Coronavirus LIVE updates: Containment zones rise to over 4,550 in Delhi

Coronavirus update: US is the worst-hit country with 12,072,560 coronavirus cases, followed by India, which has 9,004,365 cases, Brazil (5,912,903), France (2,065,138), Russia (1,991,998)

5:54 PM

Sinovac may get Phase III trial results of Covid-19 vaccine by Dec

Chinese vaccine maker Sinovac Biotech could have the results of its experimental COVID-19 vaccine from late-stage clinical trials as soon as next month, an executive said on Friday.

 

Sinovac's CoronaVac is in large late-stage trials in Brazil, Indonesia and Turkey. Preliminary results of early to mid-stage trials showed this week that it triggered a quick immune response but lower levels of antibodies than those seen in people who have recovered from COVID-19.

 

5:28 PM

Scotland braces for most stringent Covid-19 curbs

More than two million people across Scotland were bracing for the country's most stringent coronavirus restrictions set to come into force on Friday evening. Under the level four rules, which will come into force at 6 p.m. in 11 council areas, including Glasgow, non-essential shops, pubs, restaurants, hairdressers, gyms and visitor attractions will all remain closed except for schools, the BBC reported.

 

The restrictions, which will remain in place till December 11, will be accompanied by legally-enforceable travel bans, under which people can be fined by the police for travelling in or out of the council areas unless it was essential.

 

The move is aimed at driving down "stubbornly and worryingly high" levels of the virus in western and central parts of Scotland which have been worst hit by the pandemic's second wave, according to the government.

5:17 PM

Infectiousness peaks early in Covid-19 patients: Lancet study

In a major study, researchers have claimed that infectiousness peaks early in Covid-19 patients, highlighting the need to quickly identify and isolate cases before the virus spreads.

 

Systematic review and meta-analysis of three human coronaviruses, published in the journal The Lancet Microbe, suggests that people infected with coronavirus are most likely to be highly infectious in the first week after symptom onset.

 

The report used meta-analysis to assess 98 studies on Covid-19, SARS and MERS. The researchers studied all three diseases was to determine why Covid-19 has spread more rapidly than the earlier diseases.

5:16 PM

No lockdown to be imposed in Madhya Pradesh: CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan

4:58 PM

Coronavirus LIVE updates: Containment zones rise to over 4,550 in Delhi

Amid a surge in COVID-19 cases, the number of containment zones has gone up to over 4,550 in the national capital, with the maximum 743 in southwest district and the lowest 148 in northeast district.

 

According to official data, six districts out of the total 11 have more than 400 COVID-19 containment zones - 743 (southwest), 705 (south), 587 (west), 543 (southeast), 490 (central Delhi) and 445 (northwest).

 

The national capital has witnessed a surge in coronavirus cases since October 28, when the daily rise breached the 5,000-mark for the first time, and it crossed the 8,000-mark on November 11. On Wednesday, the infection tally in Delhi rose to over 5 lakh with 7,486 fresh cases reported, while 131 new fatalities, the highest single-day death count till date, took the toll to 7,943.

4:49 PM

2,840 new coronavirus cases, 20 more deaths in Uttar Pradesh

Uttar Pradesh reported 20 more COVID-19 fatalities on Friday, taking the death toll to 7,500, while 2,840 new cases pushed the state's infection count to 5,21,988. The number of active coronavirus cases now stands at 23,357, Additional Chief Secretary, Health, Amit Mohan Prasad told reporters here.

 

"The active cases now are 23,357 and the number of those who have recovered from the infection is 4,91,131. The death toll has gone up to 7,500," Prasad said.

 

The state recorded 2,840 fresh COVID-19 cases and the total number of cases has reached 5,21,988, he said.

4:37 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Haryana govt orders closure of all schools till Nov 30

Amid a rise in COVID-19 cases, the Haryana government on Friday ordered the closure of all schools in the state until November 30. The move came days after over 150 students tested positive for coronavirus.

 

The state's Directorate School Education ordered the closure of schools in a letter issued to all district education officers, block education officers and other concerned officials.

 

In view of the increasing number of COVID-19 cases and keeping in mind the health of the students, it has been decided by the Haryana government that all government and private schools in the state will be closed till November 30, said the letter. The schools will also remain closed for the teaching staff and all school campuses will be sanitised during their closure.

4:20 PM

Another Chinese Covid-19 vaccine enters late-stage human trials

Chinese vaccine maker Anhui Zhifei Longcom Biopharmaceutical Co., Ltd. has commenced the phase-3 clinical trials for its Covid-19 vaccine, planning to recruit 29,000 volunteers across the world. This is China's first phase-3 efficacy study for a recombinant subunit COVID-19 vaccine candidate, the company said in a statement on Thursday.

 

Jointly developed by the company and the Institute of Microbiology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the vaccine was issued with a clinical research permit from the National Medical Products Administration on June 19. Researchers started phase-1 and phase-2 clinical trials on June 23, which were randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled.

4:09 PM

Amid rising Covid-19 cases, Delhi CM assures associations that markets will not be shut

3:51 PM

Maintain vigil in districts bordering Delhi in view of rise in Covid-19 cases: UP CM to officials

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday directed senior officials to maintain special vigil in districts adjoining Delhi in view of the spike in COVID-19 cases there. The chief minister has asked senior officials to maintain vigil in Meerut, Gautam Buddh Nagar and Ghaziabad besides Lucknow, Kanpur Nagar, Prayagraj and Gorakhpur, an official spokesperson said.

 

The chief minister also directed officials to take special caution in these districts in view of the rising COVID-19 cases in Delhi. The chief minister has asked the medical education minister and health minister to review the health services in Ghaziabad and Gautam Buddh Nagar, the spokesperson said.

3:48 PM

Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij administered trial dose of Covaxin

Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij was administered a trial dose of Bharat Biotech's COVID-19 vaccine 'Covaxin' at a hospital in Ambala on Friday.

 

"It is a matter of pride for India that a company of India has developed a vaccine for coronavirus. Two successful trials have been done and the third phase has begun today. I offer to be the first volunteer so that people without any fear can come forward for vaccination trials. If everything goes well, this vaccine will be in the market soon," Vij told ANI.

 

He had offered to be the first volunteer for the third phase trial of Covaxin, which started in the state today.

 

"I will be administered trial dose of Coronavirus vaccine #Covaxin a Bharat Biotech product tomorrow at 11 am at Civil Hospital, Ambala Cantt under the expert supervision of a team of Doctors from PGI Rohtak and Health Department. I have volunteered to take the trial dose," Vij tweeted on Thursday.

3:31 PM

Bareilly goes in for testing people from Delhi for Covid-19 at border

In the wake of the recent spurt in coronavirus infection in the national capital, the Bareilly administration, in a bid to shield the district from a similar fate, has deployed mobile vans at its borders to test all those coming here from Delhi. City's Additional District Magistrate Mahendra Kumar Singh, who is in charge of the Integrated Covid-19 Control Room here, on Friday said the district administration is keeping a close eye on all those coming from Delhi.

 

Directives have been issued to ensure prompt corona tests of people coming from Delhi for which mobile vans have been deployed on the borders. The administration is making an all-out effort to see to it that those testing positive go in for home isolation, the ADM said, adding the corporators' help too is being sought in this task.

3:12 PM

Odisha reports 757 new coronavirus cases, 16 more deaths

Odisha on Friday reported 757 new COVID-19 cases, taking the tally to 3,12,545, a Health Department official said. Sixteen more people died of COVID-19 in the state, following which the toll rose to 1,608.

 

Four of the latest fatalities were reported from the Sundergarh district, three from Cuttack, and two each from Ganjam and Sambalpur districts. One patient each died in Bargarh, Jagatsinghpur, Jharsuguda, Puri and Subarnapur. Of the new cases, 436 cases were reported from different quarantine centres.

3:02 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Random rapid Covid-19 testing being conducted in Noida

2:46 PM

Gujarat CM rules out lockdown, curfew only in Ahmedabad city

As Ahmedabad city prepares for a 57-hour-long curfew following a spike in cases, the Gujarat government on Friday ruled out a fresh statewide lockdown to contain the spread of coronavirus. CM Vijay Rupani said his government is not mulling to impose a statewide lockdown. Rupani said a "weekend curfew" will be imposed from Friday night only in Ahmedabad city "as a precautionary measure" following a sudden spike in coronavirus cases in the state's commercial hub.

 

"There is no question of imposing a lockdown in Gujarat at present. We have decided to implement a weekend curfew, on Saturday and Sunday, in Ahmedabad city only," he said.

 

Moreover, police have been instructed to take strict action against those found roaming without face masks and violating social distancing norms, Rupani told reporters at Ambaji in Banaskantha district.