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.

12:13 AM

Health Ministry to discuss new Covid-19 strain found in UK

In a fresh development, the Union Health Ministry is going to conduct a high-level meeting on Monday to discuss the new Coronavirus strain found in the United Kingdom.

 

A senior government official said that the Joint Monitoring Group (JGM) has decided to hold a meeting to discuss the new Covid strain found in the United Kingdom. Representatives of the World Health Organisation are likely to attend the meeting, said the official.

 

"As far as India is concerned, there is no major change or mutation in the Covid strain yet. We are studying strains of coronavirus very closely in our country. But, yes, we also keep a track of whatever is happening in the world related to the variants of COVID-19 strain," said the official.

11:54 PM

Bihar's Covid-19 caseload climbs to 247,000

Bihar's Covid-19 caseload mounted to 247,000 on Sunday with 599 fresh cases, while five more fatalities pushed the death toll to 1,352, a health department bulletin said.

The deaths were reported from Patna and Sheikhpura districts.

Patna has reported the highest number of positive cases and deaths - 46,614 and 360, respectively - of the 38 districts.

10:35 PM

Bengal's Covid-19 death toll climbs to 9,360

West Bengal's Covid-19 death toll mounted to 9,360 on Sunday with 40 more fatalities, while 1,978 fresh cases pushed the coronavirus tally to 5,36,828, the health department said in a bulletin.

 

West Bengal now has 17,771 active cases, and a total of 5,09,697 people have recovered from the disease so far, including 2,627 since Saturday, it said.

 

The recovery rate stands at 94.95 per cent.

10:15 PM

29 new cases, 2 more deaths in Chandigarh

Chandigarh on Sunday reported two more Covid-19-related deaths, pushing the toll to 308 while 29 more cases took the infection tally to 19,073.

 

There are 437 active cases in the union territory as of now, according to a medical bulletin.

 

A total of 84 patients were discharged after they recovered from the infection, taking the number of cured people to 19,073, the bulletin said.

10:08 PM

Congress questions 'silence' of PM Modi on ongoing farmers' protests

The Congress on Sunday questioned the "silence" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the ongoing farmers' protests against the Centre's new farm laws and asked why he had not yet condoled the demise of 33 protesters.

 

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said the struggle and sacrifices of farmers will bring colour as he saluted those who died during the agitation.

 

"The struggle and sacrifice of the farmers will surely bring colour. Salutes and tributes to the peasant brothers and sisters," he said in a tweet in Hindi.

 

Congress spokesperson Shama Mohamed said 33 farmers have lost their lives during the ongoing agitation and the agitating farmer unions are observing 'Shradhanjali Diwas' on Sunday. The Congress is also observing the day.

9:38 PM

Karnataka clocks 1,194 fresh coronavirus cases, 5 deaths

After several months since the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic, Karnataka reported only five deaths on Sunday taking the toll to 12,009 whereas the total caseload touched 9.09 lakh with 1,194 new infections, the health department said.

 

The total infection count comprised 8,82,944 discharges cumulatively including 1,062 on Sunday and 14,497 active cases, a bulletin issued by the department said.

 

Half the cases reported in the state on Sunday were contributed by Bengaluru urban district which saw 659 infections.

8:44 PM

1,010 new coronavirus cases in Guj; 1,190 recuperate, 7 die

Gujarat recorded 1,010 new Covid-19 cases on Sunday, increasing the infection tally in the state to 235,299, the health department said.

 

With the death of seven patients, the fatality count rose to 4,234, it said.

 

A total of 1,190 patients got discharge from hospitals during the day, which increased the recovery count to 219,125, the departmentsaid in a release.

8:43 PM

Maharashtra sees 3,811 new Covid-19 cases, 2,064 recoveries; 98 die

Maharashtra on Sunday reported 3,811 fresh Covid-19 cases, taking the count of infections to 18,96,518, the state health department said.

 

With 98 more people succumbing to the viral disease, the total tally of fatalities rose to 48,746, it said.

 

A total of 2,064 patients were discharged after treatment during the day, taking the number of recoveries to 17,83,905. The state is now left with 62,743 active cases.

 

A total of 1,21,19,196 people have been tested so far.

 

The state's case recovery rate reached 94.06 per cent while the case fatality rate is 2.57 per cent, a health department statement said.

8:42 PM

London could be under COVID-19 lockdown for months, says UK health secretary

British Health Secretary Matt Hancock on Sunday raised the prospect that London could be under lockdown for months as he has warned it will be "very difficult" to keep a virulent new strain of the coronavirus under control until vaccinations are rolled out.

 

His remarks came as he was speaking to Sky News just hours after the new Tier Four restrictions came into force in the British capital and parts of southeast England.

 

The new tighter restrictions will be reviewed on December 30, 2020. However, the health secretary indicated it was unlikely they would be relaxed at that point.

 

"It is going to be very difficult to keep it under control until we have the vaccine rolled out," he said. "We know with this new variant you can catch it more easily from a small amount of the virus being present."

8:21 PM

Millions in stringent new UK lockdown amid coronavirus variant surge

A surge in the infection rate caused by a new variant of coronavirus has led to millions entering a stringent new stay-at-home lockdown in the UK from Sunday, with non-essential shops and businesses now closed.

 

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the new rules at a briefing from 10 Downing Street on Saturday evening, which means a planned five-day Christmas bubble of relaxed rules has been cancelled in favour of a new Tier 4 level to the current three-tier lockdown system to try and control the surge in infections being caused by the new mutation of the deadly virus.

 

"It seems that the spread is now being driven by the new variant of the virus, Johnson said.

7:14 PM

Goa's case count rises by 88, recoveries by 91

The coronavirus caseload in Goa went up by 88 and reached 50,064 on Sunday,a health official said.

 

The death toll climbed to 721 as three patients succumbed to the infection during the day, he said.

 

As 91 patients got discharge on Sunday, the recovery count of the coastal state rose to 48,371.

 

The number of active cases in Goa is now 972, the official said.

 

"A total of 966 samples were tested during the day," he added.

7:13 PM

Muzaffarnagar: COVID-19 tally reaches 7,699; death toll mounts to 99

One more person died due to COVID-19 here on Sunday, taking the district's toll to 99, an official said.

 

The 70-year-old man was admitted to Muzaffarnagar Medical College on Saturday.

 

The district reported 23 fresh COVID-19 cases, pushing the number of active cases to 422 and the COVID-19 tally to 7,699, District Magistrate Selvakumari J said.

 

With 38 more recoveries, the number of people who have recuperated stands at 7,178.

 

6:36 PM

Study finds high risk factors of mortality from Covid-19

Hospitalised Covid-19 patients have a greater risk of dying if they are men or if they are obese or have complications from diabetes or hypertension, say researchers.

 

The study, published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases, evaluated nearly 67,000 hospitalised Covid-19 patients in 613 hospitals across the country to determine the link between certain common patient characteristics and the risk of dying from Covid-19.

 

Their analysis found that men had a 30 per cent higher risk of dying compared to women of the same age and health status.

 

"Hospitalised patients who were obese, had hypertension or poorly managed diabetes had a higher risk of dying compared to those who did not have these conditions," said study authors from the University of Maryland in the US.

5:47 PM

AP adds 438 new Covid-19 cases, two deaths push toll to 7,076

Andhra Pradesh reported 438 fresh coronavirus cases, 589 recoveries and two deaths in 24 hours ending 9 AM on Sunday.

 

The state's Covid-19 chart now showed 8,78,723 total positives, 8,67,445 recoveries and 7,076 deaths.

 

The latest bulletin said the number of active cases now came down to 4,202.

 

So far, 1.12 crore sample tests were completed at the rate of 2.10 lakh per million population that turned out an overall infection positivity rate of 7.80 per cent.

 

The recovery rate touched 98.72 per cent while the case mortality rate remained stable at 0.81 per cent.

5:27 PM

Sabarimala opens for 5000 pilgrims a day, Covid-negative certificate after RT-PCR test must

Post December 26, devotees will be allowed to visit Sabarimala hill shrine only after producing a COVID-negative certificate following an RT-PCR test, the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) said, even as the Kerala High Court granted permission to allow 5,000 pilgrims to visit the temple from Sunday.

 

TDB president N Vasu said devotees must carry a COVID-19-negative certificate after conducting an RT-PCR test not more than 48 hours prior to their visit to the temple.

 

"In view of the Makaravilakku festival season from December 31 to January 19, 2021, devotees who do not have an RT-PCR-negative certificate will not be allowed to climb the hill," the board president said.