Highlights: India extends restrictions on flights to UK till February 14

The US, India and Brazil have the three highest Covid-19 caseloads in the world, as per the Johns Hopkins University tracker. Russia and the United Kingdom follow at fourth and fifth respectively.

A woman is tested at a nucleic acid testing site following an outbreak of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) in Beijing, China. (Reuters)

India’s count of cases of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) is at over 10.68 million as the country recorded 12,689 new infections in the last 24 hours, the Union health ministry’s dashboard showed on Wednesday. On Tuesday, India had logged 9,102 new infections in the preceding 24 hours, the country’s lowest single-day count in nearly eight months. 8,909 Covid-19 cases were reported on May 16 last year. India’s Covid-19 tally is the second-highest in the world, behind that of the United States and ahead of Brazil’s. The Johns Hopkins University tracker shows that the US and Brazil have reported more than 25 million and 8.9 million cases thus far....Read More

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• 27 Jan 2021, 11:13:09 PM IST

  Cannes film festival to be postponed due to Covid-19 pandemic

  The organisers of Cannes international film festival said on Wednesday that the world renowned film festival will be postponed to July due to the ongoing pandemic, reported Reuters.

• 27 Jan 2021, 10:45:10 PM IST

  UK's Coronavirus lockdown to last till March, says Boris Johnson

  Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Wednesday told reporters that UK's lockdown may last till March, reported Reuters. Johnson's announcement comes as a new variant of coronavirus, first reported in southeast England, continues to sweep through Britain, pushing Britain's death toll to 100,000.

• 27 Jan 2021, 10:06:03 PM IST

  Pakistan to start Covid-19 vaccination drive from next week

  Pakistan is scheduled to launch the country's first Covid-19 vaccination drive next week, reported Reuters on Wednesday. Pakistan's health minister said healthcare workers will be the first to get vaccinated. China has promised Pakistan a donation of some 500,000 doses of the vaccine produced by Chinese pharma company SinoPharm. Russia's Sputnik V and AstraZeneca vaccine are also lined up for similar approvals, according to Reuters.

• 27 Jan 2021, 09:49:22 PM IST

  India extends restrictions on flights to UK till February 14 due to new variant of Covid-19

  The Ministry of Civil aviation has further extended the ban on all flights between Indian and UK till February 14, the ministry declared so in an official statement. This was done to prevent the spread of the new strain of coronavirus going around in the UK.

• 27 Jan 2021, 08:53:09 PM IST

  Goa reports 53 new cases of Covid-19, zero fatalities in the last 24 hours

  53 people tested positive for Covid-19 in Goa on Wednesday, taking the state's toll to 53,100. 90 people recovered in the same time period, pushing the total recovery count up to 51,600. No fatalities were reported from the state, reported news agency PTI.

• 27 Jan 2021, 07:03:17 PM IST

  MHA issues new SOPs for cinema halls, swimming pools

  Ministry of Home Affairs released a new set of guidelines for surveillance, containment, and caution, which will be effective from February 1 to 28, and will guide Covid-19 appropriate behaviour, reported news agency ANI.

• 27 Jan 2021, 05:43:45 PM IST

  South Africa gives nod to AstraZeneca vaccine for emergency use

  South Africa became the latest country to grant approval to AstraZeneca for emergency use of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, reported Reuters. The country is also considering similar proposals of approval for both Pfizer and Johnson and Johnson, added Reuters.

• 27 Jan 2021, 05:10:37 PM IST

  Sanofi to manufacture Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine

  To meet European Union's (EU) vaccine supply quota Sanofi has been tasked with producing doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine, reported Reuters. The French pharmaceutical giant is slated to produce millions of doses of the Pfizer vaccine as the EU is locked into a battle of words with vaccine manufacturer AstraZeneca over delay in supply.

• 27 Jan 2021, 04:06:27 PM IST

  Malaysia records 3,680 new cases of coronavirus, 7 fatalities in the last 24 hours

  Malaysia recorded 3680 cases of coronavirus infections on Wednesday, taking the countrywide total to 194,114. 7 people succumbed to the infection in the same time period. The death toll in the country currently stands at 707, reported Reuters.

• 27 Jan 2021, 03:00:47 PM IST

  Hong Kong can administer 36,000 Covid shots per day in February

  Hong Kong will set up 18 community vaccination centers -- one in every district -- to each handle at least 2,000 residents a day as the city prepares to administer the Covid-19 shot developed by BioNTech SE and Pfizer Inc. as early as the end of February, reports Reuters.

• 27 Jan 2021, 02:31:55 PM IST

  India's Covaxin may be effective against new coronavirus strain in UK: Study

  A vaccine developed by India's Bharat Biotech and a government research institute is likely to be effective against the UK strain of the coronavirus, according to a study on 26 participants shared by the company on Wednesday, reports Reuters.

• 27 Jan 2021, 02:03:59 PM IST

  Russia registers 17,741 new Covid-19 cases

  Russia on Wednesday reported 17,741 new Covid-19 cases, taking its official tally to 3,774,672, reports Reuters.

• 27 Jan 2021, 01:37:00 PM IST

  Nepal PM thanks India for Covid-19 vaccine doses

  We got an early chance to administer Covid-19 vaccine. For this, I extend my thanks and gratitude to our neighbour India’s Govt, its people and especially PM Modi. They sent us vaccine within about a week of its rollout in India, that too one million dosages and in grant, said Nepal PM Oli.

• 27 Jan 2021, 12:59:59 PM IST

  Myanmar begins Covid-19 vaccine drive

  Myanmar launched a Covid-19 vaccination programme on Wednesday, with healthcare staff and volunteer medical workers the first to receive shots of the AstraZenca and Oxford University vaccine donated by neighbouring India, reports Reuters.

• 27 Jan 2021, 12:31:08 PM IST

  First phase of Covid vaccine drive begins in Nepal

  First phase of Covid-19 vaccination drive begins in Nepal today; visuals from Kathmandu. Vaccines to be administered to front line workers in the first phase, reports ANI.

• 27 Jan 2021, 12:11:50 PM IST

  Telangana reports 147 fresh Covid cases

  Telangana reported 147 new Covid-19 cases, 399 recoveries and 1 death on January 26. Total cases reported as per the latest update 2,93,737, total, recoveries 2,89,325, death toll at 1593 and active cases in the state 2,819.

• 27 Jan 2021, 11:40:19 AM IST

  Moscow to ease Covid restrictions

  The city of Moscow eased some Covid-19 restrictions on Wednesday, including the overnight closure of bars, restaurants and night clubs, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said, reports Reuters.

• 27 Jan 2021, 11:03:50 AM IST

  Biden to reopen 'Obamacare' for Covid-19 relief

  Fulfilling a campaign promise, President Joe Biden plans to reopen the HealthCare.gov insurance markets for a special sign-up opportunity geared to people needing coverage in the coronavirus pandemic, reports PTI.

• 27 Jan 2021, 10:44:58 AM IST

  Total Covid tally in Arunachal reaches 16, 821 after registering one fresh case

  The Covid-19 caseload in Arunachal Pradesh rose to 16,821 as one more person has tested positive for the disease, a health department official said on Wednesday, reports PTI.

• 27 Jan 2021, 10:07:52 AM IST

  China inoculated more than 22 million doses of Covid vaccine

  China has administered about 22.8 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines, a health official said on Wednesday, as the country steps up its campaign ahead of next month's Lunar New Year holidays and the accompanying flurry of travel, reports Reuters.

• 27 Jan 2021, 09:42:27 AM IST

  India reports 12,689 new Covid-19 cases

  India logs 12,689 new Covid-19 cases as tally rises to 10,689,527. Death toll at 153,724 with 137 fresh fatalities.

• 27 Jan 2021, 09:08:45 AM IST

  Over 2 million vaccinated thus far, says health ministry

  Total 2,023,809 healthcare workers vaccinated thus far: Union health ministry

• 27 Jan 2021, 08:25:02 AM IST

  South Korea's Covid-19 tally tops 76,400

  South Korea records 559 new Covid-19 cases as tally reaches 76,429. Death toll at 1,378.

• 27 Jan 2021, 07:32:55 AM IST

  Global Covid-19 tally crosses 100 million

  Global tally of Covid-19 cases has reached 100,213,452 as per the Johns Hopkins University tracker. Death toll tops 2.1 million, the tracker shows.