Coronavirus LIVE: Over 1.6 million vaccinated across the country so far

Coronavirus live updates: India had till Friday vaccinated almost 14 lakh people after starting its inoculation campaign on January 16.

6:52 PM

Tamil Nadu reports 569 new cases

6:26 PM

UP records 297 fresh cases, 8 more deaths

Uttar Pradesh's Covid-19 caseload mounted to 5,98,713 on Sunday with 297 fresh infections while the death toll climbed to 8,617 as eight more people succumbed to the disease.

 

Thirty fresh cases were reported from Lucknow, the state government said in a statement issued here on Sunday.

 

Of the eight fatalities, two were reported from Sonbhadra and one each from Kanpur, Meerut, Gorakhpur, Lakhimpur Kheri, Etawah and Mirzapur.

6:25 PM

PM exhorts youths to defeat 'network of lies and rumours' on vaccination

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said Indian scientists have done their duty by developing the Covid-19 vaccine and "now we have to fulfil ours" by defeating through the right information every network spreading lies and rumours.

 

Addressing NCC cadets, NSS volunteers and artists who would be participating in the Republic Day parade, Modi said such organisations have always played their role in dealing with challenging times.

 

"In Covid times also, the work done by you is laudable. When the government and administration needed it, you came forward as volunteers and provided help," he said.

6:24 PM

Several countries have shown interest in procuring Tejas aircraft: HAL chairman

The delivery of the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) to the Indian Air Force under a Rs 48,000-crore deal will begin from March 2024 and around 16 aircraft will be rolled out annually till the completion of the total supply of 83 jets, Chairman and Managing Director of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited R Madhavan said on Sunday.

 

In an interview to PTI, Madhavan also said that a number of countries have shown keen interest in procurement of the Tejas aircraft and that the first export order is likely to come by in the next couple of years.

 

Madhavan said that Tejas Mark 1A jet has superior performance levels compared to China's JF-17 combat aircraft as it has better engine, radar system and electronic warfare suit, besides an edge in the overall technology.

6:24 PM

Andhra logs 158 new coronavirus cases

Andhra Pradesh's Covid-19 count rose to 887,000 as 158 fresh cases were reported in 24 hours ending 9 am on Sunday.

 

No deaths were reported, but 155 coronavirus patients had recovered in the state in a day, the latest bulletin said.

 

The active cases remained 1,476 after a total of 878,387 recoveries and 7,147 deaths, the bulletin said.

6:14 PM

Maharashtra records 2,752 new Covid cases

Maharashtra's coronavirus infection count on Sunday increased by 2,752 cases to reach 20,09,106, the state health department said.

 

As the virus claimed 45 lives during the day, the death toll reached 50,785, it said in a statement.

 

A total of 1,743 patients were discharged on Sunday following recovery. This took the overall recovery count of the state to 1,912,264.

5:09 PM

UK university scientists finalise nasal spray that blocks out Covid: Report

A nasal spray which can prevent a coronavirus infection for up to two days is being prepped for mass production by scientists at the University of Birmingham with the hope of having them available over-the-counter in pharmacies in a few months, a UK newspaper report said on Sunday.

 

Dr Richard Moakes, the study's lead researcher, told The Sunday Telegraph' that he is confident in the spray's formula to help unlock society from social distancing restrictions and get schools going again.

 

The nasal spray, which has not yet been named, is made from ingredients that are already approved for medical use, meaning it is safe for use by humans and does not require further approval.

5:06 PM

Indonesia reports 11,788 newly-confirmed Covid-19 cases

The Covid-19 cases in Indonesia rose by 11,788 within one day to 989,262, with the death toll adding by 171 to 27,835, the Health Ministry said on Sunday.

 

According to the ministry, 7,751 more people were discharged from hospitals, bringing the total number of recovered patients to 798,810.

 

The virus has spread to all the country's 34 provinces.

5:05 PM

Covid test mandatory for guests attending Varun Dhawan's wedding

Bollywood actor Varun Dhawan is getting married amid the Covid- 19 pandemic. Hence it is not surprising that as a precautionary measure, a Covid test has been made mandatory for all the guests entering the wedding arena.

 

As the preparations have begun in full swing for the Bollywood actor's big fat wedding to be held later in the day, celebrity photographer Viral Bhayani informed in an Instagram post that "a mandatory Covid test was taken for everyone entering the wedding arena."

 

Varun will tie the knot with his childhood sweetheart Natasha Dalal at 'The Mansion House' resort in Maharashtra's Alibaug on Sunday.

4:48 PM

Delhi reports 185 new Covid-19 cases

Delhi reported 185 new Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours taking the total number of reported cases in the national capital to 633,924.

 

According to the Delhi Health department, the death toll has gone up to 10,808 with nine more people succumbing to the virus.

 

It said 405 Covid-19 patients have recovered taking the total recoveries in Delhi to 621,375.Delhi has 1,741 active cases currently.

3:57 PM

First confirmed case of Covid in pet reported in South Korea

In the first case involving a pet, a kitten has tested positive for the Covid-19 in South Korea.

 

The infected kitten tested positive on Thursday and was found at a religious facility in the southeastern city of Jinju in South Gyeongsang Province, according to government officials.

 

"During a recent tracking process involving a mass outbreak, health authorities found that a pet has tested positive for Covid-19 in the first such case," Yonhap News Agency quoted Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun as saying on Sunday.

 

Twenty-nine people were first confirmed to be infected after visiting there earlier this month, and more than 100 linked to the facility, including them, have since tested positive.

3:56 PM

Vaccinated people may still transmit Covid-19, warns England's chief medic

One of England's leading medical officers on Sunday urged the public to continue to follow the strict lockdown rules because any vaccine-related immunity from Covid-19 takes at least three weeks to kick in.

 

Professor Jonathan Van-Tam, England's Deputy Chief Medical Officer, also warned that there is no clear evidence yet to show that vaccinated people cannot transmit the deadly virus on to others.

 

Regardless of whether someone has had their vaccination or not, it is vital that everyone follows the national restrictions and public health advice, as protection takes up to three weeks to kick in and we don't yet know the impact of vaccines on transmission, said Van-Tam.

3:39 PM

Delhi records 185 fresh cases of Covid-19; 9 new fatalities push death toll 10,808

3:03 PM

Aviation Ministry urges Health Ministry to prioritise vaccination of airlines, airports employees

The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) has written to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) to consider aviation employees as frontline coronavirus workers and prioritise their COVID-19 vaccination.

 

The letter addressed to the Health Ministry read, "Considering that the frontline workers of airlines and airports are also involved in the movement of vaccines, this Ministry recognises the merit in the proposal and requests the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to include front line workers of airlines and airports along with front line workers mentioned in the operational guidelines released on 28th of December 2020."

 

"If the request is considered favourably, the Ministry would coordinate for enumeration of these personnel to be covered under vaccination program", it added.

2:41 PM

Around 60 paramedical staff of Delhi prisons dept vaccinated

Around 60 paramedical staff of the Delhi prisons department have been inoculated so far during the Covid-19 vaccination drive, officials said on Sunday.

 

The vaccination drive began in the national capital on January 16 and the healthcare workers, who were at the forefront of the battle against the Covid-19 pandemic, got the first shots of the vaccine.

 

"Around 60 paramedical staff of the prisons department have been vaccinated so far. They were vaccinated on different dates at the Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital. The vaccination will help boost the morale of the jail officials and security forces personnel, who were at a high risk of catching the virus due to the nature of their job," Director General (Prisons) Sandeep Goel said.

 

According to a senior jail official, the prisons department has around 200 paramedical staff.