LIVE: Merck's Covid pill secures green light from UK regulator

Live news updates: Bharat Biotech's home-grown Covid-19 vaccine now many be used for Covid-19 inoculation in poor countries.

10:17 PM

Delhi records zero Covid fatality, 40 fresh cases in a day

The national capital recorded zero death due to COVID-19 and 40 fresh cases in a day with a positivity rate of 0.08 per cent, according to data shared by the city's health department on Thursday.

 

Cumulative Covid cases stood at 14,40,003, of which 14.14 lakh patients have recovered from the disease. The death toll in Delhi due to coronavirus infection stood at 25,091.

 

Delhi has not reported any death due to COVID-19 so far this month. It reported four Covid deaths in October and five in September.

 

The case positivity rate was 0.08 per cent on Thursday. A total of 51,256 tests -- 41,040 RT-PCR ones and 10,216 rapid antigen tests -- were conducted a day ago, the bulletin said.

 

On Wednesday, 41 cases were recorded with a positivity rate of 0.08 per cent. The day before, 34 cases were recorded with a positivity rate of 0.07 per cent.

9:31 PM

Maharashtra records 1,141 Covid-19 cases, 32 deaths

Maharashtra recorded 1,141 new coronavirus infections on Thursday and 32 deaths, the health department said. The coronavirus case tally in the state rose to 66,15,299, while the death toll reached 1,40,345, it added. On Wednesday, the state had reported 1,193 new cases and 39 fatalities.

 

A total of 1,613 patients were discharged from hospitals since Wednesday evening, taking the number of recoveries in Maharashtra to 64,56,263 and leaving the state with 15,062 active cases. Maharashtra's case recovery rate stands at 97.6 per cent, while the fatality rate is 2.12 per cent.

9:22 PM

OPEC+ keeps cautious oil production despite Biden pressure

OPEC and allied oil-producing countries rebuffed pressure from US President Joe Biden to pump significantly more oil and lower gasoline prices for US drivers, deciding Thursday to stick with their plan for cautious monthly increases even as prices surge and the global economy is thirsty for fuel.

 

The OPEC+ alliance, made up of OPEC members led by the Saudis and non-members led by Russia, approved an increase in production of 400,000 barrels per day for the month of December.

 

That is in line with the group's road map to add that amount of oil to the market every month into next year. The plan is to open the petroleum taps bit by bit until deep production cuts made during the coronavirus pandemic are restored - even as prices have surged to seven-year highs.

8:38 PM

'May the light of Diwali remind us...': Biden

8:25 PM

Happy Diwali to everyone, says Kamala Harris

8:03 PM

PM to visit Kedarnath tomorrow

7:16 PM

Biden administration announces details of 2 policies to fight Covid

6:15 PM

Kerala reports 7,545 new cases

5:25 PM

Odisha registers more Covid recoveries than new cases

4:17 PM

Britain approves Merck's oral Covid pill

Britain's medicines regulator said on Thursday it had approved a COVID-19 antiviral oral pill jointly developed by Merck and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics, the first country to clear a potentially game-changing therapy for the illness.

4:10 PM

'Rising pace of Covid transmission in Europe of grave concern'

The current rate of COVID-19 transmission in Europe is of "grave concern", the World Health Organization's Europe head, Hans Kluge, told a media briefing on Thursday.

 

"The current pace of transmission across the 53 countries of the European Region, is of grave concern," Kluge said, adding that new cases were nearing record levels, exacerbated by the more transmissible Delta variant of the virus.

3:20 PM

Arunachal CM announces reduction of VAT on petrol and diesel

3:03 PM

Delhi's overall air quality in 'very poor' category

2:56 PM

India's daily positivity rate at 1.21%

The daily Covid positivity rate of India was recorded at 1.21 per cent on Thursday. It has been less than two per cent for 31 days. The weekly positivity rate was recorded at 1.17 per cent. This figure has been below two per cent for 41 days, according to the Union Health Ministry.

2:06 PM

PM Modi speaks on surgical strike at J-K's Nowshera sector