Highlights: Israel bans international flights to curb spread of new variant

India recorded less than 15,000 cases of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) for three days in a row as 14,849 new infections were reported in the last 24 hours, according to the Union health ministry on Sunday morning. There were 155 deaths in the same period across the country and the fatalities have remained below 200 for the last 11 days, health ministry's data showed. According to the health ministry's dashboard at 8am, there were 184,408 active cases of the coronavirus disease. More than 1.27 million healthcare workers have been vaccinated in the last seven days since the launch of the Covid-19 vaccination program on January 16, the Union health ministry has said. India had vaccinated more than a million people within five days of the launch of the Covid-19 vaccination drive. The number of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) infection globally exceeded 98 million as the deadly virus continues to spread across the world. The death toll passed 2.1 million, as per the Bloomberg report.

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• JAN 24, 2021 11:34 PM IST

  Egypt begins Covid-19 vaccination drive with frontline medical staff

  Egypt on Sunday began vaccinating frontline medical staff against the coronavirus disease using the vaccine developed by Chinese based pharmaceutical firm Sinopharm. Health Minister Hala Zayed added that the vaccine would be provided free of cost to all doctors and frontline workers treating coronavirus patients, then to other medical workers, senior citizens and people with chronic illnesses, reports Reuters.

• JAN 24, 2021 11:05 PM IST

  Israel bans international flights to stop new Covid-19 variant from spreading

  Israel on Sunday banned all international flights to and from the country to stop the new coronavirus variant from spreading, reported Reuters. The ban will be coming to force to Monday and will reportedly last till the end of January. Israel is currently under its third national lockdown as the government races to inoculate its citizens.

• JAN 24, 2021 10:37 PM IST

  Jharkhand records 54 new cases of Covid-19, 2 fatalities

  Jharkhand reported 54 new COVID-19 cases and 109 recoveries today, as per the State Health Department
  
  Total cases: 1,18,286
  Total recoveries: 1,16,402
  Active cases: 821
  Death toll: 1,063 pic.twitter.com/lit6qZbHWV

  — ANI (@ANI) January 24, 2021

  Jharkhand on Sunday reported 54 new cases of Covid-19, taking the state wide tally to 1,18,286. 109 individuals recovered from the infection taking the toll of active cases down to 821. 2 fatalities were also reported, the death toll now stands at 1063, reported news agency ANI.

• JAN 24, 2021 09:36 PM IST

  Mutated strain of coronavirus detected in Serbia

  Serbia reported its first case of the mutated strain of Covid-19 on Sunday, reported Reuters. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic told reporters that the variant has been detected in a woman who had recently travelled to London. The afflicted individual has been kept under observation.

• JAN 24, 2021 08:33 PM IST

  Karnataka records 573 new cases of Covid-19, 4 fatalities

  Karnataka reported 573 new #COVID19 cases, 401 discharges, and 4 deaths in the last 24 hours: State Health Department
  
  Total cases: 9,36,051
  
  Total discharges: 9,16,325
  
  Death toll: 12,197
  
  Active cases: 7,510 pic.twitter.com/tTn9IXvFlP

  — ANI (@ANI) January 24, 2021

• JAN 24, 2021 08:14 PM IST

  16 lakh healthcare workers across the nation have been inoculated so far, says health ministry

  The cumulative number of vaccinated healthcare workers across the country surpasses 16 lakh through 28,613 sessions. 31,466 beneficiaries were vaccinated and 10 cases of Adverse Effect After Vaccination (AEFI) reported till 6 pm today: Ministry of Health

  — ANI (@ANI) January 24, 2021

  The Union health ministry told news agency ANI that as of Sunday a total of 16 lakh healthcare workers have been inoculated all over the country, through 28,613 sessions. On Sunday 31,466 beneficiaries were vaccinated, with 10 reporting adverse effects.

• JAN 24, 2021 07:13 PM IST

  BSF reports a total of 46 active cases of Covid-19

  Active COVID-19 cases in Border Security Force (BSF) stand at 46. Vaccinations are in progress: BSF

  — ANI (@ANI) January 24, 2021

• JAN 24, 2021 06:01 PM IST

  UP reports 297 new cases of Covid-19, 8 fatalities

  Uttar Pradesh on Sunday recorded 297 new cases of Covid-19, taking the total number of cases to 5,98,713. 8 individuals also succumbed to the infection, pushing the death toll to 8,617, reported news agency PTI.

• JAN 24, 2021 03:51 PM IST

  Delhi reports 185 new cases of Covid-19, 9 fatalities

  The national capital reported 185 new cases of Covid-19 on Sunday, taking the statewide tally to 6,33,924. 9 fatalities were also reported, with the death toll now standing at 10,808, reported news agency PTI. The number of active cases in Delhi currently stands at 1,741.

• JAN 24, 2021 03:25 PM IST

  77 cases of South African variant of Covid-19 has been found in UK so far

  British Health Secretary Matt Hancock told reporters on Saturday that a total of 77 cases of the South African variant of Covid-19 has been found in the UK so far. All the imported cases are linked to international travel, reported Reuters.

• JAN 24, 2021 02:25 PM IST

  Brazil's Covid-19 death toll surpasses 216,000

  Brazil reported 1,202 deaths from the Covid-19 pandemic in the last 24 hours, making Saturday the fifth consecutive day of more than 1,000 deaths, bringing the death toll to 216,445, the ministry of health reported Saturday. The ministry said that in the last 24 hours, 62,334 new Covid-19 cases were registered, bringing the total to 8,816,254. Sao Paulo, the state affected the most by the pandemic, has registered 51,423 deaths and 1,694,355 positive cases in total.

• JAN 24, 2021 02:04 PM IST

  Hong Kong plans to lift lockdown placed on densely populated area on Monday

  Hong Kong plans to lift the Covid-19 lockdown that was imposed on one of its most densely populated districts on Monday, Chief Secretary Matthew Cheung Kin-chung informed on Sunday. Chief Secretary Cheung said that the authorities are set to complete coronavirus screening this weekend on around 10,000 people living in the Yau Tsim Mong area, which was placed under quarantine on Saturday to prevent the spread of Covid-19, the South China Morning Post reported. Stating that the preliminary results from the screening operation were expected by Sunday night, Cheung added: "If everything goes smoothly, we can lift the restrictions at 6 am on Monday so that people can go to work."

• JAN 24, 2021 01:38 PM IST

  Pakistan approves emergency use of Russia's Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine

  Pakistan has authorised the emergency use of Russia’s Sputnik V, the third anti-Covid-19 vaccine approved by the country against the deadly coronavirus, authorities said on Sunday. The government has given a go-ahead to a local pharmaceutical company for the import and distribution of the Russian-developed Sputnik V, the Dawn newspaper quoted an official as saying.

  Sputnik V is the third vaccine to be approved for the emergency use in the country, the report said. “In a meeting conducted by the registration board of the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP), another vaccine has also been given EUA (emergency use authorisation) which was developed with the backing of Russian Development Investment Fund,” the official said.

• JAN 24, 2021 01:30 PM IST

  Puducherry adds 30 fresh Covid-19 cases, overall tally rises

  The union territory of Puducherry logged 30 new coronavirus cases during the last 24, taking the overall tally to 38,860, a top Health department official said on Sunday. A 87-year old patient succumbed to the infection pushing up the toll to 645, Director of Health and Family Welfare S Mohan Kumar said in a release.

  The patient who passed away at the government hospital here had severe Covid pneumonia and ARDS, he added. The 30 new cases were identified at the end of the examination of 3,046 samples.

• JAN 24, 2021 12:53 PM IST

  One million Covid-19 vaccine doses administered in India in just 6 days

  India took only 6 days to administer one million Covid-19 vaccine doses, a count which is higher than that of countries like the US and the UK, the Union Health Ministry said on Sunday as the number of beneficiaries who have received the anti-coronavirus shots inched close to 16 lakh. The UK took 18 days whereas the US took 10 days to reach the one million mark, the ministry said. As on January 24, till 8 am, nearly 16 lakh (15,82,201) beneficiaries have received Covid-19 vaccination. In a span of 24 hours, close to 2 lakh (1,91,609) people were vaccinated across 3,512 sessions. A total of 27,920 sessions have been conducted so far, the ministry said. India took only 6 days to roll out one million vaccine doses. This count is higher than countries like the US and the UK. The UK took 18 days whereas USA took 10 days to reach the one million mark, the ministry highlighted.

• JAN 24, 2021 12:52 PM IST

  Odisha logs 150 new Covid-19 cases, 1 fresh fatality

  Odisha's Covid-19 tally on Sunday mounted to 3,34,300 as 150 more people tested positive for the infection, while one fresh fatality pushed the state's coronavirus death toll to 1,905, a health department official said. The new cases were detected in 24 of the state's 30 districts, with 89 reported from different quarantine centres, while the remaining 61 are local contact cases.

  Sundergarh district reported the highest of 22 new positive cases followed by Bargarh (18) and Cuttack (15). Six other districts - Dhenkanal, Gajapati, Koraput, Malkangiri, Nayagarh and Rayagada, did not register any new positive cases since Saturday.

• JAN 24, 2021 11:23 AM IST

  Telangana logs 197 new Covid-19 cases, 1 death

  Telangana recorded 197 fresh coronavirus cases, taking the total positives to over 2.93 lakh while one fatality pushed the toll to 1,589, the state government said on Sunday. Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) accounted for the most number of cases with 32, followed by Karimnagar (13) and Medchal Malkajgiri and Rangareddy with 12 each, it said in a bulletin, providing details as of 8 PM on January 23. The total number of cases stood at2,93,253 while recoveries were at 2,88,275.

• JAN 24, 2021 11:13 AM IST

  Brazilian state Amazonas announces movement restrictions due to surging Covid-19 cases

  Unnecessary movement, as well as non-essential activities, will be banned for seven days starting from Monday in the face of the collapse of the health system due to the surge in the cases of Covid-19, Wilson Lima, governor of the Brazilian state of Amazonas announced on Saturday. "The movement of people will be prohibited, which does not mean cutting off their right to come and go, but they can only leave out of extreme necessity, such as going to the doctor, the supermarket or being authorized to work," said the governor at a press conference. The announcement came following a request from the Public Ministry after the city's oxygen supplies were depleted due to 100 per cent occupancy in hospitals in the state capital of Manaus.

• JAN 24, 2021 11:05 AM IST

  Brazil reports deadliest week since summer

  Brazil reported 1,202 new fatalities, ending the deadliest week since the surge last summer. Total deaths are now 216,445, the Health Ministry reported. The nation, which has the most cases after the US and India, reported another 62,334 infections. The weekly count declined from the previous week but is still higher than during the summer peak. Total cases are 8.8 million.

• JAN 24, 2021 11:04 AM IST

  Australia vaccine program on track

  Australia’s Covid-19 vaccine program is on track to begin as scheduled, with the first Pfizer doses set to arrive in hospitals in mid-to-late February, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said Sunday. Australia pre-purchased 10 million units of the Pfizer and BioTech vaccine in November to begin inoculating front-line workers in hospitals and aged-care residents next month. Concern has heightened about delays in delivery of the vaccine and tightening supplies after Pfizer said it would scale back shipments to countries outside the US while it renovates a factory in Belgium.

• JAN 24, 2021 10:38 AM IST

  Germany's confirmed coronavirus cases rise by 12,257 to 2,134,936

  The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 12,257 to 2,134,936, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Sunday. The reported death toll rose by 349 to 51,870, the tally showed.

• JAN 24, 2021 10:23 AM IST

  2 new Covid-19 cases push Mizoram's tally to 4,351

  Mizoram reported two new Covid-19 cases, pushing the tally to 4,351, an official said on Sunday. The two new cases from Aizawl district were confirmed at Zoram Medical College (ZMC) through RT-PCR facility, he said. While one patient has returned from Maharashtra, the other was diagnosed with Covid-19 during contact tracing, he said. Mizoram now has 58 active Covid-19 cases, while 4,284 people have recovered from the disease so far. The Covid-19 recovery rate in the state now is 98.47 per cent, the official said.

• JAN 24, 2021 09:59 AM IST

  Maharashtra: 266 new Covid-19 cases in Thane, 5 more deaths

  The Covid-19 tally in Thane district of Maharashtra has reached 2,51,641 with the addition of 266 new cases, an official said on Sunday. The virus has claimed lives of five more persons, raising the death toll in the district rose to 6,109, he said. The Covid-19 mortality rate in the district stands at 2.43 per cent, he said. So far, 2,41,975 patients have recovered from the infection, improving the recovery rate in the district to 96. 16 per cent, the official said. At present, there are 3,557 active Covid-19 cases in the district, he said.

• JAN 24, 2021 09:50 AM IST

  6,000 healthcare workers vaccinated against Covid-19 in Army's Southern Command

  Lieutenant General CP Mohanty, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Southern Command of the Indian Army on Saturday said around 6,000 healthcare workers in the command have been vaccinated against Covid-19 so far. Briefing the media, Mohanty said, "We have prioritised our vaccination drives. Our healthcare workers in military hospitals are providing sustained support. We have started administering the vaccine to our health workers. Around 6,000 of them have been vaccinated so far."

• JAN 24, 2021 09:30 AM IST

  Jharkhand reports 78 new Covid-19 cases, 1 death

  Jharkhand's Covid-19 tally mounted to 1,18,232 as 78 more people tested positive for the infection, a health official said on Sunday. The state's coronavirus death toll rose to 1,061 as one more person succumbed to the infection in the last 24 hours, he said. Ranchi district reported the highest number of new cases at 55, followed by Dhanbad (5) and four cases each in East Singhbhum and Ramgarh, the official said. Jharkhand now has 878 active coronavirus cases, while 1,16,293 people have recovered from the disease so far, he said.

• JAN 24, 2021 08:57 AM IST

  Mainland China reports 80 new Covid-19 cases

  Mainland China reported 80 new Covid-19 cases on January 23, down from 107 cases a day earlier, the country's national health authority said on Sunday. The National Health Commission, in a statement, said 65 of the new cases were local infections. The number of new asymptomatic cases, which China does not classify as confirmed cases, fell to 92 from 99 cases a day earlier. The total number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in Mainland China now stands at 88,991, while the death toll remained unchanged at 4,635.

• JAN 24, 2021 08:15 AM IST

  Africa's confirmed Covid-19 cases near 3.4 million

  The number of confirmed Covid-19 cases on the African continent reached 3,393,591 as of Saturday evening, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said. According to the agency's data, the death toll related to the pandemic in Africa stood at 83,901 as of Saturday evening.

  A total of 2,854,275 people infected with Covid-19 have recovered across the continent so far, the agency added.

• JAN 24, 2021 08:08 AM IST

  New Zealand health officials probe probable community Covid-19 case

  New Zealand health officials said on Sunday they were investigating a probable community coronavirus case, the country's first in months. New Zealand, one of the most successful developed nations in controlling the spread of the pandemic, last recorded a community coronavirus transmission on Nov. 18, according to information on the Health Ministry website. "Health officials are currently investigating the case," the health ministry said in a statement.

  The ministry is to provide more detail later on Sunday.