India recorded 35,551 new COVID-19 infections, taking the country's coronavirus case tally to 95.3 lakh, the government data shows. Up to 526 people also lost their lives to the highly viral disease in this period. With this, a total of 1,38,648 people have lost their lives to Covid till now. Total active cases, or those receiving treatment for COVID-19, stood at 4,22,943, down nearly 5,700 in the last 24 hours.
Meanwhile, the Aam Aadmi Party-led government in Delhi has informed the High Court that, for now, no night curfew would be imposed in the national capital, or parts of it, in view of the COVID-19 situation. "The Delhi Government has been taking all necessary measures, as required and demanded, by the ever-changing circumstances and (remains) committed to making every effort to arrest the spread of COVID-19 in the national capital," the High Court was informed.
The Covid vaccine developed by American pharma giant Pfizer, which was cleared by the United Kingdom Wednesday and will be rolled out to the public early next week, is unlikely to be available in India at this time, sources have told NDTV.
For a vaccine to be allowed in India it must clear clinical trials here, and sources said neither Pfizer nor its partner companies had asked to hold such trials. This means that even if Pfizer partners with an Indian company now it will take some time for the vaccine to be available in the country.
However, the Drugs Controller General of India has "discretionary power to waive localised clinical trials for a vaccine", sources said, but also noted that till date all vaccines cleared by the DCGI had at least cleared limited Phase 3 trials.
