Pune. No mutation similar to that found in new strains in the UK, South Africa or Brazil was observed, it said in a statement. Similarly, no mutation in genome was found in 12 samples form Pune district, it said, as per PTI.

7:56 PM

Maharashtra reports 6,112 new Covid-19 cases, 2,159 discharges

7:32 PM

10,449,942 vaccinations carried out till 6 pm today: Health Ministry

10,449,942 vaccinations carried out till 6 pm today. The vaccination of the healthcare workers is 70,52,845 out of which the 1st dose has been given to 62,95,903 healthcare workers. 2nd dose has been given to 7,56,942 healthcare workers. 12 states, 7 UTs recorded over 75% of 1st dose of healthcare workers coverage-Bihar 84.7%, Tripura 82.9%, Odisha 81.8%, Lakshadweep 81%, Gujarat 80.1%, Chhattisgarh 79.7%, Uttarakhand 77.2%, MP 77%, Jharkhand & UP 75.6%, Himachal Pradesh 75.4%, Rajasthan 75%, said Joint Secretary, Union Health Ministry according to ANI.

 

7:29 PM

Frontline workers received 3,397,097 vaccinations till 6 pm today: Health ministry

The vaccination for frontline workers has been for 3,397,097 till 6 pm today: Mandeep Bhandari, Joint Secretary, Union Health Ministry (ANI reported)

7:18 PM

Vardhan appeals to healthcare, frontline workers to get vaccinated against Covid

Union minister Harsh Vardhan appealed to all healthcare and frontline workers to get vaccinated against Covid-19 as per schedule, according to PTI. He also said the vaccines are safe and fulfil all the criteria of immunogenicity.

"I want to appeal to all healthcare and frontline workers to get inoculated with COVID-19 vaccine doses as per schedule. The vaccines are safe. Don't believe any rumour and misinformation," he said. He further said that no severe adverse event post-immunisation have been recorded in the country and those reported are also 0.0004 per cent. "No death has been recorded due to COVID-19 vaccination. All state governments have been asked to vaccinate every healthcare and frontline worker," he said, PTI reported.

7:02 PM

Pfizer vaccine 75% effective after first shot: Israeli study

A team of Israeli researchers on Friday showed that Covid-19 infections reduced by 75 per cent after the administration of the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine. The data, published in the peer-reviewed Lancet medical journal, centered on a study of around 9,000 Sheba healthcare workers, around 7,000 of which received their first dose in January.

 

The researchers at Sheba Medical Center found a 75 per cent decrease in all infections and an 85 per cent reduction in symptomatic infections between 15-28 days after vaccination, The Jerusalem Post reported. Read more

6:45 PM

Kerala reports 4,505 new Covid-19 cases and 4,854 recoveries

6:09 PM

Delhi reports 158 new Covid-19 cases, 157 recoveries