Highlights: South African coronavirus variant identified in UK

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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%.

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.

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.

Odisha recorded 364 new #COVID19 cases, 388 recoveries and 3 deaths on December 22, as per State Health Department

Total cases: 3,27,279

Total recoveries: 3,22,344

Active cases: 3,036

Death toll: 1,846

— ANI (@ANI) December 23, 2020

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.