Coronavirus LIVE: Maharashtra records 6,185 fresh cases, 85 deaths

Coronavirus live updates: At 1,808,550, Maharashtra has the highest number of coronavirus cases, followed by Karnataka 879,560, Andhra Pradesh 865,000, Tamil Nadu 776,174 and Kerala 583,000

2:02 PM

Thane records 742 new coronavirus cases; 14 more deaths

With the addition of 742 new cases of coronavirus, the count of infections in Maharashtra's Thane district has reached 2,26,337. Apart from the latest infections detected on Thursday, the district also recorded 14 casualties that have raised the toll to 5,648, the official said.

 

With a recovery rate of 94.27 per cent, a total of 2,13,373 persons have been discharged from various hospitals in the district so far, he said.

 

There are currently 7,316 active cases in the district. According to the official data, of the COVID-19 cases reported so far, Kalyan alone accounts for 53,350 infections, followed by Thane city with 50,657, Navi Mumbai with 47,701 and Mira Bhayandar with 23,950 cases.

1:37 PM

Pharma firm in India to make Russia's Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine

Indian pharmaceutical company Hetero will manufacture over 100 million doses of the Russian Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine per year under the terms of a deal unveiled on Friday between it and Russia's RDIF sovereign wealth fund. The move, which RDIF cast as another step in its efforts to scale up international manufacturing of its flagship vaccine, will see Hetero begin production in India at the start of next year, according to a joint statement on the Sputnik V Twitter account.

 

The statement said Phase II-III clinical trials were still under way in India, which with a population of over 1.3 billion is the second most populated country in the world after China.

 

Although Russian authorities gave Sputnik V their regulatory approval under an accelerated procedure in August, trials in Russia, designed to assess its safety and efficacy, are also ongoing.

 

1:26 PM

Maharashtra coronavirus update: Thane records 742 new COVID-19 cases; 14 more deaths

With the addition of 742 new cases of coronavirus, the count of infections in Maharashtra's Thane district has reached 2,26,337, an official said on Friday.

 

Apart from the latest infections detected on Thursday, the district also recorded 14 casualties that have raised the toll to 5,648, the official said.

 

With a recovery rate of 94.27 per cent, a total of 2,13,373 persons have been discharged from various hospitals in the district so far, he said.

 

There are currently 7,316 active cases in the district, the official said.

1:07 PM

Coronavirus may hijack our cells' cholesterol system to spread through body: Study

The SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19, may hijack our cells' internal cholesterol processing system to help it spread through the body, according to a study which hints at new targets for a potential therapy against the disease.

 

The cell culture study, published in the journal Nature Metabolism, identifies a potential molecular connection between cholesterol metabolism and COVID-19.

 

The researchers from the Academy of Military Medical Sciences (AMMS) in China found that the SARS-CoV-2 virus sticks to a receptor on the human cells that usually binds to HDL cholesterol, also known as 'good' cholesterol.

 

When the scientists blocked the cholesterol receptor in the cells, the virus was no longer able to stick to them.

 

They say this hints at new targets for treatment, although this is very early-stage research.

 

The study suggests that SARS-CoV-2 may use the cell's internal cholesterol mechanisms to enhance infection.

1:02 PM

Africa's confirmed Covid-19 cases top 2.1mn mark

The number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in the African continent has reached 2,106,931, while the death toll stood at 50,628, according to health authorities.

 

In its latest update on Thursday, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said that a total of 1,781,744 people infected with the virus have recovered across the continent so far, reports Xinhua news agency.

 

The most-affected African countries in terms of the number of positive cases include South Africa, Morocco, Egypt, and Ethiopia, figures from the Africa CDC showed.

 

The southern region is the most affected both in terms of the number of confirmed positive cases as well as the number of deaths, it said.

1:00 PM

Odisha coronavirus update: 594 Covid-19 cases, 14 fatalities reported

12:56 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: There are SOPs & guidelines but there's no will," says Supreme Court

"Processions are being taken out & 80 per cent people aren't wearing masks. Rest have masks hanging on to their jaw. There are SOPs & guidelines but there's no will," says Supreme Court as it expresses anguish over death of 5 patients due to a fire at a Covid-19 hospital in Rajkot

12:23 PM

Coronavirus in Delhi: Considering lockdown, night curfew, Delhi govt tells HC

The Aam Aadmi Party government on Thursday informed the Delhi High Court that it is "actively considering" the option of imposing night curfews or lockdown and the same would depend on the situation of the Covid-19 infection in the national capital. "We're actively considering imposition of lockdown, night curfews but no decision has been taken on it yet," said advocates Sandeep Sethi and Satyakam on behalf of the Delhi government.

12:19 PM

Russia agrees to produce coronavirus vaccine Sputnik V in India

Russia's sovereign wealth fund and Indian pharmaceutical company Hetero have agreed to produce over 100 million doses per year in India of the Sputnik V vaccine against COVID-19, according to a statement on the Sputnik V Twitter account on Friday.

 

Hetero and the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), which has been backing the vaccine and marketing it globally, plan to start production of Sputnik V in India at the beginning of 2021, the statement said.

 

Phase II-III trials are ongoing in India, the statement said. Drugmaker Dr Reddy's Laboratories Ltd has said it expects late-stage trials to be completed by as early as March 2021. Read on...

11:54 AM

No fresh Covid-19 fatality in Puducherry; UT reports only 16 new cases

The union territory of Puducherry registered 16 fresh Covid-19 cases on Friday taking the overall tally to 36,856, a top Health department official said.

 

In a welcome development, no fresh fatality was reported for the eighth day in succession on Friday, a release from the Director of Health and Family Welfare S Mohan Kumar said.

 

He said 46 patients were discharged after recovery from hospitals during the last 24 hours ending 10 AM. Read on...

11:29 AM

Delhi government failed to prevent Covid-19 spread: Centre to SC in an affidavit

11:10 AM

Telangana reports 761 fresh coronavirus cases, taking tally to over 2.67 lakh while four fatalities pushed toll to 1,448: State govt

10:44 AM

Five patients were killed in a fire at the ICU of a designated Covid-19 hospital in Gujarat's Rajkot

10:40 AM

PM Modi to visit Bharat Biotech's facility in Hyderabad tomorrow

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit vaccine maker Bharat Biotech's facility here on Saturday, the Telangana Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar said.

 

Modi will be arriving at Hakimpet Air Force station in an IAF flight from Pune in the afternoon, an official memo issued by the Telangana Chief Secretary on Thursday night said.

 

He will directly go to Bharat Biotech's facility at Genome Valley and return to the Air Force base after the visit. Read on...

10:38 AM

CPI(M) MP Bikash Bhattacharya tests positive for coronavirus

CPI(M) Rajya Sabha MP Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya has tested positive for the Covid-19, following which he is in home isolation, health department sources said on Friday.

 

Bhattacharya (69), a former Kolkata Mayor, has been keeping unwell for quite some time. He gave his samples for the Covid-19 test which turned out to be positive, they said.

 

"Bhattacharya's report was received on Thursday. He has opted for home isolation. He is okay and his condition is stated to be stable. He has asked all those who came in contact with him to take the test," an official of the health department said.