New Coronavirus Strain Live Updates: Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, India Today 27 December 2020

Andhra Pradesh adds 349 COVID-19 cases, tally touches 8.81 lakh

For the first time since May, a district in Andhra Pradesh reported zero cases of coronavirus even as a total of 349 were added afresh across the state in 24 hours ending 9 am on Sunday.

Vizianagaram achieved the distinction by not adding a single case in a day and incidentally, it was the last district in the state to join the Covid-19 chart on May 7. (PTI)

Maharashtra sees 3,314 new COVID-19 cases, 66 deaths

The COVID-19 tally in Maharashtra rose to 19,19,550 on Sunday with the addition of 3,314 fresh infections, the state health department said. With 66 more people succumbing to the viral disease, the overall death toll in the state mounted to 49,255, it said in a statement. A total of 2,124 patients were discharged in the state during the day, taking the number of recoveries to 18,09,948, it said. The state has 59,214 active cases. (PTI)

Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai has revised quarantine guidelines for passengers arriving from UK/Europe/Middle East/South Africa, reported ANI. Tests will be conducted on day 7 of arrival, if found negative, then the passenger will be discharged from institutional quarantine and has to undergo 7-day home quarantine.

Pune remains in focus during pandemic for various reasons

From earning the dubious distinction of reporting the first coronavirus positive case in Maharashtra in March this year to being the headquarter of one of the country's leading manufacturers of COVID-19 vaccine, Pune has remained at the centre-stage of the pandemic.

During the nine difficult months, the pandemic forced the city, like several other places in India, to witness a large-scale exodus of migrant workers, indefinite closure of educational institutes and financial impact on people's lives. The district has so far reported over 8,700 deaths due to the virus. However, during this tough time, people from different walks of life, including healthcare, administration and police department, not only experienced the severity of the pandemic from close quarters, but also took it head-on. (PTI)

EU nations eagerly kick off mass COVID-19 vaccinations

European Union nations kicked off a coordinated effort on Sunday to give COVID-19 vaccinations to the most vulnerable among the bloc's nearly 450 million people, marking a moment of hope in the continent's battle against the worst public health crisis in a century.

Health care workers, the elderly and leading politicians got some of the first shots across the 27-nation bloc to reassure the public that the vaccinations are safe and represent the best chance to emerge from the pandemic. "It didn't hurt at all," said Mihaela Anghel, a nurse at the Matei Bals Institute in Bucharest who was the first person to get the vaccine in Romania. Open your eyes and take the vaccine."

In Rome, five doctors and nurses wearing white scrubs sat in a semi-circle at the Spallanzani infectious diseases hospital to receive their doses. (AP)

Ship captain tests COVID-19 positive after return from London, under isolation in Bareilly

A Merchant Navy captain, who returned from the US and the UK recently, has been put under isolation here after testing positive for COVID-19, officials said on Sunday. Bareilly Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Vineet Shukla said the sample of the ship captain has been sent to CSIR laboratory in Delhi for testing for new COVID-19 strain B-117.

"Of the 18 people who have been traced to Bareilly after returning from abroad, only the ship captain tested positive," he said.

The CMO said the 23-year-old captain, a resident of Civil Lines in Bareilly, had gone to the US in November, and while returning from there, his ship docked in London for nearly three hours. After returning to India, the captain was found negative in an antigen test. He stayed in quarantine in Delhi for seven days, Shukla said.

Officials of the health department however said it does not have any information regarding the departure of the captain from India or his arrival in the country. They said the mobile phones of the captain and his wife were found switched off. (PTI)

Andhra Pradesh News: The central government has given good news on the Polavaram project which is being constructed by the government of Andhra Pradesh. The centre, which has considered the appeal of state chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, has responded positively, opening up to the ongoing suspense over the estimated cost of polavaram. Read Full Story

Hyderabad News: The customs officials on Saturday seized gold bars and jewellery worth Rs 96 from a woman who arrived from Dubai at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) in Hyderabad. Read Full Story

A total of 472 new COVID-19 cases, 509 discharges and 2 deaths were reported in Telangana yesterday, says State Health Department

Total positive cases: 2,84,863

Total recoveries: 2,76,753

Active cases: 6,579

Death toll: 1531

With 18,732 new COVID19 infections, India's total cases rise to 1,01,87,850

With 279 new deaths, toll mounts to 1,47,622 . Total active cases at 2,78,690

Total discharged cases at 97,61,538 with 21,430 new discharges in the last 24 hours.