Highlights: 1 million French citizens receive Covid-19 vaccine

Italy on Saturday logged 13,331 coronavirus cases and 488 more deaths which pushed the overall tally to 2.46 million. The death toll has climbed to 85,162 which is the second highest in Europe and sixth highest in the world, reports Reuters.

French Prime Minister Jean Castex said on Saturday that a total of one million citizens have been vaccinated against the coronavirus disease till now. "One million French nationals have been vaccinated," he wrote on Twitter, reports ANI.

Punjab on Friday reported 212 cases of Covid-19 taking the state-wide tally of infections to 1,71,733. 10 fatalities were also reported, pushing the death toll to 5,553, reported PTI. The Punjab government has cancelled the upcoming Republic Day celebrations at the Punjab Raj Bhavan due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

Maharashtra on Saturday reported 2,697 new cases of Covid-19, taking the statewide tally to 20,06,354. 56 fatalities were also reported in the same time period, the death toll now stands at 50,740. The city of Mumbai reported 435 new cases in the last 24 hours, reported ANI.

Manohar Agnani, additional secretary of union health ministry, said in a media briefing on Saturday, that till date 6 deaths have been reported after vaccination, adding that none of the deaths have been causally linked to vaccines. He also said that in the last 24 hours death of a 56 year old woman in Gurugram was reported, cause of which was cardiopulmonary disease and not vaccine.

The health ministry reported that a total of 150 individuals in India have been found to be carrying the new mutated strain of Covid-19 that originated in the UK, reported news agency ANI.

Major General Alok Kacker told news agency ANI that Covid-19 has induced many changes in this year's Republic Day celebrations. The size of the contingents have been reduced, veterans and children below 15 years of age won't be marching this year, and the parade will end at National Stadium instead of the Red Fort.

Puducherry on Friday reported 36 new cases of coronavirus after testing a total of 3,296 samples. One individual also succumbed to the infection, taking the death toll to 644, reported PTI.

Russia on Saturday reported 20,921 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, including 2,668 in Moscow, taking the national tally to 3,698,273.

Authorities also reported an additional 559 deaths, raising the official total to 68,971.

Odisha's Covid-19 caseload on Saturday mounted to 3,34,150 after 130 more people tested positive for the infection, while a fresh fatality pushed the state's coronavirus death toll to 1,904, a health department official said.

Follow-up doses of the Covid-19 vaccines could be given up to six weeks later if it’s not feasible to get them in the recommended interval, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said, with the US Food and Drug Administration also offering some flexibility for “modest delays.”

AstraZeneca Plc’s vaccine won approval from Thailand, becoming the third company to clear regulatory requirements for use in Southeast Asia.

The Philippines detected 16 additional cases of the more infectious Covid-19 strain that first emerged in the UK.

A total of 17 people in the Philippines have been found to be infected by the variant. Of the new cases, three patients have recovered, 13 are active, three are asymptomatic and 10 are exhibiting mild symptoms, the health department said.

Fresh 14,256 cases pushed India's Covid-19 caseload to 10,639,684. The death toll was at 153,184 after 152 people died of the contagion.

It may take until next year to inoculate all adults in Los Angeles if vaccine shipments continue at their current pace, according to Paul Simon, chief science officer for the county’s department of public health.

"Staff members at all airports in the state are considered frontline workers of Covid-19 and permitted for vaccine on priority basis," announced the government of Karnataka.

Thousands of Hong Kongers were ordered to stay in their homes on Saturday for the city's first coronavirus lockdown as authorities battle an outbreak in one of its poorest and most densely packed districts. The order bans anyone inside multiple housing blocks within the neighbourhood of Jordan from leaving their apartment unless they can show a negative test.