Coronavirus LIVE: Saudi suspends entry from 20 countries, including India

Coronavirus live updates: Globally, more than 107.8 million people have been infected by the virus and the death toll stands at 2,363,308

2:19 AM

S Africa secures millions of Pfizer, J&J vaccine doses to fight Covid variant

South Africa has secured millions of doses of Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer vaccines to fight the highly infectious Covid-19 variant that is dominant in the country, President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Thursday.
 

During an annual state of the nation address, Ramaphosa said South Africa has secured 9 million doses of the J&J vaccine, of which 500,000 would arrived next week so authorities could start vaccinating health workers. Another 20 million Pfizer doses were also on their way, he said.
 

In addition, the World Health organisation-backed COVAX facility would provide 12 million vaccine doses, Ramaphosa said.
 

South Africa has been hit doubly hard by a second wave of Covid-19, driven by a new coronavirus variant first discovered in the Eastern Cape, called 501Y.V2 and believed to be 50% more contagious than earlier versions of the coronavirus.
 

Nearly 1.5 million people have been infected since the pandemic began and more than 47,000 have been killed, and Ramaphosa said the economy had shrunk by 6%, while joblessness had soared to new records.
 

2:17 AM

Covid-defying nun toasts 117th birthday with wine and prayer

Question: How does one cram enough candles onto a birthday cake for one of the world's oldest survivors of COVID-19? Answer: With 117 candles, you can't.

A French nun who is believed to be the world's second-oldest person celebrated her 117th birthday in style on Thursday, with multiple treats and well-wishes, cards and flowers to fete her exceptional longevity through two world wars and a recent coronavirus infection.
 

Sister André also got a Mass in her honor and a feast with Champagne, red wine and port. Then came a nap followed by more festivities, including an afternoon snack of baked Alaska, her favorite dessert.
 

“It made me very, very, very, very happy,” the birthday girl said. “Because I met all those I love and I thank the heavens for giving them to me. I thank God for the trouble they went to." Sister André's big day got rolling with a morning video call with her great-nephews and great-great nephews, followed by a Mass in her honor led by the local Catholic bishop, said David Tavella, the communications manager for the care home in the southern French city of Toulon where the nun lives.
 

Her birthday feast included a starter of foie gras, followed by capon with fragrant mushrooms. “All of it washed down with red wine, because she drinks red wine. It's one of her secrets of longevity,” Tavella told The Associated Press. There was also port and Champagne "because 117 years have to be toasted,” he said.
 

She skipped dessert because she was tired, but got it served to her later after a nap — with three candles and the numerals 117 on top.
 

10:35 PM

Over 15,800 people get Covid vaccine shots on Thursday in Delhi; turnout 62%

Over 15,800 beneficiaries received Covid-19 vaccine shots in Delhi on Thursday in the fourth week of the inoculation drive, registering a turnout of 62 per cent, according to data shared by officials, according to PTI. Senior officials said the number of vaccination centres were increased to 253 on Thursday from 183 earlier. On Wednesday, the corresponding figures were 14,743 with a turnout of about 80 per cent.

Besides healthcare workers, frontline workers, who include, police, civil defence staff, DJB and electricity department employees, among others, are also getting jabs for the last several days. Also, the number of scheduled days, from initially four days -- Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday -- have now been extended to six days a week, Monday-Saturday.

10:25 PM

Maha records 3,297 Covid-19 cases, 6,107 recoveries; 25 die

Maharashtra reported more than 3,200 new coronavirus cases for a second day this week on Thursday, while 25 patients succumbed to the infection even as 6,107 people were discharged from hospitals after recovery, said an official from the state health department. With 3,297 fresh COVID-19 cases, the statewide tally rose to 20,52,905, said the official.

On Wednesday, the state had reported 3,451 new cases, a multi-week high this year. The state also reported the death of 25 people from COVID-19, taking the fatality count to 51,415, he said. Of these deaths, 21 occurred in the past 48 hours, while remaining four took place last week but were added to the fatality tally now, the official said.

10:08 PM

Roche's tocilizumab cuts deaths in hospitalised Covid-19 patients: Study

Roche's arthritis drug tocilizumab cuts the risk of death among patients hospitalised with severe Covid-19, also shortening the time to recovery and reducing the need for mechanical ventilation, results of a large trial showed on Thursday, according to a Reiters report.

 

The findings - from the RECOVERY trial, which has been testing a range of potential treatments for Covid-19 since March 2020 - should help clear up confusion about whether tocilizumab has any benefit for Covid-19 patients after a slew of recent mixed trial results.

 

"We now know that the benefits of tocilizumab extend to all Covid patients with low oxygen levels and significant inflammation," said Peter Horby, a professor of emerging infectious diseases at Oxford University and the joint lead investigator on the RECOVERY trial. Read more

9:40 PM

Over 7.33 mn healthcare workers vaccinated against Covid: Health Ministry

The number of healthcare and frontline workers vaccinated against Covid-19 reached 74.30 lakh on Thursday, the 27th day of the countrywide inoculation programme, the Union Health Ministry said. The cumulative number of healthcare and frontline workers vaccinated against the coronavirus is 74,30,866 till Thursday 7 pm, as per a provisional report, it said. Of the total, 57,90,832 are healthcare workers and 16,40,034 are frontline workers.

The ministry said that 1,53,799 vaccination sessions have been held so far, with 10,743 sessions being held till 7 pm today. On Thursday, all states and union territories, except Mizoram and Daman and Diu, reported vaccination of beneficiaries, and 4,13,752 people were vaccinated till 7 pm, it said. "Of these, 85,604 were healthcare workers, while the other 3,28,148 beneficiaries were frontline workers,"the ministry said, adding that the final report will be completed by late in the night.

 

8:54 PM

Vaccine against new Covid variants may take 6-9 months: AstraZeneca

Pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca said it could take between six to nine months to produce Covid-19 vaccines that are effective against new variants of the virus.

 

A six-month turnaround for an updated vaccine would represent a vast improvement over traditional vaccine development timelines, The Guardian reported on Thursday.

 

"Work on the variants hasn't started today, it started weeks and months ago, as soon as those new variants were identified and... we are aiming to be in the clinic in the spring, with next generation vaccines for the new variants," said Sir Mene Pangalos, Executive Vice-President, BioPharmaceuticals R&D at AstraZeneca. READ ON...

8:27 PM

Karnataka logs 430 new coronavirus cases, seven fatalities

Karnataka on Thursday reported 430 fresh COVID-19 cases and seven deaths, taking the caseload and toll to 9,44,057 and 12,251 respectively, health department said. The active cases stood at 5,958.

 

A health department bulletin said 340 patients were cured of the disease today, taking the number of recoveries to 9,25,829. There were as many as 68,194 tests conducted today including 64,596 using the RT-PCR and other methods, taking the total tests done so far to 1.78 crore, it said. Bengaluru urban district reported 228 infections whereas all the fatalities took place in Bengaluru Urban (6) and Bengaluru rural district (1).

7:11 PM

3% of total confirmed Covid cases from 177 tribal dominated districts: Govt

Around three per cent of the total confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country were from 177 tribal dominated districts till June 2020, Minister of State for Tribal Affairs Renuka Singh Saruta informed the Parliament on Thursday. Replying to a question in Rajya Sabha, the minister said the ministry has assessed district wise confirmed COVID-19 cases for 177 tribal dominated districts.

 

"It has been observed that about three per cent of the total confirmed cases in the country were from 177 tribal dominated districts till June, 2020," the minister said.

 

In reply to another question on the measures undertaken by the ministry for community specific safety and well-being of the tribal population during the COVID-19 pandemic, she said on her ministry's request, the Union Home Ministry issued orders aiming to relax provisions of lockdown for collection, harvesting and processing of Minor Forest Produce (MFP)/Non Timber Forest Produce (NTFP) by Scheduled Tribes and other forest dwellers.

6:19 PM

Airlines permitted to fly only 80% of pre-Covid flights till March-end: Govt

The cap on the number of domestic flights that Indian airlines are permitted to operate will remain at 80 per cent of their pre-COVID levels till March 31 or till the summer schedule begins, said the Civil Aviation Ministry on Thursday. The ministry had set the 80per cent limit on December 3, 2020, without specifying till what date it would remain in place.

 

The summer schedule begins at the end of March for all the airlines. Aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) approves both the schedules - summer and winter - of all the airlines.

 

"As per the prevailing situation of COVID-19, the central government...directs the order dated December 3, 2020, shall remain in force till 2359 hrs on March 31, 2021 or till the date of commencement of summer schedule 2021, whichever isearlier or until further orders," the ministry's order said.

5:33 PM

179 new Covid cases take infection tally past 6-lakh mark; no fresh fatality reported

The COVID-19 infection tally in Uttar Pradesh crossed the six lakh-mark on Thursday with 179 new cases being reported in a day. No fresh fatality was registered in the state during the same period.

 

"In the past 24 hours, 179 fresh cases were reported in the state. The total number of active cases in the state is now 3,320, while 5,89,882 people have been treated and discharged," Additional Chief Secretary, Information, Navneet Sehgal told reporters.

 

He said that the state's recovery rate has risen to over 98 per cent. Of the total active cases, 170 are in home-isolation, the official added. The total number of cases in the state now stands at 6,01,898, while the death toll due to the disease is at 8,696. Sehgal said Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's strategy in dealing with the pandemic has proved successful with the state achieving a recovery rate of 98 per cent. On Wednesday, 1.26 lakh samples were tested for COVID-19 in the state. With this, more than 2.80 crore tests have been done in the state so far.

4:57 PM

Mobile labs for Covid-19 testing to soon be available in Maharashtra

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday said mobile laboratories for COVID-19 testing will soon be made available across the state. Speaking at the launch of three laboratory vans for COVID-19 testing, Thackeray said these mobile laboratories can carry out 3,000 tests per day and reports would be available in 24 hours.

 

Tests will be conducted at the mobile labs for Rs 499, said Mumbai municipal commissioner I S Chahal who was present on the occasion.

 

The mobile labs by Spice Heath, which are accredited by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) and Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), have been set up at Bandra Kurla Complex, National Sports Club of India in Worli and NESCO in Goregaon.

4:33 PM

UK variant of Covid-19 will 'sweep the world', says scientist

The Covid-19 variant, which was first detected in the UK's Kent last year, is set to become the dominant strain and is going to sweep the world, the head of the UK's genetic surveillance programme said.

 

"The new variant has 'swept the country' and 'it's going to sweep the world, in all probability'," Sharon Peacock, Director of Covid-19 Genomics UK (Cog-UK) told the BBC.

 

"Once we get on top of it or it mutates itself out of being virulent -- causing disease -- then we can stop worrying about it. But I think, looking in the future, we're going to be doing this for years. We're still going to be doing this 10 years down the line, in my view," Peacock added.

3:53 PM

Saudi Arabia suspends entry from 20 countries, including India

In view of the COVID-19 pandemic, Saudi Arabia temporarily suspended entry of people from 20 countries, including India, informed Indian Embassy in Riyadh on Thursday.

 

In a tweet, India in Saudi Arabia posted its advisory saying, "Kingdom of Saudi Arabia vide its circular dated 2nd February 2021 have temporarily suspended entry into the Kingdom for passengers coming from the following 19 countries, in addition to India."

 

The countries which have been included in the suspension are India, Argentina, the United Arab Emirates, Germany, the United States of America, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Pakistan, Brazil, Portugal, United Kingdom, Turkey, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, France, Lebanon, Egypt, and Japan. According to Johns Hopkins University, Saudi Arabia has so far recorded over 371,356 COVID-19 cases and 6,415 deaths.

3:32 PM

108 Covid case fatalities reported in past 24 hours in India