LIVE: 447 adverse events following vaccination seen so far, most are minor

Coronavirus LIVE updates: Globally, more than 94 million people have been infected, of which, 10,558,710 are in India

5:34 PM

Austria tightens lockdown

Austria is extending its lockdown until February 7 in an attempt to bring down still-high infection figures, as authorities worry about the possible impact of more infectious variants of the coronavirus.

 

Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said Sunday that distancing rules will be toughened, with people asked to stay 2 meters apart instead of 1 meter. They will also be told to wear full protective masks in public transport and shops, rather than just fabric face coverings.

5:33 PM

161 fresh Covid-19 cases in Andhra

Andhra Pradesh reported 161 fresh Covid-19 cases, 251 recoveries and one death in 24 hours ending 9 am on Sunday.

 

Chittoor district reported the highest 52 cases while Kadapa logged zero in a day.

5:10 PM

No change in persons infected with new UK strain since yesterday: Health Ministry

There is no change in the total number of persons found positive with the new UK strain of Covid-19 since yesterday, the number of infected persons remains at 116: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare

5:09 PM

PM Modi should have taken Covid vaccine shot: Congress leader

Senior Congress leader and former UP legislator Pradeep Mathur on Sunday said it would have been better had Prime Minister Narendra Modi taken the coronavirus vaccine shot on the first day of the inoculation drive, thereby injecting confidence among people.

 

"It would have been better had Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented an example like that of Joe Biden, the president-elect of the US, by getting himself vaccinated. By taking the Covid-19 vaccine shot, he would have injected confidence among people of the country. People are still feeling hesitant in getting themselves vaccinated," Mathur said here on Sunday.

4:10 PM

Some didn't turn up for vaccination at the last moment: Delhi Health Minister

Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Sunday said some people did not turn up for coronavirus vaccination at the last moment, adding that the government cannot ask anyone to compulsorily take the jab.

 

He also said that the number of vaccination centres in Delhi will be increased from 81 to 175 soon.

 

In Delhi, a total of 4,319 healthcare workers - 53.3 per cent of those registered - got the vaccine shots on the first day of the COVID-19 vaccination drive on Saturday, the minister said.

4:04 PM

Thailand confirms 374 new Covid-19 cases

Thailand on Sunday confirmed 374 new Covid-19 cases, mostly detected among migrant workers, according to the Center for the Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA).

 

Of the new cases, 364 were domestic infections while 10 others were those who had returned from abroad and tested positive in this country, said CCSA spokesman Taweesin Visanuyothin.

3:37 PM

Footfall to Taj Mahal dropped by 76 per cent in 2020 due to Covid

The footfall of tourists to Taj Mahal fell drastically by 76 per cent in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic situation.

 

The international tourism one of the 'Wonders of the World', Taj Mahal, has dropped down to less than one per cent in the year 2020 due to worldwide COVID situation.

 

"In comparison to 2019, the tourists' footfall to Taj Mahal fell by 76 per cent in 2020. This is applicable in every sector. Around 7,37,000 foreign tourists visited the monument in 2019 while only 1,82,000 visited in 2020. In case of domestic tourists, around 48,35,000 people visited the monument in 2019 while merely 11,34,000 visited in the year 2020," told Vasant Kumar Swarnkar, Superintending Archaeologist.

3:36 PM

10 new mass vaccination centres to open up across UK

Ten new large-scale centres, including a rugby ground, racecourse, food court and a cathedral, will open up next week across Britain to join the seven already delivering vaccines to immunise against Covid-19, the UK's National Health Service (NHS) said on Sunday.

 

It comes as a further 324,233 vaccine doses were administered across the UK to take the total above 3.5 million, a milestone hailed by Prime Minister Boris Johnson as a "fantastic national effort".

 

The state-funded health service leading the UK's "biggest" vaccination programme in history also confirmed more than 1 million people aged 80 or over have been invited to book a coronavirus jab at a Vaccination Centre.

3:21 PM

Schools in Mizoram to reopen for Class 10 &12 students from Jan 22

The Mizoram government has decided to allow reopening of schools for students of class 10 and 12 from January 22 and places of worship from February.

 

According to the new unlock guidelines issued on Saturday schools and hostels will reopen from January 22 for students of class 10 and 12.

 

The guidelines said churches will be allowed to open with 50 per cent sitting capacity or 200 attendees on every Saturday and Sunday noon time from first February.

3:03 PM

Odisha reports 183 fresh Covid-19 cases

Odishas Covid-19 tally on Sunday mounted to 333,310 after 183 more people tested positive for the virus, while a fresh fatality pushed the death toll to 1,900, a health department official said.

 

Of the 183 new cases, 106 have been reported from different quarantine centres, while 77 detected during contact tracing.

 

Angul district recorded the highest number of 20 new cases, followed by Sambalpur (19) and Sundergarh (18).

3:03 PM

Maldives President lauds Modi for vaccine rollout

2:55 PM

Puducherry logs 35 new Covid-19 cases

The union territory of Puducherry logged 35 new Covid-19 cases taking the overall tally to38,646, a top Health Department official said on Sunday.

 

No fresh fatalities were reported in the last 24 hours, Director of the Department of Health and Family Welfare S Mohan Kumar said in a release.

 

The death toll remained at642, he added.

 

2:47 PM

Telangana coronavirus update

Telangana's Covid-19 tally climbs to 291,666 with 299 fresh cases, death toll rises to 1,577

2:44 PM

Congress alleges govt procuring vaccine at inflated prices

The Congress on Sunday questioned the procurement of Covid vaccines, alleging that the government has procured the vaccines at inflated prices despite the manufacturers claiming they would supply the vaccines without seeking profit.

 

Congress General Secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala, addressing a press conference, said, "Why should the Modi government pay Rs 95 per dose more to Bharat Biotech for a vaccine that has been developed with the expertise and experience of scientists of government-run ICMR and pay more for a vaccine that has only been tested on 755 individuals and is yet to be cleared after phase-3 trials?"

2:43 PM

Kolkata nurse stable, experts trying to ascertain cause behind illness post Covid jab

The health condition of a 35- year-old nurse, who fell ill here following the administration of Covid-19 vaccine, is currently stable, and a medical board of experts has been formed to find out why she fainted after taking the shot, a senior official said on Sunday.

 

The health department official, who is also a prominent doctor, said the experts are examining her condition as of now, and the analysis might take some time.

 

"She is is stable. We have formed a board of experts to take care of the treatment procedure. Let's see how quickly we can analyse the reason behind her illness and come up with a solution. As of now, she is responding well to the treatment," the official told PTI.

 

The health department is also consulting vaccine expert Dr Shantunu Tripathy, who was earlier associated with School of Tropical Medicine, he said.