India logged 13,058 new coronavirus infections, the lowest in 231 days, taking the total tally of COVID-19 cases to 3,40,94,373, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Tuesday.
The death toll climbed to 4,52,454 with 164 fresh fatalities, while the active cases declined to 1,83,118, the lowest in 227 days, according to the data updated at 8 a.m.
The daily rise in new coronavirus infections has been below 30,000 for 25 straight days and less than 50,000 daily new cases have been reported for 114 consecutive days now.
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 the latest updates:
Madhya Pradesh
A total of 163 oxygen plants set up in Madhya Pradesh after shortage during second COVID-19 wave: CM Chouhan
Madhya Pradesh has set up 163 oxygen plants, generating over 182 metric tonnes (MT) of the life saving gas per day so far, after facing scarcity during the second wave of coronavirus, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said.
In March 2020 (before the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak), oxygen generation plants were not available in any of the government hospitals in the State, the CM noted. – PTI
Andaman and Nicobar
Andaman MP demands withdrawal of seven-day quarantine rule in Great Nicobar Island
Andaman and Nicobar Islands MP Kuldeep Rai Sharma has requested the Chief Secretary of the Union Territory administration to withdraw the seven-day quarantine rule in Great Nicobar Island for the convenience of the public.
Mr. Rai also requested the administration to schedule a passenger ship with cargo or a cargo ship for Great Nicobar Island in Nicobar district as soon as possible as the people in the island are facing a shortage of potatoes, onions, tomatoes and eggs due to delay in the transfer of cargo from Port Blair to Campbell Bay. – PTI
WHO expecting more info as it weighs approving India’s Covaxin for COVID-19
The World Health Organization said on Monday it expects Bharat Biotech to provide more information on its COVID-19 vaccine in a further setback to the Indian company’s hopes of getting an emergency-use listing for the shot.
Without WHO’s nod the two-dose Covaxin is unlikely to be accepted as a valid COVID-19 vaccine around the world. Bharat Biotech has been pursuing a WHO emergency-use listing for several months, having submitted data on a rolling basis since July. – Reuters
Russia
Russian regions introduce QR codes for entry to public venues as COVID-19 cases hit record
Many Russian regions on Monday announced plans to keep cafes, museums and other public venues open only to those who have recently recovered from COVID-19, have proof of inoculation with a Russian vaccine or a negative coronavirus test, as new cases in the country hit a record.
The round of unpopular measures that limits freedoms in Russia comes as the number of daily COVID-19 infections reached an all-time high of 34,325 despite the state-driven vaccination programme. – Reuters
USA
U.S. FDA to allow mixing and matching of COVID-19 boosters
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is planning to allow Americans to get a different booster shot of a COVID-19 vaccine than the one initially taken, the New York Times reported on Monday.
The FDA in September authorized a booster dose of Pfizer Inc and partner BioNTech’s two-shot COVID-19 vaccine for those aged 65 and older and some high-risk Americans.
The regulator’s advisory panel has also backed the use of Moderna Inc and Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine booster shots.
United Kingdom
One in three U.K. music jobs wiped out by COVID, report says
The COVID-19 pandemic has wiped out one in three jobs in the UK music industry, a trade body said on Tuesday, as it called for government support to help the sector recover.
The number of jobs fell 35% to 128,000 in 2020 from 197,000 in 2019 as the pandemic shut down live events and forced studios to close their doors, UK Music said in its annual report.
Some 69,000 jobs were lost in a sector where three quarters of workers are self-employed and did not receive help from government support schemes, according to the “This Is Music 2021” report. – Reuters
Tamil Nadu
Fresh cases fall below 1,200 in Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu reported 1,192 fresh COVID-19 cases on Monday, after testing 1,26,312 persons. The overall case tally has gone up to 26,88,284. The death of 13 persons took the toll to 35,912. Currently, 14,570 persons are under treatment, according to the daily bulletin of the Directorate of Public Health.
The number of recovered patients has gone up to 26,37,802 with the discharge of 1,423 persons.
In Chennai, 150 fresh infections were identified and 166 persons were discharged. As many as 1,774 patients are under treatment.
Telangana
Daily COVID caseload in Telangana drops to pre-second wave level
The daily load of COVID-19 cases in Telangana has declined to pre-second wave numbers. After the first wave of the pandemic started to wane, the lowest daily case burden (less than 200) was recorded in February this year. The second wave took root from second week of March. From mid-October — after nearly seven months — the number of daily infections now is the same as it was in February. This indicates that the second wave is on its way out.
Currently, more than 200 new infections are detected whenever daily tests are around 45,000. On Monday, 45,418 samples were examined and 208 persons were detected with coronavirus.
Andhra Pradesh
Kin of government staff who died of COVID-19 to get jobs in Andhra Pradesh
Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Monday instructed officials to provide jobs on compassionate grounds to the kin of the government employees who died of COVID-19, by November 30.
He wanted focus to be laid on the construction of 176 Primary Health Centres (PHCs) in order to take the health-care services to the people’s doorstep, and all government hospitals to have sufficient staff as per the national standards.
At a review meeting on COVID-19, vaccination, health hubs and recruitment of staff in government hospitals and health centres, on Monday, Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy said emphasis had also to be laid on implementing the job calendar in the Medical and Health Department.
