Coronavirus LIVE: Phase 2/3 trials of Sputnik V vaccine starts in India

Coronavirus LIVE update: At 1,828,826, Maharashtra has the highest number of coronavirus cases, followed by Karnataka 884,897, Andhra Pradesh 868,064, Tamil Nadu 781,915 and Kerala 602,982

2:07 AM

Russian envoy says cooperation in countering Covid-19 priority area of bilateral partnership

After phase 2/3 clinical trials for Sputnik V commenced in India on Tuesday, Russian Ambassador Nikolay Kudashev said comprehensive cooperation in countering the spread of coronavirus is a priority area of the Russia-India bilateral and multilateral strategic partnership. "Comprehensive cooperation in countering the spread of novel coronavirus infection is a priority area of the Russia India bilateral and multilateral strategic partnership. Ready to continue every interaction and coordination in this area to support global efforts to combat COVID-19," Nikolay Kudashev tweeted.


Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and Dr Reddy's Laboratories on Tuesday said they have commenced adaptive Phase 2/3 clinical trials for the vaccine.  Russia became the first country to register the world's first Covid-19 vaccine on August 11. Sputnik V was developed by the Gamaleya National Research Centre for Epidemiology and Microbiology of the Russian Healthcare Ministry.

2:06 AM

West Bengal logs 3,340 single-day Covid recoveries, 52 deaths

West Bengal's COVID-19 discharge rate rose to 93.28 per cent after 3,340 people recovered on Tuesday, a bulletin released by the health department said. So far, 4,54,102 people have been cured of the disease in the state, it said.  total of 52 COVID-19 deaths were reported since Monday, including 11 fatalities from North 24 Parganas district, which pushed the toll to 8,476.

The metropolis accounted for eight deaths, South 24 Parganas (six) and Hooghly (4), among others, the bulletin said. Of the 52 deaths, 45 were due to comorbidities where COVID-19 was incidental. The coronavirus tally climbed to 4,86,799 with 3,315 fresh cases, it said. Kolkata topped the list of new infections with 807 cases, followed by North 24 Parganas (796), South 24 Parganas (209), Hooghly (118) and Howrah (117). West Bengal now has 24,221 active cases. Since Monday, at least 43,241 samples have been tested in the state, taking the total number of such clinical examinations to 59,16,174, it said.

12:59 AM

Bihar reports 4 more Covid deaths, 482 fresh cases

Four more persons succumbed to COVID-19 in Bihar in the past 24 hours raising the death toll to 1,268, while 482 fresh cases took the tally to 2,36,097, a health department bulletin said on Tuesday. It said that 567 patients recovered from the disease taking the total number of cured people to 2,29,365. The recovery rate in the state at present is 97.15 per cent.

Bihar now has 5,464 active cases, the bulletin said. Two of the four new coronavirus casualties were registered in West Champaran district and one each in Patna and Vaishali. The 482 fresh positive cases included 133 from Patna, the bulletin said. Altogether 1,29,984 samples were tested for COVID-19 since Monday, taking the total number of such tests in the state to 1.47 crore.

12:15 AM

Phase 2/3 clinical trials of Sputnik V Russian vaccine starts in India

Welcome the launch of adaptive phase 2/3 clinical trials for Sputnik V vaccine in India by Dr Reddy’s Laboratories Ltd and Russian Direct Investment Fund. Comprehensive cooperation in countering spread of Covid infection is priority area of Russia-India bilateral & multilateral strategic partnership. Ready to continue every interaction & coordination in this area to support global efforts to combat Covid-19: Russian envoy to India: Nikolay Kudashev, Ambassador of Russia to India 

12:13 AM

Record 21 Covid deaths in HP, cases tally crosses 41,000-mark

The number of COVID-19 deaths in Himachal Pradesh has reached 657 as 21 more people succumbed to the virus on Tuesday, official data showed. The 21 deaths are the highest COVID-related deaths on a single day in the state.

Six deaths were reported from Kangra, four from Mandi, three each from Shimla and Kullu, two from Solan and one each from Hamirpur, Chamba and Una, according to the health department data. Of the deaths, 11 were females and 10 were males of the ages between 47 and 89. Meanwhile, 709 new cases pushed the infection count to 41,228. A total of 759 patients recovered from the disease on the day, pushing the total recoveries to 32,309. Thirty-four people have migrated out of the state, the health department said. The state currently has 8,218 active COVID-19 cases.

12:11 AM

Pak to procure Covid-19 vaccine in first quarter of 2021: health advisor

Pakistan is hoping to get the coronavirus vaccine in the first quarter of next year, a top health official said on Tuesday as the country's COVID-19 cases crossed the 400,000-mark. Advisor on Health Dr Faisal Sultan said as Pakistan struggled to turn the tide against the pandemic after the second wave hit the country, the cabinet approved USD 150 million to procure the vaccine. "I think its first stage (to procure vaccine) will be possible in the first quarter of 2021," Sultan told the media after the meeting of the Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan.

He said the government would consider all relevant factors before buying a vaccine to ensure that it was safe and effective. Several companies working on the development of a vaccine have been shortlisted and negotiations have started, he said. Sultan said that in the first stage frontline healthcare workers will be vaccinated, followed by elderly people, other healthcare workers, and finally the common public. The Cabinet also reduced the price of the 100-milligram injection of remdesivir, a drug used to treat COVID-19 patients, from Rs 9,244 to Rs 5,660, said the advisor.

11:57 PM

Sunny Deol tests Covid-19 positive, says Himachal Pradesh health secretary

Bollywood actor and BJP MP from Gurdaspur Sunny Deol has tested positive for COVID-19, the Himachal Pradesh health secretary said on Tuesday. Deol have been staying in Kullu district for some days, Health Secretary Amitabh Awasthi said.

The health secretary told PTI that according to information received from the district chief medical officer, the MP and his friends were planning to leave for Mumbai, but his COVID-19 test result came out positive on Tuesday. The 64-year-old bollywood actor had undergone a shoulder surgery at Mumbai and was recuperating at a farmhouse near Manali in Kullu district.

11:37 PM

Chinese paper claiming India as origin of Covid won't stand peer-review: CSIR head

A Chinese paper has been submitted for consideration of publication in Lancet, claiming India as origin of SARS COV2 virus. It hasn’t been peer-reviewed yet. Study is badly done & won't stand the scrutiny of peer-review as its methodology is faulty: CSIR Director Dr Shekhar Mande

10:51 PM

Andhra logs 685 more Covid cases, tally 868,000

Andhra Pradesh registered 685 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday, increasing the state's tally to 8.68 lakh, even as 1,094 more patients recovered. Krishna district, at 146, accounted for the highest number of cases, followed by Chittoor (95), Guntur (87), West Godavari (77) and Visakhapatnam (71). With the new additions, East Godavari continues to shoulder the highest number of cases at 1.22 lakh.

Meanwhile, four more people succumbed to the virus on Tuesday, raising the total number of Covid deaths in the state to 6,996. Chittoor has witnessed the highest number of Covid deaths at 829. On Tuesday, 1,094 more patients recovered from the disease to increase the total number of recoveries to 8.54 lakh, narrowing the gap between total number of infections and recoveries. The state's active cases currently stand at 7,427. ith 51,854 more Covid tests, the total number of tests crossed the 1 crore mark to reach 1.01 crore.

10:03 PM

Mumbai reports 724 new Covid-19 cases

8:57 PM

Coronavirus latest update: 1,330 new cases in Karnataka, 14 deaths

Karnataka has reported 1,330 new cases of COVID-19 and 14 related fatalities, taking the total number of infections to 8,86,227 and the death toll to 11,792, the health department said on Tuesday. The day also saw 886 patients getting discharged after recovery.

 

A total of over 1,11,97,240 samples have been tested so far, out of which 94,885 were tested today alone, and 20,629 among them were rapid antigen tests.

 

Out of 1,330 fresh cases reported, 758 cases were from Bengaluru urban alone. As of December 1 evening, cumulatively 8,86,227 COVID-19 positive cases have been confirmed in the state, which includes 11,792 deaths and 8,50,707 discharges, the health department said in its bulletin.

8:18 PM

Rajasthan records 19 coronavirus deaths, toll climbs to 2,347

Rajasthan recorded 19 more fatalities due to the novel coronavirus on Tuesday, taking the COVID-19 death toll in the state to 2,347, according to a health department bulletin. The state also reported 2,331 new cases on Tuesday. The total number of people infected by COVID-19 now stands at 2,70,410 in Rajasthan and out of these 27,974 are under treatment.

 

As per the bulletin, 2,40,105 people have been discharged after treatment till now. In Jaipur, the death toll due to the virus is 439 till now, followed by 242 in Jodhpur, 188 in Ajmer, 162 in Bikaner, 137 in Kota, 105 in Bharatpur, 96 in Udaipur and 90 in Pali.

 

On Tuesday, Rajasthan recorded 2,347 new cases, including 692 in Jaipur, 314 in Jodhpur, 169 in Kota, 117 in Alwar, 110 in Udaipur, 95 in Bharatpur, 93 in Nagaur and 84 in Ajmer, besides cases reported in other districts of the state.

8:01 PM

Maharashtra reports 4,930 fresh coronavirus cases

Maharashtra on Tuesday reported 4,930 fresh COVID-19 cases, taking the count of infections to 18,28,826, the state health department said. With 95 more patients succumbing to the viral infection, the overall toll mounted to 47,246, it said.

 

A total of 6,290 patients were discharged during the day, taking the tally of recoveries to 16,91,412, a health department official said, adding that the state is now left with 89,098 active cases.

 

Mumbai city reported 724 new cases, taking its caseload to 2,84,191 while the count of fatalities rose by nine to 10,893, he said. The state has so far tested 1,09,15,683 samples.

7:35 PM

Never spoke about inoculating entire country with Covid-19 vaccine: Govt

There was never any talk of inoculating the whole population of the country with COVID-19 vaccine, the Centre said on Tuesday said. Responding to a question at a press briefing, ICMR Director General Balram Bhargava said the purpose of the COVID vaccine drive would be to break the chain of viral transmission.

 

"Our purpose is to break the chain of virus transmission. If we are able to vaccinate a critical mass of people and break the chain of transmission, then we may not have to vaccinate the entire population," he said.

 

"The role of masks is also vitally important and that will continue even after the vaccination. Because we are starting with a small group of population at a time and therefore masks will be protective and continue to be used so as to help in breaking the chain of viral transmission," Bhargava said. Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said there was never a talk about inoculating the whole population of the country with COVID-19 vaccine.

7:21 PM

Kerala registered 5,375 Covid-19 cases and 6,151 recoveries

Kerala registered 5,375 COVID-19 cases and 6,151 recoveries on Monday, while over 60,000 people are presently undergoing treatment for the disease. The toll has climbed to2,270 with26 fatalities, she said in a press release.

 

In the last 24 hours, 58,809 samples have been tested and the test positivity rate touched 9.14 per cent.

 

So far 63,21,285 samples have been sent for testing, the minister said. While Malappuram recorded the maximum of 886 cases, Thrissur had 630, Kottayam 585, Kozhikode 516 and Ernakulam 504. Of the positive cases, 48 are health workers, 114 people had come from outside the state and 4,596 were infected through contact. Active cases stood at 61,092.