Coronavirus LIVE: India reports 9,102 cases, 117 deaths in last 24 hours

Coronavirus LIVE updates: India continues to be second-most-affected globally, and ranks 13th among worst-hit nations by active cases

9:51 AM

India reports 13,203 new Covid case

India reports 13,203 new #COVID19 cases, 13,298 discharges and 131 deaths in last 24 hours, as per Union Health Ministry

 

Total cases: 1,06,67,736

Active cases: 1,84,182

Total discharges: 1,03,30,084  

Death toll: 1,53,470 

 

Total vaccinated: 16,15,504

9:46 AM

Tunisian Foreign Minister tests positive for COVID-19

Tunisian Foreign Minister Othman Jerandi announced that he has contracted the coronavirus and has severe symptoms.

"Today, my tests confirmed that I have Covid-19, despite taking all the necessary precautions and respecting the health protocol," Jerandi said on Twitter late on Sunday, adding that he has "severe symptoms."

The foreign minister said he will now be more insistent on continuing with efforts to encourage vaccination to protect Tunisians from the virus.

Mass anti-government protests have been held in Tunisia this month despite the coronavirus restrictions. The protests come a decade after the Jasmine Revolution which led to the ousting of long-time leader Zine El Abidine Ben Ali on January 14, 2011.

According to Tunisia's health ministry data, the country has over 197,000 confirmed coronavirus cases, including more than 144,000 recoveries and around 6,200 deaths from Covid-19.

9:45 AM

Patients with inactive cancer at high risk of severe Covid-19 illness: Study

A new study found that patients with inactive cancer and not currently undergoing treatments for the deadly disease also face a significantly higher risk of severe illness from Covid-19.

The findings of the study were published in the journal 'JNCI Cancer Spectrum'. Past reports have established an increased risk of severe disease and death for sick or hospitalised cancer patients with Covid-19 compared to patients without cancer, but less is known about patients in the general population.

The findings underscore the importance of Covid-19 mitigation, like social distancing and mask-wearing, and vaccinations for all patients, not just those recently diagnosed or with active disease.

"Patients who have cancer need to be careful not to become exposed during this time," said senior author Kara N. Maxwell, MD, PhD, an assistant professor of Hematology-Oncology and Genetics in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and a member of the Abramson Cancer Center and the Basser Center for BRCA.

"That message has been out there, but these latest findings show us it's not only for patients hospitalized or on treatment for their cancer. All oncology patients need to take significant precautions during the pandemic to protect themselves," Maxwell added.

 

9:38 AM

Israel bans flights to prevent spread of Covid-19 variants

The Israeli cabinet has approved a ban on incoming and outgoing passenger flights to prevent the spread of new coronavirus variants.

The shutdown will come into effect at midnight between Monday and Tuesday and will last until January 31, according to a statement issued on Sunday by the Prime Minister's Office.

Arrivals will be banned and landings will be permitted only in a few exceptions including cargo flights, medical emergencies, and fire service flights, reports Xinhua news agency.

Departures will also be banned except for medical emergencies, legal procedures and attending a funeral of a relative.

"We are closing today the (international) Ben Gurion Airport," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at the beginning of the cabinet meeting.

"We are closing the skies hermetically," Netanyahu said, adding that the measure was taken to prevent the spread of new coronavirus variants as they pose "an urgent" need to impose drastic measures.

9:25 AM

192,337,117 samples tested for Covid-19 up to 24th January

A total of 192,337,117 samples tested for Covid-19 up to 24th January. Of these, 5,70,246 samples were tested yesterday: Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)

8:30 AM

US Covid-19 cases surpass 25 million, toll at 417,538: Johns Hopkins

The total number of Covid-19 cases in the US topped 25 million on Sunday, according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University.

 

US Covid-19 case count rose to 2,50,03,695, with a total of 4,17,538 deaths, as of 10:22 a.m. local time (1522 GMT), according to the CSSE tally.

 

California reported the largest number of cases among the states, standing at 31,47,735. Texas confirmed 22,43,009 cases, followed by Florida with 16,39,914 cases, New York with 13,23,312 cases, and Illinois with more than 1 million cases, the Xinhua news agency reported. Read on...

8:11 AM

Coronavirus in US: Biden to reinstate Covid restriction on non-US travellers, add South Africa

US President Joe Biden on Monday will formally reinstate Covid-19 travel restrictions on non-US travelers from Brazil, Ireland, the United Kingdom and 26 other European countries that allow travel across open borders, according to two White House officials.

 

The officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the order, also confirmed Sunday that South Africa would be added to the restricted list because of concerns about a variant of the virus that has spread beyond that nation. Read on...

7:33 AM

UK records another 30,004 coronavirus cases, 610 deaths

UK records another 30,004 coronavirus cases, 610 deathsUK records another 30,004 coronavirus cases, 610 deaths

 

However, it is still a "long, long, long way" before coronavirus cases are low enough for the lockdown to be lifted, he told Sky News, adding that the National Health Service (NHS) remains under "enormous" strain.

 

"We should be worried enough, all of us, about this pandemic to follow the rules and it is just so important that people do," he said.

7:06 AM

Oxfam urges radical economic rejig in post-Covid era, warns inequality rise

Anti-poverty campaigner Oxfam warned Monday that the fallout of the coronavirus pandemic will lead to the biggest increase in global inequality on record unless governments radically rejig their economies.

 

In a report geared to inform discussions at the World Economic Forum's online panels of political and business leaders this week, Oxfam said the richest 1,000 people have already managed to recoup the losses they recorded in the early days of the pandemic because of the bounce back in stock markets. Read on...