Highlights: Odisha caps price of Covid-19 RT PCR tests at ₹400, cheapest in I

Private laboratories in Odisha will now charge ₹400 for Covid-19 RT PCR test after state government capped the maximum prices for the test. Dropped from the earlier price of ₹1,200, this is now the cheapest in India.

State health department said that goods and services tax is included in the price.

Uttarakhand reported 516 new Covid-19 infections and 13 deaths today, taking the state's tally to 75,784 overall cases and 1,251 fatalities. Recovery rate stands at 90.83 per cent after 68,838 patients have recovered, of whom 473 have recovered today.

Positivity rate in Uttarakhand is currently 5.54 per cent.

Media bulletin from Maharashtra state health department has released data on Covid-19 cases in the state, reported by ANI.

Maharashtra recorded 5,600 new coronavirus cases, 5,027 recoveries, and 111 deaths in the last 24 hours, according to State Health Department

Total cases: 18,32,176

Total recoveries: 16,95,208

Active cases: 88,537

Death toll: 47,357 pic.twitter.com/R9FCpigC3w

— ANI (@ANI) December 2, 2020

Gujarat reported 1,512 new Covid-19 infections and 14 deaths today taking the death toll in the state to 4,018 fatalities.

Overall cases in the state stands at 212,769 with 14,813 active cases.

Recovery rate in Gujarat is 91.15 per cent with 1,570 discharges today and 193,938 overall recoveries.

A total of 7,963,653 tests have been conducted in the state of which 69,186 were done today, reports PTI.

Tamil Nadu reported 1,428 fresh Covid-19 infections today with 11 new fatalities taking the overall tally to 784,747 cases and 11,733 deaths.

Recoveries reach 762,015 after 1,398 people were discharged. Active cases in the state stands at 10,999.

Chennai city has reported maximum infections in the state with 216,119 overall cases.

A total of 68,854 samples were tested today and the state has so far tested 12,102,345 samples, a health department bulletin said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has asked Deputy Prime Minister Tatiana Golikova to begin mass vaccination in the country against Covid-19 by next week. He expressed confidence that more than 2 million doses of Sputnik V would be ready in the "next few days."

Doctors and teachers have been identified as two at-risk groups in Russia and Golikova confirmed that the drive would begin and vaccinations would be voluntary and cost free, reports ANI.

Skiing would be allowed in Austria from December 24 but many restrictions would be put in place to contain the spread of Covid-19.

Ski lifts would have limited capacity and restaurants, bars and hotels would largely be kept closed until January, reports the Associated Press.

Andhra Pradesh reported 663 new #COVID19 cases & 1,159 recovered cases & 7 deaths in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of cases in the state to 8,69,412.

There are 6,924 active cases in the State & 8,55,485 people have recovered so far.

The death toll is at 7,003 pic.twitter.com/r5PsMnpsOH

— ANI (@ANI) December 2, 2020

Karnataka reports 1,440 new #COVID19 cases, 983 recoveries, and 16 deaths, according to the State Health Department

Total cases: 8,87,667
Total recoveries: 8,51,690
Total deaths: 11,808
Active cases: 24,150 pic.twitter.com/yziwXteFNp

— ANI (@ANI) December 2, 2020

Rajasthan reports 1,990 new #COVID19 cases, 3,235 recoveries/discharges, & 19 deaths, as per State Health Department

Total cases: 2,72,400

Total recoveries: 2,43,340

Active cases: 26,710

Death toll: 2,350 pic.twitter.com/8zpgtpLGlf

— ANI (@ANI) December 2, 2020

Uttarakhand reported 516 new #COVID19 cases, 473 recoveries, and 13 deaths today, says State Health Department

Total cases: 75,784

Total recoveries: 68,838

Active cases: 4,955

Death toll: 1,251 pic.twitter.com/x8q9OAB1t7

— ANI (@ANI) December 2, 2020

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday extended the interim bail of around 3,499 undertrial prisoners by a further 45 days to de-congest jails here because of the persisting coronavirus pandemic, reports PTI.

A total of 263 new Covid-19 positive cases have been registered in Afghanistan over the past 24 hours, bringing the number of patients infected with the disease to 46,980 in the country, said Public Health Ministry on Wednesday, reports ANI/Xinhua.

With the Covid-19 vaccine in the final stages of operationalisation in India, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Wednesday announced that he will take the first shot of the vaccine in the state, once it is cleared by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), reports ANI.

The number of coronavirus cases recorded in Poland passed 1 million on Wednesday and a second wave of the pandemic is proving more serious than the first, reports Reuters.