Coronavirus Cases In India: 1,36,200 deaths recorded in India till Saturday. (File)
New Delhi:
India has reported 41,322 fresh COVID-19 cases on Saturday, 4% lower than on Friday, taking its overall number to 93.51 lakh cases and 1,36,200 deaths, Union Health Ministry data shows. These numbers come even as a vaccine to fight back the virus seemed tantalisingly close. The states of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala were the most affected ones, with deaths ranging from 23 to 85 in the past 24 hours.
Meanwhile, the Serum Institute will apply within two weeks for an emergency use license of the coronavirus vaccine being developed by the University of Oxford and pharma giant AstraZeneca, the vaccine maker’s chief Adar Poonawalla said on Saturday after a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“As of now, we don’t have anything in writing with the government of India on how many doses they will purchase but the indication is that it would be 300-400 million doses by July 2021,” he told reporters. “We are in the process of applying in the next two weeks for the emergency use,” he added.
PM Modi on Saturday visited India’s top vaccine hubs to personally review the development of coronavirus vaccine and the manufacturing process. The visit, PM Modi’s office said, was meant to help him get a “first-hand perspective of the preparations, challenges and roadmap in India’s endeavour to vaccinate its citizens”.
Here are the LIVE updates on Coronavirus:
Post Diwali High: Pune Sees 1,080 COVID-19 Cases In Single Day
Pune reported 1,080 COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, taking the district’s tally to 3,41,540, while 18 deaths increased the count to 8,380, an official said on Saturday.
He said the district’s single-day addition of cases had crossed the 1000-mark fro the first time since Diwali, which was celebrated recently.
He added that 415 people were discharged during the day as well.
“Of the 1,080 cases, Pune city accounted for 528, Pimpri Chinchwad 217 and the rest were in the district’s rural and cantonment areas. Pune city now has 1,69,394 cases, Pimpri Chinchwad 91,967,” the official said.
Virus Surge Leads To Curfew In San Francico
A surge in coronavirus cases will put San Francisco under a curfew beginning on Monday and trigger other restrictions related to the virus, the city announced.
The curfew requires non-essential businesses to close and prohibits members of different households from gathering between 10 pm and 5 am until December 21, Mayor London Breed said Saturday.
San Mateo county outside San Francisco will also be subject to the same rules after the state of California classified both under its most restrictive tier of locations based on the spread of the virus.
In addition to the curfew, certain indoor businesses will be required to either close or reduce capacity beginning on Sunday at noon, Breed said.
