Covid-19 Cases in India: The daily Covid positivity rate is 1.35 per cent. (File)
India recorded a single-day rise of 10,929 new COVID-19 cases today, taking the country's infection tally to 3,43,44,683, while 392 fresh fatalities were recorded in the same 24-hour time period, pushing the total death count in the country to 4,60,265.
The daily rise in new coronavirus infections has been below 20,000 for 29 straight days and less than 50,000 daily new cases have been reported for 132 consecutive days now.
The daily positivity rate was recorded at 1.35 per cent. It has been less than two per cent for last 33 days. The weekly positivity rate was also recorded at 1.27 per cent. It has been below two per cent for the last 42 days, according to the ministry.
The cumulative doses administered in the country so far under the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive has exceeded 107.92 crore.
Here are the Highlights on Coronavirus Cases In India:
Russia Reports Highest-Ever Daily Covid Count Despite Paid HolidayRussia on Saturday reported a record number of daily coronavirus cases as the country reaches the end of a nationwide paid holiday introduced to curb the spread of infections, reported news agency AFP.
Saturday's official tally registered 41,335 new cases in the past 24 hours, the highest number for new infections since the beginning of the pandemic.
The country also reported 1,188 coronavirus deaths during the same period.
Assam Reports 239 New COVID Cases, 1 More FatalityThe coronavirus situation marginally improved in Assam on Saturday with the state registering 239 new infections, same as Friday's daily count, and two fresh COVID-19 fatalities, three less than the previous day.
The new cases and deaths have pushed the total caseload in the state to 6,12,134, a National Health Mission (NHM) bulletin said.
Greece Imposes New Curbs For Unvaccinated As Covid Cases RiseCOVID-19 infections in Greece hit a new daily high almost every day in November, prompting authorities to announce new measures on Tuesday, which also restrict access to cafes and restaurants, state services and banks to those who are either vaccinated or have a negative test. Read here.
COVID-19 India News: West Bengal Reports 670 New Cases, 14 More DeathsWest Bengal reported 670 new COVID-19 cases and 14 deaths in the last 24 hours, informed the state health department on Saturday, according to news agency ANI. According to the state health bulletin, the number of active cases in the state stands at 8,029. With 764 recoveries reported in the last 24 hours, a total of 15,70,521 people have recovered in the state so far.
The recovery rate in the state stands at 98.29 per cent while the case fatality rate is 1.20 per cent. As many as 15,97,765 COVID-19 cases have been reported in the state so far and a total of 19,215 people have succumbed to the virus in the state. So far, 1,94,39,378 COVID-19 tests have been conducted in the state including 30,281 tests conducted in the last 24 hours.
COVID-19 India News: Chhattisgarh Reports 27 New Cases, Active Tally Now 259Chhattisgarh's COVID-19 tally rose to 10,06,159 on Saturday as 27 new cases came were recorded, while the death count remained unchanged at 13,584, an official said, reported news agency PTI. The number of recoveries touched 9,92,316 after seven people were discharged from hospitals and 19 completed home isolation during the day, leaving the state with 259 active cases, he said. "Korba and Jashpur recorded five new cases each. No fresh case was reported in 19 districts. With 10,264 samples examined during the day, the number of tests in Chhattisgarh went up to 1,37,36,558," the official added.
COVID-19 India News: Himachal Pradesh Reports 114 New Cases, 6 More Deaths Himachal Pradesh recorded six coronavirus-related fatalities on Saturday, pushing the death count to 3,757, while the infection tally rose to 2,24,830 with 114 new cases, an official said, according to news agency PTI. Three new fatalities were reported from Kangra, two from Hamirpur and one from Una. Besides, 231 more patients recovered from the infection, taking the recovery count to 2,19,681, the health official said. The number of active Covid cases now stood at 1,375 in the state.
COVID-19 India News: Punjab Reports 25 New Cases, No DeathPunjab recorded 25 fresh Covid cases, taking the infection tally to 6,02,517, according to a medical bulletin, reported new agency PTI. The death count remained at 16,562 as no new Covid-related fatality was reported in the state. Of the fresh cases, Mohali reported 10, followed by eight in Jalandhar and two each in Gurdaspur and Tarn Taran.
There are 219 active cases in the state, while 21 people have recuperated from the infection in the last 24 hours, taking the number of those who have been cured to 5,85,736, according to the bulletin.
Meanwhile, Chandigarh reported one Covid case, taking the total count to 65,360. The death toll in the city stood at 820. There are 29 active cases in the Union Territory, while 64,511 people have recovered from the infection.
COVID-19 India News: J&K Lieutenant Governor Reviews Covid SituationJammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha reviewed the coronavirus situation in the Union Territory on Saturday and directed for strict enforcement of Covid-appropriate behaviour to check any spike in the cases, reported news agency PTI. Mr Sinha also reviewed the situation of dengue in Jammu and directed the officials concerned for effective prevention efforts even as a central team is in Jammu to assess the on-ground situation in the Union Territory.
Reviewing the COVID-19 situation during a series of meetings with the members of the Covid Task Force, deputy commissioners and superintendents of police, Mr Sinha emphasised on the need to take effective and quick actions to minimise COVID-19 impacts. He termed rapid asymptomatic testing and contact tracing as important tools to help reduce the spread of the virus.
COVID-19 Live Updates: Tamil Nadu Reports 862 New Cases, 10 DeathsTamil Nadu added 862 new COVID-19 infections on Saturday, pushing the overall tally to 27,08,230, while the death count rose to 36,214 with 10 more fatalities, reported news agency PTI. Recoveries eclipsed new infections with 1,009 people getting discharged in the last 24 hours, aggregating to 26,61,428 leaving 10,588 active cases, a health department bulletin said.
State capital Chennai topped the infection count with 122 cases, while the remaining were scattered across other districts. Chennai also leads in the number of deaths, with 8,562 fatalities till date. As many as 19 districts reported below 10 cases, including Ramanathapuram, which recorded zero infections.
COVID-19 News Update: Jammu And Kashmir Records 151 New Cases, No DeathJammu and Kashmir recorded 151 fresh Covid cases, taking the infection tally to 3,32,911 on Saturday, while no new fatality was reported in the Union Territory in the past 24 hours, officials said, according to news agency PTI. Out of the fresh cases, 16 were from the Jammu division and 135 from the Kashmir division, they said.
Srinagar district recorded the highest of 79 cases followed by 14 cases in Baramulla. There are 1,091 active cases in the Union Territory, while 3,27,380 people have recovered from the infection, the officials said. The death count due to the pandemic was 4,440 as no new fatality was reported in the past 24 hours.
Meanwhile, the officials said there are 49 confirmed cases of Mucormycosis (Black Fungus) in the Union Territory as no fresh case was reported since Friday evening.
COVID-19 India News: Delhi Reports 36 New Cases, No Death
COVID-19 India News: Over 108 Crore Vaccine Doses Administered In India So FarThe cumulative COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country crossed 108 crore on Saturday, the Union Health Ministry said, according to news agency PTI. On Saturday, more than 25 lakh (25,54,917) vaccine doses have been administered till 7 pm. The daily vaccination tally is expected to increase with the compilation of final reports for the day by late night, the ministry said.
COVID-19 India News: Gujarat Reports 16 New Cases, No DeathGujarat''s COVID-19 tally went up to 8,26,716 on Saturday with the addition of 16 cases in the last 24 hours, the state health department said, according to news agency PTI. The overall tally of recoveries now stands at 8,16,399 in Gujarat with 12 persons getting discharged during the day, leaving the state with 227 active cases, the department said in a release. So far, 10,090 patients have died of COVID-19 in Gujarat with no fresh death reported during the day.
Meanwhile, no new COVID-19 case was registered in the adjoining Union Territory (UT) of Dadra Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu in the last 24 hours, a release said. Of the total 10,654 COVID-19 cases registered in the UT so far, four patients have died and 10,650 recovered, it said.
COVID-19 India News: Madhya Pradesh Reports 7 New Cases, No DeathThe COVID-19 tally in Madhya Pradesh rose to 7,92,901 on Saturday with the addition of seven cases, a health department official said, according to news agency PTI. The overall death count remained unchanged at 10,524, the official added. With 12 patients being discharged during the day, the number of recoveries in MP rose to 7,82,270, leaving the state with 107 active cases.
With 31,179 samples being examined during the day, the number of tests in MP went up to 2,05,51,760, the official added. An official release said 7,14,95,803 COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered so far in MP, including 1,49,930 on Saturday.
COVID-19 India News: Karnataka Reports 224 New Cases, 5 More DeathsKarnataka on Saturday reported 224 fresh COVID-19 cases and five deaths, taking the caseload and death count to 29,89,713 and 38,107, the health department said, reported news agency PTI. It said that 317 people were discharged, pushing the total number of recoveries to 29,43,487, leaving 8,090 active cases, a department bulletin said.
Though Bengaluru Urban remained the major contributor of COVID cases with 148 fresh infections, there were zero deaths. Other districts too reported fresh cases including 15 in Dakshina Kannada, 10 in Udupi and nine in Mysuru. While 13 districts reported zero infections, 15 districts had cases in single digits.
COVID-19 India News: Maharashtra Sees 661 New Case, 10 More DeathsMaharashtra on Saturday reported 661 fresh coronavirus cases and 10 fatalities, taking the tally of infections to 66,16,762 and the death count to 1,40,372, the state health department said, reported news agency PTI. With 896 patients being discharged during the day, the number of recoveries in Maharashtra rose to 64,58,045, leaving the state with 14,714 active cases.
However, the new cases were recorded after testing only 70,179 samples as the number of tests decreased due to Diwali. Maharashtra has so far examined 6,31,75,053 samples. Maharashtra's case recovery rate now stands at 97.6%. The fatality rate is 2.12%, the department said.
Mumbai reported 176 new cases and four deaths, which raised the caseload to 7,58,215 and the death count to 16,273.
COVID-19 India News: Telangana Reports 151 New Cases, 2 DeathsFresh COVID-19 infections in Telangana continue to hover below 200, with 151 new cases being recorded on Saturday, taking the tally to 6,72,203, reported news agency PTI. The death count rose to 3,963 with two more deaths reported, a state government bulletin said. The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation accounted for the highest number of new cases with 45 followed by Karimnagar district-16, a state government bulletin said. Active cases stood at 3,838. With 190 people being cured, the total recoveries are at 6,64,402, according to the bulletin.
COVID-19 News: UK Cuts Booking Time For Booster Shot By A MonthThe UK's health service on Saturday announced an one-month slash in booking times for a top-up COVID-19 vaccine shot, inviting those aged 50 and over to book their booster jabs after a five-month gap from their second dose, reported news agency PTI. From Monday, the National Health Service (NHS) National Booking System will allow people to pre-book their booster appointment a month before they are eligible. Everyone aged over 50 and all those classified as most at risk from COVID-19 should qualify for a booster six months after their second dose. Currently, they can only book an appointment at the six-month mark.
Over 15.69 Crore Unutilised COVID-19 Vaccine Doses Still Available With States: Centre
More than 116.54 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses have been provided to states and Union territories so far through the Centre and direct state procurement category, the Union health ministry said on Saturday, reported news agency PTI. More than 15.69 crore (15,69,46,111) balance and unutilised Covid vaccine doses are still available with the states/UTs to be administered.
Ladakh reports 1 new Covid-19 caseOnly one fresh Covid-19 case was reported in Ladakh in the last 24 hours, officials said. A total of eight patients recovered on Friday bringing down the tally of active cases to 91.
Seven patients were discharged from Leh after treatment, and one recovered in Kargil, a government official said. The number of overall cases in Ladakh so far has been 21,006.
COVID-19 News Updates: New Zealand Crosses 200 Daily Coronavirus Cases For First Time In PandemicNew Zealand's 206 new daily community infections on Saturday carried it past the double-hundred mark for the first time during the coronavirus pandemic, as the nation scrambles to vaccinate its population of 5 million.
The most populous city of Auckland, which reported 200 of the new cases, has lived under COVID-19 curbs for nearly three months as it battles an outbreak of the infectious Delta variant, although restrictions are expected to ease on Monday.
Once praised globally for stamping out COVID-19, New Zealand has been unable to vanquish the Delta outbreak in Auckland, forcing Ardern to abandon a strategy of eliminating the virus in favour of efforts to live with it.
Still, it has fared far better than many other countries, with tough curbs that have kept infections to just under 7,000 and deaths at 31.
Coronavirus Latest Updates: Massive Covid wave unlikely if large population already infected, says AIIMS DoctorResponding to the World Health Organization's (WHO) warning of a new COVID-19 wave, AIIMS Doctor and Epidemiologist Dr Sanjay K Rai today said that it is unlikely if a large population has already been infected by the virus.
The WHO had earlier warned of a massive COVID-19 wave in Europe and Central Asia. It also said that over 5 lakh deaths combined are likely in this region by February 2022.
"When large populations get infected, massive waves of the virus are unlikely. Natural infections lead to natural immunity which leads to a decline in the number of cases. Vaccinations also reduce disease severity and deaths. It will happen in Russia and Central Asia. A wave of infections is going on there, but this will reduce by February," he said.
"This happened everywhere, including in India. A large amount of the population was infected, then cases started to decline rapidly. Whenever the cases rise rapidly, they decline quickly too," he added.
He, however, said it was likely that the regions could touch the mark of 5 lakh deaths by February and even vaccinations would not bring the rising deaths to a sudden halt.
COVID-19 News Updates: US To Convene Foreign Ministers On COVID-19 On November 10US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Friday he would convene a virtual meeting of foreign ministers from around the globe to discuss the COVID-19 pandemic next week, pledging to work to address global inequalities in access to vaccines.
"Despite progress in worldwide vaccination, we are not where we need to be," Blinken said in a statement announcing the meeting on Nov. 10.
It follows a virtual summit of world leaders President Joe Biden convened on Sept. 22, when he pledged to buy 500 million more COVID-19 vaccine doses to donate to other countries.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates: Arunachal Pradesh logs 2 new cases in 24 hours, zero deathsArunachal Pradesh's COVID-19 tally rose to 55,176 as two more persons tested positive for the infection, a senior health department official said on Saturday.
The frontier state had reported zero COVID-19 cases on Thursday, seven cases on Wednesday and six on Tuesday.
The COVID-19 death count in the state remained at 280 as no new fatalities were reported in the last 24 hours.
Arunachal Pradesh now has 61 active COVID-19 cases.
Brazil reports 13,321 daily COVID-19 cases, 389 fresh fatalitiesBrazil reported 13,321 new COVID-19 cases within the past 24 hours, taking the total infection tally to 21,862,458, the national Ministry of Health said on late Friday.
According to the ministry, the total deaths from the virus has risen to 609,060, as 389 fresh fatalities were recorded within the same 24-hour time frame.
More than 21.05 million patients have recovered since the start of the outbreak.
A day earlier, the country confirmed 13,352 new cases, with 436 fatalities.
Brazil comes second in terms of the death toll following the US, with more than 753,000 fatalities, and third in terms of the number of confirmed cases after the US and India.
Covid-recovered patients vulnerable to Delhi's severe air pollution levels, says expertAs the air quality of the national capital deteriorated following the festival of Diwali, Dr Ashok Seth, Chairman, Fortis Escorts Heart Institute on Friday said the pollution levels are dangerous for the elderly people as well as COVID recovered patients.
Speaking to ANI, Dr Seth said, "These are really dangerous levels. AQI (Air Quality Index) levels are especially dangerous for the elderly and those with lung problems and heart disease. Pollution itself leads to chest congestion and bronchospasm. Those with Asthma, bronchitis will start getting worse. It itself predisposes to further chest infections, viral infections and cases of pneumonia. We see a lot of these happening when pollution rises."
Asked about the effect of air pollution to COVID recovered patients, Dr Seth said, "People who recovered from COVID are vulnerable to this (air pollution). Of this group, a lot of them got residue lung problems from minor to major. The toxic gases and particles affect the lungs directly."
Coronavirus India Updates: West Bengal records 763 fresh Covid cases, 13 new deathsWest Bengal on Friday recorded 763 fresh COVID-19 cases, 155 less than the previous day's figure, while the number of fresh fatalities also dropped marginally from 14 to 13, according to a health department bulletin.
The state's Covid death count went up to 19,201 with 13 fatalities while 763 new cases pushed the total infection tally to 15,97,095.
Of the 763 new infections, Kolkata registered the highest at 203, as well as accounted for four deaths during the day.
The number of active cases was 8,137 on Friday, marginally lower than the figure (8,193) of the previous day.
Alpha Covid Variant Detected In Dogs, Cats: ReportA new study in the Veterinary Record reveals that pets can be infected with the alpha variant of SARS-CoV-2, which was first detected in southeast England and is commonly known as the UK variant or B.1.1.7.
This variant rapidly outcompeted pre-existing variants in England due to its increased transmissibility and infectivity.