Coronavirus live updates | January 19, 2021

A cumulative 580 adverse events were reported till Monday, said the Health Ministry. “Two deaths have been reported so far and while one is not related to vaccination, post-mortem report of the other is awaited,’’ said Manohar Agnani, Additional Secretary, Health Ministry.

The Ministry said three of the seven cases reported from across the nation requiring hospitalisation were reported from Delhi. Two have been discharged whereas one case with reported fainting is under observation

You can track coronavirus cases, deaths and testing rates at the national and State levels here. A list of State Helpline numbers is available as well.

Here are live updates:

Karnataka

Registration of frontline workers to be completed by Jan. 24

The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has already begun data entry of the frontline workers, who will be vaccinated in the second phase.

Speaking to reporters here on Monday, BBMP Commissioner N. Manjunath Prasad said the process was likely to be completed by January 24. “The second phase of vaccinations will be taken up following the directions of the State government,” he mentioned.

The vaccinations are being administered since Saturday for the 1.82 lakh healthcare staff. The civic physique had coated 65% on Saturday and 58% on Sunday. “A total of 3,569 beneficiaries, including 2,700 in Manipal Hospital alone, were vaccinated on Sunday. We hope to maintain the momentum and improve coverage,” he mentioned.

Karnataka

Resident medical doctors need to select vaccine

The Karnataka Association of Resident Doctors (KARD) has written to the Minister for Health and Family Welfare and Medical Education demanding that they need to be given a alternative to decide on a vaccine.

In a letter to the Minister, the officebearers of the affiliation have demanded that home surgeons, postgraduates and tremendous speciality residents of presidency medical and dental schools needs to be offered vaccines which have proven outcomes with respect to security and efficacy. They have additionally acknowledged that the vaccines which have gotten outcomes of part III needs to be given.

This comes as medical doctors in six districts shall be given Covaxin, the place as different centres in Karnataka have been receiving Covishield. “Before receiving Covaxin, we have been made to take an undertaking stating that the clinical efficacy of Covaxin is yet to be established. The undertaking and the discrepancies in the distribution of the vaccine sounds very suspicious and the resident doctors are very grounded in getting vaccinated,” the letter states.

France

France, U.K. increase vaccine campaigns, Britain shuts journey corridors

France and Britain on Monday joined a growing list of nations beginning mass vaccinations for all aged residents because the UK started demanding all arrivals quarantine to attempt to halt the unfold of a brand new Covid-19 variant.

The French drive goals to cowl all individuals over 75 and comes after Brazil and India, which determine among the many worst-affected international locations, administered their first jabs over the weekend.

Health Minister Olivier Veran mentioned multiple million vaccinations are being focused by January and between 2.4 and 4 million by February. France had earlier supplied vaccinations to residents of retirement houses and well being staff on the frontline.

Britain on Monday prolonged its personal vaccination marketing campaign to individuals over the age of 70, after first attending to over-80s, and frontline well being staff and care givers. Since the innoculation marketing campaign started on December 8, greater than 3.8 million individuals have acquired a primary dose of vaccine within the UK.

New Delhi

Delhi sees 8-month low in new circumstances

Delhi witnessed 161 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours – the lowest in more than eight months – taking the entire variety of circumstances to six,32,590, in accordance with a well being bulletin launched by the Delhi authorities on Monday. This is the bottom variety of every day circumstances since April 30, when 76 circumstances had been reported.

Also, eight extra deaths have been reported prior to now 24 hours, taking the entire variety of deaths to 10,754. A complete of fifty,523 checks had been completed in a day.

Of the entire circumstances, 6,19,501 individuals have recovered and there are 2,335 energetic circumstances within the metropolis at current.

USA

Coronavirus deaths rising in 30 U.S. states amid winter surge

Coronavirus deaths are rising in practically two-thirds of American states as a winter surge pushes the general toll towards 400,000 amid warnings {that a} new, highly contagious variant is taking hold.

As Americans noticed a nationwide vacation Monday, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo pleaded with federal authorities to curtail journey from international locations the place new variants are spreading. Referring to new variations detected in Britain, South Africa and Brazil, Cuomo mentioned: “Stop these individuals from coming right here…. Why are you permitting individuals to fly into this nation after which it’s too late?”

The U.S. government has already curbed travel from some of the places where the new variants are spreading — such as Britain and Brazil — and recently it announced that it would require proof of a negative COVID-19 test for anyone flying into the country.

But the new variant seen in Britain is already spreading in the U.S., and the Centers for Disease Control and Protection has warned that it will probably become the dominant version in the country by March. The CDC said the variant is about 50% more contagious than the virus that is causing the bulk of cases in the U.S.

U.S., China spar over the origins of the coronavirus

The U.S. and China on Monday sparred over the origins of the coronavirus pandemic, the latest in a growing list of tensions that have left relations strained as President Donald Trump leaves office.

In recent weeks, Washington and Beijing have clashed over trade issues, the sanctioning of Chinese companies, Taiwan and Hong Kong. In a reflection of the state of relations, China’s official Xinhua news agency issued a commentary, headlined “Good riddance, Trump administration and its final madness”, hitting out over the sanctioning of six Chinese officials related to Hong Kong.

The latest spat followed the U.S. State Department on Friday releasing a “fact-sheet” linking the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) to the start of the COVID-19 outbreak, which brought another sharp response from Beijing.

The fact-sheet said while the U.S. “does not know exactly where, when, or how the COVID-19 virus — known as SARS-CoV-2 — was transmitted initially to humans”, it had “not determined whether the outbreak began through contact with infected animals or was the result of an accident at a laboratory in Wuhan, China.”

New Delhi

India, China may take lead in Asia’s COVID-19 vaccination plans, says Moody’s Analytics

India and China are expected to take the lead in driving Asia’s vaccination plans efforts, even as third waves of infections and stringent measures to curb fresh COVID-19 cases in Japan, South Korea and some South-East Asian Nations remain a dampener for Asia’s uneven economic recovery, Moody’s Analytics said in a note.

Terming India’s beginning of the vaccination programme a ‘crucial development’ for Asia, the firm said that the country’s advances on this front would soften the severity of the pandemic in Asia, especially as India is the second most-impacted country after the U.S.

“As the largest producer of vaccines in the world, with 60% of the global share, India is well-positioned to use its existing manufacturing capabilities to contribute to mass vaccine production and distribution needs for other countries in addition to meeting its domestic requirements,” the note said.

New Delhi

Covaxin not to be used in cases of allergy, fever, poor immunity

Those with any history of allergies, fever and bleeding disorder, on blood thinners and who are immunity compromised or on medication have been told by COVAXIN manufacturer Bharat Biotech not to take the vaccine.

A statement uploaded on the corporate web site on Monday mentioned the vaccine was additionally contraindicated for pregnant/lactating ladies, these utilizing different COVID-19 vaccines and folks with every other severe well being associated points as decided by the vaccinator/officer supervising vaccination.

The assertion comes amidst reviews of a gradual uptake of the primary part of COVID-19 vaccination within the nation that started on January 16.

It mentioned, “There is distant probability that COVAXIN may trigger extreme allergic response together with problem in respiratory, swelling of face/throat/quick coronary heart beat, rash all around the physique and dizziness and weak spot.’’