India should be able to implement its COVID-19 vaccination program in the “near future” as its readiness is ready and solid, NITI member Aayog (health) VK Paul said in an exclusive interview with The Hindu. Covaxin would work even with mutations, which we are seeing in the virus, he added.
Meanwhile, several experts have raised concerns about the “hasty approval” given to COVID-19 vaccines despite the lack of adequate efficacy data.
You can track national and state coronavirus cases, deaths, and testing rates here. A list of State Helpline numbers is also available.
Here are live updates:
India active cases
Steady drop in number of active cases in India due to decline in daily infections: Ministry of Health
The decline in daily COVID-19 cases in India has ensured a steady drop in the number of active cases, constituting 2.36 percent of total infections, while higher tests have led to the rate positivity drops further to 5.89 percent, the union’s health ministry said Monday.
Accumulated tests from India have exceeded 17.5 million rupees (17.56.35,761), with 7.35,978 samples analyzed the day before, it said. – PTI
New Delhi
World’s Largest COVID-19 Vaccination Program to Start in India: PM
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Monday that the world’s largest inoculation campaign against the coronavirus will begin in the country, a day after the drug regulator approved two vaccines for emergency restricted use.
Praising scientists and technicians for ‘Made in India’ vaccines, he said the country is proud of them.
“The world’s largest COVID-19 vaccination program is ready to start in India. For this reason, the country is proud of the contributions of its scientists and technicians ”, said Modi.
Puducherry
Partial resumption of academic activity begins in all schools in Puducherry
Children wearing face masks and queuing to have their temperatures checked before attending classes at their schools, which reopened in Puducherry on Monday | Photo credit: KUMAR SS
More than 800 schools in the Puducherry and Karaikal regions of the Union Territory have resumed partial academic activities after several months of interruption due to COVID-19. From Monday, students in classes 1 to 12 can attend classes until morning in schools in both regions.
“We have a reasonable number of students who came to class on Monday. All COVID-19 protocols have been followed, “said a department official.
However, some private schools have decided to continue online classes up to class 7 for a longer time.
Attendance will not be mandatory for classes that run from 10 am to 1 pm six days (Monday through Saturday) a week, said Director of School Education P. T Rudra Goud The Hindu.
Maharashtra
IBS to sell the first 100 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine at ₹ 200 per dose
Serum Institute of India will sell the first 100 million doses of its coronavirus vaccines to the Union government at a “special price” of ₹ 200, said the company’s chief executive, Adar Poonawalla.
In a telephone interview with The Associated Press, Poonawalla said the company was banned from exporting the vaccine for several months. Selling the vaccine on the private market has also been prohibited.
“We can only deliver (the vaccines) to the government of India at this time,” Poonawalla said, adding that the decision was also made to prevent hoarding. – AP
Case load update
India records 16,504 new COVID-19 cases, 214 recent deaths
Daily new cases of COVID-19 in the country remained below 20,000 for the third day in a row, bringing the number of virus cases to 1.03.40.469, while recoveries rose to 99.46 lakh, according to the data from the Union Ministry of Health updated on Monday.
A total of 16,504 people tested positive for coronavirus infection in one day. The death toll rose to 1,49,649 with 214 new deaths, data updated at 8 a.m. showed. The number of people who have recovered from the disease rose to 99,46,867, bringing the national recovery rate to 96.19%, while the COVID-19 fatality rate stands at 1.45%. – PTI
Maharashtra
Front-line personnel to receive COVID-19 shots in priority: Deshmukh
Health workers, including paramedics, doctors and police personnel, will be given a COVID-19 vaccine as a priority in Maharashtra, State Interior Minister Anil Deshmukh said on Sunday. He added that the state government will take all necessary measures to prevent the black marketing of vaccines.
He said that “people older than 60 years and those older than 60 years with existing comorbidities will be the second priority group for vaccination in the State.”
Tamil nadu
Two five-star hotels in Chennai become COVID clusters
Greater Chennai Corporation has reported a cluster of positive COVID-19 cases among employees at The Leela Palace, a luxury hotel in the city.
Corporation officials have asked the hotel to cancel all banquets for a few days.
“Twenty people tested positive for COVID-19 at the hotel. Yesterday we tested 232 people at the hotel. Today, three more people have tested positive for COVID-19. Today we tested 86 people in the same hotel, ”said the official.
With this, 114 of the 1,623 employees at star-category hotels across the city tested positive for COVID-19 between Dec. 16 and Jan. 3, authorities said. This resulted in a positivity rate of 7%. Eleven of the 2,769 non-star hotel employees also tested positive for COVID-19.
The Corporation had recently identified ITC Grand Chola as a group from the pandemic.
Kerala
Kerala universities will reopen today
A scene from the Physics laboratory at Maharaja’s College, Ernakulam.
Thiruvananthapuram will see a lot of activity with the resumption of classes at the universities on Monday.
While university authorities have already carried out extensive cleaning and sanitation of campuses, university councils have developed plans to regulate the movement of students and the arrangement of seats in a way that allows for adequate distancing. Advertising posters have been erected to spread awareness of the pandemic. In addition, students will be informed about precautionary measures before classes.
While most institutions will be operating again according to government guidelines, reopening will be delayed in some others. University College will resume offline classes only on January 12 due to college exams that will continue until January 11.
Cricket
Team India Negative Support Personnel in Latest COVID-19 Tests, Says BCCI
The Indian cricket team and its support staff tested negative in the latest COVID-19 tests conducted in Melbourne ahead of the third test against Australia in Sydney, the BCCI said on Monday.
The match will start on January 7.
The statement comes a couple of days after five Indian players, Vice Captain Rohit Sharma, starter Shubman Gill, stumper Rishabh Pant, pacemaker Navdeep Saini and hitter Prithvi Shaw, were isolated when a video of them in a restaurant interior was posted by a fan on Twitter.
Punjab
Punjab Health Minister asks Center to provide COVID-19 vaccine for free
Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh said on Sunday that the central government should provide COVID-19 vaccine free of charge to Punjab within a stipulated time.
Mr. Sidhu said that Punjab has taken strict measures from time to time to control the pandemic and now, the BJP-led government at the Center should not back down from its duty to supply the vaccine.
“So far, there have been about 5,364 deaths related to COVID-19 in the state, which is equivalent to about 178 deaths per million. Compared to Delhi, where there have been a total of 10,577 COVID-19-related deaths, and with a relatively high death rate per million of 528, we are in a much better position than other states. Punjab has a 95% recovery rate and active cases are decreasing day by day, ”Mr. Sidhu said during a press conference here.
Delhi
Delhi Police Complete COVID Vaccination Trial for Over 80,000 People
Delhi Police completed the second test to verify the best way to vaccinate around 87,000 people against COVID-19, a senior official said on Sunday. The whole process will be carried out in three phases.
Muktesh Chander, the Special Police Commissioner and nodal officer of the COVID-19 action plan, approved on December 26 an order to the Delhi Police to update the cell phone number in the Personal Information System (PIS) in the system. IntraDP. All police officers were instructed to update their mobile phone numbers by January 3, 2021. All district and unit chiefs were also instructed to ensure the completion of the exercise in time so that no one is left out of the vaccination program.
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