LIVE: Covid-19 vaccines may get license in coming weeks, says health ministry

On Tuesday, the United Kingdom started administering doses of Pfizer Inc-BioNTech SE’s Covid-19 vaccine candidate, becoming the first country to do so. The UK’s health regulator had last week given its nod for the vaccine candidate to be used in emergency cases.

India’s count of cases of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) crossed 9.7 million after the Union health ministry on Tuesday reported under 30,000 new infections-26,567-from the preceding 24 hours. Most significantly, the number of active continued to stay below 400,000 after falling below that mark on Monday for the first time since July. Also on Monday, the health ministry said the country, in the past week, had logged one of the lowest number of Covid-19 cases per million population in the world-186.

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On Monday, Delhi, the national capital, which had been the epicentre of the country’s recent surge in Covid-19 cases, logged a total of 1,674 new infections and 63 deaths, the Delhi government’s official health bulletin showed. The total number of cases in the city reached 593,924 including 9,706 fatalities due to the virus. The number of recoveries and active cases, meanwhile, are 561,732 and 22,486 respectively. Delhi health minister Satyendar Jain said the city’s positivity rate had plummeted to 3.15%, which, he said, is the lowest positivity rate in six months.

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03:38 PM IST

Andaman and Nicobar Island's Covid-19 tally at 4,773

15 new Covid-19 cases take Andaman and Nicobar's tally to 4,773. Active cases at 81.

03:03 PM IST

India's latest daily cases lowest in five months: Health ministry

India's latest daily Covid-19 cases-26,567-lowest since 26,506 on July 10, says health ministry.

02:42 PM IST

682 new Covid-19 cases and three deaths in Telangana

Telangana's Covid-19 tally reaches 274,540 after 682 new cases on Monday. Three deaths push death toll to 1,477.

02:10 PM IST

Over 26,000 new Covid-19 cases take Russia's tally past 2.5 million

Russia's Covid-19 tally reaches 2,515,009 with 26,097 new Covid-19 cases. 562 new fatalities take death toll to 44,159.

01:52 PM IST

May need 'tougher' Covid-19 curbs before Christmas: German minister

Germany might tighten restrictions to curb the spread of the coronavirus, health minister Jens Spahn has said, as a partial lockdown in place since the start of November has slowed, but not stopped Covid-19 from spreading.

01:10 PM IST

90-year-old British grandmother first to receive Pfizer vaccine

90-year-old Margaret Keenan has become the first person to receive a shot of the Pfizer vaccine as the UK on Tuesday became the first country to start Pfizer vaccinations.

12:48 PM IST

Puducherry's Covid-19 tally reaches 37,311

Puducherry's Covid-19 tally reaches 37,311 after 42 new cases. Active cases at 388.

12:24 PM IST

More than 110,000 restaurants closed in US during pandemic

More than 110,000 restaurants across the United States have been closed due to the massive spike in coronavirus cases across the country, according to the National Restaurant Association, as of Monday.

12:04 PM IST

Pakistan records highest single-day Covid-19 deaths in five months

Pakistani authorities on Monday said the country recorded 89 deaths in preceding 24 hours, its highest single-day fatalities in five months.

11:54 AM IST

Arunachal Pradesh logs 20 new Covid-19 cases

20 more people tested positive for Covid-19 in Arunachal Pradesh, pushing its tally to 16,415, a senior health official said on Tuesday.

11:20 AM IST

India's daily Covid-19 deaths per lakh population lowest: Govt

According to a report by the WHO, India’s daily death per lakh population is the lowest in the world: Govt

According to a report by @WHO, India’s daily death per lakh population is the lowest in the world. #IndiaFightsCorona #Unite2FightCorona pic.twitter.com/uOi2FM1fv2
— MyGovIndia (@mygovindia) December 8, 2020

10:55 AM IST

Germany's Covid-19 tally rises by 14,054

The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) has said Germany recorded 14,054 new Covid-19 cases and 423 deaths. Total cases reach 1,197,709 including 19,342 deaths.

10:26 AM IST