Coronavirus LIVE: US Vice President Mike Pence gets vaccine in public event
The global tally of coronavirus cases stands at 75,223,151. While 52,805,160 have recovered, 1,666,988 have lost their lives
 "Mike Pence (Photo:Wikipedia)")
Vice President Mike Pence became the highest profile world leader to be vaccinated for the coronavirus Friday (Photo:Wikipedia)
Beds in short supply as South Korea sees another jump
South Korea has reported 1,062 new cases of the coronavirus, its third straight day of over 1,000, as authorities in Seoul warn that hospital beds are in short supply. Seoul City said a COVID-19 patient in his 60s died at his home on Tuesday after officials failed to find him a hospital bed for days. The city said an explosive growth in patients this month has resulted in an overload in administrative and medical systems. The figures released by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency on Friday brought the national caseload to 47,515.
Beds in short supply as SKorea sees another jump
South Korea has reported 1,062 new cases of the coronavirus, its third straight day of over 1,000, as authorities in Seoul warn that hospital beds are in short supply. Seoul City said a COVID-19 patient in his 60s died at his home on Tuesday after officials failed to find him a hospital bed for days. The city said an explosive growth in patients this month has resulted in an overload in administrative and medical systems. The figures released by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency on Friday brought the national caseload to 47,515.
Global Covid-19 cases surpass 74.8mn: Johns Hopkins
The overall number of global coronavirus cases has topped 74.8 million, while the deaths have surged to more than 1.66 million, according to the Johns Hopkins University. In its latest update on Friday, the University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed that the current global caseload and death toll stood at 74,875,300 and 1,660,132, respectively.
The US is the worst-hit country with the world's highest number of cases and deaths at 17,192,376 and 310,424, respectively, according to the CSSE. India comes in second place in terms of cases at 9,956,557, while the country's death toll soared to 144,451.
Vaccines reach COVID-ravaged Indigenous communities
The first doses of the coronavirus vaccine are being administered in Native American communities from the desert highlands of New Mexico to a coastal fishing tribe outside Seattle as the federal government and states rush to protect one of the most vulnerable US populations. The two-pronged effort includes a massive logistical operation by the federal government's Indian Health Service focusing on vaccinating health care workers at sovereign Indigenous nation clinics across the country and urban clinics serving off-reservation Native Americans.
Aussie COVID-19 cluster grows to 28, border restrictions reintroduced
An outbreak of COVID-19 in the Australian city of Sydney grew to 28 on Friday, with domestic border restrictions reintroduced for hotspot areas. The cluster of cases appeared this week on Sydney's Northern Beaches in the State of New South Wales (NSW), and local residents were told to stay home for the next three days if possible. Genomic testing revealed the strain of the virus originated overseas, likely in the United States. However, it was not known how it spread into Australia. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian called on all Sydneysiders to abide by officials' advice, saying she was confident the outbreak could be contained in time for Christmas if protocols were followed.
S Korea reports 1,062 more COVID-19 cases, 47,515 in total
South Korea reported 1,062 more cases of COVID-19 as of midnight Thursday compared to 24 hours ago, raising the total number of infections to 47,515. The daily caseload stayed above 1,000 for three straight days for the first time, with a record daily high of 1,078 on Wednesday and 1,014 on Thursday each. The daily number of COVID-19 infections hovered above 100 for 41 days since November 8 due to small cluster infections in Seoul and its surrounding Gyeonggi province as well as imported cases.
UN human right experts call for inclusion of migrants in COVID-19 recovery plans
Governments across the world should include all migrants and their families in national COVID-19 response and recovery plans, a group of human rights experts from the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights said in a statement. "On this day where we pay tribute to all migrants, in a context of a continuing global health crisis that also has a severe impact on the governance of migratory movements, we must remind states to treat all migrants with dignity and provide them with equal access to services, benefits, information, and assistance," the experts said on Thursday. The experts emphasized that states should consider migrants, regardless of their legal status, positive assets contributing to economies and diversity in host communities.
Five states constitute 52% of total recovered cases
India pursued scientific evidence-based approach amid COVID-19, says Harsh Vardhan
India recognised the COVID-19 threat early and pursued a scientific evidence-based approach to combat the situation, said Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, while addressing a virtual event by the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) and the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR). Speaking on "Build Back Better: building resilient health infrastructure and supply chains", Vardhan said on Thursday, "It has been almost one year since the outbreak of COVID-19. While the caseload infection in many parts of the world is decreasing, many others are experiencing a second or even a third peak. Fortunately, in India, the cases are steadily coming down. We recognized the threat early and pursued a scientific evidence based approach."
California hits new daily record with 53,711 new COVID cases
California reported 53,711 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, a record for the most populous US state. The state also reported 293 new deaths on Wednesday, bringing its death toll to 21,481. The California Department of Public Health said the new surge was in part due to a newly implemented auto-processing feature that put more than 15,000 cases of prior days in the latest report. "Today's case count includes 38,374 newly reported cases that are part of the continued statewide surge. The remaining 15,337 cases are from previous days," said the department.
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First Published: Dec 18 2020 | 6:58 AM IST
