Highlights: DGCI's approval to Bharat Biotech's vaccine draws flak

More Australian states and territories are reimposing travel restrictions to prevent the spreading of the coronavirus from new outbreaks in New South Wales and Victoria states, report AP.

Uttar Pradesh reported 769 new #COVID19 cases, 1,179 discharges and 17 deaths in the last 24 hours.

Total Cases: 5,88,171
Total active cases: 12858
Total Discharges: 5,66,910
Death toll: 8,403 pic.twitter.com/clfYR16DcT

— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) January 3, 2021

Odisha's Covid-19 caseload on Sunday mounted to 3,30,309 with 192 more people testing positive for the infection, while three fresh fatalities pushed the toll to 1,883, a health department official said, reports PTI

Delhi reports 424 new #COVID19 cases, 708 recoveries and 14 deaths in the last 24 hours, as per Delhi Health Department

Total cases: 6,26,872

Total recoveries: 6,11,243

Death toll: 10,585

Active cases: 5,044 pic.twitter.com/s4m7pj151D

— ANI (@ANI) January 3, 2021

The United States surpassed 350,000 Covid-19 deaths on Sunday, according to data from Johns Hopkins University, as vaccinations against the virus have begun at a slow pace, reports ANI.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah hailed approval granted today by Drugs Controller General of India (DGCI) to the coronavirus vaccines of Serum Institute of India (SII) and Bharat Biotech.

The Japanese capital recorded 816 new coronavirus infections. Japan has recorded over 240,000 infections since the start of the pandemic and the death toll currently stands at 3,548.

AIIMS Delhi director Randeep Guleria said that both the approved vaccines were cost effective and easy to administer as they were made in India. He also said the vaccine rollout would begin in a 'very short period'.

Indonesia is planning to start vaccinating its population against Covid-19 this month and is seeking to deliver shots to 181.5 million people by March 2022, according to the health ministry, as reported by Bloomberg.

Russia reported 24,150 new coronavirus infections, taking the country's tally to 3,236,787. The death toll after 504 new fatalities stands at 58,506.

Union health minister Harsh Vardhan termed the approval of the Covishield and Covaxin coronavirus vaccines a 'watershed moment in India’s famed battle against Covid-19 under leadership of PM Modi'.

Puducherry reported 50 new coronavirus infections, taking the Union Territory's tally to 38,224.

Germany reported 10,315 new coronavirus infections, taking the country's tally to 1,765,666. The death toll rose to 34,272 after 312 new fatalities.

Delhi Health Minister Satyender Jain has said that in the first phase of the vaccination drive, healthcare and frontline workers would be inoculated. 3 lakh healthcare and 6 lakh frontline workers were identified in the national capital as per Jain.

The World Health Organisation's regional director of the south-east Asia region, Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, has welcomed India's decision to approve emergency use authorization for Bharat Biotech and SII's coronavirus vaccines.