Coronavirus LIVE: Doctors, nurses should accept vaccine, says Niti Aayog

Coronavirus live updates: India has so far vaccinated 450,000 people. Globally, nearly 96 million people have been infected, of which, 10,572,672 are in India

4:41 PM

454,049 people have been vaccinated in India against Covid-19 so far: Health Ministry

4:31 PM

LIVE: Health Ministry briefing on coronavirus situation in India

4:12 PM

Centre issues Letter of Comfort to Bharat Biotech for 45 lakh doses of Covaxin

Bharat Biotech has secured a fresh Letter of Comfort from the Centre for another 45 lakh doses of its COVID-19 vaccine Covaxin, sources said on Tuesday. Out of those 45 lakh doses, the city-based vaccine maker will be supplying over eight lakh doses of Covaxin to some of the friendly countries such as Mauritius, Philippines and Myanmar, free of cost as good will gesture.

 

They also said the company will be dispatching 20 lakh doses of the earlier order in a couple of days, from here.

 

"The company was given a fresh letter of comfort recently for supplying another 45 lakh doses of Covaxin. The doses will be dispatched as when the Ministry places orders with the company," sources told PTI.

3:56 PM

Number of people vaccinated against Covid-19 more than double number of active cases: Govt

A total of4,54,049 beneficiaries have so far been vaccinated against COVID-19 in the country whichis more than double the number of coronavirus active cases, the Union Health Ministry said on Tuesday. In a span of 24 hours, 2,23,669 people were vaccinated for COVID-19 across 3,930 sessions taking the cumulative total of people vaccinated to 4,54,049 (across 7,860 sessions conducted so far) in the country, the ministry said.

 

India's total COVID-19 active caseload has dropped to2 lakh (2,00,528)as on date whichconsists of just1.90 per centof the total cases, while thedaily new cases have touched a new low on Tuesday with10,064daily new infections being added to the national tally after seven months.The daily new cases were 10,956 on June 12, 2020, the ministry said.

 

"The fall in the number of daily new cases is accompanied by a fast rising number of people getting vaccinated against COVID-19 across all states and UTs," it said. "The total number of people vaccinated is more than double the number of active cases," the ministry highlighted.

3:09 PM

Coronavirus cases shoot up in Lakshadweep islands

The number of COVID-19 cases soared to 14 in Lakshadweep islands, which remained insulated from the attack of deadly virus till Monday, since the outbreak of the pandemic in the country nearly a year ago. A day after the first coronavirus case was reported in the islands, official sources said 13 people, who were his primary contacts, tested positive for the virus on Tuesday, taking the test positivity rate to 42.4 per cent.

 

The man belonging to the India Reserve Battalion (IRB), had left for Kavaratti by ship from Kochi on 3 January and tested positive on Monday, official sources said.

 

He had reached the islands on January 4. Sources said his 31 primary contacts were traced and tested of which 13 were infected. All of the positive people belonged to IRB, they said. While four of them are having symptoms, the remaining are asymptomatic.

2:56 PM

India's Covid-19 recovery rate improves to 96.66%: Health Ministry

2:34 PM

Delhi govt reduces ICU beds reservation to 25 pc for Covid-19 patients in pvt hospitals

The Delhi High Court was informed on Tuesday that the Delhi government has reduced the reservation of COVID-19 ICU beds in private hospitals here to 25 per cent, from 40 per cent earlier. Justice Navin Chawla listed the matter for further hearing on February 2, after the counsel for petitioner Association of Healthcare Providers said he is waiting for instructions from member hospitals on this development and sought some time.

 

The organisation has sought quashing of the government's September 12, 2020 order to reserve 80 per cent ICU beds for COVID-19 patients in 33 private hospitals which are its members.

 

The reservation percentage has been gradually reduced by the government after reviewing the pandemic situation. With the COVID-19 infection number reaching at its peak of over 8,000 in a day in November, 2020 in Delhi, the numbers are now declining and 161 fresh cases were recorded on January 18, 2021.

2:01 PM

India’s weekly Covid-19 positivity rate is 1.97%: Health Ministry

1:44 PM

30 boxes of Covishield shipped by Serum Institute to Hyderabad

Facilitating COVID-19 inoculation drive in the country, 30 boxes of Covishield vaccine made by Serum Institute of India were shipped from Pune in Maharashtra to Hyderabad in Telangana on Tuesday, as per the official notice by the institute. On January 16, Telangana Health Minister Eatala Rajender took the first jab of the COVID-19 vaccine.

 

A total of 140 centres have been shortlisted for the distribution of the vaccine.

 

Earlier that day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the world's largest vaccination drive against the pandemic. The Centre stated that the shots will be offered first to an estimated one crore healthcare workers and around two crore frontline workers, and then to persons above 50 years of age, followed by persons younger than 50 years of age with associated comorbidities.

1:11 PM

Chinese mainland reports 118 new cases

The Chinese mainland has registered 118 new coronavirus cases, of which 106 were locally transmitted and 12 arrived from outside the National Health Commission said on Tuesday.

 

Of the locally transmitted cases, 43 were reported in Jilin, 35 in Hebei, 27 in Heilongjiang, and one in Beijing, the Commission said in its daily report.

 

No suspected cases or deaths related to the disease were reported on Monday, Xinhua news agency reported.

12:45 PM

800,000 Covaxin does to be supplied to countries such as Mauritius, Philippines and Myanmar

Out of 4.5 million Covaxin doses, over 800,000 are intended to be supplied to countries such as Mauritius, Philippines and Myanmar, as a goodwill gesture, reports PTI.

12:23 PM

Coronavirus in India: Latest update by MoHFW

12:09 PM

A new COVID-19 challenge: Mutations rise along with cases

The race against the virus that causes COVID-19 has taken a new turn: Mutations are rapidly popping up, and the longer it takes to vaccinate people, the more likely it is that a variant that can elude current tests, treatments and vaccines could emerge.

 

The coronavirus is becoming more genetically diverse, and health officials say the high rate of new cases is the main reason. Each new infection gives the virus a chance to mutate as it makes copies of itself, threatening to undo the progress made so far to control the pandemic.

11:46 AM

Bharat Biotech advises pregnant or breastfeeding women to avoid Covid vaccine

Bharat Biotech's fact sheet on Covid-19 vaccine Covaxin, has advised pregnant or breastfeeding women, besides people with high fever or bleeding disorders, not to take the antidote.

 

The vaccine maker in the fact sheet on Covaxin, posted in its website, said the clinical efficacy of the vaccine is yet to be established and is being studied in Phase 3 clinical trial and hence it is important to appreciate that receiving the vaccine does not mean other precautions related to COVID- 19 need not be followed.

 

"You should not get Bharat Biotech's COVID-19 vaccine Covaxin if you have any history of allergies. Have high fever. Have bleeding disorder or are a blood thinner.

 

Immune compromised or are a medicine that affects your immune system. Are pregnant. Are breast feeding.

11:30 AM

Cambodia PM seeks India's assistance for Covid-19 vaccine

Prime Minister Hun Sen is seeking assistance from India for the provision of Covid-19 vaccines: Cambodian media