Coronavirus LIVE: Govt mulling emergency authorisation of vaccine

Coronavirus update: US is the worst-hit country with 12,445,543 coronavirus cases, followed by India, which has 9,095,908 cases, Brazil (6,052,786), France (2,127,051), Russia (2,064,748)

3:29 AM

Spain to begin vaccination programme in January, Sanchez says

Spain will begin a comprehensive coronavirus vaccination programme in January and expects to have covered a substantial part of the population within six months, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Sunday.
 

He said Spain and Germany were the first European Union countries to have a complete vaccination plan in place.
 

"The campaign will start in January and have 13,000 vaccination points," Sanchez told a news conference after a two-day online summit of G20 leaders.
 

"A very substantial part of the population will be able to be vaccinated, with all guarantees, in the first half of the year."
 

Spain will implement a single national strategy, starting with "priority groups", Sanchez said, adding that he would present the plan to the cabinet on Tuesday. He also said more health professionals would be recruited.

3:27 AM

US CDC reports 255,076 deaths from coronavirus

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Sunday reported 12,028,081 cases of the novel coronavirus, an increase of 184,591 cases from its previous count, and said that the number of deaths had risen by 1,476 to 255,076.
 

The CDC reported its tally of cases of the respiratory illness known as Covid-19, caused by a new coronavirus, as of 4 pm ET on Nov. 21 versus its previous report a day earlier. (https://bit.ly/36sYS1R) The CDC figures do not necessarily reflect cases reported by individual states.

11:35 PM

Covid will soon be past episode of 21st century: Vardhan

The rapidness at which coronavirus vaccines are being developed will have a significant effect on new technologies that will help in faster drug discoveries, lowering the cost and making it more affordable for the poor, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said on Sunday.

 

The process, which used to take 10 years to produce vaccines, is now done in almost 10 months, Vardhan said while addressing the Boston Center of Excellence (BoCE) for Health and Human Development through video conference.

 

The health minister saluted the millions of frontline workers and elaborated India's strategy to contain the virus.

10:35 PM

MP reports 1,798 new Covid-19 cases

Madhya Pradesh on Sunday recorded 1,798 fresh cases of Covid-19, taking its tally to 1,93,044, while 13 fatalities pushed the toll to 3,162, health officials said.

 

A total of 1,212 patients were discharged in the last 24 hours, taking the state's overall recovery count to 1,78,117.

 

During the day, three people died in Indore, two each in Gwalior and Jabalpur and one each in Bhopal, Sagar, Damoh, Hoshangabad, Dewas and Harda, the official said.

10:34 PM

UP to test every traveller from Delhi for coronavirus

The Uttar Pradesh government will test all travellers from Delhi for coronavirus, an official said on Sunday.

 

Uttar Pradesh Chief Secretary R K Tiwari said the state government is also considering restrictions on the number of people at weddings and other social programmes.

 

Tiwari said infection cases have increased in UP districts bordering Delhi.

 

It seems the second COVID-19 has hit the national capital, he said, pointing to a spurt in cases there.

10:34 PM

Mamata to attend meeting with PM on Covid vaccine distribution

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will attend the virtual meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi over Covid-19 vaccine distribution strategy on Tuesday, a senior leader of the ruling Trinamool Congress said.

 

Modi is likely to hold virtual meetings with chief ministers and other representatives of states and union territories on Tuesday to review the coronavirus situation and discuss vaccine distribution strategy.

9:41 PM

Central team tours 3 cities, praises Gujarat measures

Gujarat to review the Covid-19 situation met Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel on Sunday after touring Ahmedabad, Vadodara and Mehsana.

 

The three-member team, led by National Centre for Disease Control's Director Sujeet Kumar Singh, expressed satisfaction at measures being taken to tackle the increasing Covid-19 cases in the state, said a government release.

 

"The team expressed satisfaction over the successful experiment of Dhanvantari Arogyarath in Gujarat and said the model could be replicated in other states as well. The team particularly praised measures such as home isolation, area specific surveillance and systematic monitoring put in place in Gujarat," said the release.

9:05 PM

We have opened all religious places in the state but don't crowd them: Maharashtra CM

9:00 PM

Bengal reports 3,591 new Covid-19 cases, 49 fresh fatalities

West Bengal's COVID-19 tally rose to 4,56,361 on Sunday as 3,591 more people tested positive for the infection, a health bulletin said.
 

Forty-nine more patients succumbed to the infection, pushing the state's coronavirus death toll to 8,025, it said.

8:51 PM

Raghav Chadha launches Delhi govt's free large-scale RT-PCR testing van

AAP MLA Raghav Chadha Sunday launched the Delhi government's large-scale RT-PCR testing drive from Old Rajinder Nagar through Covid-19 mobile testing vans.
 

The mobile coronavirus testing vans would extend free Covid-19 testing facility to residents.

8:38 PM

PM Modi likely to hold virtual meetings with states over Covid-19 situation, vaccine distribution plan

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to hold virtual meetings with chief ministers and other representatives of states and union territories on Tuesday to review the COVID-19 situation and discuss vaccine distribution strategy.
 

Modi is expected to hold two back to back meetings, one with eight states with high caseloads and another with states and UTs to discuss vaccine distribution strategy, sources said.

8:22 PM

Manipur reported 383 new Covid-19 cases

8:11 PM

Delhi added 400 ICU beds for Covid patients in past few days: Health min

Health Minister Satyendar Jain Sunday said over 400 ICU beds have been added for Coronavirus patients in Delhi, which is witnessing a third wave of coronavirus infection, over the past few days.
 

He said the number will be increased further in the coming days as these 400 beds are part of a total of 1,650 ICU beds being set up in the city --250 in private hospitals, 650 in Delhi government facilities and 750 in those run by the Centre.

7:57 PM

Karnataka reports 1,704 new Covid-19 cases

7:45 PM

Punjab reports 710 new Covid-19 cases, 497 discharged