Coronavirus LIVE: Wearing masks mandatory for next 6 mnths, says Thackeray

Coronavirus live updates: Kerala reported the maximum number of new cases in the country on Saturday with 6,293 new Covid-19 infections in the last 24 hours.

9:06 AM

Donald Trump says Moderna's vaccine approved; US FDA denies claim

Donald Trump in a tweet on Friday said Moderna Inc’s vaccine had been approved and would ship immediately, although the US Food and Drug Administration has made no public announcement yet regarding its decision.

 

A panel of outside FDA advisers met to discuss Moderna's vaccine on Thursday and an agency decision was expected as soon as within a few hours, at the time of going to press.

 

“Moderna vaccine overwhelmingly approved. Distribution to start immediately,” Trump said in a post on Twitter. Read on...

9:03 AM

Spain to start vaccinations against Covid-19 on Dec 27: Health minister

Spanish Health Minister Salvador Illa said on Friday that vaccinations against COVID-19 will begin in Spain on December 27.

 

The first vaccinations will be using the BioNTech Pfizer vaccine, with the first doses arriving in Spain on December 26.

 

"If Europe has agreed that vaccination begins in a coordinated manner, in Spain we are going to start the first possible day," Illa said at a press conference. Read on...

9:02 AM

Global coronavirus update: Cases top 75.5 million, says Johns Hopkins

The overall number of global coronavirus cases has topped 75.5 million, while the deaths have surged to more than 1.67 million, according to the Johns Hopkins University.

 

In its latest update on Saturday, the University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed that the current global caseload and death toll stood at 75,588,781 and 1,672,826, respectively.

 

The US is the worst-hit country with the world's highest number of cases and deaths at 17,442,180 and 313,246, respectively, according to the CSSE. Read on...

9:01 AM

US House Speaker Pelosi gets Covid-19 vaccine

Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi has been vaccinated against the novel coronavirus by attending physician Brian Monahan at the Capitol.

 

Taking to Twitter on Friday, Pelosi said: "Today, with confidence in science and at the direction of the Office of the Attending Physician, I received the Covid-19 vaccine.

 

"As the vaccine is being distributed, we must all continue mask wearing, social distancing and other science-based steps to save lives and crush the virus."

8:56 AM

Himachal Pradesh coronavirus update: 482 new Covid-19 cases reported

Himachal Pradesh reported 482 new positive cases of the novel coronavirus on Friday, according to the state's Department of Health and Family Welfare.

 

Besides, 638 recoveries and nine fatalities due to the lethal virus were also recorded on the same day.

 

While 44,748 people have recovered from the infection so far, 855 persons have lost their lives to the coronavirus. Read on...

8:39 AM

Assam coronavirus update: 102 new Covid-19 cases reported, tally at 215,250

One hundred and two new cases of novel coronavirus were reported in Assam on Saturday, according to the State Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.

 

As many as 85 people recovered from the lethal infection yesterday, pushing the tally for recovered cases to 2,10,697 in the state. The recovery rate was recorded at 97.88 percent as of December 18.

 

A total of 2,15,250 cases of Covid-19 have been reported so far. Read on...

8:38 AM

Madhya Pradesh coronavirus update: Indore reports 405 Covid-19 cases

As many as 405 new coronavirus cases were reported in Indore on Friday, according to the Chief Medical and Health Officer Poornima Gadaria.

 

The overall cases in the district have now reached 51,168, while the cumulative death toll climbed to 834.

 

So far 46,146 have been discharged after recovering from the disease. Read on...

8:04 AM

US Congress averts shutdown; fight continues over Covid pandemic aid

Congress swiftly passed a two-day stopgap spending bill on Friday night, averting a partial government shutdown and buying time for frustratingly slow endgame negotiations on an almost USD 1 trillion COVID-19 economic relief package.

 

The virus aid talks remain on track, both sides said, but closing out final disagreements is proving difficult. Read on...

7:57 AM

US clears Moderna vaccine for coronavirus, second shot in arsenal

The US added a second COVID-19 vaccine to its arsenal on Friday, boosting efforts to beat back an outbreak so dire that the nation is regularly recording more than 3,000 deaths a day. Read on...