LIVE: 19,037 new Covid-19 cases and 459 deaths in Italy

Uttar Pradesh reports 1,285 new Covid-19 cases as tally reaches 579,982. 13 new fatalities take death toll to 8,279.

Israel's health ministry has announced that the country logged 9,651 new Covid-19 cases in the last two days, taking the national tally to 393,036.

"Ludhiana and Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar have been chosen for Covid-19 vaccine dry run to be held from January 27 to 29. It'll be done using dummy vaccine. We have 805 service locations for vaccination," says Ludhiana deputy commissioner.

Philippines Covid-19 tally reaches 467,601 with 1,885 new cases. Death toll at 9,062 after seven new fatalities.

Egypt on Thursday reported 1,021 new Covid-19 cases and 51 deaths. Total cases reach 128,993 including 7,260 deaths.

The United Kingdom logged 39,036 new Covid-19 cases and 574 related deaths. Total cases reach 2,188,587 including 69,625 deaths.

Odisha on Friday reported 325 new Covid-19 cases, pushing the coronavirus tally in the state to 3,27,867, a health department official said. The death toll in the rose to 1,853 with three fresh fatalities in the last 24-hours, he said.

Russia on Friday reported 29,018 new Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours, including 7,315 in Moscow, taking the national total to 2,992,706 since the pandemic began. Authorities said 563 had died in the last 24 hours, pushing the official death toll to 53,659.

Dry run for vaccine administration will be conducted in Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Gujarat and Punjab next week. This will exercise enable end-to-end mobilisation and testing of Covid-19 vaccination process (except the vaccine) and check the usage of Co-WIN, reports ANI quoting government of India

Thailand on Friday recorded 81 new confirmed cases of Covid-19, according to the Center for the COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA). Of the total, 37 were local infections, 35 migrant workers and nine other imported cases. Most of the infected migrant workers were asymptomatic, said Taweesin Visanuyothin, CCSA spokesman. So far, Thailand has reported 5,910 Covid-19 infections, with 1,308 of them reported in Myanmar migrant workers mostly employed in the fishing industry in Samut Sakhon province, where the latest outbreak originated.

The union territory of Puducherry registered 29 new Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours while no fresh fatality was reported, a top Health department official said on Friday. The 29 new infections took the overall tally in the union territory to 37,914, Director of Health and Family Welfare S Mohan Kumar said in a release.

The Rwandan Ministry of Health on Thursday inaugurated a Covid-19 testing laboratory at Kigali International Airport, the country's major airport in the capital city Kigali, to ease service delivery for travellers to Rwanda. "Unlike previously when samples for incoming travellers were taken at designated hotels, all passengers will be tested at the airport and get their results within 24 hours," Health Minister Daniel Ngamije told journalists at the launch event.

South Korea has reported its largest daily increase in coronavirus infections on Christmas Day, as the prime minister pleaded for vigilance to arrest a viral surge that has worsened hospitalization and deaths. The 1,241 new cases confirmed by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency on Friday brought the country’s caseload to 54,770. Seventeen Covid-19 patients died in the past 24 hours, bringing the death toll to 773.

Italy has surpassed 2 million confirmed cases of coronavirus cases on Friday.

Citing the Italy Health Ministry, CNN reported, the country reported at least 18,040 new cases in the last 24 hours, bringing the total count to 2,009,317.

With 505 fresh Covid-related deaths, Italy's toll has reached 70,900.

Currently, there are at least 2,589 people in intensive care.

Nine more persons, including an army man, tested positive for Covid-19 in Arunachal Pradesh, pushing the caseload in the northeastern state to 16,678, a health department official said on Friday. Of the fresh cases, four were reported from East Siang, two each from the Capital Complex region and Tawang and one from Upper Subansiri district, State Surveillance Officer (SSO) Dr Lobsang Jampa said.