With 24,000 new cases, the coronavirus tally in India now stands at 99.56 lakh. 

As many as 355 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours taking the tally to 1.4 lakh. Of the 99.56 lakh cases, active cases have dropped to 3.22 lakh. Kerala reported over 6,000 cases after two weeks

On the vaccine front, the covid-19 shot being developed indigenously by Bharat Biotech has been found to be well tolerated with no serious adverse events and produced robust immune responses, interim findings from Phase I trials revealed. 

The Hyderabad-based company, which is developing Covaxin in collaboration with the National Institute of Virology, an ICMR institute in Pune, has started phase-III trials only recently and is yet to enroll all the participants as per its design.

Globally, the US has reported 3,786 deaths on Wednesday so far, another daily record as the country rushes out vaccine doses in an effort to slow down the virus’s spread. 

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government is set to raise its medical alert for the coronavirus to its highest level as the surge in covid cases puts its medical resources under strain, Nikkei reported, without attribution. That would be the first time the alert was set to its highest level since the pandemic began.

Source: The Indian Express 

BDST: 1230 HRS, DEC 17, 2020
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