The World Health Organization (WHO) has ruled out any link between AstraZeneca’s vaccine against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and reported blood clots.

“We do not want people to panic and we would, for the time being, recommend that countries continue vaccinating with AstraZeneca,” WHO Chief Scientist Soumya Swaminathan was quoted as saying by news agency AFP.

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:

Telangana

Another COVID-19 cluster found in Nagole school

A day after a cluster of 14 COVID-19 cases were detected at the Zilla Parishad High School (ZPHS) in Mancherial, another cluster of 34 cases were detected among students of Telangana Minority Residential School located in Bandlaguda, Nagole, on Tuesday.

Medchal-Malkajgiri Health officials said after receiving information that some students at the school had developed symptoms of COVID-19, they conducted tests and found the 34 students to be positive for coronavirus. While 10 teachers were tested, their tests turned up negative. Tests on 12 teachers who were not present on Tuesday will be conducted on Wednesday.

Karnataka

Health workers tasked to report Maharashtra returnees in Mandya

Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) and anganwadi workers in K.R. Pet and Nagamangala taluks in Mandya district have been assigned a new task – to alert the health authorities on coming across new persons in the households – as a measure to curb the spread of COVID-19 since many from these two taluks work in Maharashtra, which has reported a spike in cases triggering the scare of a second wave of infection.

These two taluks had reported the highest number of cases last year as many locals returned to their respective villages from the neighbouring State following the lockdown and for other reasons.

National

India records highest daily spike this year

India recorded its highest daily tally of coronavirus cases this year with 28,903 new infections, taking the total COVID-19 tally to 1,14,38,734, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Wednesday.

The death toll increased to 1,59,044 with 188 new fatalities, the highest in around two months, the data updated at 8 am showed.  Registering an increase for the seventh day in a row, the total active caseload has increased to 2,34,406 which now comprises 2.05 per cent of the total infections, while the recovery rate has further dropped to 96.56 per cent, the data stated.

As many as 30,254 new infections were recorded in a span of 24 hours on December 13.

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 1,10,45,284, while the case fatality rate has  dropped to 1.39 per cent, the data stated.

Vietnam

Vietnam’s homegrown vaccine to be out by Q4

Vietnam’s domestically developed COVID-19 vaccine, called nanocovax, is expected to be available by the fourth quarter of this year, the government said in a statement on Wednesday.

The Southeast Asian country has inoculated more than 16,000 people with AstraZeneca vaccines it received last month, the government said, adding that it was also in talks to buy vaccines from other producers, including Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson and the Sputnik V maker.

WHO

Post-vaccine blood clots a form of rare cerebral thrombosis: EMA

Scientists at the Germany-based Paul-Ehrlich-Institut report that the blood clots observed in some of those vaccinated are a “special form of very rare cerebral vein thrombosis”. This corresponds to a deficiency in platelets and bleeding following vaccination with the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. The recommendations from the institute were the reason Germany put on hold ongoing vaccinations until a full review by the European Medicines Agency (EMA).

The blood clots observed post vaccination, however, are less than the background number of such thrombosis events even without vaccination. The World Health Organization (WHO) has ruled out any link between AstraZeneca’s vaccine against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and reported blood clots. “We do not want people to panic and we would, for the time being, recommend that countries continue vaccinating with AstraZeneca,” WHO Chief Scientist Soumya Swaminathan was quoted as saying by news agency AFP.

 

Maharashtra

State active case tally rapidly climbs

Maharashtra posted yet another record single-day jump of 17,864 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday as its active case tally rapidly climbed to 1,38,813. Just 9,510 patients were discharged in the last 24 hours with the State’s recovery rate dipping to 91.77%. As many as 87 deaths pushed the fatality toll to 52,996.

While the total case tally has reached 23,47,328, the cumulative recoveries stand at 21,54,253.

 

Tamil Nadu

Collectors told to impose fines on people not wearing masks in public

 

In the light of increasing numbers of fresh COVID-19 infections in Tamil Nadu, Chief Secretary Rajeev Ranjan on Tuesday instructed District Collectors to strictly enforce guidelines and impose a fine on those not wearing a facemask while in public places.

During a meeting to review the COVID-19 scenario across the State, Mr. Ranjan instructed Collectors to strictly enforce the Standard Operating Procedures issued by the government and to impose a fine on violators under the Public Health Act. Respective local bodies, health, police and revenue department officials are to ensure compliance.

 

Vaccine for children

Moderna says it has started vaccine trials on children

U.S. manufacturer Moderna on Tuesday said it has started COVID-19 vaccine trials for children aged from 6 months to under 12 years old, with plans to enroll about 6,750 participants.

“We are pleased to begin this Phase 2/3 study of mRNA-1273 in healthy children in the U.S. and Canada,” said CEO Stephane Bancel in a statement.

 

Karnataka

Average of 4.5 contacts per patient traced in the last week

With a surge in the number of COVID-19 cases in the State, the COVID-19 Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) has recommended that for every patient, 20 contacts need to be traced in districts where the positivity rate is above 1%.

However, according to data provided by the Karnataka State COVID-19 war room on an average, not a single contact has been identified in 45.3% of the cases reported in the last week.

 

Telangana

‘Unrestricted movement making it tough to find source’

As a second COVID-19 cluster was detected in Telangana, dreadful memories from last year started playing on the minds of State Health officials. Emerging clusters, rapid spread of coronavirus and its containment had given sleepless nights to the officials even as they clocked in extra hours to keep the situation under control.

 

(With inputs from our Correspondents and agencies)