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Highlights: South African coronavirus variant identified in UK

The ministry has also informed that 26 states and UTs currently have less than 10,000 active Covid-19 cases.

By hindustantimes.com | Updated: Dec 24, 2020 07:11 IST
Highlights: South African coronavirus variant identified in UK
Doctors from NMMC and Terna Hospital on door to door mass screening at a Covid-19 containment zone at in Navi Mumbai on Saturday (Photo by Bachchan Kumar/ HT Photo)

India has been witnessing a declining trajectory in the number of positive coronavirus cases for a week. The country recorded new 19, 556 Covid-19 cases and 301 deaths on Tuesday, as per the Union health ministry. The number of active cases in India is less than 3 lakhs after 163 days, while after 173 days the country reported daily new cases below 20,000 on Tuesday, as per the data of the health ministry. The ministry has also informed that 26 states and UTs currently have less than 10,000 active cases. Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Maharashtra and Kerala are among the major contributors to the active caseload of the country. These six states contributed 57 per cent of the active cases on Tuesday, according to the ministry.


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The new strain of coronavirus discovered in the UK that led to strict restrictions in London and its surrounding areas has been reported in returnees from the UK by many countries. The US is seeking to close a deal with Pfizer for additional million doses of the shot, reported AP.

10:44 PM IST

Gujarat reports 958 new coronavirus cases and 1309 recoveries

Gujarat reported 958 new cases of coronavirus on Wednesday, taking the state's total to 2,38,205, reported PTI. A total of 1,309 patients were discharged in the last 24 hours pushing the total to 2,22,911, according to the state health department. Currently the state has 11,040 active cases, the department added.

10:27 PM IST

South African coronavirus variant identified in UK

British Health Ministry Matt Hancock announced on Wednesday that two cases of the coronavirus strain linked to South Africa has been identified in the UK, reports PTI. “This new variant is highly concerning because it is yet more transmissible and it appears to have mutated further than the new variant that has been discovered in the UK,” Hancock said at a press conference. Following this discovery UK has decided to put more areas under a strict lockdown.

09:42 PM IST

Surat records 157 fresh coronavirus cases, 2 fatalities in the last 24 hours

Surat in Gujarat reported 157 fresh cases of coronavirus on Wednesday, taking the district's total to 48,000, 2 fatalities were also reported in the same time period, which pushed the total tally of fatalities to 1,125, reported news agency PTI.

08:44 PM IST

Egypt records its highest coronavirus tally till date

Egypt recorded its highest ever coronavirus tally till date on Wednesday, with over 911 confirmed cases, forcing the government to cancel New Year's eve celebrations, according to the Associated Press. This takes the country's total tally to 127,970 with a total of 7,209 deaths, reported the country's health ministry.

07:55 PM IST

Kerala records 6,169 fresh coronavirus cases, 22 fatalities

Kerala added 6,169 cases of coronavirus on Wednesday taking the state's total tally to 7,21,510. 22 individuals succumbed to the diseases in the last 24 hours. Currently,62,802 patients are undergoing treatment for coronavirus in the state. Ernakulam district tops the list of new cases, followed by Kottayam and Kozhikode.

07:10 PM IST

UK contemplates tighter Covid-19 restrictions

After UK registered 36,804 positive coronavirus cases the government is contemplating putting more parts of the country under strictest levels of lockdown, reports PTI. UK Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick said in a press conference that the new strain of coronavirus is behind the sudden spike and it is for now concentrated in London and southeast England, where tier-4 lockdown restrictions are already in place.

05:53 PM IST

745 international arrivals quarantined in Mumbai in two days

Out of the 1688 international arrivals from UK and other countries, some 745 passengers have been quarantined in Mumbai city in two days, according to news agency PTI. This was done after a new SOP was put in place by the Union health ministry due to the detection of a new strain of coronavirus in UK.

04:57 PM IST

90 year old Swiss woman first in country to be vaccinated against Covid-19

A 90 year old woman residing in a care home in the Swiss city of Lucerne became the first in Switzerland to receive the Covid-19 vaccine, reported Reuters. Her name has not been disclosed to the press. The Swiss Army has distributed 100,000 shots of the vaccine around the country, according to Reuters.

03:26 PM IST

Andaman&Nicobar administration issues mandatory testing orders for air passengers

The Andaman and Nicobar administration has said that all incoming passengers arriving at VSI Airport from December 26 onwards would have to mandatorily carry RT-PCR negative test report issued from ICMR recognized lab, subject to condition that RT-PCR test should have been taken 48 hours prior to journey.

02:56 PM IST

Delhi airport Covid testers giving reports within six hours of getting samples

Dr Gauri Agarwal, Director of Genestrings, which is conducting Covid-19 tests at Delhi airport said that they were providing reports within four to six hours after getting the samples.

02:36 PM IST

Recovery rate up to 95.69%, says Ministry of Health

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said that the total number of recoveries in India was 9,663,382 and the recovery rate had gone up to 95.69%.

02:21 PM IST

Covid situation in France not under control: Hospital official

The coronavirus pandemic is not under control in France and a new lockdown must remain an option as per Karine Lacombe, the head of the infectious diseases unit at Paris’ Saint-Antoine hospital.

02:03 PM IST

Russia records 27,250 Covid-19 cases in last 24 hours

Russia has registered 27,250 Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours, down from 28,776 the day before, bringing the total to 2,933,753, the federal response center said on Wednesday, reports ANI.

01:40 PM IST

Odisha logs 364 new Covid cases

01:03 PM IST

Karnataka imposes night curfew between 10pm and 6am till January 2 amid concern of Covid-19 new strain

Karnataka government imposes night curfew (between 10 pm & 6 am) in the state, starting today; the curfew to remain in place till January 2, said Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, reports ANI.

First published: Dec 23, 2020 05:32 IST