LIVE: UP restricts visitors to indoor events at 100 as Covid-19 tally rises

Coronavirus live updates: At 1,780,208, Maharashtra has the highest number of coronavirus cases, followed by Karnataka 873,046, Andhra Pradesh 862,000, Tamil Nadu 769,000 and Kerala 562,735

10:05 AM

Singapore's economy to return to growth in 2021 after worst slump

Singapore's economy contracted less than initially estimated in the third quarter due to the gradual easing of COVID-19 lockdown measures and authorities expect the city-state to bounce back to growth next year from its worst recession.

 

Gross domestic product (GDP) fell 5.8% year-on-year in the third quarter, the ministry of trade and industry said on Monday, smaller than the 7% drop seen in the government's advance estimate. Read on...

10:04 AM

Hong Kong officials urge vigilance as new Covid-19 cases hit new high

The number of new confirmed Covid-19 cases in Hong Kong has reached a new high in over three months, prompting the city government to roll out more stringent measures to curb further spreading of the virus.

 

On Sunday, the Center for Health Protection said there were 68 new cases, including 61 local infections, taking Hong Kong's total tally to 5,628, reports Xinhua news agency. Read on...

10:01 AM

Respiratory disorders on rise in Delhi-NCR due to toxic air

As if the coronavirus scare was not enough. In view of the deadly smog that has engulfed the national capital, health experts on Sunday said they have seen a substantial increase in patients with respiratory disorders in the Delhi-NCR region.

 

Air pollution is an important cause of worsening of respiratory disorders, including sinusitis, allergic rhinitis, bronchitis and respiratory difficulty in those patients who do not smoke or have pre-asthmatic conditions.

 

According to experts, air pollution also plays a significant role in making Covid infections worse.

9:55 AM

Rapid testing can wipe out coronavirus within weeks: Study

A new study published by the University of Colorado Boulder and Harvard University researchers claims that frequent and rapid testing could eliminate Covid-19 spread within weeks.

 

According to Science Daily, due to the unavailability of the COVID vaccine, a new study published by the University of Colorado Boulder and Harvard University researchers shows that frequency of testing is far more important than sensitivity in curbing the coronavirus spread making it capable of attaining 'personalized stay-at-home orders', to eliminate COVID-19.

9:43 AM

Govt plans air freight stations to transport coronavirus vaccines

From reducing dwell time at airports to faster overflight and landing permits, India is planning regulatory changes to quicken the procedure of transporting vaccines for Covid-19 from and into the country. The government is considering setting up air freight stations (AFS) to enable direct movement of vaccines from pharmaceutical factories to the aircraft.

 

An AFS is an off-airport cargo-handling facility that, apart from managing the goods for shipment, reduces congestion at the main airport terminal. Read  on...

9:23 AM

Coronavirus tests: A total of 13,25,82,730 samples tested for coronavirus up to November 22

9:11 AM

Tamil Nadu state chess revenues impacted by Covid-19 pandemic

A cursory glance of Tamil Nadu State Chess Asssociation (TNSCA) budget for 2020-21 would make people think that it is following zero based budgeting.

 

Many of the revenue and expenditure heads for the budget 2020-21 has been left blank.

 

But it is not so as the coronavirus has eaten into the associations' revenue as well as expenditure.

 

"Owing to coronavirus spread there is no visibility of holding any tournament till March 21. Hence many of the heads-income and expenditure- are blank," IANS reported.

9:10 AM

Himachal govt to conduct survey to identify coronavirus, other patients

Himachal Pradesh government is set to conduct a large-scale survey between November 25 and December 27 in a bid to identify the patients of Covid-19, tuberculosis, leprosy, sugar and high blood pressure.

 

As many as 800 teams having two members each have been constituted to conduct the survey.

 

"Himachal Pradesh government will conduct a door-to-door survey to identify the patients of COVID-19, tuberculosis, leprosy, sugar and high blood pressure between November 25 and December 27. Eight hundred teams having 2 members in each team have been constituted," said the state government.

9:06 AM

Asian shares rise on hopes for rapid coronavirus vaccine rollout

A broad gauge of Asian shares edged up to record highs on Monday morning as hopes for imminent coronavirus vaccines buoyed investor sentiment, but worries over the impact of economic lockdowns and uncertainty over U.S. stimulus capped gains.

 

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was up 0.38%, pushing past a previous record high touched on Friday. Read on...

8:56 AM

Despite COVID challenges, Kumbh Mela will be held in Haridwar: Uttarakhand CM

8:41 AM

Canada continues to see sharp rise of Covid-19 cases, tally over 330,000

Canada continued to see a sharp rise of COVID-19 cases on Sunday, with the country's total caseload surpassing 3,30,000.

 

Canada reported a total of 330,503 cases of the COVID-19 and 11,455 deaths as of Sunday evening, according to CTV.

 

Canada added 5,000 news cases on Saturday, setting a new daily record. Read on...

8:22 AM

If all goes well, India may get first Covid-19 vaccine by February

If all goes well, India may get its first vaccine for Covid-19 around February 2021. According to sources, the country’s drug regulator is likely to issue an emergency use authorisation (EUA) to at least one vaccine candidate by the end of January. This would be procured by the government to vaccinate those on the priority list, that is, frontline health workers and the vulnerable population. Read on...

8:11 AM

Britain coronavirus update: 18,662 fresh Covid-19 cases reported

UK has reported 18,662 new Covid-19 cases, pushing the tally to 1,512,045, according to official figures released.

 

The coronavirus-related deaths in Britain rose by 398 to 55,024, the data showed.

 

Also on Sunday, Ministers from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have backed plans to allow different households to meet "for a small number of days" over Christmas, Xinhua reported. Read on...

8:03 AM

Kerala coronavirus update: 5,294 fresh Covid-19 cases; active cases 65,856

Kerala reported 5,294 new positive cases of Covid-19 on Sunday taking the tally to 562,735, the state government said.

 

With 27 fresh deaths, the Covid-19 toll in the state has risen to 2,049, Health Minister K K Shailaja said.

 

A total of 6,227 people were cured of the disease as the cumulative recoveries climbed to 4,94,664 while the active cases stood at 65,856.

 

As many as 55 health workers were among those infected in the last 24 hours during which the state tested 48,015 samples with a test positivity rate of 10.94 per cent, she said.

 

"Till now, the state has tested 58,57,241 samples," the minister said in a release.

7:56 AM

Tamil Nadu coronavirus update: 1,655 new Covid-19 cases, 19 fatalities recorded

Fresh Covid-19 cases in Tamil Nadu continued to be below the 2,000 mark and were eclipsed by the recoveries as the infection tally edged up to 769,000 on Sunday.

 

Active cases in the state stood at 12,542, the health department said.

 

The state, which has been witnessing a decline in the coronavirus infections in recent days, recorded 1,655 new cases and 19 more deaths, taking the total positives to 7,69,995 and the toll to 11,605, it said in a bulletin.

 

As many as 2,010 people were discharged from healthcare facilities as the cumulative recoveries rose to 7,45,848.